I would love Nashville or Chattanooga.

How about in the future MTSU and UAB co host in Chattanooga?

I encourage everyone to mark your calanders and attend and stay even if you get n knocked out. It was a blast last year.

Just on twitter 3:00 EDT tourneys to Birmingham again

(05-25-2016 01:45 PM)mistabinks Wrote:  

(05-25-2016 11:41 AM)Saint Greg Wrote:  Doug Smock ‏@dougsmock 8m8 minutes ago
Hearing C-USA basketball tournament will remain in Birmingham for 3rd year in a row.

That can only mean UTEP is MWC bound.

Hopefully with Rice going as well!

We'll have the 50-100 folks who are retired or can afford a weekend getaway. Sadly I'm not part of that generation yet. So if it isn't within a 5-6 hour drive I probably won't attend.

(05-25-2016 09:06 AM)Rabonchild Wrote:  I do think that since reality is we are not sharing a whole pie, just a piece of pie, we should add Wichita State and Georgia State in order to raise our basketball RPI, add another large market, and set up four divisions of four teams to address the lack of rivals (I must confess I am envious or Western Kentucky & Middle Tennessee's rivalry that has grown because of proximity, time, and beating each other up).

You didn't answer on the other thread, so I'll ask again:

Are you saying that you're more willing to split a smaller amount of money?

That seems counter-intuitive. I wouldn't have wanted to split our previous contract any further (I don't love splitting it 14 ways to begin with), but I am less inclined to split a smaller amount any further.

(05-25-2016 02:05 PM)HeadsetGuy Wrote:  Just on twitter 3:00 EDT tourneys to Birmingham again

Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Welcome to Birmingham again guys! To those bemoaning B'ham, there's more to do here than you think. Downtown is really growing.

(05-25-2016 03:21 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  Welcome to Birmingham again guys! To those bemoaning B'ham, there's more to do here than you think. Downtown is really growing.

I hear very good things about Birmingham. However, with a family of 4- there's no way I am driving and flying will run me $2K alone. I'll pass.

Another empty arena this year I'm guessing. What would be sad is if the winning team's fans stormed the court and only 20 people participated as that is all there is.

(05-25-2016 09:06 AM)Rabonchild Wrote:  Again, CUSA fans are not buying into this conference as it presently functions.

IMHO Some of our challenges are 1. For all intent and purposes we are a new conference (there is no substitute for time). 2. We are too spread out geographically to create major rivalries.(Think divisions) 3. As the conference championships are presently set up (Football & basketball) it's basically a one game event. (Creating rivals is a journey). The conference would be wise to create a structure where regionally teams knock each other off on the way to the prize.

Some things we have going for us are: 1. We have teams to fill up air time with our new TV affliant BeIN (that's exposure). 2. We are young enough as a conference to explore (or re-explore possibilities "ex red, white, & blue divisions." 3. We can dream.

I do think that since reality is we are not sharing a whole pie, just a piece of pie, we should add Wichita State and Georgia State in order to raise our basketball RPI, add another large market, and set up four divisions of four teams to address the lack of rivals (I must confess I am envious or Western Kentucky & Middle Tennessee's rivalry that has grown because of proximity, time, and beating each other up).

I'm not sure I see us going to 4 pods of four as all that realistic, but I'll bite:

To say that Wichita State's football program is in it's infancy would be an exaggeration, but their feasibility study should be released within the next month, but IF they came out with a plan ready next month and hired a coach to begin recruiting a class of redshirt players for 2017 they could play a schedule of NAIA/DIII in 2018 and then spend 2019 and 2020 playing transition schedules before ultimately joining for league play in 2021 and that would be incredibly rushed. I think 2022 or even 2023 would be much more realistic.

Regarding the pod system, what do you see as the pods and how do you see scheduling working?

GREAT NEWS!!!

Now it is TIME for WKU,UAB,MT,and S.MISS fans to put their money where their mouth is.


Hilltoppers,Blazers,Blue Raiders,Golden Eagles---NO Excuses--SHOW UP!!!!!!!!!!!

(05-25-2016 03:30 PM)FTW ODU Wrote:  Another empty arena this year I'm guessing. What would be sad is if the winning team's fans stormed the court and only 20 people participated as that is all there is.

First of all, I don't recall too many examples of court storming at conference tournaments, but beyond that, I'm not sure where you see a fuller arena happening without the host advancing.

(05-25-2016 01:45 PM)mistabinks Wrote:  

(05-25-2016 11:41 AM)Saint Greg Wrote:  Doug Smock ‏@dougsmock 8m8 minutes ago
Hearing C-USA basketball tournament will remain in Birmingham for 3rd year in a row.

That can only mean UTEP is MWC bound.

Seriously doubt it. The MWC is already at 12 and highly doubtful they want to get bigger than that. Would be nice but someone has to leave first.

Good news. I'll be there once again.

I thought MT had a good crowd there the last year, other than our students.

Hell, we had probably 75 fans or so just at the hotel where I stayed -- 7 or 8 miles away from the arena.

(05-25-2016 02:40 PM)WIowl Wrote:  

(05-25-2016 01:45 PM)mistabinks Wrote:  

(05-25-2016 11:41 AM)Saint Greg Wrote:  Doug Smock ‏@dougsmock 8m8 minutes ago
Hearing C-USA basketball tournament will remain in Birmingham for 3rd year in a row.

That can only mean UTEP is MWC bound.

Hopefully with Rice going as well!

If it actually meant that(it doesn't) and it meant the MWC was taking two(it wouldn't necessarily) I'd bet on UTSA before Rice.

Those schools that are <3ishhours away. Did your ad charter buses for students and alumn?

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

NO.The schools 2-4 hr. range REALLY,REALLY need to do more!!

That's crazy I agree. We chartered I think 8 buses for ECU game and did the same for every game of any significance within a bus ride.

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

Just looked it was 20 buses. I get it that's football but we did that for the CAA tournament as well. Only 1.5 hours tho.

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

(05-25-2016 05:38 PM)Cr8n Wrote:  That's crazy I agree. We chartered I think 8 buses for ECU game and did the same for every game of any significance within a bus ride.

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

MT is pretty big on charters, I personally took student bus trips to Bama, Kentucky, Clemson, ULM, and the Motor City Bowl and remember plenty more for games I drove to and remember plenty of BRAA charters as well, but what's your suggestion for chartering to and from for an event that can be anywhere from one to four days?

I believe MT did offer a charter on the day of the championship games, but I'm not even sure about that let alone the rest of the tournament.