Someone at Bleacher Report has picked up this discussion at one of the various boards where it's come up, and has written an article:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/26627.../show_full

I don't agree with all of the conclusions, but it's pretty close to what we've been talking about.

Responding to your posts, esayem, the divide between the New Englanders and the Southerners became more pronounced after the conference was separated into North and South divisions. There isn't that much television coverage and we only host teams from the opposite division once every four years, so you just never see the members of the other side. We see some of our non-conference opponents more frequently than we see some members of our own conference, and that's only going to get worse when the conference expands to 14 members if they insist on a 2 division alignment.

As for the A10 if UMass left, there's no way Northeastern would be invited to join the A10 ahead of Boston University or Holy Cross, and I would expect BU to accept if invited. Even if both declined, I think Hofstra and yes even Siena would be invited ahead of Northeastern. Only a public university would have less of a chance to be invited.

The core schools should come from the CAA and not the A10.

Delaware, James Madison, Old Dominion, and Georgia State are the four obvious choices due to football potential. The others may be the tricky part. George Mason and VCU would be nice choices since they add to the basketball side, although that would make four Virginia schools. Would Hofstra be interested in FBS? Their interest would make them a candidate.

UMass, Temple, Charlotte, and Appalachian State all look appealing. As does Rhode Island for non-football. UNCW would have a hard time getting in if UNC Charlotte is invited. With UMass and Temple there is no need for Northeastern and Drexel. Towson could be a darkhorse, located near Baltimore with 15k undergrads. I don't know much aout them except that their stadium is named after Johnny U. William & Mary is also a question mark.

Possibly:
UMass
Rhode Island
Hofstra
Temple
Delaware
George Mason
VCU
Old Dominion
James Madison
Appalachian State
Charlotte
Georgia State

D.C. would be great place for conference tourney and a HQ.

(10-06-2009 01:03 AM)esayem Wrote:  The core schools should come from the CAA and not the A10.

Delaware, James Madison, Old Dominion, and Georgia State are the four obvious choices due to football potential. The others may be the tricky part. George Mason and VCU would be nice choices since they add to the basketball side, although that would make four Virginia schools. Would Hofstra be interested in FBS? Their interest would make them a candidate.

UMass, Temple, Charlotte, and Appalachian State all look appealing. As does Rhode Island for non-football. UNCW would have a hard time getting in if UNC Charlotte is invited. With UMass and Temple there is no need for Northeastern and Drexel. Towson could be a darkhorse, located near Baltimore with 15k undergrads. I don't know much aout them except that their stadium is named after Johnny U. William & Mary is also a question mark.

Possibly:
UMass
Rhode Island
Hofstra
Temple
Delaware
George Mason
VCU
Old Dominion
James Madison
Appalachian State
Charlotte
Georgia State

D.C. would be great place for conference tourney and a HQ.

From what I know only Charlotte and Georgia State have made public commitments to moving to FBS; while UMass, Delaware and App. St. are the only current FCS schools from this list that can even think of making the move. The whole reason the author of the article focused on an A10 core over a CAA core is because it forms a decent basketball conference right away. Obviously the goal is to make a decent FBS conference too, but the conference he laid out not only meets the 5/6/7 NCAA requirement but also could garner 2, maybe even 3 berths in the basketball tourny.

Here' the top programs the CAA route:
UMass, RIU, Temple, George Mason, Old Dominion, VCU, and Charlotte

The A10 route, which why George Washington and Richmond would leave I don't understand:
UMass, RIU, Temple, GW, Richmond, and Charlotte

In my book, VCU and ODU > Richmond

I don't think that guy even mentions Georgia State in his article.

Another reason I say George M. and VCU instead of Geroge W. and Richmond is because those schools' profiles are similar to UNC Charlotte, UMass, Temple and so forth. So their collective minds will be thinking more the same, like GW and Richmond would with the A10.

