JMU headed to FBS?

[Pwns]

https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaaf/col ... erence-usa

Nothing official yet, but based on things getting reported by guys like Brett McMurphy and Pete Thamel it looks like JMU is either headed to the SBC or CUSA.

[Gil Dobie]

Been a lot of talk. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds. NDSU has been mentioned in Mountain West talks this fall.

[SuperHornet]

I'd prefer to keep them here. I'm not sure I like the idea of the JMU jumping to conferences like C-USA or the Sun Belch. Not much going on there outside of losing teams.

NDSU to the MWC is a different story. They could make a difference there. I still don't like it, though. While I haven't heard any discussions, I could see NDSU dominating the MAC. The MWC would be much more their speed, however, and much more interesting.

[UNI88]

Been a lot of talk. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds. NDSU has been mentioned in Mountain West talks this fall.

Has NDSU to the Mountain West been mentioned anywhere outside of INcelFORUM and other North Dakota media outlets?

And if yes, have any of those mentions been after Air Force, Boise, Colorado St and SDSU decided to stay?

What would make NDSU a better choice than UTEP?

[SDHornet]

Been a lot of talk. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds. NDSU has been mentioned in Mountain West talks this fall.

Has NDSU to the Mountain West been mentioned anywhere outside of INcelFORUM and other North Dakota media outlets?

And if yes, have any of those mentions been after Air Force, Boise, Colorado St and SDSU decided to stay?

What would make NDSU a better choice than UTEP?

No. MW expansion should have been UTSA/UNT maybe another TX school. Now that the AAC blocked that, I don't see the MW ever expanding. Oh and the MW is now the new "P6" or whatever. They are clearly the best of the rest and have no business adding an FCS move-up unless they fall victim to a big raid.

[Gil Dobie]

Has NDSU to the Mountain West been mentioned anywhere outside of INcelFORUM and other North Dakota media outlets?

And if yes, have any of those mentions been after Air Force, Boise, Colorado St and SDSU decided to stay?

What would make NDSU a better choice than UTEP?

No. MW expansion should have been UTSA/UNT maybe another TX school. Now that the AAC blocked that, I don't see the MW ever expanding. Oh and the MW is now the new "P6" or whatever. They are clearly the best of the rest and have no business adding an FCS move-up unless they fall victim to a big raid.

Mountain West Link

Here's a couple, 1st Article must have been written by 88, with his plural for Bisons.

Colorado Springs, CO — The Mountain West Conference is home to eleven complete university programs- and a twelfth for football only.

The powerhouse G-5 conference has had its latest lineup including the San Diego State Aztecs, Fresno State Bulldogs, San Jose State Spartans, Boise State Broncos, Utah State Aggies, Air Force Falcons, Wyoming Cowboys, Colorado State Rams , Nevada Wolf Pack, UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, New Mexico Lobos, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (football only)- for approximately one decade.

Founding programs that left years ago include Utah and BYU. TCU joined later around 2005 but subsequently left.

The ones who could have been but never were include Wichita State, Gonzaga and Grand Canyon.

Let’s look at three possible scenarios for the future Mountain West.

One Or More Programs Exit The Mountain West
It’s quite possible one or more teams may leave the conference. The teams many believe could go include Colorado State and Air Force. The Falcons may have great aspirations, but they have rarely reached “the top of the Mountain.” The Rams have everything an exceptional program would want (except sports success). In short, neither program has by-and-large competed inside of the Mountain West at a consistently high level.

If either or both teams leave, there is no shortage of emerging teams who would gladly fill openings in the Mountain West. The most probable candidates include New Mexico State Los Aggies, UTEP Miners, and possibly the North Dakota State Bisons.

These are the low hanging fruit and if nobody has noticed, NMSU and UTEP have had active pre-season involvement with the Mountain West conference. NDSU, UTSA and Rice have also been mentioned recently.

No Programs Exit / One Or More Join The Conference
In this scenario, the Mountain West potentially gains strength by adding anywhere from one to three additional quality programs, unless of course weak programs are instead selected. If the conference selected quality programs that could contribute to “good wins” then this could be a new opportunity. On the other hand, if weak programs needing ten years to get their act together (like San Jose State) join, this could be destructive to the conference. Several high quality basketball-only programs could augment the Mountain West, like Saint Mary’s or Gonzaga.

