JMU To Play WVU at FedEx Field in 2012!

Sirloinburger · Post by **Sirloinburger** » Mon Jun 27, 2011 8:45 pm

ASUG8 wrote:I'm not really sure what the benefit is for WVU to agree to this. The schools are only 3+ hrs apart. I really don't believe that they'll be able to fill up 90K seats vs. a 60K home game in Morgantown.

LOL, J/K

JMUpurplehazed · Post by **JMUpurplehazed** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 5:44 pm

Sirloin - So you're saying that you know WV football, the needs and goals of the program better than the WVU athletic director? WVU wants to piss in ACC territory. A lot the WVU fans like the idea... JMU fans love it...

JMU will show at least 25,000 and WVU at least 40,000 in DC, bank it

BDKJMU · Post by **BDKJMU** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 9:07 pm

I tend to take a pessimistic view of attendance. Ex with the new Bridgeforth, I'll believe 27k sellouts when I see them (which I would be very happy to see).

Won't get as many Hillbilly U fans as would with WVU playing a Big name BCS. My guess is they bring in the 40k range, JMU around 20k. 20k would still be around double that JMU has brought to any away game before and would be a great showing.

One of the JMU posters on the Zone who is a big Skins season ticket holder mentioned Fed EX is downsizing from 92k or whatever to 85kish. said they are removing most of the upper deck in both endzones in order to replace them with "party decks" . said The seats will be left empty this year as construction occurs and they will be ready for 2012. If this game could draw 60k would still be close to 3/4 full. (Wiki btw shows FED EX at 91,704. Says the VT-USC game in 94' (I was there) drew the largest crowd at 91,665).

BDKJMU · Post by **BDKJMU** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 9:15 pm

Not happy on WVU boards:
http://westvirginia.rivals.com/showmsg. ... 91&style=2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=159&f=2508&t=7628456" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BDKJMU · Post by **BDKJMU** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 9:18 pm

WVU's perspective:
Oliver Luck And Building The West Virginia Brand
http://www.smokingmusket.com/2011/6/27/ ... -field-jmu" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BDKJMU · Post by **BDKJMU** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 9:26 pm

This Marshall writer sounds annoyed to say the least:

Chuck Landon: FCS school lures WVU into playing 'away' game

June 27, 2011 @ 11:35 PM
The Herald-Dispatch
Mike Hamrick must feel bewildered beyond all belief.

Not to mention bewitched and bothered.

How could he not?

Why, I bet Marshall's athletic director wandered around campus for about three hours on Monday, trying to make some sense out of West Virginia University reportedly planning to finalize a deal to play James Madison in Washington, D.C., during the 2012 football season.

Who could blame him?

Just consider the scenario.

Hamrick has spent nearly three years trying to get such WVU officials as Eddie Pastilong and Oliver Luck to agree to a contract extension of the Marshall series.

He hasn't realized one iota of success.

After playing the Mountaineers on Sept. 4 in Morgantown during the upcoming 2011 season and again on Sept. 1 at Mountaineer Field in 2012, the series will end.

It also means the conclusion of an intra-state rivalry game that carried the unique distinction of keeping all the money, all the generated revenue within the borders of West Virginia.

That's the bewildering part of this James Madison deal.

According to the Charleston Daily Mail newspaper, WVU is planning to agree to move a home game on Sept. 15, 2012, from Morgantown to FedEx Field (home of the NFL Washington Redskins) to play the FCS opponent.

I repeat, a home game.

The Mountaineers must be getting an almost heavenly guarantee to make that move, right?

Uh, guess again.

WVU's guarantee reportedly is just slightly more than $2 million, which is approximately what it makes on a home game. So, the Mountaineers are giving away a home game for what?

Nothing, really.

WVU fans will be forced to drive an additional three hours or so. Morgantown area hotels, restaurants and convenience stores will lose the revenue from a home-game weekend. The Mountaineers will lose a game's worth of beer sales.

And, basically, all the money from this GPS-challenged "home" game will go out of state.

Wow.

Just wow.

If all that isn't incredulous enough, lump this bewildering fact on top. WVU is playing an FCS opponent -- or I-AA opponent for all those traditionalists in the audience -- on the road.

I repeat, on the road.

Oh, sure, it is classified as a WVU "home" game, but it's not. James Madison is located in nearby Harrisonburg, Va., and has approximately 20,000 alumni in the Washington, D.C., area.

