(06-19-2015 04:31 PM)Afflicted Wrote:  

(06-19-2015 03:48 PM)WIowl Wrote:  

(06-19-2015 01:28 PM)Afflicted Wrote:  

(06-19-2015 01:09 PM)ESE84 Wrote:  While I agree with all three of you that Rice is in a better place without the other three AAC private schools, that view is in the minority among Rice fans. Most Rice fans would rather see us in the AAC and playing Tulsa, SMU and Tulane every year.

This is true and I can't understand why.

Thankfully neither of you are in the AD's office and the admin is backing what the majority of Rice fans prefer. And what don't you get about the academic side of the equation? How hard is that for you to understand?

Unless you're Notre Dame or Miami, private schools have no fans. It's the reason that Rice will never be P5. Schools with no meaningful fanbase do not travel well (Rice, SMU, Tulsa, Tulane). Schools whos fans don't travel don't sell tickets. Why is that so difficult for you to understand? Very small private schools like Rice will always have to depend on an opponent's fans in order to make money. It's a messed up reality. Fans who don't travel don't buy tickets to road games, therefore resulting in less gameday revenue. Talk all you want about reuniting with Tulsa, SMU, and Tulane. Sharing a conference with them will hurt Rice's finances. You should be praying for UTSA, UTEP, North Texas, Louisiana Tech, and Southern Mississippi's improvement. Rice fans should be praying for the consistent football rivalry with UH and for ULL and Texas State to be added to CUSA WEST. Rice fans are disabled by their blinders that tell them they need to be reunited with private schools and UH. Take the rivalry with UH and leave all the other AAC private schools behind for God's sake!

No. C-USA has no need to absorb ULL, Arkansas State, or Texas State. A 20 team conference is too big and would really reduce our payouts. We need to keep our current line-up and pray for stability. I believe 5 years from now most of the old guard will be glad to be conferencing with the recent additions to C-USA 3.0.

North Texas and WKU have already won bowl games for the conference, and MTSU has played in a bowl game. This line-up had a great record against the other G5 conferences last season. We are starting to build something special in C-USA. I don't believe the sky is falling.