Atlantic 10 Office moves, Big East to breakup?

[jmu-fan-1981]

With the move to Newport News, VA, the Atlantic 10 Headquarters may be gearing up for what could be a frenzy of changes in east coast conferences.

Here is an interesting blog, and one persons opinion, of what could unfold... http://blog.gamejabs.com/2009/01/22/bre ... ts-broken/

Question is, will CAA/other FCS conference teams be involved in changes within the next few years with the A10 and BigEast?

Could JMU, Villanova, UMASS, Richmond, App State and others make the push to go I-A (FBS) together or will one or more of these schools decide to change their current affiliations?

I wonder if the ADs have these issues on their plates to ponder as we speak.

[jmu-fan-1981]

To quote Mr_English (GSU) from the CAAZone Boards...

What does this mean for the Colonial? Could the new A-12 (A-10) look like this?

Basketball -12 (14)

Xavier
George Washington
St. Joe's
UMass
URI
Richmond
VCU
Mason
JMU
ODU
Delaware
Charlotte
(Georgia State)
(NU)

Football - 7 (9)
Umass
URI
Richmond
JMU
ODU
Delaware
Charlotte
(Georgia State)
(NU)

What will happen come 2014?

It makes more sense if Xavier & St. Joe's joins the Big East Catholic league:

St. John's
Providence
DePaul
Syracuse
Marquette
Notre Dame
Villanova
Georgetown
(Xavier)
(St. Joe's)

Both leagues would be exceptional leagues.

[Appaholic]

With the move to Newport News, VA, the Atlantic 10 Headquarters may be gearing up for what could be a frenzy of changes in east coast conferences.

Here is an interesting blog, and one persons opinion, of what could unfold... http://blog.gamejabs.com/2009/01/22/bre ... ts-broken/

Question is, will CAA/other FCS conference teams be involved in changes within the next few years with the A10 and BigEast?

Could JMU, Villanova, UMASS, Richmond, App State and others make the push to go I-A (BCS) together or will one or more of these schools decide to change their current affiliations?

I wonder if the ADs have these issues on their plates to ponder as we speak.

Welcome JMUfan81! I could see it, but I hope it doesn't come to pass with AppSt. Have no desire to move up to compete for the CarcareMeinekeTidyBowl title, but I believe it is inevitable and that I am in the minority....

[dbackjon]

Welcome JMUfan1981


The Big East is the key of course to all this - will they stay together, or not. If they stay together, no movement.

If they break up, it is going to be interesting to see what happens.

[jmu-fan-1981]

I think if the Big East falls and creates a basketball-centric conference made up of Catholic universities, including: Providence, notre Dame, Georgetown, St johns, seton hall, marquette, depaul, and stealing from some current A-10 members, you have the makings of a fine Basketball league.

This would lead to the remaining Big East teams with both basketball and FBS (current or possibly in the near future) Football programs. Adding Villanova Football would be a good move and something UConn and USF has done pretty successfully recently. JMU and Delaware seem like they are viable potential schools to compete at this level while ODU has some ways to go with their football prorgram but it is up-and-coming by sheer interest and regional talent-level in the Virginia Beach/Newport News area. The basketball program at ODU speaks for itself.

The New Big East?
Louisville
Syracuse
Connecticut
Pittsburgh
Villanova - Football
West Virginia
Cincinnati
Rutgers
USF
JMU - Football, Basketball
Delaware - Football, Basketball
Old Dominion - Football, Basketball

[Col Hogan]

First, welcome 81...the more CAA posters, the better...

Some history, and how it could/might impact any of this...'

First, the A-10 is first and foremost a basketball conference...that's why the football teams left for the CAA, because the CAA agreed to support football which the A-10 never would...

Second...speaking for UMass only now, a move to FBS will not happen in this current economic climate...since the legislature barely supports football as it is...and lots of money will be needed to upgrade Alumni Stadium...

Now, I also hope that a move to FBS will not happen without being in a BCS conference...since as Appa so clearly pointed out, I don't want to see UMass playing for the McDonaldsBurgerKingWendysHamburger Bowl "Championship"...but that's just me talking...there are people out there who feel success is simply playing in post season exhibitions for big or medium $$$$$$$$$...

[Bostonspider]

Well I think that the B.E. might break up, but I do not see Villanova moving up to FBS and staying with the football portion of the league. I see the "Basketball 8" grabbing 4 schools from the A10, 3 from the west and 1 from the east, balancing out the new conference with 12 schools, 6 in the east and 6 in the west. They would most definitely take Xavier, Dayton and St. Louis to be paired with Notre Dame, Depaul and Marquette to form a strong western division. The east would include Georgetown, Villanova, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's and either Dusquesne or maybe Richmond (though they are not Catholic, but GU pulled for them last time). I am discounting St. Joseph's, probably the best option, as I quite sure that VU does not want another Philly school in the conference. The "Football 8" will try and grab maybe Penn State (not likely) or Memphis or maybe take a chance on an ECU or a ODU to get to 9 - 12 schools. The A10, now down to 10 schools, might make a play for GMU, VCU or UNC-W to get back to 12 and give GWU, Charlotte and / or UR some local rivals in a more "eastern" or Atlantic Basketball based league. The CAA might then replace those schools with Southern schools, like ASU, Liberty, Coastal Carolina or other FCS Football schools.