No Programs Exit Nor Join The Mountain West
Sadly, this underwhelming outcome could be the most probable scenario, and it would be on par with what Thompson has done to inject excitement into this conference for years, which is to say “not much at all.” Doing nothing is not a winning strategy, but it leaves the conference intact. More trophies handed out, and the usual suspects playing one another, the most talented coaches being poached by the Pac-12 and other Power-Five conferences. Wash, rinse, repeat.

This would not surprise anybody.

Prediction
Mountain West Conference loses ONE program / adds ONE program.

MW Basketball link

North Dakota State
Conference realignment changes what we’re used to seeing in these collegiate conferences. To some people, adding an FCS school might seem like a bit of a reach to expand the Mountain West, but this is no ordinary FCS team. North Dakota State has clearly made its mark as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference, while basketball’s progress in the Summit League is nothing to snuff at either.

Football-wise, it would be interesting to see the role North Dakota State would play in a new Mountain West. The Bisons have won eight of the last ten FCS national championships and are clearly a program ready for the challenge of FBS play. On the other side, the basketball program has been solid since joining the Summit nearly fifteen years ago, appearing in four NCAA Tournaments and winning a flurry of conference titles. The MWC would be a step up, but it’s not as big a leap as you’d think.

North Dakota State is the perfect addition to the conference if you’re willing to consider schools not already entrenched in the FBS. Geographically, they aren’t too far from the other teams and do push the conference more into the Midwest. Heck, one intriguing result of this move would be former NDSU football coach Craig Bohl seeing his old team again as the current coach at Wyoming.

[SDHornet]

MW op-ed. Ok, yeah sure those Cali MW schools are chomping on the bit to fly to Fargo for MBB season.

[Gil Dobie]

MW op-ed. Ok, yeah sure those Cali MW schools are chomping on the bit to fly to Fargo for MBB season.

NDSU was mentioned in a recent MWC meeting on expansion. I would rather see the MVFC move as a whole. Probably won't happen, and the Bison are fine in FCS.

[SDHornet]

MW op-ed. Ok, yeah sure those Cali MW schools are chomping on the bit to fly to Fargo for MBB season.

NDSU was mentioned in a recent MWC meeting on expansion. I would rather see the MVFC move as a whole. Probably won't happen, and the Bison are fine in FCS.

NDSU could make it at FBS, they'd be another Wyoming, but they could make it.

[SuperHornet]

NDSU was mentioned in a recent MWC meeting on expansion. I would rather see the MVFC move as a whole. Probably won't happen, and the Bison are fine in FCS.

NDSU could make it at FBS, they'd be another Wyoming, but they could make it.

For me, that would depend on the conference. (I hardly see then getting a Liberty-style indy waiver, as that has always been a difficult road to hoe, even for traditional indies like Notre Dame and Penn State, before they went to the league that can't count.) Should they want to go, the MWC would be a good fit, as they could compete without dominating the conference into perdition a la St. Thomas. (I would see that as a possibility should NDSU go to the Sun Belch, C-USA, or the MAC.) As such, while it would be more difficult to get into the title picture, NDSU wouldn't necessarily be relegating themselves out of it as the southeastern FCS schools who have made the jump in the last few years (CCU, Liberty, ODU, GA Southern, GA State, etc.) have done.

That said, I still think the FCS has a better process. It's not perfect because of Ivy/SWAC/MEAC, but it's better. But we've all heard my argument on that before. NDSU is one of the few teams perfectly positioned, in terms of current capability, potential, and geography, to make this move. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. UMASS and UCONN are finding how hard it is to function at that level. Most FCS schools will be in the same boat, but I DO think NDSU could not only make it but also thrive. But here's a question that just occurred to me: will there be political pressure for NDSU to take the Sioux with them, as Boise was at one time forced to take Idalol with them? I highly doubt the Sioux are as well positioned for this as are the Bizon....

[UNI88]

NDSU could make it at FBS, they'd be another Wyoming, but they could make it.

