George Mason Football

[Shockerman]

George Mason and Wichita State our two schools that could likely add Football at some point in the future. I noticed that GMU is playing USA and Old Dominion in Football during the 2009 season. Their club team plays a pretty competitive schedule with juco's DIII and DII's lined up. Does anyone have any info on the a possible move up? Would the CAA be in favor of this?

Whats the latest on Georgia State. Just trying to strike up some conversation as it is a SLOW day at work.

[danefan]

George Mason and Wichita State our two schools that could likely add Football at some point in the future. I noticed that GMU is playing USA and Old Dominion in Football during the 2009 season. Their club team plays a pretty competitive schedule with juco's DIII and DII's lined up. Does anyone have any info on the a possible move up? Would the CAA be in favor of this?

Whats the latest on Georgia State. Just trying to strike up some conversation as it is a SLOW day at work.


The more football playing schools in the CAA the better from our perspective. Keep adding teams until it bursts and we reap the benefits with a new Yankee Conference!xthumbsupx

[Monarch History]

George Mason and Wichita State our two schools that could likely add Football at some point in the future. I noticed that GMU is playing USA and Old Dominion in Football during the 2009 season.

Shockerman, where did you find this info? (please link)

I think ODU is having problems completing their initial schedule as an independent in '09 and '10, but that's the first I heard about playing Mason.

[Cobblestone]

The more football playing schools in the CAA the better from our perspective. Keep adding teams until it bursts and we reap the benefits with a new Yankee Conference!xthumbsupx

Here, here. http://www.anygivensaturday.com/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif

[Shockerman]

Shockerman, where did you find this info? (please link)

I think ODU is having problems completing their initial schedule as an independent in '09 and '10, but that's the first I heard about playing Mason.

Here is the link. I must admit it is message board (inside info) so take it for what its worth.
http://www.caazone.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=78096

[ChooChoo]

The creation of Georgia State Football should be formally announced in about 2 weeks. The state BOR votes April 16 to approve the fee increase that will fund the program. Georgia State football will really push the CAA to the limits in both numbers (14) and travel (Orono, ME to Atlanta, GA = 1,135 miles). Obviously being in sub-divisions will help curb some of that travel and hopefully our larger numbers will just translate to a couple more playoff berths. I don't see anyone (affiliates or core) moving or forming another conference until after the "move-up" moratorium. That way the few schools weighing their FBS options can evaluate their situation. Theres really no point in splitting the CAA up if 2 or 3 schoold have hopes of leaving in 4 or 5 years.

[crunifan]

The CAA deserves no more playoff berths. They got 5 of them last year. Any more and it would turn into the CAA conference tournament.

[Shockerman]

I have been following your progress in regards to adding Football and hopefully it all works out for you. It's interesting that you used Dan Reeves to spearhead your efforts as many in Shockerland are hoping we can do the same with Bill Parcels who is a WSU alum and former assistant coach. Keep the board updated on GSU's progress.

[ChooChoo]

I have been following your progress in regards to adding Football and hopefully it all works out for you. It's interesting that you used Dan Reeves to spearhead your efforts as many in Shockerland are hoping we can do the same with Bill Parcels who is a WSU alum and former assistant coach. Keep the board updated on GSU's progress.

Will do. I look for Reeves to be announced with having a new role in this program very soon. Though the PTB are keeping it very close to the vest, I look for him to be director of football operations, head coach, or both. I know he's conversed with FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger as well as folks at USF about building programs from scratch. I wouldn't think a "faceman" for fundraising would go to that trouble unless he was truly invested in the whole process. Though some of our insiders think coaching may be off his radar at this stage in his life, I can't help but think that at the end of the day, the coach is going to want to coach. xthumbsupx

[GannonFan]

The CAA deserves no more playoff berths. They got 5 of them last year. Any more and it would turn into the CAA conference tournament.

So says the fan of the team dismissed by a CAA team. xlolx Actually, we still haven't achieved the 50% representation the Gateway had in '03 so we still have room to improve. xthumbsupx

[GannonFan]

George Mason and Wichita State our two schools that could likely add Football at some point in the future. I noticed that GMU is playing USA and Old Dominion in Football during the 2009 season. Their club team plays a pretty competitive schedule with juco's DIII and DII's lined up. Does anyone have any info on the a possible move up? Would the CAA be in favor of this?

Whats the latest on Georgia State. Just trying to strike up some conversation as it is a SLOW day at work.

George Mason is nowhere near ready to have a football team. Even their club team isn't anywhere near as quality as you are making it out to be. They are still years away from even trying to eventually have a football team.

ODU is obviously going to start up in 2009 and be a full conference member in '11. Georgia State is the other team that's starting up and they'll be a handful of years behind ODU, so the CAA is looking at 14 teams somewhere around 2013 or later.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

So says the fan of the team dismissed by a CAA team. xlolx Actually, we still haven't achieved the 50% representation the Gateway had in '03 so we still have room to improve. xthumbsupx

And did you notice that the WCHA got six bids to the 16 team NCAA Ice Hockey Tournament this year? Another goal to strive for! ;) :p

[DFW HOYA]

Mason fell one vote short of adding I-AA football in 1998. Were it not for that one vote, the Patriots would be competing for the Top 25 by now.

How GMU is getting Division II schools to schedule a club team, I don't know. Yes, Tuskegee beat them 72-3 last year, but how many of these schools sell a game with George Mason and don't let on that they just scheduled a club team? If so, Marquette needs to start making some more phone calls.