UMass (Boston)
Temple (Philly)
Delaware*
George Mason* (DC)
VCU* (Richmond)
Old Dominion* (Norfolk)
James Madison*
Charlotte (Charlotte)
Appalachian State
Georgia State* (Atlanta)

* denotes core member

UMass, Temple, George Mason, VCU, Old Dominion, and Charlotte would be up for bids yearly. If the conference wanted to start slow without football they could hold off on App State, even though they will be sweet with Buzz Peterson back. But why delay football?

A NYC school would be great, especially if Hofstra or Fordham wanted to play big time football. Fordham at New Yankee would be amazing. Do it for Lombardi and the Seven Blocks of Granite!!!

Obviously getting UCF to buy in right away would be a longshot, but they would cap off the Metro Coast.

(10-07-2009 02:12 PM)esayem Wrote:  Another reason I say George M. and VCU instead of Geroge W. and Richmond is because those schools' profiles are similar to UNC Charlotte, UMass, Temple and so forth. So their collective minds will be thinking more the same, like GW and Richmond would with the A10.

UMass (Boston)
Temple (Philly)
Delaware*
George Mason* (DC)
VCU* (Richmond)
Old Dominion* (Norfolk)
James Madison*
Charlotte (Charlotte)
Appalachian State
Georgia State* (Atlanta)

* denotes core member

UMass, Temple, George Mason, VCU, Old Dominion, and Charlotte would be up for bids yearly. If the conference wanted to start slow without football they could hold off on App State, even though they will be sweet with Buzz Peterson back. But why delay football?

A NYC school would be great, especially if Hofstra or Fordham wanted to play big time football. Fordham at New Yankee would be amazing. Do it for Lombardi and the Seven Blocks of Granite!!!

Obviously getting UCF to buy in right away would be a longshot, but they would cap off the Metro Coast.

I believe the biggest problem with the author's premiss is that he assumes some current FBS programs will want to be part of this conference over their current situations. While a conference with UMass, Delaware, Georgia St. and Charlotte might attract some attention from FBS schools, all the FBS schools this conference needs (CUSA east division) will ignore it till it gets 5 bowls lined up, at least.

All these CUSA East schools have the same myopia that UMass has (BCS/Big East or bust); the difference being UMass, if they moved to FBS on their own initative, would immediately get BE attention. What is their motivation to join a conference with LESS bowl games than CUSA has? Travel costs for Olympic sports? I think not!

These CUSA schools will do exactly what they're doing now. Continue to improve their facilities and hope the BE comes-a-court'n. They will not leave their current stable homes for any new conference.

So where does that leave the FBS ambitions of CAA and A10 members? Well in Charlotte's case we'll stay A10 for all our other sports and hope the Sun Belt wants us as an football-only when we move up. We'll pray for a CUSA split, for one of the CUSA Easts to get that magical call from the BE, or for Marshall to finally concede and go home to the MAC. Georgia St. will most likely follow a similar course.

We wouldn't be opposed to forming a new east coast FBS league if we were still FCS or an FBS independent. I just don't see many outside of Troy, USA, FIU or FAU that would want to join a startup FBS from the current FBS ranks, and that means its the LONG ROAD ahead for such a new FBS conference, even with Delaware, App St. and UMass.

I agree that the CUSA Easties probably wouldn't sign up for the inaugural season, but they're not needed. The A10 and CAA take care of 7 of the 8 spots, then you just need one more from Army, Buffalo, App State, FIU or another mystery guest. From there we use our superior market penetration to build up our position, and in a few years when the conferences are comparable we invite UCF to switch sides. ECU, on the other hand, we play hardball with. Their greatest value to us would be in the initial years, but that's when they would be least interested. On the other hand, once the conference has grown to CUSA caliber, we won't need them. We'd be better off building up their neighbors in Charlotte and Norfolk at ECU's expense. So what you tell them is, if you don't join immediately, we'll blackball you later and you'll be cut off from every other Eastern conference. Let them think about becoming the next Louisiana Tech. As for the Big East, that dream dies for ECU the second the new eastern conference is announced. The Big East will just sit back a few years and wait to see which of the new big market programs rises to the top, they won't need to consider Greenville after that.