For me, that would depend on the conference. (I hardly see then getting a Liberty-style indy waiver, as that has always been a difficult road to hoe, even for traditional indies like Notre Dame and Penn State, before they went to the league that can't count.) Should they want to go, the MWC would be a good fit, as they could compete without dominating the conference into perdition a la St. Thomas. (I would see that as a possibility should NDSU go to the Sun Belch, C-USA, or the MAC.) As such, while it would be more difficult to get into the title picture, NDSU wouldn't necessarily be relegating themselves out of it as the southeastern FCS schools who have made the jump in the last few years (CCU, Liberty, ODU, GA Southern, GA State, etc.) have done.

That said, I still think the FCS has a better process. It's not perfect because of Ivy/SWAC/MEAC, but it's better. But we've all heard my argument on that before. NDSU is one of the few teams perfectly positioned, in terms of current capability, potential, and geography, to make this move. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. UMASS and UCONN are finding how hard it is to function at that level. Most FCS schools will be in the same boat, but I DO think NDSU could not only make it but also thrive. But here's a question that just occurred to me: will there be political pressure for NDSU to take the Sioux with them, as Boise was at one time forced to take Idalol with them? I highly doubt the Sioux are as well positioned for this as are the Bizon....

I agree with SD that NDZU could make it in FBS but I'm not sure why the MWC would want them. They extend their footprint, bring a quality FB team, a decent mid-major BB team, not a big bump in recruiting (the way a Texas school might), and few TV sets. Why would they take NDZU over UTEP?

Superhorny, I think you're basing your opinions on the Sun Belt on who that conference used to be. It was the bottom of the G5 conferences but the success of individual teams has raised it's profile and it has passed the MAC and C-USA. Compared to C-USA, rabid fanbases and strong rivalries have turned out to be more important to success than market size.

[Ibanez]

NDSU could make it at FBS, they'd be another Wyoming, but they could make it.

For me, that would depend on the conference. (I hardly see then getting a Liberty-style indy waiver, as that has always been a difficult road to hoe, even for traditional indies like Notre Dame and Penn State, before they went to the league that can't count.) Should they want to go, the MWC would be a good fit, as they could compete without dominating the conference into perdition a la St. Thomas. (I would see that as a possibility should NDSU go to the Sun Belch, C-USA, or the MAC.) As such, while it would be more difficult to get into the title picture, NDSU wouldn't necessarily be relegating themselves out of it as the southeastern FCS schools who have made the jump in the last few years (CCU, Liberty, ODU, GA Southern, GA State, etc.) have done.

That said, I still think the FCS has a better process. It's not perfect because of Ivy/SWAC/MEAC, but it's better. But we've all heard my argument on that before. NDSU is one of the few teams perfectly positioned, in terms of current capability, potential, and geography, to make this move. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. UMASS and UCONN are finding how hard it is to function at that level. Most FCS schools will be in the same boat, but I DO think NDSU could not only make it but also thrive. But here's a question that just occurred to me: will there be political pressure for NDSU to take the Sioux with them, as Boise was at one time forced to take Idalol with them? I highly doubt the Sioux are as well positioned for this as are the Bizon....

NORTH Dakota in the Sun Belt makes as much sense as Tim Tebow in the NFL.

And the Sun Belt is climbing it's way up the rankings. They're not the bottom anymore. We're typically 8/10 in the rankings ahead of MAC and C-USA.

[Pwns]

Dennis Dodd is now reporting it. I would take it to the bank even if there haven't been any official announcements.

[SDHornet]

Dennis Dodd is now reporting it. I would take it to the bank even if there haven't been any official announcements.

Heard the rumors, but thats good. CUSA will have no choice but to add NMSU and Liberty and then raid the WAC/ASun for the most aspiring candidates.

[93henfan]

That would make a really fun SBC. Good for JMU. That's a lot better than the watered down FCS we see now and a really bad CAA.

G5 is the new I-AA. We're all essentially D2 here.

