I used to think Southern Miss was the best rival against UCF in CUSA era.

Now UCF winning the first BCS bowl, where is Southern Miss??

What is wrong with the program?? Anyone think Southern Miss has a remote shot at American Athletic?? They have the market of Mississippi. Anyone think it would be a good add to AAC??? I think they just need a platform.

They are in a slump right now. Hope they bounce back and take a shot at Liberty bowl next year.

(01-02-2014 01:13 AM)AGuyIn_Water Wrote:  I used to think Southern Miss was the best rival against UCF in CUSA era.

Now UCF winning the first BCS bowl, where is Southern Miss??

What is wrong with the program?? Anyone think Southern Miss has a remote shot at American Athletic?? They have the market of Mississippi. Anyone think it would be a good add to AAC??? I think they just need a platform.

They are in a slump right now. Hope they bounce back and take a shot at Liberty bowl next year.

I have always been a fan of So. Miss. to the AAC. I won't say who i'd prefer they replaced, but I still think So. Miss. has more upside.

It absolutely pains me seeing what is happening to USM recently. They are such a proud program and have always been very competitive. If its possible to have a second favorite team in college football, they'd be it for me. Love their stadium and passion for their program. I really really hope they turn it around soon.

Southern Miss does not have the TV market,annual athletic budget and academic reputation to be asked to join the AAC.

(01-02-2014 01:30 AM)Savacool Wrote:  Southern Miss does not have the TV market,annual athletic budget and academic reputation to be asked to join the AAC.

Man, I just disagree with you, except for TV market. But, SEC has shown that small markets can be very successful, provided the conference is prospering as well. (Ole Miss, Miss St, etc..)

(01-02-2014 01:13 AM)AGuyIn_Water Wrote:  I used to think Southern Miss was the best rival against UCF in CUSA era.

Now UCF winning the first BCS bowl, where is Southern Miss??

What is wrong with the program?? Anyone think Southern Miss has a remote shot at American Athletic?? They have the market of Mississippi. Anyone think it would be a good add to AAC??? I think they just need a platform.

They are in a slump right now. Hope they bounce back and take a shot at Liberty bowl next year.

Southern Miss has a very good program and history. They will recover after a few therapy sessions. Being left out hurt them as well it should. They are very competitive and had some real rivalries going with some of the members that left for the BE. .

(01-02-2014 01:18 AM)knighthead1 Wrote:  It absolutely pains me seeing what is happening to USM recently. They are such a proud program and have always been very competitive. If its possible to have a second favorite team in college football, they'd be it for me. Love their stadium and passion for their program. I really really hope they turn it around soon.

Agree with all of this.

And while I would personally love to see them in the AAC, it's just not going to happen. There is simply no objective criteria that justifies it for the foreseeable future.

(01-02-2014 01:30 AM)Savacool Wrote:  Southern Miss does not have the TV market,annual athletic budget and academic reputation to be asked to join the AAC.

I really like their tradition and their program---despite a tiny budget, they have always managed to defy the odds. That said, I cant help wondering if that tiny budget has finally caught up with them.

(01-02-2014 01:35 AM)knightmite Wrote:  Being left out hurt [USM] as well it should. They are very competitive and had some real rivalries going with some of the members that left for the BE.

Once next season starts, Southern Miss will be the Only team to have competed as a member of Conference USA in all 19 of that league's football seasons (1996-2014), and one of two (with UAB) to have competed in all 20 of C-USA's basketball/Olympic sports seasons (1995-2014). Charlotte was a non-football member from 1995-2005, and now starting this year. They will join for football in '15 or '16.

So really, Southern Miss/UAB now represents the oldest rivalry within C-USA. The fact that USM just broke their 23-game slide against the Blazers will only heighten the drama between those two, going forward.

Southern Miss has a tiny market...with a tiny budget...and is currently in the middle of a massive football slump.

(01-02-2014 01:46 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  Southern Miss has a tiny market...with a tiny budget...and is currently in the middle of a massive football slump.

Thank You for your input Captain Obvious

(01-02-2014 01:36 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(01-02-2014 01:30 AM)Savacool Wrote:  Southern Miss does not have the TV market,annual athletic budget and academic reputation to be asked to join the AAC.

I really like their tradition and their program---despite a tiny budget, they have always managed to defy the odds. That said, I cant help wondering if that tiny budget has finally caught up with them.

I agree. You can win despite financial shortcomings as USM showed for some time. The limited resources however put you behind the 8 ball when you don't have quality coaching or have program setbacks. It's then that much harder to recover.

I'm not saying USM will be 1-11 for long, but I don't see the run of success they had previously being repeated anytime soon.

I really hope that Southern Miss can get the ship righted quickly. The Eagles have been a great team in years past.

That being said, I think they are better suited for CUSA. CUSA is now solidly a "Southern" conference and not a bad one at that. A resurgent USM could shine just as well on the CUSA stage as they could in the AAC.

