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Since ODU is ONLY in our 3rd year of football (since 1940 something) AND in our first year of CAA football, I and most of my fellow fans are not completely up on the FCS rivalry scene.

However, I do note that two conferences seem to be somewhat above the others. That's the CAA and the MVFC. It also seems to me that since they are geographically separated, they don't really know much about each other. I have a cure for that. Let's start playing a challenge series on the first weekend every year. Our worst against yours (at least as far down as you go since we have more teams that you I think) to the best teams from the year before.

That should be doable? Maybe too much travel, and who would be the host? But it sounds like fun.

Any comments?

MonarchMan wrote:Since ODU is ONLY in our 3rd year of football (since 1940 something) AND in our first year of CAA football, I and most of my fellow fans are not completely up on the FCS rivalry scene.

However, I do note that two conferences seem to be somewhat above the others. That's the CAA and the MVFC. It also seems to me that since they are geographically separated, they don't really know much about each other. I have a cure for that. Let's start playing a challenge series on the first weekend every year. Our worst against yours (at least as far down as you go since we have more teams that you I think) to the best teams from the year before.

That should be doable? Maybe too much travel, and who would be the host? But it sounds like fun.

Any comments?

Haha, that would be pretty cool ... but this isn't college basketball. You can't really have the ACC/Big East challenge when you only have 3-4 OOC games and money issues come into play.

Also, prior 2010 and this season, the MVFC consisted of Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois and Youngstown State ... everyone assumed the addition of NDSU would elevate the level of play, but I think the Illinois State/Indiana State records caught people off guard this year outside of the MVFC ... they;ve been bottom feeders have they not?

The MVFC has been UD's biotch for the past decade - thumping INI & SIU in Newark & beating them both on their homefields as well.

UD played SDSU last September & blew their doors off. Word to ODU fans or TU fans (if you can find any besides Andy) - you want to be matched up against their teams in the playoffs.

Heck, even lowly Lehigh dispatched UNI in the dome last year in the playoffs.

bluehenbillk wrote: Word to ODU fans or TU fans (if you can find any besides Andy) - you want to be matched up against their teams in the playoffs.

Delaware has had our # but ask UNH or Maine how they feel.

In postseason play the MVFC is 10-9 vs the CAA.

FargoBison wrote:In postseason play the MVFC is 10-9 vs the CAA.

How many of those 19 games were played at CAA sites vs MVFC sites?

MonarchMan wrote: However, I do note that two conferences seem to be somewhat above the others. That's the CAA and the MVFC.

Any comments?

Yeah, I have a comment. WHAT FUCKING PLANET DO YOU LIVE ON?

Let's see:

2010 NC: Big Sky vs CAA...Big Sky team is NC
2009 NC: Big Sky vs CAA...CAA team is NC
2008 NC: Big Sky vs CAA...CAA team is NC
2007 NC: Southern vs CAA...Southern team is NC
2006 NC: Southern vs CAA...Southern team is NC
2005 NC: Southern vs MVFC...Southern team is NC
2004 NC: Big Sky vs CAA...CAA team is NC
2003 NC: CAA vs Patriot...CAA team is NC
2002 NC: Southland vs MVFC...MFVC team is NC
2001 NC: Big Sky vs Southern...Big Sky team is NC
2000 NC: Big Sky vs Southern...Southern team is NC

So, in the past decade we have 7 CAA NC appearances (4 NC's), 6 Big Sky NC appearances (2 NC's), 5 Southern NC appearances (4 NC's) and 2 MVFC NC appearances (1 NC). The LAST THREE NC's have featured Big Sky and CAA teams.

There is absolutely no argument to be made for the MVFC to be included in the same sentence as the CAA as one of the "top two" conferences in FCS. Not since Youngstown State stopped winning titles.

I don't know how far back those 19 games are going because the MVFC and the CAA weren't called those. But doing some (limited) research, the MVFC has hosted the CAA teams 13 or 14 times including 10 straight dated back to the 2006 playoffs. So if you are hosting 13 or 14 of those games, a 10-9 record isn't that great.

pantherrob82 wrote:

bluehenbillk wrote: Word to ODU fans or TU fans (if you can find any besides Andy) - you want to be matched up against their teams in the playoffs.

Delaware has had our # but ask UNH or Maine how they feel.

No fair using UNH - let's be honest, UNH looks for ways to lose by the quarterfinals. You could throw a team of warm bodies out there for the quarters and they would beat UNH. Maine, eh, not really much of a track record to go by. Just really that one year they squeaked in over W&M because of the Iona win.

I went back 17 games, at that point it gets confusing as to who was in what conference.

The MVFC had something like 11 at home and six on the road.

FargoBison wrote:In postseason play the MVFC is 10-9 vs the CAA.

And what's the record in recent history?

The MVFC is 11-9 vs the Big Sky, not too bad.

That said I won't be saying anything to SoCon fans, the MVFC's record vs that conference is well...not good to put it mildly. No wonder they talk so much smack.