Guess what? If WVU fans have to travel farther to this game than James Madison fans, it's not a Mountaineer home game.

Besides, when is the last time anyone can remember a BCS school playing a I-AA opponent in what amounts to being a road game?

Seldom, if ever.

I don't know James Madison's Jeff Bourne, but the school definitely needs to give their athletic director a contract extension and a big raise. After all, he appears to be pulling off the unthinkable.

Think about it.

Bourne is getting a Big East Conference school to give James Madison a home game.

That's amazing.

Or bewildering if you're sitting in Hamrick's chair mulling over the mind-boggling scenario of WVU giving away a home game, taking all the revenue out of state and playing a I-AA team on the road.

Hey, Mike, just so you know, I checked the calendar and it really wasn't April Fools Day on Monday.

It just seemed that way."
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/x ... -away-game" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

With the highlighted note that if the game was being played at Morgantown the 350k+ guarantee for JMU would come out of that 2 million. With the game at Fed EX it won't.

BDKJMU · Post by **BDKJMU** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 1:23 pm

GannonFan wrote:
EWURanger wrote:
Well, yeah, there's that. But lots of reasons for JMU fans to be excited - beat Va Tech last year which was a huge win for their program.....awesome stadium expansion, etc.

FWIW JMU and W & M are my top two to win the CAA this season. At the very least, we should see JMU back in the playoffs this year.
Eh, we'll see. Nothing guaranteed about JMU this year. Good defense, but the offense still has a lot of questions. OL was bad last year and not a lot of reasons to think it will be significantly improved this year. QB is still a big question mark, as well as RB. W&M, UD, Richmond, UNH, and maybe even URI will likely be ahead of JMU in the preseason poll for the conference. Preseason polls aren't the end all be all, but JMU will certainly surprise a lot of people (not you though) if they win the CAA this year.

Eh baloney. 4 of 5 starters return, including one of the 2 who made 2nd Team All CAA. Won't be 2 redshirt freshman who were thrown to the wolves unexpectantly. They are bigger and significantly improved. Plus have a Marshall transfer who would have started for Marshall as the likely 5th starter.

From the Harrisonburg Daily News Record on Wed:

Help For Dukes?
After Spat With Marshall, Ex-Leeman Eyes JMU

HARRISONBURG - The saga of A.J. Scott's quest to return to the Valley appears to be coming to an end.

Scott, a former R.E. Lee High School offensive lineman, said Tuesday the NCAA last week granted his appeal for a release from Marshall's football team and he plans to transfer to James Madison University in the fall.

The NCAA's decision ended a frustrating eight months for the 6-foot-5, 280-pounder who left Marshall after the fall semester saying he wanted to be closer to his family in Staunton. He spent the spring as a part-time student at Blue Ridge Community College, hoping Marshall would release him to play somewhere else.

Marshall refused to do so, leaving Scott in limbo until the NCAA issued its ruling.

"It bothered me to the point at which, I crumbled for a little bit," Scott, who will be a sophomore in the fall, said. "But God has a way for everybody. I was really confident it was going to work out. At the end of the day, I won the battle."

According to Scott and his high school coach, R.E. Lee's David Tibbs, Marshall coach Doc Holliday refused to give Scott permission to speak with other schools or release him from his national letter of intent, which bound Scott to Marshall for one academic year.

"He said, ‘No, you're not getting a release because you're going to start for us next year,'" Scott said. "‘You're a freshman. You don't deserve to transfer.'"

Scott said he first requested permission in November to contact other schools about transferring, but Holliday refused the request. Scott appealed that decision to a group of Marshall administrators, who he said granted his request, even though he was still bound by NCAA rules to the Thundering Herd until his official release.

When Scott decided to transfer to JMU, he asked Holliday for a release from his scholarship and Holliday said no, Scott said.

Scott then appealed the decision to the NCAA.

Holliday has not responded to interview requests through his office, and Marshall athletic director Mike Hamrick did not return a phone call Tuesday seeking comment.

A representative at the NCAA's National Letter of Intent office in Indianapolis confirmed that the NLI committee granted Scott's appeal and released him on June 20. The representative said Scott and Marshall each filed written arguments and did not appear before the committee, which sided with Scott.

Marshall assistant Phil Ratliff - a former JMU aide who recruited Scott for the Thundering Herd - declined to comment on Scott's transfer situation.

Ratliff did offer high praise for his former player and said Scott was in line to start at left guard for Marshall this season.