[SuperHornet]

1. I retract my argument about NDSU stretching out the MWC. Pursuing SD's argument about Cali-based MWC schools wanting to go to Fargo, I found (oddly, IMO) that Fresno-to-Fargo is longer than San Diego-to-Fargo (per Google Maps), and it's about 600 miles or so longer than the longest CURRENT road trip in the Sun Belch. [Yes, 88, I WAS relying on old data when they went through New Mexico State (another relegation candidate now a FBS independent, though their other teams are in the WAC) up to Denver (a I-AAA school now in the Summit).]

2. I was just looking through those other conferences. Yes, the C-USA would be a better target for the vitriol I was directing at the Sun Belt (conference spread AND the worth of the remaining schools). The biggest road trip there is actually longer than Fresno to Fargo: UTEP to ODU. Although the gap would be smaller should NDSU join the MAC (even though there would be a much larger number of states in between, those states are smaller than states in the West), I think the Bizon are so much better than any of the MAC schools that NDSU would look like St. Thomas did in D-III. C-USA would be even worse in terms of travel (over 2K miles to Miami for FIU). Balancing geography with relative capability, I think the MWC would be the best fit for NDSU.

3. JMU to the Sun Belt: While I now acquiesce to the argument that the Sun Belt is now likely the second-best conference in the Southeast, given the four teams they're adding (probably to qualify for a money-making championship between two divisions), this would be an upgrade for the conference to make it at least on a peer-level with the MAC and perhaps even the MWC. I'd still prefer JMU to stay in FCS (for the reasons you've already heard ad nauseam), but I could see them competing with Louisiana, Georgia Southern, Marshall, App State, Old Dominion, and Coastal Carolina pretty much immediately. Plus, JMU and ODU are already within the footprint of the conference, and Marshall won't add all that much to it. While I don't like the conference championship game construct, it will be interesting to see how the Sun Belt proposes to arrange their upcoming divisions.

[93henfan]

1. I retract my argument about NDSU stretching out the MWC. Pursuing SD's argument about Cali-based MWC schools wanting to go to Fargo, I found (oddly, IMO) that Fresno-to-Fargo is longer than San Diego-to-Fargo (per Google Maps), and it's about 600 miles or so longer than the longest CURRENT road trip in the Sun Belch. [Yes, 88, I WAS relying on old data when they went through New Mexico State (another relegation candidate now a FBS independent, though their other teams are in the WAC) up to Denver (a I-AAA school now in the Summit).]

2. I was just looking through those other conferences. Yes, the C-USA would be a better target for the vitriol I was directing at the Sun Belt (conference spread AND the worth of the remaining schools). The biggest road trip there is actually longer than Fresno to Fargo: UTEP to ODU. Although the gap would be smaller should NDSU join the MAC (even though there would be a much larger number of states in between, those states are smaller than states in the West), I think the Bizon are so much better than any of the MAC schools that NDSU would look like St. Thomas did in D-III. C-USA would be even worse in terms of travel (over 2K miles to Miami for FIU). Balancing geography with relative capability, I think the MWC would be the best fit for NDSU.

3. JMU to the Sun Belt: While I now acquiesce to the argument that the Sun Belt is now likely the second-best conference in the Southeast, given the four teams they're adding (probably to qualify for a money-making championship between two divisions), this would be an upgrade for the conference to make it at least on a peer-level with the MAC and perhaps even the MWC. I'd still prefer JMU to stay in FCS (for the reasons you've already heard ad nauseam), but I could see them competing with Louisiana, Georgia Southern, Marshall, App State, Old Dominion, and Coastal Carolina pretty much immediately. While I don't like the conference championship game construct, it will be interesting to see how the Sun Belt proposes to arrange their upcoming divisions.

What bizarre island do you live on? SBC the 2nd best conference in the southeast? Pass that pipe, please. The SEC and ACC would like a toke too.

[SuperHornet]

OK. Make that third best. I forgot about the ACC. Of course, I had the SEC as #1. Then again, the ACC stretches up into the Northeast....

[UNI88]

OK. Make that third best. I forgot about the ACC. Of course, I had the SEC as #1. Then again, the ACC stretches up into the Northeast....

The AAC has a number of teams in the southeast as well. Sunbelt is climbing but they're still behind the SEC, ACC and AAC.

And I've posted about the bizumbs to the MAC - it would double their east to west footprint. The MAC likes being relatively compact geographically. They would likely be interested in ISUr or UNI before NDZU.