Still, if realignment pulls more than one team away from the American, USM would not be a terrible choice. It all depends on the direction the conference wanted to move. The trouble with the American adding yet another original CUSA member to the pool would be the inevitable equation of "The American" with "CUSA." For that reason alone, as things stand right now, I think that USM is likely not to be invited.

But who knows?

(01-02-2014 12:48 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  I really hope that Southern Miss can get the ship righted quickly. The Eagles have been a great team in years past.

That being said, I think they are better suited for CUSA. CUSA is now solidly a "Southern" conference and not a bad one at that. A resurgent USM could shine just as well on the CUSA stage as they could in the AAC.

Still, if realignment pulls more than one team away from the American, USM would not be a terrible choice. It all depends on the direction the conference wanted to move. The trouble with the American adding yet another original CUSA member to the pool would be the inevitable equation of "The American" with "CUSA." For that reason alone, as things stand right now, I think that USM is likely not to be invited.

But who knows?

The sentiment I bolded above is one shared by a lot of realistic Southern Miss fans. While I can see obvious benefits for some programs moving to the AAC, and it would certainly not be a bad move for us, the benefits aren't necessarily as great for USM as for other programs. Moving conferences wouldn't produce changes in OOC schedule philosophies, capital investment, or alumni investment the way it has with other programs who have moved on to the AAC. Those same steady investments are in large part responsible for 18 straight winning seasons, but they are also responsible for the same stagnation that ultimately killed the program's competitiveness over the last few years and led to ineptitude among the athletic department's administration. In short, in today's athletic environment, if you aren't always growing, you aren't always competing.

The bottom paragraph is a sentiment that is growing stronger in a lot of places and not only in AAC circles. It's why a lot of people out there believe that, if the AAC grabs another CUSA program, the conference will take Rice.

(01-02-2014 01:51 PM)Freshy Wrote:  

(01-02-2014 12:48 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  I really hope that Southern Miss can get the ship righted quickly. The Eagles have been a great team in years past.

That being said, I think they are better suited for CUSA. CUSA is now solidly a "Southern" conference and not a bad one at that. A resurgent USM could shine just as well on the CUSA stage as they could in the AAC.

Still, if realignment pulls more than one team away from the American, USM would not be a terrible choice. It all depends on the direction the conference wanted to move. The trouble with the American adding yet another original CUSA member to the pool would be the inevitable equation of "The American" with "CUSA." For that reason alone, as things stand right now, I think that USM is likely not to be invited.

But who knows?

The sentiment I bolded above is one shared by a lot of realistic Southern Miss fans. While I can see obvious benefits for some programs moving to the AAC, and it would certainly not be a bad move for us, the benefits aren't necessarily as great for USM as for other programs. Moving conferences wouldn't produce changes in OOC schedule philosophies, capital investment, or alumni investment the way it has with other programs who have moved on to the AAC. Those same steady investments are in large part responsible for 18 straight winning seasons, but they are also responsible for the same stagnation that ultimately killed the program's competitiveness over the last few years and led to ineptitude among the athletic department's administration. In short, in today's athletic environment, if you aren't always growing, you aren't always competing.

The bottom paragraph is a sentiment that is growing stronger in a lot of places and not only in AAC circles. It's why a lot of people out there believe that, if the AAC grabs another CUSA program, the conference will take Rice.

Even you a Southern Miss fan and suggesting Rice, I think So. Miss has way more upside than Rice. AAC already has Houston and SMU in texas, we need Market. The state of Mississippi would be a great new territory.

When Tulane was added into the AAC - this was BEFORE the stadium update, the 7-6 season, and CJ's contract extension - most people felt that Southern Miss would have been the better selection as they had a superior football program at the time.

Adding Tulane - from a outsider's POV - was a mistake in 2012.

Tulane's resurgence (new stadium, new CJ contract, decent bowl attendance, 7-6 record) was unexpected. Most people thought that a 2-10 Tulane was going to pull down the conference profile going forward. The AAC is incredibly lucky that this add isn't going to burn their conference to the ground.

Southern Miss are collapsing at the wrong time. I'm probably going to miss playing them in about 3-5 years.

Yesterday's Southern Miss > Today's Tulane >>>>> Yesterday's Tulane > Today's Southern Miss

Why are we talking about Southern Miss on the AAC board.

(01-02-2014 02:05 AM)MadEagle Wrote:  

(01-02-2014 01:46 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  Southern Miss has a tiny market...with a tiny budget...and is currently in the middle of a massive football slump.

Thank You for your input Captain Obvious

The thread is titled "what is wrong with Southern Miss??"

I simply answered the question.

(01-02-2014 01:30 AM)Savacool Wrote:  Southern Miss does not have the TV market,annual athletic budget and academic reputation to be asked to join the AAC.

If ECU can do it, USM can do it.

No school, until very recently, has done more with less than So Miss.