Mason Football: Let's Discuss

[Stoolguy]

mason d1 football starting in 2027-2028 per source

Let’s go!!

My source said 2030 one of us have to be wrong

 

[FlPatriot]

My source said 2030 one of us have to be wrong

2030 Hijri…fixed it for ya!

 

[Ben Chwarmer]

We could be like ODU, suck in basketball and football.

They beat VT Last year, but so did everyone haha.

 

[Where's the party?]

mason d1 football starting in 2027-2028 per source

Let’s go!!

April Fools Day???

 

[Jack Strop]

ODU's incoming roster is D2 level talent on paper.. Mason should be heavily favored

Yeah... that's what happens when a school like ODU gets football—it's crumbs for basketball. Ohh, has the mighty Monarchs fallen. But, to a few of their fans who were MAJOR pricks... HA-HAA!

(May this be a warning to those Patriots who still think we should do football).

 

[FreeGunston12]

Yeah... that's what happens when a school like ODU gets football—it's crumbs for basketball. Ohh, has the mighty Monarchs fallen. But, to a few of their fans who were MAJOR pricks... HA-HAA!

(May this be a warning to those Patriots who still think we should do football).

Somehow, I think they will find solace in their recent 10-3 bowl-winning season. Besides, I believe we are 2-4 against ODU since their football team moved to FBS. And they have a more recent NCAA tournament appearance than we do.

(And I’m not advocating for GMU football btw)

 

[Ben Chwarmer]

Yeah... that's what happens when a school like ODU gets football—it's crumbs for basketball. Ohh, has the mighty Monarchs fallen. But, to a few of their fans who were MAJOR pricks... HA-HAA!

(May this be a warning to those Patriots who still think we should do football).

I no longer want football at Mason.

But just for reference, ODU made the tournament in 2019 and got football in 2009.

Mason last time was in March madness was 2011.

Football does not hinder basketball programs. In fact it typically helps basketball programs. Look at Georgia State,

 

[NewPatriot]

I no longer want football at Mason.

But just for reference, ODU made the tournament in 2019 and got football in 2009.

Mason last time was in March madness was 2011.

Football does not hinder basketball programs. In fact it typically helps basketball programs.

It does??? Has it helped Maryland, Penn state or Rutgers???

 

[Ben Chwarmer]

It does??? Has it helped Maryland, Penn state or Rutgers???

Let’s not act like Penn State or Rutgers ever had a good basketball program. But Rutgers did have the money for 2 NBA lottery players recently.

 

[NewPatriot]

Let’s not act like Penn State or Rutgers ever had a good basketball program. But Rutgers did have the money for 2 NBA lottery players recently.

And even with that...they sucked...

 

[Ben Chwarmer]

And even with that...they sucked...

I don’t really get your point to be honest. UMD, Penn state, and Rutgers had both football and Basketball forever.

 

[NewPatriot]

I don’t really get your point to be honest. UMD, Penn state, and Rutgers had both football and Basketball forever.

Maryland, Penn State and Rutgers put most of their resources to Football, Basketball is a financial after thought. All three will continue to suck.

Willard left Maryland for Villanova for that very reason.

Basketball only schools like vcu, Uconn etc can put more money towards hoops because they don't have to share it with football like the average power 5 school.

 

[Patriot Blue]

Maryland, Penn State and Rutgers put most of their resources to Football, Basketball is a financial after thought. All three will continue to suck.

Willard left Maryland for Villanova for that very reason.

Basketball only schools like vcu, Uconn etc can put more money towards hoops because they don't have to share it with football like the average power 5 school.

UConn has football. D1 at that

 

[Ben Chwarmer]

Maryland, Penn State and Rutgers put most of their resources to Football, Basketball is a financial after thought. All three will continue to suck.

Willard left Maryland for Villanova for that very reason.

Basketball only schools like vcu, Uconn etc can put more money towards hoops because they don't have to share it with football like the average power 5 school.

Here are my cherry-picked examples suggesting there can be a correlation between investing in football and improved basketball success (not proving causation):

• Georgia State: Started football in 2010. Basketball made the NCAA Tournament four times (2015, 2018, 2019, and 2022), including the famous 2015 upset of Baylor.
• Kennesaw State: Started football in 2015. Basketball earned its first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament berth in 2023.
• James Madison (JMU): Began its FBS transition in 2022. Two years later, basketball went 32-4, won the Sun Belt Tournament, and beat Wisconsin in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
• Liberty: Transitioned to FBS in 2017-18. Basketball won its first NCAA Tournament game in 2019 and returned to the tournament in 2021 and 2025.
• Appalachian State: Moved to FBS in 2014. Basketball reached its first NCAA Tournament since 2001 in 2021 and later posted a program-record 27-win season while winning the Sun Belt regular-season title.

These examples don’t prove football investment causes basketball success, but they do show that investing in football can coincide with basketball reaching new heights rather than hurting it.