I would still expect ECU to balk, but that's okay. It'd just postpone the inevitable. But if they want to help, let 'em in. If they turn up their noses, let 'em hang. There's too much money on the line to play nice.

(10-09-2009 02:03 PM)LastMinuteman Wrote:  I agree that the CUSA Easties probably wouldn't sign up for the inaugural season, but they're not needed. The A10 and CAA take care of 7 of the 8 spots, then you just need one more from Army, Buffalo, App State, FIU or another mystery guest. From there we use our superior market penetration to build up our position, and in a few years when the conferences are comparable we invite UCF to switch sides. ECU, on the other hand, we play hardball with. Their greatest value to us would be in the initial years, but that's when they would be least interested. On the other hand, once the conference has grown to CUSA caliber, we won't need them. We'd be better off building up their neighbors in Charlotte and Norfolk at ECU's expense. So what you tell them is, if you don't join immediately, we'll blackball you later and you'll be cut off from every other Eastern conference. Let them think about becoming the next Louisiana Tech. As for the Big East, that dream dies for ECU the second the new eastern conference is announced. The Big East will just sit back a few years and wait to see which of the new big market programs rises to the top, they won't need to consider Greenville after that.

I would still expect ECU to balk, but that's okay. It'd just postpone the inevitable. But if they want to help, let 'em in. If they turn up their noses, let 'em hang. There's too much money on the line to play nice.

Want to post a link to this thread on the CUSA board for fun?

Well as the article points out, it's up to your school to get the ball rolling. Our biggest problem in such a conference would be getting bowl games. There are slim pickings these days with bowls wanting even the low end SEC teams over non-BCS's.

Heh, no need, I know how ECU fans would react. That's why we have to reject them first. Make a great show of inviting UCF and Memphis (they'll decline) and specifically not ECU. Then the Big East will look at them like, "why would we invite them when even the CAA didn't want them?" It's a dick move, but worth the 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Unfortunately, my school ain't taking the lead on this. Maybe we can be the first officer, but not the captain. UMass is terrified of openly displaying any ambition because we know the private universities that control the Mass state government will cut our balls off before we take two steps forward. We can't follow the Southern model of moving to FBS with the great big fundraiser, big giant stadium project, "great leap forward" type stuff. We have to sneak up on FBS little by little, lay a trap, and then ambush them when there's so much forward momentum that it will be too late to stop us. That's the Minuteman way.

(10-16-2009 05:36 PM)LastMinuteman Wrote:  Heh, no need, I know how ECU fans would react. That's why we have to reject them first. Make a great show of inviting UCF and Memphis (they'll decline) and specifically not ECU. Then the Big East will look at them like, "why would we invite them when even the CAA didn't want them?" It's a dick move, but worth the 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Unfortunately, my school ain't taking the lead on this. Maybe we can be the first officer, but not the captain. UMass is terrified of openly displaying any ambition because we know the private universities that control the Mass state government will cut our balls off before we take two steps forward. We can't follow the Southern model of moving to FBS with the great big fundraiser, big giant stadium project, "great leap forward" type stuff. We have to sneak up on FBS little by little, lay a trap, and then ambush them when there's so much forward momentum that it will be too late to stop us. That's the Minuteman way.

This has to be a state flagship! It's UMass or Delaware. Charlotte can't do it, we have 2 other major PUBLIC schools in this state that would pooh bricks all over the state legislature if we tried it.

Delaware might have to be team captain. They're not a bad choice actually, as they have the best football tradition of the FCS schools, a huge endowment, are arguably the best academic institution of the group, and are perfectly situated between the North and South right on the Mason-Dixon line. Their negatives are that they have an administration that historically is reluctant to make big sports expenditures, and they struggle mightily with the concept of putting round orange balls into hoops.

