Why George Mason staying and VCU leaving makes sense, at least for right now

At the beginning of the CAA-Atlantic 10 rumors it was widely assumed that both George Mason and VCU were a package deal to make the jump. As if to say that both schools were on the same page with budgets, athletics, and other considerations. Well they're not and they are both currently at different stages in their athletics programs, especially when it comes to men's basketball. VCU is riding the hot hand right now, and you can't blame for them for making this move when they have the nation's most talked about mid-major program and coveted, young coach in Shaka Smart. George Mason is trying to rebuild a name for itself as it's been six years since their Final Four run and are now under Paul Hewitt, who didn't make the post season in his first season.

Let's break down the key factors that most likely went into each school's decision:

Money on the table. George Mason is set to get their final big payout from the money they earned in the 2006 NCAA tournament on July 1st. With upgrades planned for some of their facilities it's no surprise they don't want to pass on this money. VCU on the other hand won't collect the $5 million from their 2011 tournament run now that they are leaving. They believe the added exposure and level of competition in the A10 will make it easy to recoup such funds by regularly making the NCAA tournament. With Shaka Smart staying and prized recruits coming in, the move makes sense for the Rams while George Mason is just not in that same position at the current time. It's still a gamble for VCU, but they are willing to spend money on athletics and George Mason isn't quite on that level right now.

Uncertainty in college basketball realignment. This is probably the best argument for George Mason staying in the CAA, for at least next season. Who knows what else will happen this summer in conference realignment, rumors of the Big East breaking apart could send ripple effects across multiple conferences. What if Louisville and others bolt from the Big East and the A10's best programs are raided? Suddenly the A10 doesn't look so strong without the likes of Xavier, Dayton, or even St. Louis. VCU is better positioned to handle this kind of situation and seem to be annually poised for an at-large berth as long as Smart is still around. Is George Mason confident they can make the NCAA tournament regularly without a strong conference and a regular chance to grab an automatic bid? No way they can be as confident as VCU is right now about that. The point is that George Mason is waiting for the dust to settle with everything and they will reassess their conference affiliation again next season. That could very well end up being the smarter play.

Level of competition. With Butler now joining the Atlantic 10 in 2013, the core of that conference compared to the CAA is on a different level. The CAA has been a three team league for years now and last season proved how the level of competition isn't always great. VCU thinks they can handle the added competition in the A10 and maybe George Mason doesn't think they can. George Mason is regularly at the top of the CAA and in position to compete for the automatic bid. It would be a struggle to maintain that in the A10. Just look at last season's A10 tourney, St. Bonaventure ended up winning. You can't blame Mason's officials for wanting to stay in a conference they could continue to compete in compared to a conference they could end up finishing 8th in regularly. Personally I would have wanted to see George Mason put themselves up for the challenge of competing in the A10 but I do see why this may have been a factor in their decision.

One way to look it is this, George Mason is sitting back and watching what happens with the conference realignment business because they don't feel they need to make a move right now. Let VCU be the guinea pig and if it works out who is say that Mason can't join the A10 or some other conference in a year or two? They aren't chained to the CAA for life and will certainly have less obligation to stay after July 1st. VCU wants to strike while the iron is hot and you can't blame them for doing so. Who knows how long they will be able to keep Shaka Smart and will they be as attractive to other conferences after he has left Richmond? This isn't the end of the story for George Mason and the CAA by any means.