 

[NewPatriot]

UConn has football. D1 at that

Here are my cherry-picked examples suggesting there can be a correlation between investing in football and improved basketball success (not proving causation):

• Georgia State: Started football in 2010. Basketball made the NCAA Tournament four times (2015, 2018, 2019, and 2022), including the famous 2015 upset of Baylor.
• Kennesaw State: Started football in 2015. Basketball earned its first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament berth in 2023.
• James Madison (JMU): Began its FBS transition in 2022. Two years later, basketball went 32-4, won the Sun Belt Tournament, and beat Wisconsin in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
• Liberty: Transitioned to FBS in 2017-18. Basketball won its first NCAA Tournament game in 2019 and returned to the tournament in 2021 and 2025.
• Appalachian State: Moved to FBS in 2014. Basketball reached its first NCAA Tournament since 2001 in 2021 and later posted a program-record 27-win season while winning the Sun Belt regular-season title.

These examples don’t prove football investment causes basketball success, but they do show that investing in football can coincide with basketball reaching new heights rather than hurting it.

As you stated above, JMU, Appalachian State and Liberty "transitioned" or 'moved" their existing programs to the FBS level. All of those programs already had massive success with established infrastructure, net work of donors and fan base at the D1-AA level before moving up to the big leagues.

Mason doesn't have an established network to finance lights on the baseball field and is sitting on lower half on the A10 on basketball payroll, where is money going to from to finance a profitable football team?

Mason would have compete with the likes Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Old Dominion, Towson and UMBC for the best football talent in the DMV?

Mason would be lucky if it could put a team together to compete with dIII Georgetown or Catholic University...

Mason opted into house settlement last summer which means it can invest up 20.5 million into the basketball program without having to worry about football.
Mason can make an NCAA without the burden of football.

 

[Ben Chwarmer]

As you stated above, JMU, Appalachian State and Liberty "transitioned" or 'moved" their existing programs to the FBS level. All of those programs already had massive success with established infrastructure, net work of donors and fan base at the D1-AA level before moving up to the big leagues.

Mason doesn't have an established network to finance lights on the baseball field and is sitting on lower half on the A10 on basketball payroll, where is money going to from to finance a profitable football team?

Mason would have compete with the likes Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Old Dominion, Towson and UMBC for the best football talent in the DMV?

Mason would be lucky if it could put a team together to compete with dIII Georgetown or Catholic University...

Mason opted into house settlement last summer which means it can invest up 20.5 million into the basketball program without having to worry about football.
Mason can make an NCAA without the burden of football.

I don’t disagree with you on this post. I never mentioned Mason . In fact, I said I don’t want Mason to have football, not because I think it would take resources away from basketball, but because Mason would probably do it half-assed like everything else.

I was just responding to the idea that football inherently hurts basketball, like you mentioned in your post about ODU. I think universities that truly value athletics can leverage football to benefit all of their sports. But schools that aren’t genuinely invested in athletics can end up being hurt by the financial and organizational demands of football.

 

[FullyChargedPatriot]

Maryland, Penn State and Rutgers put most of their resources to Football, Basketball is a financial after thought. All three will continue to suck.

Willard left Maryland for Villanova for that very reason.

Basketball only schools like vcu, Uconn etc can put more money towards hoops because they don't have to share it with football like the average power 5 school.

Maryland Bb should not be put in the same sentence as Rutgers or Penn State from a historical standpoint. College athletics has changed the landscape but MD seems to have a lot of money since they joined the Big Ten to spend around campus. I agree, the football part is a blunder but nearly every P5 team chases football glory for some reason. That revenue should go to other sports because some schools will never be more than a 6 win program in football.

 

[Portlandian]

College football is traditionally seen as THE collegiate sport, no? Or maybe that's 20th century thinking.

 

[Jack Strop]

College football is traditionally seen as THE collegiate sport, no? Or maybe that's 20th century thinking.

...High School.

 

[GMUgemini]

Here are my cherry-picked examples suggesting there can be a correlation between investing in football and improved basketball success (not proving causation):

• Georgia State: Started football in 2010. Basketball made the NCAA Tournament four times (2015, 2018, 2019, and 2022), including the famous 2015 upset of Baylor.
• Kennesaw State: Started football in 2015. Basketball earned its first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament berth in 2023.
• James Madison (JMU): Began its FBS transition in 2022. Two years later, basketball went 32-4, won the Sun Belt Tournament, and beat Wisconsin in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
• Liberty: Transitioned to FBS in 2017-18. Basketball won its first NCAA Tournament game in 2019 and returned to the tournament in 2021 and 2025.
• Appalachian State: Moved to FBS in 2014. Basketball reached its first NCAA Tournament since 2001 in 2021 and later posted a program-record 27-win season while winning the Sun Belt regular-season title.

These examples don’t prove football investment causes basketball success, but they do show that investing in football can coincide with basketball reaching new heights rather than hurting it.

And you can make counter examples by looking at non-CFP mid-major schools that have had deep runs in the NCAAs starting with:

Mason in 2006 (Final Four)
Butler 2010, 2011 (back to back national championship games)
vcu in 2011 (Final Four)
Wichita State 2013 (Final Four)
Dayton 2014 (Elite Eight)
Loyola-Chicago 2018 (Final Four)
St. Peters 2022 (Elite Eight)

I don’t know that one can make a causation argument for football and basketball spend at the mid-major level but it does seem like moving “down” for basketball is easier than “moving up” for a lot of schools.