What I've been telling other UMass fans is that we ought to handcuff ourselves to Delaware. If they go, we have to go. If they stay, we can afford to stay. Since UConn left, Delaware has become our best attended football game, and we're now in the same conference as them for men's lacrosse too (4th biggest revenue sport here).

Btw, bit of a separate topic, but I think Charlotte has a good chance of ending up in CAA football if Northeastern's program continues to implode. Right now they're winless and averaging about 1,500 attendance per game, and even the diehard fans are calling for them to drop the sport entirely. If that happens, the CAA will have 13 members once Georgia State joins in 2012, which is a really difficult number to schedule around. That would make Charlotte attractive as a 14th member, since they create a bridge between Virginia and Atlanta. I know Charlotte would rather not play FCS long term, but that at least starts the clock running on the minimum number of years the core group has to play together to form a new conference, and then maybe on the basketball side the 3 A10s can schedule some non-conference games with the 4 CAAs to satisfy that part of the requirement. The more teams we get under the same roof, the less unrealistic this becomes.

(10-19-2009 01:08 AM)LastMinuteman Wrote:  Btw, bit of a separate topic, but I think Charlotte has a good chance of ending up in CAA football if Northeastern's program continues to implode. Right now they're winless and averaging about 1,500 attendance per game, and even the diehard fans are calling for them to drop the sport entirely. If that happens, the CAA will have 13 members once Georgia State joins in 2012, which is a really difficult number to schedule around. That would make Charlotte attractive as a 14th member, since they create a bridge between Virginia and Atlanta. I know Charlotte would rather not play FCS long term, but that at least starts the clock running on the minimum number of years the core group has to play together to form a new conference, and then maybe on the basketball side the 3 A10s can schedule some non-conference games with the 4 CAAs to satisfy that part of the requirement. The more teams we get under the same roof, the less unrealistic this becomes.

I thought that rule only applied to Basketball/getting in the NCAA Tournament?

To me the biggest problem is getting bowl games. I know that people complain there are too many bowls already, but I don't see this conference even being worthwhile if it can't have at least 2 bowls ready for the first season. That would mean two NEW bowls as I don't see any current bowls drooling to drop their current conference tie-ins for a bunch of former I-AAs. I can't see Charlotte (the city) hosting the ACC Champ Game, the Muffler Bowl and a new bowl for this conference. Perhaps Washington and/or Baltimore but that's aweful cold weather for bowls. Maybe that new bowl down in Orlando the CUSA folks talk a lot about?

As for Charlotte, looks like its almost a lock we'll play CAA football whether Northeastern folds or not. CAA is pretty open minded about membership for football.

(10-19-2009 06:40 AM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  I thought that rule only applied to Basketball/getting in the NCAA Tournament?

I need to find that section of the NCAA Div I Handbook again, but there's more at stake than the tournament. There's also voting rights, gaining chairs on NCAA committees, and I think it impacts how much of a share of revenue you receive from NCAA tournaments.

Quote:To me the biggest problem is getting bowl games.

I have to admit I don't really have any handle on bowl game politics. My expectation is that the new conference would create one new bowl for its champion somewhere in the footprint, and in the first couple years we'll get on a bunch of those waiting lists where the other bowls can select a team from another conference if there aren't enough bowl eligible teams from its tie-in conference. Worst case scenario the conference tie-in bowl will be in Philadelphia. Which I know hardly sounds like vacation-land to a southerner, but it compares favorably to the WAC champion having to go to Boise. The thing to do is to watch how this new bowl game in Yankee Stadium works out. If that's a disaster, then we know we have to be looking down in maybe Norfolk, depending on what sort of facility they build there. Also, I don't think FIU has any bowls set up at its shiny new facility in Miami. Could work out something short term there. But if the cold weather bowls work out, that opens up possibilities like Gillette Stadium, where the Kraft family is desperate for new events to host after investing so much into the Patriot Place complex. They've been asking about hosting UMass games and promoting the team if we move to FBS. They'd probably call it the Revolution Bowl. Ought to be a revolutionary themed conference anyway, given the 13 colonies footprint and the pioneering attitude.

