Random stuff 2024 *on to the new year 2025*

[luckyirishguy25]

Richmond leaving the CAA for the Patriot League in 2025. This is a huge head scratcher. Wonder if it's because the CAA has gotten so big.

https://herosports.com/fcs-richmond-foo ... ague-bzbz/

and a little background on this, Flo sports and maybe more moves. i think Richmond wants to be the big fish in a small pond.
https://meetthepres0709.substack.com/p/ ... irect=true

Thanks for posting that. Interesting read. The CAA has been passed up by the Southern Conference as the 3rd best league in FCS in my opinion. This won't help their case. It'll be interesting to see if the Patriot League gets another team or 2 from the CAA that are good and becomes a multi-bid league in the future.

It stills seems a little odd, Weren't they already the big fish in a small pond with all the departures and watering down of the CAA? At least the CAA has some sort of a brand. I'm not even sure all the schools in the patriot are full-scholy, seems like some of those schools were only part just a few years ago.

[Colter_Nuanez]

[BleedingBLue]

Richmond leaving the CAA for the Patriot League in 2025. This is a huge head scratcher. Wonder if it's because the CAA has gotten so big.

https://herosports.com/fcs-richmond-foo ... ague-bzbz/

and a little background on this, Flo sports and maybe more moves. i think Richmond wants to be the big fish in a small pond.
https://meetthepres0709.substack.com/p/ ... irect=true

Thanks for posting that. Interesting read. The CAA has been passed up by the Southern Conference as the 3rd best league in FCS in my opinion. This won't help their case. It'll be interesting to see if the Patriot League gets another team or 2 from the CAA that are good and becomes a multi-bid league in the future.

It stills seems a little odd, Weren't they already the big fish in a small pond with all the departures and watering down of the CAA? At least the CAA has some sort of a brand. I'm not even sure all the schools in the patriot are full-scholy, seems like some of those schools were only part just a few years ago.

I do agree it's still odd, but maybe they know something we don't. I think with Holy Cross becoming more successful, as well as Fordham, the league isn't as bad as it used to be. If a team like Villanova were to join as well, it's a decent conference. I'd guess the size of the CAA was a big factor too. Once Delaware leaves it's a watered down conference with 15 teams (14 without Richmond). Albany and W&M will be top dogs, with not much under them unless Towson can pull it back together.

[luckyirishguy25]

Interesting, What are you thoughts on the conference brand of the CAA vs Patriot? Any idea why the move makes sense for them?

[luckyirishguy25]

Richmond leaving the CAA for the Patriot League in 2025. This is a huge head scratcher. Wonder if it's because the CAA has gotten so big.

https://herosports.com/fcs-richmond-foo ... ague-bzbz/

and a little background on this, Flo sports and maybe more moves. i think Richmond wants to be the big fish in a small pond.
https://meetthepres0709.substack.com/p/ ... irect=true

Thanks for posting that. Interesting read. The CAA has been passed up by the Southern Conference as the 3rd best league in FCS in my opinion. This won't help their case. It'll be interesting to see if the Patriot League gets another team or 2 from the CAA that are good and becomes a multi-bid league in the future.

It stills seems a little odd, Weren't they already the big fish in a small pond with all the departures and watering down of the CAA? At least the CAA has some sort of a brand. I'm not even sure all the schools in the patriot are full-scholy, seems like some of those schools were only part just a few years ago.

I do agree it's still odd, but maybe they know something we don't. I think with Holy Cross becoming more successful, as well as Fordham, the league isn't as bad as it used to be. If a team like Villanova were to join as well, it's a decent conference. I'd guess the size of the CAA was a big factor too. Once Delaware leaves it's a watered down conference with 15 teams (14 without Richmond). Albany and W&M will be top dogs, with not much under them unless Towson can pull it back together.

They must know something, I sure don't see it though. Patriot definitely isn't as bad as it used to be... still just seems odd, I would have pegged them for FBS rather than leave a Power FCS conference to conference that usually doesn't get more than 1 bid.

