For Funsies: Conference Reallignment/Creation

[DisplacedRam]

If 2011 counts, Richmond has a sweet 16.

those games were over ten years ago, he said in the last ten years

 

[Wolfpack Ram]

Please please please tell me that Fordham has a football program and get forced to leave for a football conference.

They actually played Nebraska at the beginning of the season. The game was close too. Nebraska only beat them 52-7!

 

[Wolfpack Ram]

I'd be okay if the Socon forces UR and Fordham to join in all sports. I also heard (eg saw UMass fans talking about talking) that UMass may be eyeing the MAC or something.

Pretty sure the MAC ship has sailed on UMass. UMass was a football member only in the MAC 20012 - 2015, and then went back to being an independent. It appears UMass is on C-USA's radar. Not sure the feeling is mutual though.

 

[rvaram]

JMU takes another step toward FBS football, but the General Assembly must approve its financial plan first

At its current, FCS level, JMU can rely on fees for 70% of its athletic funding. With a move to the Group of Five FBS level in the Sun Belt,

richmond.com

AA had mentioned this earlier but JMU is going to have to reduce their reliance on student fees when making the jump.

Wayne the god with the story.

 

[WillWeaverRVA]

JMU takes another step toward FBS football, but the General Assembly must approve its financial plan first

At its current, FCS level, JMU can rely on fees for 70% of its athletic funding. With a move to the Group of Five FBS level in the Sun Belt,

richmond.com

AA had mentioned this earlier but JMU is going to have to reduce their reliance on student fees when making the jump.

Wayne the god with the story.

Looks like they'd have to reduce the contribution of their fees to under 55%, which actually isn't quite as bad as I thought, but it is definitely possible the General Assembly could veto this if they don't think JMU could do it.

 

[urmite]

Looks like they'd have to reduce the contribution of their fees to under 55%, which actually isn't quite as bad as I thought, but it is definitely possible the General Assembly could veto this if they don't think JMU could do it.

So if they are maxing out the 70%, it would take $7.9 million to get to 55% of a $52.7 million AD budget?
And if the Endowment is $116.7 million, this could be interesting...

 

[WillWeaverRVA]

So if they are maxing out the 70%, it would take $7.9 million to get to 55% of a $52.7 million AD budget?
And if the Endowment is $116.7 million, this could be interesting...

Yeah. I don't know if JMU can do it. I guess we'll see when they meet with the General Assembly.

 

[Havoc City]

Does anyone know the Sun Belt's policy for late-game blowout situations? For example, can they keep the clock running?

Asking for a "friend."

 

[Violet Ram]

Yeah. I don't know if JMU can do it. I guess we'll see when they meet with the General Assembly.

Well, the media package will offset a portion of that cost.

 

[WillWeaverRVA]

MACtion:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1455204312691453955

 

[share the ball]

So if they are maxing out the 70%, it would take $7.9 million to get to 55% of a $52.7 million AD budget?
And if the Endowment is $116.7 million, this could be interesting...

Most all endowments at Colleges and Universities are restricted for stated purposes (and an endowment does not allow the spending of the original corpus only the income earned on it). it is rare that a even a modest portion of endowment income is unrestricted.
Boards often go through getting legal opinions on the boundaries on how they can spend endowment income and especially the amounts that accumulate beyond a traditional spending rate - as such,
I seriously doubt very little of JMU endowment income can be allocated toward solving their athletic income PROBLEM.
To me the problems are the same for JMU as the other 50-100 new entrants to FBS or FBS wannabes
the top 60 schools (top 5 conferences in football) have a near monopoly on the football revenues to operate quality FBall programs and for many top flight athletic programs
Everyone else is fighting for crumbs and their success rate will likely be less than 5- 10% and usually those will have some big Daddy WarBucks subsidizing all those losses
Having read a few of the consulting reports that examined moving to FBS status it is suffice to say lots of tortured reasoning is used like quality of student life, increased alumni engagement and giving etc
The last twenty+ years have made me proud that our Presidents, (Ackell, Trani, and Rao) have resisted the temptations to add football at VCU as they periodically arise (just think about ODU every time you get the urge)
Go Rams - Go Bones

 

[VCU Heel]

Endowments are essentially hoarding by universities. They can’t/won’t even use the money in most emergency situations.

 

[rvaram]

I'm sure JMU has already addressed the funding issue behind closed doors. They've been kicking around FBS football for years now.

 

[urmite]

My reason for including endowment was to illustrate a ratio of cumulative endowment over annual sports budget.

Not because they overlap but because it is difficult to find funding for an annual expense if you haven't found much overall historical excess.

 

[VCU94MCV98]

I'm sure JMU has already addressed the funding issue behind closed doors. They've been kicking around FBS football for years now.

That's nothing...fodu has been getting kicked around in FBS football for years now.