NewTimes
All American
Posts: 3,107
Joined: May 2012
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I Root For: Flames & Canes
Location: Rome, GA
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RE: JMU's blunder, Liberty's gain
(09-23-2015 06:35 AM)LUOrange Wrote: (09-22-2015 10:43 PM)NewTimes Wrote: (09-22-2015 10:32 PM)Curtisc83 Wrote: The upside for FCS schools to offer FCOA is pretty small. The few that offer it will have a easier time being and staying a powerhouse. The majority that don't will stay as they are and they are perfectly fine with that. It's not like FB is making them money anyways, sports is a huge money pit.
The point with JMU though is that they have commissioned the Carr group, like LU, to conduct a feasibility study to go to FBS, and have, like LU received a very high rating for FBS status. For small FCS schools, ones that never reach, but may seldom sniff the top 25, it's much less a big deal. Their athletic budgets are minuscule to LU's or JMU's or Coastal's. It has wreaked havoc with the JMU fan base. Just visit the JMU board. 99% of the posters are seething with this action, justifiably so, as they feel betrayed and intentionally mislead. And what sort of signal does this send to the MAC or CUSA, conferences that JMU has openly coveted for an FBS invite. It also adds to the SBC saying no thanks with another JMU invite.
I have never thought that JMU has made any mistake or blunder when it comes to the Sun Belt or FCOA in regards to the CAA. JMU obviously has the means, ability, and desire to go 1-A, they just have different approach from us.
Stating the obvious, with them being in the CAA they have the ability yo be picky and patient. Something we don't being in the Big South- which is unstable football wise. Other than officially being in 1-A, the Sun Belt really doesn't improve JMU's overall situation and increases travel costs. IMO, the CAA's olympic sports (especially basketball) are much better than the SBC. Quite frankly, ither than football the SBC'S olympic sports aren"t much better than the Big South's.
But as far as JMU and the CAA and FCOA, I think they're just being a team player right now. When the right time comes for JMU to move up they'll pay it. Also, these message boards only represent a small fraction of the fans and supporters. It's just us geeks with nothing better to do with our free time commenting on them.
From your post I can agree that we who post on sports bbs's are sports geeks and nerds. That's where our meeting of the minds ends. It's true that sports bbs's, by sheer numbers, represent a fraction of the spectators of college sports. But it is a slice of what the sports enthusiasts pulse is on given topics. The JMU forum is one of the biggest, if not the biggest on CSNbbs. So, if a large groups of people, agree on the same point, then it's a safe bet that is a fair representation that a high percentage of the sports mass feel a similar way.
By your comment, it sounds like you may have drawn your conclusions by my post and not from reading the JMU thread, which yesterday was 10 pages and today has 11 pages and 6,500+ views in 2 days. There are also similar posts on the same topic with their own legs of interest. The reason this is an important post is that many JMU fans feel like they are being baited and switched, are being manipulated by having their online comments deleted by JMU officials, and have been told falsehoods and untruths. Imagine how LU fans would feel if we felt the admins were being told falsehoods, deceptions or if we had inept and poor leadership. It's that way at present at JMU, only much worse.
JMU would jump, in a heartbeat, towards any FBS invite if the admins were competent. The unfortunate part is the admins and prez don't realize the missteps and mistakes they have made. They idealists living in the collegiate protective bubble unable to grasp the sentiment, especially of the sports supporters, and gauge their level of passion and interest. They ae out of touch.
LU on the other hand has outstanding admin and prez leadership, in regards to their desire to achieve FBS. Threads here speak highly of Jr. and Barber. Read the JMU threads. It's polar opposite.
I'm interested in seeking FBS. If we need a make shift FCS conference change, then so be it. Any energy towards any other goal than FBS sidetracks LU from the higher objective. JMU and it's CAA position is stronger than LU and the BSC. Part of the dilemma of JMU is that the fans feel the admins are happy to be FCS forever when most share our FBS quest.
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