(05-18-2012 06:33 AM)Louis Kitton Wrote: (05-17-2012 11:52 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote: (05-17-2012 11:45 PM)LastMinuteman Wrote: (05-17-2012 07:28 PM)jmufan Wrote: http://jamesmadison.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1366572
Quote:Two leagues have contacted JMU to gauge the university's interest. One was expected: The Mid-American Conference, a stable group of mostly 20,000-plus enrollment schools. One wasn't expected: The Western Athletic Conference, a league that makes the Big East look normal.
Yes, the MAC and the WAC.
Madison, for the record, has zero interest in the latter.
If JMU wants to be FBS, they can't dismiss the WAC so easily. If the WAC is allowed to fail, FBS will be down to 10 conferences. There are now 127 FBS + transitional teams. That's 12.7 teams per conference. That's a very dangerous number if you're waiting for an opening. Only 1 conference had more than 12 football teams last year. Put the WAC back in play, and that's at least 10 more seats on the last train out of FCS-ville. JMU can make that train, but the WAC needs commitments right now. The other trains might not be making a stop in Harrisonburg.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but per NCAA rules, doesn't a conference need 4 existing FULL members to expand off? I don't think the WAC could continue with football even if they wanted to. There is a reason Idaho and NMSU are so desperate. The WAC can continue as a basketball only conference but Im pretty sure that the WAC is done as any kind of football conference whatsoever in regards to football according to existing NCAA bylaws. Maybe they can get a waiver? Somebody clarify, but the continued pipe-dream of an eastern division of the WAC is just a myth and needs to be put to sleep now that San Jose and Utah State have left. Even Idaho and NMSU know that and that's why they don't even talk it.
These people talking about a new eastern FBS conference or WAC East are just full of it. Besides, the last thing the FBS needs is more dilution from the FCS.
It's in their best interest to understand this so that they don't keep getting their hopes up. It's not fair for them to keep getting strung along with nonsense. It's one of those sad, but true moments.
You are correct.
A transitioning school is required to play at least 60% of its home contests against established FBS competition. 60% of 12 equals 7.2 full FBS contests or rounding up 8 games against established FBS members.
Therefore a conference that falls below 4 members will not be able to provide enough established FBS schools on the schedule. You can't transition 5 FCS members for a total 8 member FBS league all at once.
Had the WAC retained 4 schools (Idaho, NMSU, TX St, La Tech) it could have pulled of the eastern seaboard rebuild touted by NoDak but they just got hit too hard at once.
A league with four schools or less has to suspend play for one year so that the remaining FBS schools still play an FBS schedule.
Let's review the bylaws before declaring something to be impossible:
20.9.7.2 Football Scheduling Requirement. [FBS] The institution shall schedule and play at least 60
percent of its football games against members of the Football Bowl Subdivision. The institution shall schedule
and play at least five regular-season home games against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents. For purposes of
satisfying the scheduling requirement, a contest shall be considered a home contest if it is played in the stadium
in which an institution conducts at least 50 percent of its home contests. In addition, an institution may use one
home contest against a Football Bowl Subdivision member conducted at a neutral site to satisfy the home-game
requirement. (Revised: 4/25/02 effective 8/1/04, 1/12/04, 12/15/06)
20.9.7.2.2.1 Reclassifying Opponents. [FBS] A reclassifying institution shall be counted as a
football bowl subdivision opponent in the year the reclassifying institution must meet the football
bowl subdivision scheduling requirements (year two of the reclassifying process). (Adopted: 4/15/97,
Revised: 3/10/04, 12/15/06
So, if the WAC remains a basketball conference and Idaho and NMSU stay:
WAC invites Liberty, JMU, Delaware, Appy St, Youngstown St, Ga Southern, Jax St, Lamar as affiliate members (maybe Lamar as a full member)
In 2013 those reclassifying schools play an independent schedule, mostly against each other.
In 2013, Idaho and NMSU play an independent schedule.
In 2014, all the reclassifying schools could join the WAC, as all would meet the FBS scheduling requirements by playing each other.
The WAC would have lost its FBS status, but can still eventually regain it if it meets the definition of an FBS league again.
Many posters seem to have severely underestimated the WAC's greatest asset: the ability to grant FBS membership.
Adding 8 schools, so that each school can easily attain 5 FBS homes games in the second year, meets the NCAA criteria for all 10 schools.
Most leagues want no more than one reclassifying school in each reclassifying "class" in its league at once to minimize scheduling issue. For CUSA, UTSA, ODU, and Charlotte will not overlap. For the Sun Belt, Texas St and Ga State will not overlap. For those reasons, CUSA and the Sun Belt have no interest in new FCS schools until their current ones have fully transitioned.
The only game left in town is the MAC, and why should it play until it knows how the UMass situation works. Moreover, JMU, Liberty, Appy St, and Delaware would all be major flight risks. Why should the MAC put effort and cash into growing a new FBS crop only to see that crop stolen by another conference when the schools have full FBS value?
Right now, only the WAC is willing to "invest" in FCS schools that have no intention of staying long term, because it means scheduling for the surviving WAC FBS programs.