[yorkcountyUNHfan]

The more football playing schools in the CAA the better from our perspective. Keep adding teams until it bursts and we reap the benefits with a new Yankee Conference!xthumbsupx


Here, here. http://www.anygivensaturday.com/forum/images/icons/icon14.gif

Be careful what you wish for.....

Any Yankee Conference would need a couple more teams to develope to become a top FCS conference and fill a bid worthy schedule. (And playoff expansion for an auto bid)

[813Jag]

Will do. I look for Reeves to be announced with having a new role in this program very soon. Though the PTB are keeping it very close to the vest, I look for him to be director of football operations, head coach, or both. I know he's conversed with FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger as well as folks at USF about building programs from scratch. I wouldn't think a "faceman" for fundraising would go to that trouble unless he was truly invested in the whole process. Though some of our insiders think coaching may be off his radar at this stage in his life, I can't help but think that at the end of the day, the coach is going to want to coach. xthumbsupx
USF and FAU are two good models to follow. Just don't follow the FIU model. xlolx

But seriously the more football playing schools the better. xthumbsupx

Do these teams (WSU, GMU, Geo.St.U) have stadia? Or is construction a part of their plan?

[813Jag]

Mason fell one vote short of adding I-AA football in 1998. Were it not for that one vote, the Patriots would be competing for the Top 25 by now.

How GMU is getting Division II schools to schedule a club team, I don't know. Yes, Tuskegee beat them 72-3 last year, but how many of these schools sell a game with George Mason and don't let on that they just scheduled a club team? If so, Marquette needs to start making some more phone calls.
They travelled to Tuskeegee?

[TexasTerror]

They travelled to Tuskeegee?

Yep, a club team played at Tuskegee...

http://www.tuskegee.edu/Global/story.asp?S=4795480

[UAalum72]

Do these teams (WSU, GMU, Geo.St.U) have stadia? Or is construction a part of their plan?
WSU has 30,000-seat Cessna Stadium (but I thought most of their talk was about going FBS) http://webs.wichita.edu/?u=mark1&p=cessnastadium

Georgia St. talks about using the Georgia Dome, which seems like overkill for a startup program when Morris Brown's old stadium is nearby

GMU has a 5,000-seat soccer stadium, so that's a little more iffy

[813Jag]

WSU has 30,000-seat Cessna Stadium (but I thought most of their talk was about going FBS) http://webs.wichita.edu/?u=mark1&p=cessnastadium

Georgia St. talks about using the Georgia Dome, which seems like overkill for a startup program when Morris Brown's old stadium is nearby

GMU has a 5,000-seat soccer stadium, so that's a little more iffy
That would probably be the best option for start up.

[downbythebeach]

I've chatted with the coaches and some of the players, and they tell me that when they play a d2 team everybody (fans, media) assumes that they are FCS. Some kid I know that plays said that when they are waiting for the games fans of other schools would walk up to them and say, "please don't beat us by 100"....then they lose like Hoya said, 72-3

playing NCAA games is a pretty good feat for a club team, I guess that actually used to beat D3 teams a few years ago

[Uncle Buck]

Mason has been trying to get football for years. When i lived down there i was all for it but it never happened. Family of mine that are alum also said they don't see it happening any time soon. We shall see.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

The CAA deserves no more playoff berths. They got 5 of them last year. Any more and it would turn into the CAA conference tournament.

That's how it is now. I'm still waiting to figure out if UMass or Richmond won the CAA title last year? xconfusedx It certainly wasn't on the field. Was it Richmond since they ended up losing to the eventual national champion in the semifinals?

[Rob Iola]

That's how it is now. I'm still waiting to figure out if UMass or Richmond won the CAA title last year? xconfusedx It certainly wasn't on the field. Was it Richmond since they ended up losing to the eventual national champion in the semifinals?
Certainly not Delaware, as they finished 3rd in the CAA South...

[Lehigh Football Nation]

A better question to ask about this, at least in George Mason's case: what's the benefit of keeping their football team as a club team? More money going towards men's basketball to be sure, not to mention football "expenses" being off the books... but you lose homecoming and you have this confusion as to what your football team really is. You have to have D-I training facilities anyway and a field, you (crucially) have a conference that is eagerly sponsoring football, so... why not make the jump?

GMU's athletics budget is $13 million, James Madison's is $24.5 million. That's most likely why.

[ChickenMan]

The CAA deserves no more playoff berths.

keep those CAA teams (UD) out of the playoffs and the Gateway will probably fair a whole lot better... :p

[89Hen]

GMU has a 5,000-seat soccer stadium, so that's a little more iffy
There's some room over there for a stadium near the baseball field, track and fieldhouse. They really don't need to go bigger than 15,000 with room to expand. A 15,000 stadium doesn't take much room. They already have the parking for the Patriot Center across the street, so they can just shuttle most of the people from there.

New stadium can go where the track is, Patriot Center is at 6 O'Clock. BTW, the soccer field is inside the track.

http://coyote.gmu.edu/map/maps/mainmap.gif

[UAalum72]

There's some room over there for a stadium near the baseball field, track and fieldhouse. They really don't need to go bigger than 15,000 with room to expand. A 15,000 stadium doesn't take much room. They already have the parking for the Patriot Center across the street, so they can just shuttle most of the people from there.

New stadium can go where the track is, Patriot Center is at 6 O'Clock. BTW, the soccer field is inside the track.


True, but a new 10,000-seat grandstand is still quite an investment added to startup costs, especially since they probably think they'll soon need enough size to keep up with JMU and ODU.