"Absolutely, without a doubt," Ratliff said. "He can run. He's physical. He's a great kid. He plays hard. He's exactly what you're looking for in an offensive lineman."

Scott said he left Marshall because it was too far from his family.

"He was always a family guy," Tibbs said.

In addition to JMU's campus being less than a half hour from Scott's home in Staunton, there are a number of former Leemen on the Dukes' roster. Scott's cousin, Dae'Quan, plays wide receiver for JMU. Roane Babington, the Dukes' starting center, played at Lee, as did incoming freshman Terrell Mickens.

"I see myself fitting in that environment very well," Scott said.

Scott said he doesn't have any ill feelings toward Marshall.

"Marshall's a great school," Scott said. "I'm not downgrading it. It just wasn't for A.J. Scott."

Scott said he had a good relationship with all the assistant coaches, especially Ratliff, saying, "I love Phil Ratliff."

His relationship with Holliday, he admitted, has soured after his decision to transfer.

"Me personally, I don't care much for Doc Holliday because all this happened," Scott said.

Tibbs said he understood Holliday's initial reluctance to release Scott, but thought the coach went too far when he continued to refuse Scott's request into the summer.

"This situation is a product of a head coach being stubborn and being upset and not being willing to accept that a kid doesn't want to go to his school," Tibbs said. "I'm very disappointed."

Tibbs - a West Virginia native - said the way Holliday has handled Scott will make him think twice about sending future recruits to Marshall.

"I'm very reluctant right now to send a kid back to Marshall because of what they're doing to this young man," Tibbs said. "It's not right what they're doing there."

A source at JMU confirmed the Dukes are interested in adding Scott in the fall, assuming he is qualified academically after his Blue Ridge summer courses. The source said Scott would likely play tackle at Madison."
http://www.dnronline.com/sports_details ... mber_login" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The only thing that will keep JMU's line from being significantly improved would be losing a couple of guys for the season in pre season like happened last yr.

BDKJMU · Post by **BDKJMU** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 1:30 pm

Marshall must be really pissed now. On June 20th they lose their appeal to keep what would have been one of their starting OL from transferring to JMU. Then a week later they find out that JMU is getting to play WVU at Fed Ex....

Post by **Grizalltheway** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 1:37 pm

BDKJMU wrote:Marshall must be really pissed now. On June 20th they lose their appeal to keep what would have been one of their starting OL from transferring to JMU. Then a week later they find out that JMU is getting to play WVU at Fed Ex....

Good. Fuck 'em.

jmufan · Post by **jmufan** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 3:15 pm

It's official!

http://www.jmusports.com/ViewArticle.db ... =205184220" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and

http://www.redskins.com/news-and-events ... um=twitter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and

http://www.msnsportsnet.com/page.cfm?ca ... tory=18878" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

JMUpurplehazed · Post by **JMUpurplehazed** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 3:23 pm

Suck on that Marshall & East Carolina!

Skjellyfetti · Post by **Skjellyfetti** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 4:17 pm

Maybe I'm missing the meaning of the winky smiley face. But, Marshall and East Carolina both have had HOME games against WVU in the past couple of years. Doubt they're too jealous.

jmufan · Post by **jmufan** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 4:19 pm

Skjellyfetti wrote:Maybe I'm missing the meaning of the winky smiley face. But, Marshall and East Carolina both have had HOME games against WVU in the past couple of years. Doubt they're too jealous.

It's not the fact that Marshall and East Carolina has played WVU multiple times. I think he was talking about the fact that JMU was able to get WVU to play at a neutral field at FEDEx, which Marshall cannot do and ECU has yet to do.

Skjellyfetti · Post by **Skjellyfetti** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 4:44 pm

But, wouldn't they rather play them on their own home field?

Would JMU rather play WVU in Harrisonburg or FedEx Field?

jmufan · Post by **jmufan** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 4:49 pm

No question that you would like to play WVU at Bridgeforth, but that will never happen because being an FCS school. It is also a neat and wonderful thing to be able to play WVU at FedEx. A once in a lifetime opportunity for the JMU faithful. How often to FCS teams play BCS schools at a Pro football stadium?

Skjellyfetti · Post by **Skjellyfetti** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 4:57 pm

No doubt about it. I'm not trying to rain on JMU's parade. I would love for App to play ECU or someone else in Charlotte. All FCS programs will be jealous of this.

Just saying that Marshall and ECU won't be jealous... considering they can play programs like that in their own stadium.

