VERY Informal Talks of New FBS Conference

[asumike83]

http://boards.caazone.com/showthread.php?117016-Wood-Selig-Investigating-a-new-FBS-conference-with-existing-FCS-teams

This was mentioned on the CAA Board. Wood Selig, ODU Athletics Director, mentioned on a radio show that he was in meeting with representatives from other FCS schools to investigate the possibility of forming a new football-only conference. The poster stated the schools mentioned were JMU, ODU, William & Mary, FIU, FAU, and Appalachian along with a few others.

Not sure what (if anything) to make out of this but my thoughts are that I would be somewhat surprised if FIU/FAU are willing to leave the Sun Belt. There are also the obvious hurdles of clearing this with the NCAA. Interesting tidbit but I think that regardless, any move would be 3-5 years down the road and likely also include some combination of Charlotte, Georgia Southern, Georgia State or Delaware. Also not sure that W&M is willing/ready to make a move.

[Saint3333]

Football only, I highly doubt the SoCon would go for that. Any SoCon team in this deal would need the CAA to take the remaining sports.

No chance FIU/FAU would join this, one of them will likely get a CUSA invite.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

The Sun Belt will never, ever let their only marketable assets (based solely on location) go to this new conference, one which would become their instant rivals to be the whipping boy of the big-money FBS programs.

[asumike83]

Yeah, it seems like more of a pipe dream than anything. Being able to remain in the SoCon/CAA for other sports and move into this football-only conference would probably be a great scenario for all the programs but I doubt the conferences they are departing would go for it. The SoCon and CAA would each lose their football cash cows and have no real incentive to keep them on for other sports.

[49RFootballNow]

This would have to be a football-only league; and if so, it would not get a vote on the FBS Competition Committee. This is what happened when the rules changed in the '90's. The Yankee (football-only) became the A10 Football Conference exactly because of this rule. The other alternative is to try to entice some basketball-only powers to join for all sports.

[DFW HOYA]

Can someone explain to me how Cary Field (aka Zable) would qualify as an I-A stadium?

If someone got really creative, there would be a pact between the SoCon and CAA to move all the I-A aspirants to the SoCon (where many got their start and has the history behind it) and move the I-AA teams to the CAA, with a third league formed of what's left-- which could, for discussion purposes only, form as follows (and apologies if I left anyone obvious out):

Southern (I-A)
Appalachian St
Charlotte
Delaware
Florida Intl
Florida Atl
Liberty (New)
Georgia State
Georgia Southern
James Madison
Old Dominion

Colonial (I-AA)
North:
New Hampshire
Maine
Richmond
Towson
Villanova
W&M
VMI (New)

South:
THE Citadel
Elon
Furman
Samford
Tn-Chatt.
Western Carolina
Wofford

Mid-Atlantic (New, no FB)
Coll. of Charleston
Davidson (FB in Pioneer)
Drexel
George Mason
Hofstra
Northeastern
NC-Wilmington
VCU

[Hammerhead]

According to the following page at ncaa.org, 15,000 is the minimum average attendance required to be in FBS. I'm not sure if this applies to schools moving up or just current members.
http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/AMA/Division%20I%20Forms/2011-12%20FBS%20Forms/FBSMembershipRequirementsCertification%20Form.pdf

[The Brief]

It means for current members too. But I don't know how the NCAA plans on enforcing this rule. Ball State only averaged a little over 8,000 last year and are not doing so hot this year.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/655869-college-football-2011-the-25-worst-college-football-stadium-experiences

[asumike83]

It is supposed to apply to current members and those looking to move up, but I'd imagine it is more strictly scrutinized for new members. There are tons of FBS programs who average under 15K, hardly an easy rule to enforce though.

[aztecjim]

The NCAA keeps huffing and puffing about the attendance rule and hasn't enforced since......?

[The Brief]

Can someone explain to me how Cary Field (aka Zable) would qualify as an I-A stadium?

If someone got really creative, there would be a pact between the SoCon and CAA to move all the I-A aspirants to the SoCon (where many got their start and has the history behind it) and move the I-AA teams to the CAA, with a third league formed of what's left-- which could, for discussion purposes only, form as follows (and apologies if I left anyone obvious out):

Southern (I-A)
Appalachian St
Charlotte
Delaware
Florida Intl
Florida Atl
Liberty (New)
Georgia State
James Madison
Old Dominion

Colonial (I-AA)
North:
New Hampshire
Maine
Richmond
Towson
Villanova
W&M
VMI (New)

South:
THE Citadel
Elon
Furman
Samford
Tn-Chatt.
Western Carolina
Wofford

Mid-Atlantic (New, no FB)
Coll. of Charleston
Davidson (FB in Pioneer)
Drexel
George Mason
Hofstra
Northeastern
NC-Wilmington
VCU

Yeah, you forgot Georgia Southern. You know, SoCon Champs, in the semi-finals, top 5 team all year, received a top 25 AP vote. You know, them.