[MSU01]

Richmond to the Patriot League makes sense from an academic standpoint, as they're a smaller Private university just like all the other Patriot League schools while the CAA is made up of a mixture of public and private schools. With Delaware leaving the CAA after 2024, I don't think the step down in level of competition is as big as it might seem at first glance. Overall they're definitely a basketball school so I'm sure that's where most of their NIL resources goes, if they have any of that.

[Montanabob]

Richmond to the Patriot League makes sense from an academic standpoint, as they're a smaller Private university just like all the other Patriot League schools while the CAA is made up of a mixture of public and private schools. With Delaware leaving the CAA after 2024, I don't think the step down in level of competition is as big as it might seem at first glance. Overall they're definitely a basketball school so I'm sure that's where most of their NIL resources goes, if they have any of that.

Richmond downsized their stadium, may cost less in the football money race in the patriot.

[19Cat57]

At the Jr collage to the west, I had a booster tell me they just tie their canopy to the one next to then. He claims they have never had ONE blow away.

[Colter_Nuanez]

Sam Herder and I talked about this quite a bit today

[BLACKnBLUEnGOLD]

Playing Lincoln, good grief. At least they should start the season 1-0.

Next year they'll play Bishop Sycamore

[coachouert]

[TomCat88]

Is this a really bad poll or is the FCS watered down?

[coachouert]

Is this a really bad poll or is the FCS watered down?

A little bit of Column A and a little bit of Column B?

[BleedingBLue]

Is this a really bad poll or is the FCS watered down?

A little bit of Column A and a little bit of Column B?

I don't think this poll is bad at all. Hero follows FCS better than any sports media outlet. With JMU, SHSU and Jacksonville State gone, the BSC and MVFC are almost always going to have 5-6 teams in the top 25 at all times. Both have 6 in this poll, as they should being they are the two best conferences in the FCS, by far. The CAA has 5 (too many in my opinion these days), the Southern has 3. That's 20 teams from the 4 best conferences in FCS, not a whole lot different than the FBS polls.

If JMU, SHSU and Jacksonville State are still in the FCS, Youngstown, IL St. and Eastern IL are off the poll. The BSC still has 6 teams, the MVFC has 4 and the CAA has 6.

The CAA is getting waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much respect still, but who else takes their spots? Albany is the only team to make the Semis outside JMU (not counting spring '21) since the 2018 season when Maine made it to the SFs. In the last 5 season, besides Albany beating Idaho, the top ranked CAA teams have been waxed when meeting top 8 seeds. That 2018 Maine team lost 50-19 in the semis to EWU. With Delaware and Richmond leaving after this season, the CAA may be the 5th best conference in 2025 behind the BSC, MVF, SoCon and United.

[TomCat88]

[TomCat88]

Is this a really bad poll or is the FCS watered down?

A little bit of Column A and a little bit of Column B?

I don't think this poll is bad at all. Hero follows FCS better than any sports media outlet. With JMU, SHSU and Jacksonville State gone, the BSC and MVFC are almost always going to have 5-6 teams in the top 25 at all times. Both have 6 in this poll, as they should being they are the two best conferences in the FCS, by far. The CAA has 5 (too many in my opinion these days), the Southern has 3. That's 20 teams from the 4 best conferences in FCS, not a whole lot different than the FBS polls.

If JMU, SHSU and Jacksonville State are still in the FCS, Youngstown, IL St. and Eastern IL are off the poll. The BSC still has 6 teams, the MVFC has 4 and the CAA has 6.

The CAA is getting waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much respect still, but who else takes their spots? Albany is the only team to make the Semis outside JMU (not counting spring '21) since the 2018 season when Maine made it to the SFs. In the last 5 season, besides Albany beating Idaho, the top ranked CAA teams have been waxed when meeting top 8 seeds. That 2018 Maine team lost 50-19 in the semis to EWU. With Delaware and Richmond leaving after this season, the CAA may be the 5th best conference in 2025 behind the BSC, MVF, SoCon and United.