But, and maybe I'm naive since I've stopped paying attention to bowls, but I figure this is a problem that will solve itself if we get the TV deal together. The goal with these lower tier bowls is to just get our conference infomercial on TV during holiday season and not lose too much money holding the event.

Quote:As for Charlotte, looks like its almost a lock we'll play CAA football whether Northeastern folds or not. CAA is pretty open minded about membership for football.

Eh, I've definitely heard from people like the outgoing URI president that Charlotte is under consideration, but Georgia State's open interest in FBS is creating a lot of resentment among the CAA teams with no FBS ambitions that don't want to pay the cost of flying to Atlanta just to build the program of a transient guest. GSU's behavior is going to have a big impact on how welcome Charlotte is, especially if Northeastern doesn't fold. You also need to worry about George Mason and Virginia Commonwealth developing football ambitions after they see how great it's been at ODU. There's still lots of time before 2013 rolls around, as I'm sure you're all too painfully aware of down in Charlotte.

(10-20-2009 01:00 AM)LastMinuteman Wrote:  

(10-19-2009 06:40 AM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  I thought that rule only applied to Basketball/getting in the NCAA Tournament?

I need to find that section of the NCAA Div I Handbook again, but there's more at stake than the tournament. There's also voting rights, gaining chairs on NCAA committees, and I think it impacts how much of a share of revenue you receive from NCAA tournaments.

Quote:To me the biggest problem is getting bowl games.

I have to admit I don't really have any handle on bowl game politics. My expectation is that the new conference would create one new bowl for its champion somewhere in the footprint, and in the first couple years we'll get on a bunch of those waiting lists where the other bowls can select a team from another conference if there aren't enough bowl eligible teams from its tie-in conference. Worst case scenario the conference tie-in bowl will be in Philadelphia. Which I know hardly sounds like vacation-land to a southerner, but it compares favorably to the WAC champion having to go to Boise. The thing to do is to watch how this new bowl game in Yankee Stadium works out. If that's a disaster, then we know we have to be looking down in maybe Norfolk, depending on what sort of facility they build there. Also, I don't think FIU has any bowls set up at its shiny new facility in Miami. Could work out something short term there. But if the cold weather bowls work out, that opens up possibilities like Gillette Stadium, where the Kraft family is desperate for new events to host after investing so much into the Patriot Place complex. They've been asking about hosting UMass games and promoting the team if we move to FBS. They'd probably call it the Revolution Bowl. Ought to be a revolutionary themed conference anyway, given the 13 colonies footprint and the pioneering attitude.

But, and maybe I'm naive since I've stopped paying attention to bowls, but I figure this is a problem that will solve itself if we get the TV deal together. The goal with these lower tier bowls is to just get our conference infomercial on TV during holiday season and not lose too much money holding the event.

Quote:As for Charlotte, looks like its almost a lock we'll play CAA football whether Northeastern folds or not. CAA is pretty open minded about membership for football.

Eh, I've definitely heard from people like the outgoing URI president that Charlotte is under consideration, but Georgia State's open interest in FBS is creating a lot of resentment among the CAA teams with no FBS ambitions that don't want to pay the cost of flying to Atlanta just to build the program of a transient guest. GSU's behavior is going to have a big impact on how welcome Charlotte is, especially if Northeastern doesn't fold. You also need to worry about George Mason and Virginia Commonwealth developing football ambitions after they see how great it's been at ODU. There's still lots of time before 2013 rolls around, as I'm sure you're all too painfully aware of down in Charlotte.

I am in Charlotte and I really do not see a lot of material interest in football. Really disappointing.

Unless if bowl eligibility rules change, all a conference champion really needs to do is finish at least 7-5 - at that point a team is practically guaranteed a bowl bid given how many bowls there are (34) and how many more are planned (3). Even if Division I FBS were to grow from 121 to 133 schools, it would be unlikely for there to be more than 68 teams with 7 or more eligible wins.

