There’s a rumor floating around Twitter that Charleston is going to announce it’s moving to the A10, starting with the 2024-25 season.

If true, it’s time for W&M to find a new conference. Probably has been time for a while.

Soon there will be more ex-CAA members in that league than in the actual CAA.

It is a done deal. Charleston is gone. Guessing we will replace them with a national power like Charleston Southern or the Citadel. Rome continues to burn. Can we just join the Sun Belt already.

It was actually a rumor searching for a rumor. But still, these moves are obviously expected. It’s happening everywhere. And the A10 can make sense for them.

There are always replacements. Fairfield for one. The CAAs done a nice job backfilling in my view and will have no problem with a decent replacement if needed.

Meanwhile, there's a national board thread reacting to

Tresolini: Delaware move to FBS gains momentum, MAC likely landing spot | CSNbbs

CofC/A10 rumor is more straightforward. If the rumor comes to fruition, it could be something we actually hear about more soon.

Matt Brown, who’s typically on top of all this, already posted there’s absolutely nothing on this. And he had connections. It apparently came from a St Bonaventure cheerleader. That’s how absurd this stuff gets.

As far as Delaware, to follow UMass into FBS or the MAC is a joke. I hope their entire BOV went to the Penn State game. UMass pulled in 9,200 for their home opener against Miami OH (people here complaining we had 8,600 for Wofford) and that’s supposed to be an upgrade? Foolish.

Moves that could affect the CAA and potential WM response:

UConn, despite its horrendous football, likely has appeal to a major conference based on bball/location/size.

UConn leaves big east, leaving them at 10, Dayton + 1 other A10 go to Big East.

A10 adds CofC and maybe UNCW to put them back on stable footing.

UD and UMass added to MAC giving MAC an expanded Northeast footprint with Buffalo.

CAA is down 3 schools, 1 good football and 1-2 good basketball.

CAA adds Charleston So. and Fairfield. WM is the only remaining charter member, and now loses one of its top 3 football rivals and 2 of the most consistent bball programs from recent years.

If the SBC would throw us a lifeline, we should definitely take it, but I doubt they will. Best case scenario in my mind is work out a service academy style deal. See if CUSA will take football and bring UR with us, and move remaining sports to Patriot. Schedule as many in-state FBS OOC games a year as we can (ODU, JMU, UVA, TECH (People care about in state matchups! JMU UVA attendance was 58,000!!!)). Have two in state conference games UR and LU, and keep our footprint in the Northeast with schools with great academic reputations. In this theoretical move we also get a ESPN/CBS deal with CUSA and finally on to ESPN+ with Patriot. It could mean people outside of Romania actually see our games.

CAA is crumbling and keeps adding no name schools. Mind as well explore Patriot unless AD Mann has a bold plan.

The CAA today is about as strong and stable as it’s ever been. Just ridiculous commentary.

(09-11-2023 09:11 AM)W+M4TW Wrote:  Moves that could affect the CAA and potential WM response:

UConn, despite its horrendous football, likely has appeal to a major conference based on bball/location/size.

UConn leaves big east, leaving them at 10, Dayton + 1 other A10 go to Big East.

A10 adds CofC and maybe UNCW to put them back on stable footing.

UD and UMass added to MAC giving MAC an expanded Northeast footprint with Buffalo.

CAA is down 3 schools, 1 good football and 1-2 good basketball.

CAA adds Charleston So. and Fairfield. WM is the only remaining charter member, and now loses one of its top 3 football rivals and 2 of the most consistent bball programs from recent years.

If the SBC would throw us a lifeline, we should definitely take it, but I doubt they will. Best case scenario in my mind is work out a service academy style deal. See if CUSA will take football and bring UR with us, and move remaining sports to Patriot. Schedule as many in-state FBS OOC games a year as we can (ODU, JMU, UVA, TECH (People care about in state matchups! JMU UVA attendance was 58,000!!!)). Have two in state conference games UR and LU, and keep our footprint in the Northeast with schools with great academic reputations. In this theoretical move we also get a ESPN/CBS deal with CUSA and finally on to ESPN+ with Patriot. It could mean people outside of Romania actually see our games.

So you want us to join CUSA? Why don’t you list all those new rivals. I’m sure it will excite the fan base and make such economic sense.

(09-11-2023 09:11 AM)Sitting bull Wrote:  UMass pulled in 9,200 for their home opener against Miami OH (people here complaining we had 8,600 for Wofford) and that’s supposed to be an upgrade? Foolish.

UMass has not had a winning season since 2010. Whatever your view of FBS football, “almost as good as UMass attendance” is nothing to hang our hat on.

(09-11-2023 09:33 AM)A Quest Called Tribe Wrote:  

(09-11-2023 09:11 AM)Sitting bull Wrote:  UMass pulled in 9,200 for their home opener against Miami OH (people here complaining we had 8,600 for Wofford) and that’s supposed to be an upgrade? Foolish.

UMass has not had a winning season since 2010. Whatever your view of FBS football, “almost as good as UMass attendance” is nothing to hang our hat on.

That’s my point. Of all the decisions a school could make, why on earth would you want to follow the example of UMass ( which is what the Delaware article proposes).

We have no money in our reserve funds. We have several sports that are only hanging on based on donor support including parents of the athletes. We have a big Title IX issue.

