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Post by unalions on Jun 19, 2019 13:41:00 GMT -6
Yesterday's presser included the Commissioner mentioning the success of ASUN schools this past year including UNA.
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Post by brandon on Jun 19, 2019 14:27:56 GMT -6
Moving to Atlanta tells us something, or at least makes me think, KSU and the ASun are committed to each other. That's a great thing. Tells me the movers and shakers of the ASun have got their sights set high and are not content to be just another minor conference. Good! I agree with that...
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Post by lions09 on Jun 22, 2019 12:17:11 GMT -6
Bellarmine is small but has good men's basketball.
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Post by unafied on Jun 23, 2019 5:47:03 GMT -6
Just finished reading an ESPN article on UCONN potentially returning to the Big East. They have been pretty unhappy in the AAC since they lost almost all their rivals from the old Big East (Syracuse, Boston College, Georgetown, etc.). Their men’s basketball team has apparently had poor attendance the last few years. And remember, the men have won several national championships in the last couple of decades.
All that is to say, I do think we’ll see a lot more changes in the next 5-10 years. Conferences and schools got greedy for a while, thinking fans would continue to come out and support these teams no matter who was playing. But I think we’re seeing that that isn’t true. Yes, a lot of attendance declines are due to how easy it is to watch/stream games from home, but some of it is apathy due to schools being torn away from traditional rivals.
I don’t know if or when it’ll affect UNA and the ASUN, but once the dominoes start to fall, it usually affects everyone in some way or another. Other schools may look at UCONN and realize “the grass isn’t always greener”...
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Post by brandon on Jun 23, 2019 6:13:43 GMT -6
That's kinda why I made the other thread "What conference is best fb pr UNA?" With the money aspect of it.
Hoping to get good questions going for thoughtful conversations.
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Post by unafied on Jun 23, 2019 11:27:09 GMT -6
That's kinda why I made the other thread "What conference is best fb pr UNA?" With the money aspect of it. Hoping to get good questions going for thoughtful conversations. Yeah I saw your post after I had already made mine. I think the problem is just not knowing how things will shake out in the next decade. I think/hope there is a trend towards conferences that make more geographic sense. If that’s true a lot of teams could be shifting around. Maybe the Big South picks up several teams. Maybe several leave and we’re left looking for something else. Who knows. As I mentioned in a previous post, I really think a great conference could be made out of teams from just Alabama/Tennessee and another state or two. Will that ever happen? It will take a lot of moving parts, so if it does, we may still be a long way from seeing it.
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Post by brandon on Sept 13, 2020 15:43:42 GMT -6
Anyone think that the ASUN could pull off inviting 3 schools to make 12?
Better yet, these 3...
JSU West Florida Valdosta State
I think it would be great for all involved.
JSU would get to be with UNA and KSU, play in a seemingly better football conference as of late, especially with NCA&T coming in.
West Florida just fits
Valdosta has been against D1, but what else should they do? Especially if another GSC school moves. Big South football is easy travel for them. They fit as well. And gives KSU a good instate in conference rival.
The Big South would not have to worry about Monmouth and RMU anymore.
Big South football would be top 5 easy.
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Post by lions09 on Sept 14, 2020 8:14:46 GMT -6
I doubt anything happens for a couple of years. But, by then, the P5 may break away from the NCAA causing a complete reshuffle for most other schools. I think the pandemic has given folks license to re-think their conference and the NCAA.
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Post by brandon on Oct 8, 2020 11:56:10 GMT -6
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Post by brandon on Oct 8, 2020 12:16:48 GMT -6
Interesting to say the least. Especially when the ASUN, KSU and UNA are mentioned.
Could something be in the works?
My (some would say, overactive) mind has come up with a few possibilities...
1- the CAA splits up. The Southern football schools join the ASUN and the ASUN invites JSU and start FCS football. The ASUN would then sit at 14 all sport members and possibly 9 football members. Towson, JMU, William and Mary, Elon, Villanova (football only), JSU, UNA, and KSU. Richmond (for football) may want in too, I put Villanova in because it sounded like they are disgruntled.