[Gil Dobie]

Sagarin Conference ratings, CAA has really slipped, down to 4 in FCS. Barely ahead of the Ivy

14 SUN BELT-EAST (A) = 64.83 65.31 ( 14) 5 65.14 ( 14)
15 I-A IND. (A) = 62.86 62.38 ( 15) 7 63.27 ( 15)
16 CONF USA-EAST (A) = 60.15 59.45 ( 16) 7 59.68 ( 16)
17 MAC-EAST (A) = 59.60 59.18 ( 18) 6 59.27 ( 18)
18 MISSOURI VALLEY (AA)= 59.34 59.32 ( 17) 11 59.30 ( 17)
19 CONF USA-WEST (A) = 58.21 58.65 ( 20) 7 58.37 ( 19)
20 SUN BELT-WEST (A) = 57.27 58.69 ( 19) 5 58.05 ( 20)
21 BIG SKY (AA)= 50.58 50.67 ( 21) 13 50.62 ( 21)
22 SOUTHERN (AA)= 47.54 46.80 ( 24) 9 47.07 ( 23)
23 COLONIAL (AA)= 46.90 47.94 ( 22) 12 47.48 ( 22)
24 IVY LEAGUE (AA)= 46.48 46.84 ( 23) 8 46.58 ( 24)
25 SOUTHLAND (AA)= 46.47 45.77 ( 25) 6 46.25 ( 25)
26 AQ7 (AA)= 45.89 45.66 ( 26) 9 45.61 ( 26)
27 BIG SOUTH (AA)= 42.47 42.84 ( 27) 9 42.61 ( 27)
28 OHIO VALLEY (AA)= 40.35 40.69 ( 28) 7 40.58 ( 28)
29 SWAC-EAST (AA)= 34.63 34.87 ( 29) 6 34.72 ( 29)
30 SWAC-WEST (AA)= 34.28 33.92 ( 30) 6 34.01 ( 30)
31 NORTHEAST (AA)= 33.98 33.55 ( 32) 8 33.72 ( 31)
32 PATRIOT (AA)= 32.86 33.73 ( 31) 7 33.30 ( 32)
33 MID-EASTERN (AA)= 30.28 30.68 ( 33) 6 30.49 ( 33)
34 PIONEER (AA)= 26.50 25.70 ( 34) 11 25.97 ( 34)
35 ___UNRATED___ (__)= -91.00 -91.00 ( 35) 1 -91.00 ( 35)

[SuperHornet]

OK. Make that third best. I forgot about the ACC. Of course, I had the SEC as #1. Then again, the ACC stretches up into the Northeast....

The AAC has a number of teams in the southeast as well. Sunbelt is climbing but they're still behind the SEC, ACC and AAC.

And I've posted about the bizumbs to the MAC - it would double their east to west footprint. The MAC likes being relatively compact geographically. They would likely be interested in ISUr or UNI before NDZU.

Those would probably be a bit better fit for the MAC capability-wise, too, particularly UNI. Like I said, even if the MAC were to accept the huge footprint jump, NDSU would so dramatically dominate there that it wouldn't be worth the effort. The MWC would work out much better: a shot at conference championships, but it would be something that they'd have to work for, as Boise and some of the others would be peer competitors.

[AZGrizFan]

That would make a really fun SBC. Good for JMU. That's a lot better than the watered down FCS we see now and a really bad CAA.

G5 is the new I-AA. We're all essentially D2 here.

Sad, really.

[Ibanez]

Dennis Dodd is now reporting it. I would take it to the bank even if there haven't been any official announcements.

Heard the rumors, but thats good. CUSA will have no choice but to add NMSU and Liberty and then raid the WAC/ASun for the most aspiring candidates.

Yeah...but the C-USA already looks like a sinking ship. How many people want to jump aboard that.

[Ibanez]

OK. Make that third best. I forgot about the ACC. Of course, I had the SEC as #1. Then again, the ACC stretches up into the Northeast....

I admit if you aren't that into FBS you may forget that one of the top teams for the past 5 years was an ACC team..

[93henfan]

So the real question is, does this mean no more BDKJMU on the board after 2021?