The vision that we must have going forward includes what sports we want to have and which geographies do we want to play and recruit. Anything farther away or more expensive makes no sense at all in the short run. Maybe Mann is discussing a new conference with other peer schools, but unless there is traction there, moving from the CAA does nothing right now.

(09-11-2023 09:35 AM)Sitting bull Wrote:  

(09-11-2023 09:33 AM)A Quest Called Tribe Wrote:  

(09-11-2023 09:11 AM)Sitting bull Wrote:  UMass pulled in 9,200 for their home opener against Miami OH (people here complaining we had 8,600 for Wofford) and that’s supposed to be an upgrade? Foolish.

UMass has not had a winning season since 2010. Whatever your view of FBS football, “almost as good as UMass attendance” is nothing to hang our hat on.

That’s my point. Of all the decisions a school could make, why on earth would you want to follow the example of UMass ( which is what the Delaware article proposes).

Yeah no idea why people are trying to throw UMass into all of this. They suck, and honestly would probably be a mid tier FCS team if they weren't so stubborn on staying FBS.

I also don't really understand the logic behind Deleware in the MAC, but also just am concerned that we could lose that rivalry permanently if they move there.

(09-11-2023 09:24 AM)Sitting bull Wrote:  The CAA today is about as strong and stable as it’s ever been. Just ridiculous commentary.

First, I said join CUSA in football only with the qualification of packing the OOC with in state FBS programs. And yes, I would rather have our school make money off of football and play at the FBS level than be confined to a miniscule media rights pay out and play an OOC schedule of Campbell, Wofford, and Charleston So., wouldn't you?

Second, I wouldn't peg the CAA as a stable conference. It has consistently, for 20 years, lost its top teams to better conferences. And so far, I haven't heard any rings from UR, VCU, GMU, ODU, or JMU asking for their spot back. So frankly, I think we in particular, are in a more dire spot than ever. Do we have a future as a relevant, national athletic and academic school? Or do we stand pat and watch our old friends succeed while we complain about not having funding then buy another local hotel and build a 12th wellness center on campus? Sorry to be harsh with our alma mater, but basically for the last decade I fail to see how we're preparing for the future. I like the moves our business school has made, but that's about it.

(09-11-2023 09:50 AM)W+M4TW Wrote:  

(09-11-2023 09:24 AM)Sitting bull Wrote:  The CAA today is about as strong and stable as it’s ever been. Just ridiculous commentary.

First, I said join CUSA in football only with the qualification of packing the OOC with in state FBS programs. And yes, I would rather have our school make money off of football and play at the FBS level than be confined to a miniscule media rights pay out and play an OOC schedule of Campbell, Wofford, and Charleston So., wouldn't you?

Second, I wouldn't peg the CAA as a stable conference. It has consistently, for 20 years, lost its top teams to better conferences. And so far, I haven't heard any rings from UR, VCU, GMU, ODU, or JMU asking for their spot back. So frankly, I think we in particular, are in a more dire spot than ever. Do we have a future as a relevant, national athletic and academic school? Or do we stand pat and watch our old friends succeed while we complain about not having funding then buy another local hotel and build a 12th wellness center on campus? Sorry to be harsh with our alma mater, but basically for the last decade I fail to see how we're preparing for the future. I like the moves our business school has made, but that's about it.

But we do play state teams! We play UVA every other year. We play Richmond. We play VMI. We play Hampton. We play ODU in bbl every year and back in football shortly. We don’t have to join some dipsh** football league with Middle Tennessee and Louisiana Tech to do that.

I don’t understand this line of thought. I have no issue playing the other CAA schools - all good rivals and they are reasonably close with similar resources.

And if you don’t think the CAA is stable, who is? The CUSA? The A10? Get a grip.

No one is particularly stable, and I really don't like the new athletics model across the board. At heart, I'm a crotchety old soul that says student athletes are paid by their scholarship, and stadiums have lots of seats for butts to fill them.

But the sports world disagrees with me, and TV and streaming dominates this playing field (ha, ha). So, I would rather us pocket 750k a year in something like the CUSA for football (single team payouts are greater than our entire conference flosports deal...) and/or be able to catch games on ESPN+ (Patriot/CUSA/A10...basically all other conferences).

And to address the above^we do have to go fbs to play big in state programs. UVA once every other year vs. 3-4 FBS OOC matchups is a big difference. ODU, Tech, UVA, JMU, Coastal, App St., Duke, Wake, UNC. We could pick up a couple of those matchups every year if we were FBS. I'd watch any of those over Hampton. I must be wearing different lenses, I just don't see how the new adds are fun/add value. And in bball at least NET very much supports my view....and feels that way in football too...

So here's your ConfUSA football schools.

Liberty
Jax State
LA Tech
WKU
MTSU
Sam Houston
FIU
NM State
UTEP

That makes for at least 3 flights every year. There goes your $750,000 and that's just for football. To get that money we'll be playing on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Not to mention the academic elitists here will blow a gasket affiliating with that group.

The CAA is AT LEAST as stable as any other league around. People ***** about the new members and I don't understand it. Get over it and accept where we are.

Bottom line…IF Delaware joins the MAC, and Charleston joins the A10, if we stand pat and do nothing then W&M athletics has become a joke.

(09-11-2023 11:34 AM)Tribester Wrote:  Bottom line…IF Delaware joins the MAC, and Charleston joins the A10, if we stand pat and do nothing then W&M athletics has become a joke.

Disagree.