JMUpurplehazed · Post by **JMUpurplehazed** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 6:05 pm

Skyjelly - just talkin' smack. I've seen Marshall and ECU posters take a dump on the idea of an eastern Div CUSA with a handful of former FCS upstarts as their peers...as if they are college football royalty and Appy, ODU, JMU, DE etcetera are JV.

We/JMU need to show up for this game with big numbers

HZ20 · Post by **HZ20** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 7:12 pm

jmufan wrote:A News article about why Luck decided to play JMU at FedEx.

http://www.smokingmusket.com/2011/6/27/ ... -field-jmu" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Oliver Luck is an idiot. He had never worked in athletics before. Unless you call setting on the Houston Dynamo's board. You take a Home Game and move it to FedEx to hopefully get 2-3 recruits out of it. DC is an hour closer to Harrisburg than Morgantown.

Sirloinburger · Post by **Sirloinburger** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 10:19 pm

This still makes no sense for WVU. They beat Maryland already and have beaten teams in bigger markets. WVU is in the Big East. It has a pretty good basketball program. Beating up on a little league foe from a Pig farm town will never make sense.

HZ20 · Post by **HZ20** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 12:24 am

jmufan wrote:
Skjellyfetti wrote:Maybe I'm missing the meaning of the winky smiley face. But, Marshall and East Carolina both have had HOME games against WVU in the past couple of years. Doubt they're too jealous.
It's not the fact that Marshall and East Carolina has played WVU multiple times. I think he was talking about the fact that JMU was able to get WVU to play at a neutral field at FEDEx, which Marshall cannot do and ECU has yet to do.

HuH, ECU has a 3-3 with WVU....Home and Home...

http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/conf-us ... irates.php

T-Dog · Post by **T-Dog** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 4:12 am

ECU has had neutral site games at BoA Stadium against VT and South Carolina and home games against VT, USC, UNC, NCSU and WVU in the last few years. I seriously doubt they're jealous.

JMUpurplehazed · Post by **JMUpurplehazed** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 6:23 am

I've never said or meant ECU is jealous, a small group of ECU posters come to our boards and treat our efforts to build a program as a waste of time and remind us or try to remind us that anything and everything we do is inferior to their big league status...

Signing WVU in DC is ballsy and impressive and ECU and the other non BCS 1As in the region can hear us coming, ODU too and ECU can turn around a suck that.

Sirloinburger · Post by **Sirloinburger** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:00 am

JMUpurplehazed wrote:I've never said or meant ECU is jealous, a small group of ECU posters come to our boards and treat our efforts to build a program as a waste of time and remind us or try to remind us that anything and everything we do is inferior to their big league status...

Signing WVU in DC is ballsy and impressive and ECU and the other non BCS 1As in the region can hear us coming, ODU too and ECU can turn around a suck that.

JMUpurplehazed · Post by **JMUpurplehazed** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:37 am

You're entitled to your opinion Sirloin, others would agree with you...I am not one of them. I think JMU will represent well at this game. I hope WVU does the same, how pathetic would the WVU program appear if the 'neers don't show up and they are or are nearly outnumberd by a lowly FCS program that happens to have a very large alumni base in NoVa...I'm tempted to make up some insult about ODU at this point, but no, you guys are kicking ass going into year three. I'm assuming you would not support ODU playing WVU @ FedEx for the same reason?

jmufan · Post by **jmufan** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 1:15 pm

Sirloinburger wrote:This still makes no sense for WVU. They beat Maryland already and have beaten teams in bigger markets. WVU is in the Big East. It has a pretty good basketball program. Beating up on a little league foe from a Pig farm town will never make sense.

Obviously, WVU thinks highly of JMU to play them at FedEx. Kudos to Jeff Bourne for getting this done for JMU and to Oliver Luck for having enough kahunas to agree to this game at FedEx. No question for many, this is a controversial game, but it is the controversy that is keeping people interested in this game, even though there is another year to go. Smart move by both ADs to create buzz early and even better for making the kind of money they will be making.

On the ECU comments. A D1FBS school playing a D1BCS school at a neutral site is nowhere near the same thing as a D1FCS program playing a D1BCS school at a neutral site. That comparison cannot be made, one is common and the other is an oddity that I am sure will be getting some "what the heck" kind of comments. There has always been a rivalry between JMU and ECU, even though ECU has long moved on, so there is history there. But no one is saying that ECU is jealous of JMU.

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