(12-10-2009 09:51 PM)GoApps70 Wrote:  

(10-20-2009 01:00 AM)LastMinuteman Wrote:  

(10-19-2009 06:40 AM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  I thought that rule only applied to Basketball/getting in the NCAA Tournament?

I need to find that section of the NCAA Div I Handbook again, but there's more at stake than the tournament. There's also voting rights, gaining chairs on NCAA committees, and I think it impacts how much of a share of revenue you receive from NCAA tournaments.

Quote:To me the biggest problem is getting bowl games.

I have to admit I don't really have any handle on bowl game politics. My expectation is that the new conference would create one new bowl for its champion somewhere in the footprint, and in the first couple years we'll get on a bunch of those waiting lists where the other bowls can select a team from another conference if there aren't enough bowl eligible teams from its tie-in conference. Worst case scenario the conference tie-in bowl will be in Philadelphia. Which I know hardly sounds like vacation-land to a southerner, but it compares favorably to the WAC champion having to go to Boise. The thing to do is to watch how this new bowl game in Yankee Stadium works out. If that's a disaster, then we know we have to be looking down in maybe Norfolk, depending on what sort of facility they build there. Also, I don't think FIU has any bowls set up at its shiny new facility in Miami. Could work out something short term there. But if the cold weather bowls work out, that opens up possibilities like Gillette Stadium, where the Kraft family is desperate for new events to host after investing so much into the Patriot Place complex. They've been asking about hosting UMass games and promoting the team if we move to FBS. They'd probably call it the Revolution Bowl. Ought to be a revolutionary themed conference anyway, given the 13 colonies footprint and the pioneering attitude.

But, and maybe I'm naive since I've stopped paying attention to bowls, but I figure this is a problem that will solve itself if we get the TV deal together. The goal with these lower tier bowls is to just get our conference infomercial on TV during holiday season and not lose too much money holding the event.

Quote:As for Charlotte, looks like its almost a lock we'll play CAA football whether Northeastern folds or not. CAA is pretty open minded about membership for football.

Eh, I've definitely heard from people like the outgoing URI president that Charlotte is under consideration, but Georgia State's open interest in FBS is creating a lot of resentment among the CAA teams with no FBS ambitions that don't want to pay the cost of flying to Atlanta just to build the program of a transient guest. GSU's behavior is going to have a big impact on how welcome Charlotte is, especially if Northeastern doesn't fold. You also need to worry about George Mason and Virginia Commonwealth developing football ambitions after they see how great it's been at ODU. There's still lots of time before 2013 rolls around, as I'm sure you're all too painfully aware of down in Charlotte.

I am in Charlotte and I really do not see a lot of material interest in football. Really disappointing.

3200 FSLs sold
3.96 million in FSL money
1.6 million in personal money from our Board of Trustees own pockets
Continuation to 2013 vote tomorrow
as well as official stadium design renderings

Material interest is there. App ready to play us in 2013? Cause we will be!

(12-10-2009 11:21 PM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  

(12-10-2009 09:51 PM)GoApps70 Wrote:  

(10-20-2009 01:00 AM)LastMinuteman Wrote:  

(10-19-2009 06:40 AM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  I thought that rule only applied to Basketball/getting in the NCAA Tournament?

I need to find that section of the NCAA Div I Handbook again, but there's more at stake than the tournament. There's also voting rights, gaining chairs on NCAA committees, and I think it impacts how much of a share of revenue you receive from NCAA tournaments.

Quote:To me the biggest problem is getting bowl games.