I just don’t see Idaho or SAC as top ten teams. We shall see.

[technoCat]

And I remember being so blown away when they moved him over from DL. I saw him in high school twice and thought he had a real chance to be great at DL and thinking they were throwing away that potential by putting him at OL to sit behind all those great players. 20/20 eh?

[BleedingBLue]

Is this a really bad poll or is the FCS watered down?

A little bit of Column A and a little bit of Column B?

I don't think this poll is bad at all. Hero follows FCS better than any sports media outlet. With JMU, SHSU and Jacksonville State gone, the BSC and MVFC are almost always going to have 5-6 teams in the top 25 at all times. Both have 6 in this poll, as they should being they are the two best conferences in the FCS, by far. The CAA has 5 (too many in my opinion these days), the Southern has 3. That's 20 teams from the 4 best conferences in FCS, not a whole lot different than the FBS polls.

If JMU, SHSU and Jacksonville State are still in the FCS, Youngstown, IL St. and Eastern IL are off the poll. The BSC still has 6 teams, the MVFC has 4 and the CAA has 6.

The CAA is getting waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much respect still, but who else takes their spots? Albany is the only team to make the Semis outside JMU (not counting spring '21) since the 2018 season when Maine made it to the SFs. In the last 5 season, besides Albany beating Idaho, the top ranked CAA teams have been waxed when meeting top 8 seeds. That 2018 Maine team lost 50-19 in the semis to EWU. With Delaware and Richmond leaving after this season, the CAA may be the 5th best conference in 2025 behind the BSC, MVF, SoCon and United.

I just don’t see Idaho or SAC as top ten teams. We shall see.

I think Sac is up there because of Kaiden Bennett. Idaho because of Eck, and McCoy's backup up playing pretty damn well late in the year. Do I think they are both top 10 though? No. But I don't think numbers 6 on are top 10 teams. Somebody has to be there though.

[Colter_Nuanez]

[Colter_Nuanez]

Is this a really bad poll or is the FCS watered down?

A little bit of Column A and a little bit of Column B?

I don't think this poll is bad at all. Hero follows FCS better than any sports media outlet. With JMU, SHSU and Jacksonville State gone, the BSC and MVFC are almost always going to have 5-6 teams in the top 25 at all times. Both have 6 in this poll, as they should being they are the two best conferences in the FCS, by far. The CAA has 5 (too many in my opinion these days), the Southern has 3. That's 20 teams from the 4 best conferences in FCS, not a whole lot different than the FBS polls.

If JMU, SHSU and Jacksonville State are still in the FCS, Youngstown, IL St. and Eastern IL are off the poll. The BSC still has 6 teams, the MVFC has 4 and the CAA has 6.

The CAA is getting waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much respect still, but who else takes their spots? Albany is the only team to make the Semis outside JMU (not counting spring '21) since the 2018 season when Maine made it to the SFs. In the last 5 season, besides Albany beating Idaho, the top ranked CAA teams have been waxed when meeting top 8 seeds. That 2018 Maine team lost 50-19 in the semis to EWU. With Delaware and Richmond leaving after this season, the CAA may be the 5th best conference in 2025 behind the BSC, MVF, SoCon and United.

I just don’t see Idaho or SAC as top ten teams. We shall see.

I think Sac is up there because of Kaiden Bennett. Idaho because of Eck, and McCoy's backup up playing pretty damn well late in the year. Do I think they are both top 10 though? No. But I don't think numbers 6 on are top 10 teams. Somebody has to be there though.

Here’s the truth: if you win 4-5 Big Sky games, you likely just put up more quality wins than all but about 15 FCS teams. You win 5-6, you’re getting a playoff seed. The Big Sky is down, but not nearly as much as the FCS. Apples to oranges at this point when comparing Big Sky and Missouri Valley to all the other auto bid conferences in the FCS…