ODU dumbfounded by JMU's lack of interest in 1A Football

[Dukeman1]

CAA football schools waiting for stabilization


Coach Mickey Matthews acknowledged the question about a potential JMU movement from CAA Football to FBS "is a natural."

BALTIMORE --

Old Dominion coach Bobby Wilder saw James Madison increase the capacity of Bridgeforth Stadium to 25,000 for last season, and then consistently sell out. He thought what a lot of other folks did.

"As a coach, you don't think that a school like JMU makes a move like they did with their stadium to stay where they are," Wilder said Wednesday at the CAA Football media day at M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens.

Old Dominion made the move, announcing May 17 a shift from FCS to the FBS and Conference USA for next season. Georgia State is leaving the CAA in 2013 for the FBS and the Sun Belt Conference. A steady beat in Wednesday conversations among coaches and media was the unstable state of college football.

Speaking of reclassification and conference changes, University of Richmond coach Danny Rocco said, "you don't know where it ends, and you don't know what it looks like in years to come."

He remains confident CAA Football will remain prominent, though "it may have a few different helmets. It might have a few new places to travel to," Rocco said. "But it's still going to be the premier league in FCS football."

James Madison sticks out as a possibility for a higher level of competition because of consistent football success, the university's growth (now about 20,000 undergraduates), a passionate following for an FCS program, and facility upgrades led by the stadium expansion.

Dukes coach Mickey Matthews acknowledged Wednesday that the question about potential James Madison movement from CAA Football to FBS "is a natural." He added, "I think we're comfortable where we are, but we all know that could (rapidly) change."

NCAA rules require schools shifting from FCS to FBS belong to a league. James Madison has not been invited to join a league that offers a good fit in the view of the school administration. JMU aligns mostly with Northeast schools, in Matthews' estimation.

[purplehazed]

Who on earth could disagree with Wilder? No competent admin on earth builds a $75M stadium then commits to CAA/FCS. Based on what we have seen, it is not possible, even on purple kool-aid to beleive that our admin has aces and we all will be shocked and amazed with the future...when it comes to sports, we are madison, we are mediocre...

[BDKJMU]

Old news:
http://boards.caazone.com/showthread...-rumor/page130

[Dukie95]

Well, in fairness, ODU is easily dumbfounded.

[JMUPHAN]

JMU aligns mostly with Northeast schools, in Matthews' estimation.

So this limits the discussion to the Big East (East Division) or MAC (East Division).

[purplehazed]

I'm 100% on the FBS side of the fence, I'm tired of being upset about what is going on or not going on. I'm going to layoff the admin and have faith. I'm going to support JMU but not with as many dollars as I'd donate if my vision were the same as the admin's (can't really say I know their vision)...I just don't understand how the athletic dept is being managed and I hope we see some changes and fast...