GannonFan wrote:

FargoBison wrote:In postseason play the MVFC is 10-9 vs the CAA.

And what's the record in recent history?

5-5 since 2005.

FargoBison wrote:

GannonFan wrote:
And what's the record in recent history?

5-5 since 2005.

In those past 10 games every one of them has been played at a MVFC home stadium.

2009: William & Mary 24-0 @ S. Illinois
2008: @ N. Iowa 40-15 over Maine
New Hampshire 29-20 @ S. Illinois
@ N. Iowa 36-34 over New Hampshire
Richmond 21-20 @ N. Iowa
2007: @ N. Iowa 38-35 over New Hampshire
Delaware 39-27 @ N. Iowa
@ S. Illinois 34-27 over UMass
Delaware 20-17 @ S. Illinois
2006 @ Youngstown St 35-31 over James Madison

The MVFC is stronger than the Big Sky this season. Last season the Big Sky was stronger. Most years the two are inter-changeable, but I certainly wouldn't say the MVFC stands out as one of the top 2. It's hard to argue that when both the Big Sky and SoCon have a considerably more NC appearances than the MVFC. What makes the CAA stronger than the rest is the parity in that Conference. While a good conference, up until last season with GSU making a run, the SoCon has been pretty top-heavy with ASU. Same can be said about the Big Sky until last season when EWU made a deep run and ended up winning it all. Hell, I guess you could say the same thing about the MVFC up until last year....not a lot of teams have done much recently besides UNI.

That said, looks like the MVFC will have a chance to make some waves in the playoffs this year with possibly 3 teams getting in, so we'll see what happens.

EWURanger wrote:The MVFC is stronger than the Big Sky this season. Last season the Big Sky was stronger. Most years the two are inter-changeable, but I certainly wouldn't say the MVFC stands out as one of the top 2. It's hard to argue that when both the Big Sky and SoCon have a considerably more NC appearances than the MVFC. What makes the CAA stronger than the rest is the parity in that Conference. While a good conference, up until last season with GSU making a run, the SoCon has been pretty top-heavy with ASU. Same can be said about the Big Sky until last season when EWU made a deep run and ended up winning it all. Hell, I guess you could say the same thing about the MVFC up until last year....not a lot of teams have done much recently besides UNI.

That said, looks like the MVFC will have a chance to make some waves in the playoffs this year with possibly 3 teams getting in, so we'll see what happens.

I'm going to predict right now: NO MVFC team makes it past the quarters. No matter HOW many get in.

MVFC is stronger than the CAA this year and deserves at least 4 seeds.

guinzone wrote:MVFC is stronger than the CAA this year and deserves at least 4 seeds.

guinzone wrote:MVFC is stronger than the CAA this year and deserves at least 4 seeds.

Thanks, guinzone. I needed a good laugh after today.

AZGrizFan wrote:

guinzone wrote:MVFC is stronger than the CAA this year and deserves at least 4 seeds.

Thanks, guinzone. I needed a good laugh after today.

Let's ignore the fact that we have two teams in the top five and three others inside the top fifteen. Finally we don't have to rely on UNI to do something for our league in the playoffs! Hopefully NDSU, YSU, ILSU, and/or INSU can make a deep run this year.

guinzone wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:
Thanks, guinzone. I needed a good laugh after today.

Let's ignore the fact that we have two teams in the top five and three others inside the top fifteen. Finally we don't have to rely on UNI to do something for our league in the playoffs! Hopefully NDSU, YSU, ILSU, and/or INSU can make a deep run this year.

I repeat my earlier prediction: No MVFC makes it past the quarters this year.

guinzone wrote:MVFC is stronger than the CAA this year and deserves at least 4 seeds.

I hope you mean four teams in the playoffs, we'll be lucky to get two seeds.

I think the top 3 teams in the Big Sky, CAA, MVFC, & Southern, are all pretty even this year. If anything I would guess the CAA is probably the weakest at the top of the 4. That is my option based on the middle of the CAA like UD and JMU really being only slightly behind the top 3. Couple that with the middle of the CAA not blowing lower level competition out of the water.

So in the end if the top 3 of each conf are similar then ranking the conf's comes down to how good are the bottom 2/3rds. That question would be harder for me but I would rank them, MVFC then the remaining three very close behind.

FargoBison wrote:

guinzone wrote:MVFC is stronger than the CAA this year and deserves at least 4 seeds.

I hope you mean four teams in the playoffs, we'll be lucky to get two seeds.

Four teams in! Thanks for spotting that!

AZGrizFan wrote:

guinzone wrote: Let's ignore the fact that we have two teams in the top five and three others inside the top fifteen. Finally we don't have to rely on UNI to do something for our league in the playoffs! Hopefully NDSU, YSU, ILSU, and/or INSU can make a deep run this year.

I repeat my earlier prediction: No MVFC makes it past the quarters this year.

I'll bite. What's the bet?