[jmu-fan-1981]

Thanks for the warm welcomes everyone. I am just pumped for football season, NFL and College!
Shoot, I'll even be excited for High School Football more than ever because of some young brothers playing Varsity...

but anyway, UMASS has that potential to move up to FBS one day. Perennial contenders in FCS and historically solid b-ball team. I remember Edgar Padilla and Marcus Camby when Calipari was there... and then Bruiser Flint happened.

It would be a nice upgrade for them to move to the Big East eventually, but who knows how all of this will pan out.

Looking forward to seeing UMass visit Bridgeforth Stadium (JMU) this year. You guys are going to be stunned at the two QBs fighting for the starting role... the talent this year is just ridiculous. Quick QBs who can run the spread offense.

[danefan]

word on the street (or in this case from inside the UA athletic dept) is that a lot of teams are quietly shopping ideas for new conference affiliations. There is a general concensus among mid-tier schools that a conference like the CAA (Maine to Georgia) will not be able to survive going forward. Schools know this and they appear to taking steps in the direction of moving on.

What the Big East does may be a catalyst to make some tough decisions a little easier for schools like JMU, UMass, etc.

[JMUpurplehazed]

I would love a Big East Conference like JMU81 posted above...

I used to feel JMU was snake-bitten with the CAA as a founding member...Since the CAA has improved in b-ball (Thanks George Mason) and is successfull with FCS F-ball (five teams in the playoffs) I've grown to like the CAA. However, I agree with AU-Dane above...many schools see a game of muscial chairs in their future and they all want a chair between hot-chicks when the music stops.

I think JMU & ODU are positioning themselves to take advantage of coming changes...I think JMU/ODU are planning to leverage each other...

[Col Hogan]

Thanks for the warm welcomes everyone. I am just pumped for football season, NFL and College!
Shoot, I'll even be excited for High School Football more than ever because of some young brothers playing Varsity...

but anyway, UMASS has that potential to move up to FBS one day. Perennial contenders in FCS and historically solid b-ball team. I remember Edgar Padilla and Marcus Camby when Calipari was there... and then Bruiser Flint happened.

It would be a nice upgrade for them to move to the Big East eventually, but who knows how all of this will pan out.

Looking forward to seeing UMass visit Bridgeforth Stadium (JMU) this year. You guys are going to be stunned at the two QBs fighting for the starting role... the talent this year is just ridiculous. Quick QBs who can run the spread offense.

Hey, 81....if you plan to watch UMass - JMU, you're going to UMass this year...we traveled to JMU last season...I was there...nice house...

[∞∞∞]

I think JMU & ODU are positioning themselves to take advantage of coming changes...I think JMU/ODU are planning to leverage each other...

I think we're also positioning ourselves for a big interstate rivalry (probably even better than ODU/VCU) in the future with regards to football and basketball (it looks like GMU is becoming VCU's rival anyways). I know you guys are ahead of us big-time in football, but like you said, I think both our schools will leverage each other to take advantage of better things to come. It's going to be an interesting few years.

[wideright82]

I think JMU & ODU are positioning themselves to take advantage of coming changes...I think JMU/ODU are planning to leverage each other...

I think we're also positioning ourselves for a big interstate rivalry (probably even better than ODU/VCU) in the future with regards to football and basketball (it looks like GMU is becoming VCU's rival anyways). I know you guys are ahead of us big-time in football, but like you said, I think both our schools will leverage each other to take advantage of better things to come. It's going to be an interesting few years.

Welcome to the board infinity cubed.

[BlueHen86]

I think it is inevitable that the Big East will expand to 12 football schools. 12 teams is the magic number for a conference championship game and more money, it's the reason the the ACC raided the Big East for Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech a few years ago. The Big East currently has 8 football playing schools, where they get the other 4 schools will have a big effect on what happens.

[dbackjon]

Welcome to Infinity and beyond!

[∞∞∞]

Thanks for the welcomes! I'll probably be an observer for a while as I have no analysis in me until I learn more about the FCS, but I'll definitely be lurking. I just found out about this place and it's really great. Hopefully, I'll learn a lot from this forum.

[AppMan]

I can see the possibility of Delaware, JMU, ODU, Georgia State, ASU, GSU, and possibly The Citadel getting together to form the nucleus a new league.