Expansion Done?

[NattyBumppo'sRevenge]

would still rather Western Kentucky over an ODU if we're being honest.

Western Kentucky, MTSU, and FIU eliminated themselves as options when they left the Sun Belt for dead. That’s when we came in and saved the Sun Belt and Georgia Southern followed us. Old members wouldn’t take them. Louisiana Tech probably a good fit, but current Sun Belt Louisiana schools won’t allow it. UTEP is the only other one, but that’d probably been a deal breaker for Marshall not bringing in two eastern schools with them.

[T-Dog]

FYI, Liberty is not happening for several non-political reasons (plus the political reasons which everyone knows about). Private school when the Sun Belt is all regional public schools. Most of their enrollment is online and school chancellors and presidents of mostly residential schools aren't comfortable with aligning with a school like that. Also their athletic budget has been cited as another reason for not fitting in as they have seemingly unlimited funds due to 100k+ online students.

ODU is a better fit than some people would think. Regional public school, historically solid fanbase, easy to fly into, athletics fundraising would already be near the top in the Sun Belt.

[AppSt94]

Not crazy about ODU or JMu.

What is your pause?

ODU brings nothing football quality wise and I just don’t like JMU. The purple streamers still annoy me.

All good points. I know that football drives the bus, but JMU brings a solid overall athletic program. A really good softball program and both bring the potential to elevate both basketball brands.

We can avoid the streamers by shutting them out.

Both have solid athletic programs and puts us in the center of the East division.

It would. While I can’t see us going to 14, I can see where we can make up the difference in lost revenue from the media with butts in the seats and reduced travel costs.

[AppStateNews]

No reduction in payouts and add 3 more driving distance in our division? Yes please!

[AppSt94]

No reduction in payouts and add 3 more driving distance in our division? Yes please!

I want to see the no reduction in payouts in writing, but agree. I don’t see any downsides to this.

[AtlAppMan]

Conference USA

[AppStateNews]

No reduction in payouts and add 3 more driving distance in our division? Yes please!

I want to see the no reduction in payouts in writing, but agree. I don’t see any downsides to this.

Agree. If its no reduction in payouts, its a win/win. Which, I think could be possible since ESPN is really who is handling all of this.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

If media is break even then this can be good and reduces some travel and opens up some nice opportunities for trips. ODU area has Amtrak even.

We owe JMU for the 2008 2nd half disaster. Still turns my stomach to be up 21 and lose to the purple streamers. And, though no Amtrak, they do have train tracks on campus and by the stadium.

Marshall has the history (and some trains in that industrial town.)

Just can't stomach Liberty so glad they are not in the mix, even if Lynchburg has Amtrak.

I think my priorities are both in the right place, reasonable, and glad to see they have been considered.

[appstate77]

Conference USA
roadkill.jpg

Is that dead chicken they are eating?

[JPatH3292]

Marshalls is fine, ODU just built a brand new stadium. Wonder if a stadium expansion was part of JMUs ticket in? Going to have some nice and hopefully full stadiums to visit going forward!

[HighlandsApp]

Marshalls is fine, ODU just built a brand new stadium. Wonder if a stadium expansion was part of JMUs ticket in? Going to have some nice and hopefully full stadiums to visit going forward!

JMU stadium seats 25,000. We don't have hardly anymore many actual seats. And look at Charlotte they just got invited to the AAC and they only have 15,000 seats.

[Rick83]

Marshalls is fine, ODU just built a brand new stadium. Wonder if a stadium expansion was part of JMUs ticket in? Going to have some nice and hopefully full stadiums to visit going forward!

JMU stadium seats 25,000. We don't have hardly anymore many actual seats. And look at Charlotte they just got invited to the AAC and they only have 15,000 seats.

Yeah...but they bring in extra bleachers when we come rolling into town...LOL!

[APPdiesel]

The biggest thing is App goes from geographic outlier to dead center of the proposed new division. We are the hub with Marshall, JMU, ODU, Coastal, GS, and GSU forming a ring around us. If we decided to schedul the occasional H&H with MTSU (even 1 H&H per decade) it'd close the circle.

[hapapp]

This from the Belt board: "GSU 247 writer said ESPN came calling to increase the TV payout. No revenue loss or diluted payouts per school"

[AppSt94]

The biggest thing is App goes from geographic outlier to dead center of the proposed new division. We are the hub with Marshall, JMU, ODU, Coastal, GS, and GSU forming a ring around us. If we decided to schedul the occasional H&H with MTSU (even 1 H&H per decade) it'd close the circle.

WKU isn’t bad either.

[Howard Street Hooligan]

would still rather Western Kentucky over an ODU if we're being honest.

Western Kentucky, MTSU, and FIU eliminated themselves as options when they left the Sun Belt for dead. That’s when we came in and saved the Sun Belt and Georgia Southern followed us. Old members wouldn’t take them. Louisiana Tech probably a good fit, but current Sun Belt Louisiana schools won’t allow it. UTEP is the only other one, but that’d probably been a deal breaker for Marshall not bringing in two eastern schools with them.

I get that, but that’s just pure pettiness. Outside of that, there’s no reason we shouldn’t try and get 2/3 of WKU, La Tech and MTSU. It makes too much sense not to do it

[Yosefus]

I'm impressed how the Sunbelt has wound up positioned to come thru the expansion with what seems like may be a win and wind up an even stronger conference and how the tide has turned in CUSA and the AAC sounds like it will be greatly diminished.

[T-Dog]

Chair of the Marshall Board of Governors.

[appstatealum]

Chair of the Marshall Board of Governors.

After the praise that midweek match-up got from media and attendees, a director would have to be a complete moron not to welcome a SBC invite, if not just to see App- Marshall every year.

[spacemonkey]

We will get no reduction in TV money but I do think the CFP payout will decrease because it will be split by 14 schools instead of 10. Just pointing it out, I don't think it is a big deal. I think this is GREAT for App. The Sunbelt will be strong and I believe JMU, App, Marshall will win 80% of division.


One thing I think would be great is to have two basketball tournaments...One east tournament and one west tournament and the champions meet somewhere for the championship or the highest rated division tournament champions home court. Same for Baseball.