[DFW HOYA]

Corrected.

[Saint3333]

I went to crazy town:

CAA

Football
Delaware
Towson (this was a stretch)
ODU
JMU
ASU
UNCC
GSU
GA St.
Nova*

Basketball
North
Drexel
Delaware
Towson
George Mason
ODU
JMU
VCU

South
ASU
UNCC
UNCW
CofC
GSU
GA St.


SoCon
Football
Elon
Furman
Wofford
Citadel
Samford
W&M
VMI
UR*

Basketball
Elon
Furman
Wofford
Citadel
Samford
W&M
VMI
DC


NE
Football
Bryant
Albany
Robert Morris
C. Conn.
Monmouth
Sacred Heart
St. Francis
Wagner
Duquesne
RI
Maine
UNH

Basketball
Bryant
Robert Morris
C. Conn.
Monmouth
Sacred Heart
St. Francis
Wagner
St. Mary's
Long Island
Quinnipac
St. Francis NY


Big South
Football
CCU
Liberty
G-Webb
Char. South
PC
Cambell

Basketball
CCU
Liberty
G-Webb
Char. South
PC
Cambell
High Point
UNCA
Radford
Winthrop
UNGC

* - football only members

WCU and UTC go to the OVC. Sorry to the Maine and UNH fans. I considered adding Liberty to the new CAA.

[The Brief]

Corrected.

I like it. Gives us the chance to beat the hell out of Georgia State every year, and they have no excuses not to play us.

[ASUMountaineer]

Yeah, you forgot Georgia Southern. You know, SoCon Champs, in the semi-finals, top 5 team all year, received a top 25 AP vote. You know, them.

I'm sure he meant to add you guys, but went with the real GSU.













J/K

[henfan]

Good luck to Wood in his uphill climb. A 'football only' FBS conference is just not feasible.

[BEAR]

Great. Let's move everyone up to the FBS so the FBS can move the 'elite' teams up to the superBCS. Yeah, it will happen that way. What's to gain here?

[ASUMountaineer]

Great. Let's move everyone up to the FBS so the FBS can move the 'elite' teams up to the superBCS. Yeah, it will happen that way. What's to gain here?

Well, the schools being discussed would remain in the "second tier" if you will when compared to the FBS. But, that would prevent those schools from being relegated to a "third tier," if you will. I'm guessing some of the schools being mentioned would prefer to be one step away from the SuperBCS than two. This may bruise egos, but it could explain the thinking.

[Milktruck74]

Yeah, you forgot Georgia Southern. You know, SoCon Champs, in the semi-finals, top 5 team all year, received a top 25 AP vote. You know, them.

Georgia Southern...Georgia State.......Close enough!!!!

[darell1976]

The NCAA keeps huffing and puffing about the attendance rule and hasn't enforced since......?

I don't think Eastern Michigan has ever followed this rule since the 1980's.

[Bill]

In regards to attendance, remember it's an average over two years. One way around this was to schedule a "home" game at a nearby pro field against a big name opponent. Does anyone here remember when Temple would play Penn State at the Vet (or old JFK) and count it as a home game, or Rutgers play a Tennesee at Giants Stadium, and count the 65,000 towards the attendance average....

Not sure how some others do it, though!

[Eagle22]

Football only, I highly doubt the SoCon would go for that. Any SoCon team in this deal would need the CAA to take the remaining sports.

No chance FIU/FAU would join this, one of them will likely get a CUSA invite.

I'd like to see ASU and GSU push the SoCon on it. I mean we already have teams without football, a team that has it and doesn't play in the league .... seems like the only missing piece is having a couple of teams who have it and play FBS ;)

[apaladin]

The way teams get around the attendance thing is if you don't average 15k you have to be in a league where the "majority" of schools average 15k. Really not that hard to do.

[Apphole]

It would be sweet to keep the SoCon name and history.

[Saint3333]

I'd like to see ASU and GSU push the SoCon on it. I mean we already have teams without football, a team that has it and doesn't play in the league .... seems like the only missing piece is having a couple of teams who have it and play FBS ;)

I was hoping ASU could join a conference that would improve the overall profile of the athletic programs, especially basketball. That is why I hope if ASU remains FCS that we look to join the CAA.

[Seven Would Be Nice]

I was hoping ASU could join a conference that would improve the overall profile of the athletic programs, especially basketball. That is why I hope if ASU remains FCS that we look to join the CAA.

I'm fine with whopping them in the Post Season.

[cbarrier90]

I'm fine with whopping them in the Post Season.

Just like GSU did this year in the regular season...

[Seven Would Be Nice]

Just like GSU did this year in the regular season...

I was referring to the CAA, not app.