2-the CAA invites both UNA and KSU for football only, being able to have divisions north and south for football, and being the first to have a conference championship game in football (other than the HBCU conferences)
3- a new league, with FCS football comes out all together. Maybe the ASUN and CAA come together and pull off what Gumbart wanted in the first place. Maybe the non football schools get together from both conferences and join up and the football schools join up? Add in a few various schools from other conferences on both sides and boom....
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Post by unalions on Oct 8, 2020 14:04:19 GMT -6
The CAA has some great teams but are so far away. I lived in NH for a few years and it's basically Canada. Lol. I have been UNH's stadium though. It was nice from what I recall.
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Post by brandon on Oct 9, 2020 7:09:20 GMT -6
I've read were someone suggested that the American East should combine with the North CAA schools and bring in Monmouth and RMU. That wouldn't be a bad idea.
Towson, JMU, William and Mary and Elon would join the ASUN along with JSU giving the ASUN 14 members.
Richmond, and possibly Villanova could join either as an affiliate for football.
If it's as bad as they say in the CAA, something could very well happen.
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Post by unafied on Oct 9, 2020 11:18:00 GMT -6
I have my doubts on this.
The CAA is a bit of a hodgepodge, but I'm not sure any of the schools far enough south to be interested would come. JMU is desperate to move to FBS. I don't think they would see any benefit when they are biding their time for a shakeup at the FBS level that would open up a spot there for them. William & Mary and Towson are both founding members of the CAA, so I imagine they would need a big incentive to leave. And Towson in Maryland is probably closer to the northeastern schools than they would be the ASUN's Florida schools. Of course, if travel is similar, who wouldn't rather go to Florida in winter than New York or Delaware. And then Elon, I have read somewhere, likes playing northeastern schools to help pull in students from up there. I've read it's one of the reasons they left the SoCon.
Now, if you could convince those four schools to come, I could see Richmond wanting to shift their football if allowed to be an associate. And that might be enough to convince Jacksonville State to fully commit to the ASUN, because between them/UNA/KSU/JMU, Richmond has been pretty good in the past, etc... that's a pretty strong football group.
But then the other side of that is, that leaves the CAA with just six full members. That's still a viable conference, but just barely. I guess maybe they could backfill with some MEAC teams if that conference collapses? Then the ASUN football conference can have their autobid in the FCS playoffs (which they never use anyway)?
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Post by northalaspectator on Oct 9, 2020 18:49:54 GMT -6
I know there has been talk of James Madison going FBS, but I could see a strong FCS football conference of:
James Madison Delaware Richmond Elon William & Mary Jacksonville State UT-Chattanooga Western Carolina Kennesaw State North Alabama
Then in 2026. Using the UAC concept it could be a full Multi-Conference.
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Post by brandon on Oct 10, 2020 23:17:25 GMT -6
I know there has been talk of James Madison going FBS, but I could see a strong FCS football conference of: James Madison Delaware Richmond Elon William & Mary Jacksonville State UT-Chattanooga Western Carolina Kennesaw State North Alabama Then in 2026. Using the UAC concept it could be a full Multi-Conference. If I read things right, the full CAA football members are upset with most of the affiliate members. Right? If that's the case, it may be a matter of booting most of the affiliates and bringing in the ASUN football schools as affiliates. It wouldn't hurt the Big South, they could just bring in the rest of the MEAC for football only. So this is a what if... ASUN invites JSU for 10 CAA let's all associate football members go with the exception of Richmond. CAA football now consists of Delaware, Towson, JMU, Richmond, W&M, Elon, KSU, UNA, JSU. (Would be a much better football league than the Big South, OVC, and SoCon) 9 football members. Everyone plays everyone and has room for good OOC games. The booted out schools form a new football conference that consists of, Maine, New Hampshire, Stony Brook, Monmouth, RMU, Rhode Island, Villanova, Albany. Like I said, losing Monmouth, RMU, UNA, or KSU will not hurt the Big South, they will pick up 6 MEAC football schools as associates.
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