James Madison to the American

[Maroon Eagle]

Likely 2028 but there’s a chance it could be next year based on the first paragraph of the release:

“HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison University has been accepted for admission into the American Conference following a university application and a unanimous vote of the American CEOs. JMU will join as a full league member no later than July 1, 2028.”

James Madison University is Accepted for Membership to the American Conference - James Madison University Athletics

JMU has been accepted for admission into the American Conference following a university application and a unanimous vote of the American CEOs.

jmusports.com

 

[Dawg Raid]

Poor sunbelt Billy

 

[AROB44]

Poor sunbelt Billy

Well, he got his full buyout from Florida (21.2 million) so he's financially OK. Coaching career...to be determined.

 

[dorndawg]

Thought this was gonna be a post from 1776

 

[OG Goat Holder]

That sucks, I thought the Sun Belt had a good thing going

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Thought this was gonna be a post from 1776

Alas, James Madison wasn’t in 1776…


**

That sucks, I thought the Sun Belt had a good thing going

All good things must come to an end ($1 to Chaucer)

 

[dorndawg]

Alas, James Madison wasn’t in 1776…


**

Don't you dare let facts get in way of my little jokez

 

[615dawg]

This is the death knell for the Sun Belt.

With just one G5 bid, JMU is the Sun Belt's best chance at year in, year out access to the playoff. What remains after JMU leaves is a collection of regional public schools that are struggling. We had a thread a couple weeks ago about the Louisiana Board of Regents recommending that La Tech, ULM and ULL drop to FCS for budgetary reasons - that talk will not go away as pressure builds in state legislatures.

Coastal Carolina and Troy are the only two Sun Belt schools remaining that make money in athletics, and combined it is less than $850,000.

ULL lost $14 million last year and La Tech lost $12 million. ULM only lost $1.6 million but they have the smallest budget in FBS at $21 million. USM lost $9 million two years ago and almost broke even last year after some massive cuts and a conference change that dropped travel expenses, but USM is not a well run athletic department.

James Madison has a $79 million athletic budget sitting in a conference where the median is around $36 million. Going to the American, they enter a conference where the median is $61 million, and has a school like South Florida with a $107 million budget. UAB us the runt of the American at $45 million, which would be middle of the pack in the Sun Belt. And get this, only one American Conference school lost money on athletics last year - Memphis lost $500k. Its a much better fit for a school like JMU.

 

[Called3rdstrikedawg]

UAB didn’t lose money with a $45 million budget? Hard to believe. But all they have to do is go to Paul Bryant Jr. open up his bank and fund their athletics. Seems he would want to “help”!

 

[615dawg]

UAB didn’t lose money with a $45 million budget? Hard to believe. But all they have to do is go to Paul Bryant Jr. open up his bank and fund their athletics. Seems he would want to “help”!

They actually had a $1.5 million surplus. Renting a stadium helps bring down costs. UAB pays $25k per game to rent Protective Stadium. They have a sweetheart deal. At 7 home games a year, they are paying about $35 million over 20 years and have no maintenance. Tulane's stadium cost $75 million as an example.

https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2018/06/uab_to_pay_25000_a_game_to_lea.html

 

[OG Goat Holder]

This is the death knell for the Sun Belt.

With just one G5 bid, JMU is the Sun Belt's best chance at year in, year out access to the playoff. What remains after JMU leaves is a collection of regional public schools that are struggling. We had a thread a couple weeks ago about the Louisiana Board of Regents recommending that La Tech, ULM and ULL drop to FCS for budgetary reasons - that talk will not go away as pressure builds in state legislatures.

Coastal Carolina and Troy are the only two Sun Belt schools remaining that make money in athletics, and combined it is less than $850,000.

ULL lost $14 million last year and La Tech lost $12 million. ULM only lost $1.6 million but they have the smallest budget in FBS at $21 million. USM lost $9 million two years ago and almost broke even last year after some massive cuts and a conference change that dropped travel expenses, but USM is not a well run athletic department.

James Madison has a $79 million athletic budget sitting in a conference where the median is around $36 million. Going to the American, they enter a conference where the median is $61 million, and has a school like South Florida with a $107 million budget. UAB us the runt of the American at $45 million, which would be middle of the pack in the Sun Belt. And get this, only one American Conference school lost money on athletics last year - Memphis lost $500k. Its a much better fit for a school like JMU.

JMU never fit the Sun Belt anyway

Time to add MTSU, KSU or Liberty

 

[Dawgzilla2]

Thought this was gonna be a post from 1776

I legit thought it was gonna be a political post. Someone's idea of what James Madison would say about the current state of our government.

 

[615dawg]

JMU never fit the Sun Belt anyway

Time to add MTSU, KSU or Liberty

This sounds weird, but MTSU and Western Kentucky are apparently a package deal and they like C-USA.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

JMU never fit the Sun Belt anyway

Time to add MTSU, KSU or Liberty

Probably Liberty if only because they’ve got by far the largest endowment of Conference USA schools…

Second largest is Delaware…

 

[RocketDawg]

This is the death knell for the Sun Belt.

With just one G5 bid, JMU is the Sun Belt's best chance at year in, year out access to the playoff. What remains after JMU leaves is a collection of regional public schools that are struggling. We had a thread a couple weeks ago about the Louisiana Board of Regents recommending that La Tech, ULM and ULL drop to FCS for budgetary reasons - that talk will not go away as pressure builds in state legislatures.

Coastal Carolina and Troy are the only two Sun Belt schools remaining that make money in athletics, and combined it is less than $850,000.

ULL lost $14 million last year and La Tech lost $12 million. ULM only lost $1.6 million but they have the smallest budget in FBS at $21 million. USM lost $9 million two years ago and almost broke even last year after some massive cuts and a conference change that dropped travel expenses, but USM is not a well run athletic department.

James Madison has a $79 million athletic budget sitting in a conference where the median is around $36 million. Going to the American, they enter a conference where the median is $61 million, and has a school like South Florida with a $107 million budget. UAB us the runt of the American at $45 million, which would be middle of the pack in the Sun Belt. And get this, only one American Conference school lost money on athletics last year - Memphis lost $500k. Its a much better fit for a school like JMU.

Death nail. **