I have to admit I don't really have any handle on bowl game politics. My expectation is that the new conference would create one new bowl for its champion somewhere in the footprint, and in the first couple years we'll get on a bunch of those waiting lists where the other bowls can select a team from another conference if there aren't enough bowl eligible teams from its tie-in conference. Worst case scenario the conference tie-in bowl will be in Philadelphia. Which I know hardly sounds like vacation-land to a southerner, but it compares favorably to the WAC champion having to go to Boise. The thing to do is to watch how this new bowl game in Yankee Stadium works out. If that's a disaster, then we know we have to be looking down in maybe Norfolk, depending on what sort of facility they build there. Also, I don't think FIU has any bowls set up at its shiny new facility in Miami. Could work out something short term there. But if the cold weather bowls work out, that opens up possibilities like Gillette Stadium, where the Kraft family is desperate for new events to host after investing so much into the Patriot Place complex. They've been asking about hosting UMass games and promoting the team if we move to FBS. They'd probably call it the Revolution Bowl. Ought to be a revolutionary themed conference anyway, given the 13 colonies footprint and the pioneering attitude.

But, and maybe I'm naive since I've stopped paying attention to bowls, but I figure this is a problem that will solve itself if we get the TV deal together. The goal with these lower tier bowls is to just get our conference infomercial on TV during holiday season and not lose too much money holding the event.

Quote:As for Charlotte, looks like its almost a lock we'll play CAA football whether Northeastern folds or not. CAA is pretty open minded about membership for football.

Eh, I've definitely heard from people like the outgoing URI president that Charlotte is under consideration, but Georgia State's open interest in FBS is creating a lot of resentment among the CAA teams with no FBS ambitions that don't want to pay the cost of flying to Atlanta just to build the program of a transient guest. GSU's behavior is going to have a big impact on how welcome Charlotte is, especially if Northeastern doesn't fold. You also need to worry about George Mason and Virginia Commonwealth developing football ambitions after they see how great it's been at ODU. There's still lots of time before 2013 rolls around, as I'm sure you're all too painfully aware of down in Charlotte.

I am in Charlotte and I really do not see a lot of material interest in football. Really disappointing.

3200 FSLs sold
3.96 million in FSL money
1.6 million in personal money from our Board of Trustees own pockets
Continuation to 2013 vote tomorrow
as well as official stadium design renderings

Material interest is there. App ready to play us in 2013? Cause we will be!

http://gmine.blogspot.com/2009/12/faq-ni...-2013.html

Full Steam Ahead to 2013!!!!!

Charlotte 49ers stadium design.

With the new developments it looks like Charlotte will join the CAA football league, but they would have to wait until 2015, right? I suppose they could also jump in head first and play FBS in 2015 as an independent instead. I do think they fit in with C-USA, which could use two more eastern schools.

Likely C-USA candidates: Charlotte, Old Dominion, Georgia State, UTSA, and maybe Texas State. I think the conference would look at two of them.

If Charlotte plans to stay FCS and joins CAA football, then look for Fordham to do the same, I think they are a better candidate than Stony Brook.

Third option, a new FBS conference along the Atlantic made up of eastern C-USA schools and upgraded FCS schools.

All new Division I football programs have to play at the FCS level for a minimum of 4 years before applying to move to FBS. NCAA rule.

The pattern established by the CAA is that they're having Old Dominion and Georgia State play as independents for 2 years prior to allowing them to join the football conference, but that's not strictly required. When Northeastern cut their football program, the CAA spoke to Old Dominion about possibly starting conference play a year earlier than scheduled, but then Hofstra dropped its team too and it made more sense for ODU to fulfill their commitments to the 11 teams they'd already scheduled.

The bigger issue is that Charlotte and any other first year football program would get absolutely annihilated in the CAA, because most of their players will be freshmen and redshirt freshmen. Old Dominion for example just finished up the most successful first year season in FCS history, but they were beaten by Fordham giving up 700 yards of offense in the process, and Fordham was blown out by Rhode Island, which is the worst team in the CAA. Old Dominion's strategy of playing a very easy first year schedule is the right way to go. Charlotte would destroy all the goodwill and excitement towards their new football team if they tried to play a CAA schedule in 2013.