(06-08-2016 12:42 PM)THUNDERGround Wrote:  

(06-08-2016 12:20 PM)tennischamp Wrote:  
This is 100% correct.

No, it isn't.

Most of us in the AAC saw the Sun Belt additions of UNT, F_U, and MTSU as the worst decision CUSA has made. MTSU a worst addition. Pass whatever you are taking this way -------> when you are finished.

Uh, UNT went to a bowl in its first year in CUSA. So you had a crystal ball there, Kreskin?

But there is no immediate positive outlook to the other additions. Adding start-ups like ODU and UNC-Charlotte was also a bad move.

ODU would have gone to a bowl in 2014 if permitted by the NCAA. Charlotte is now in year 2 of FBS football. FAU won the baseball title. And you are saying that LaTech was'nt a quality add??? That's pretty funny.

CUSA skipped over successful programs with a lot of tradition like Arkansas State, Louisiana, and Troy that likely would've boosted CUSA at this point.

ULL and Troy? Like I said, pass what you're taking this way --->

Arkansas State gets a lot of viewership in Arkansas being the only other FBS school in that state, ULL has a very large fanbase in Louisiana, and Troy has been known being P5 upsetter/scarer, so there are a lot of people who will watch them just to see what happens.

And that equates to exactly NOTHING on the field. Just stop.

Do you really think additions of at least ULL and Arkansas State wouldn't have raised the profile of CUSA? They would have helped CUSA's conference ratings and would've improved overall TV viewership significantly since 2012. Just look at their TV ratings for televised games for the past 4 years for your proof. If you still think I'm wrong, you need your brain checked.

(06-08-2016 11:19 AM)KAjunRaider Wrote:  

(06-08-2016 08:58 AM)herdinva Wrote:  

(06-08-2016 08:16 AM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  

(06-07-2016 11:32 PM)ThunderDent Wrote:  Oh what about all our major markets?? What happened?!!!
Start ups, and no tradition mean nothing. Big cities that you don't deliver mean nothing. Or it would be reflected in the TV deal. That's all they care about ... eyeballs watching their ads they sell during broadcasts.

Perhaps name recognition, tradition, and actual history as a program mean something.

This conference is a dumpster fire. I'm sorry but it is. Ask any average fan to name the teams in our league or the sunbelt. I couldn't name them all. Hell I couldn't get our league all the way probably.

I feel bad for ODU. They are trying at least. And may make some gains in the future.

Marshall & Southern Miss need to be in the AAC where they belong.
Rice & UTEP should be in the MWC.

Everyone else. Sorry.

No invitations forthcoming until schools leave those conferences. No conference in it's right mind wants to go above 12 and would probably prefer to be at 10 considering the ridiculous 10 team conf champ game rule and the cfp money limited to 10 million per conf.

Well I won't disagree with Thunder's post, although I understand why some will because some are defending their schools etc. Going to 14 schools in the first place was very dumb. I never agreed with the market strategy to begin with. Raise of hands, what school in this conference owns the market they reside in? I see maybe one to two hands being raised. Most are the 3rd or 4th teams down the sports page in their area.

So we learned that the 5 holdover CUSA 2.0 schools wasn't enough to hold the old value to even 50% of what it was after 8 FCS and belt schools were added. LT was probably the only CUSA level school that was added at the time.

I have argued with several that markets don't matter unless your school is relevant in that market. I don't know if I was right but this is proving me to be more right than wrong. Now how does your school become relevant in that market? Well if you're not a P5, the only way is to be a performing program getting attention and/or a decent history. I am not talking about one year, two years or even three years of being good. It takes more than that for us unfortunately.

Now here comes the big question, kicking market to the side and looking at options, was there better schools to go after than the ones CUSA reeled in? I don't really know the answer to that question and I highly doubt we could have pulled anyone in that would have had anymore value than who we have currently.

BUT you can't become sunbelt 2.0 and expect CUSA 2.0 benefits, it is what it is.

Weren't MT and WKU numbers 13 and 14 ?

Not sure, point wasn't who was 13 or 14, I wanted you guys before some of the others. Point was going to a total of 14 schools, which was the plan from get go, was dumb. No I wont mention who those others were lol WKY and MT were best available along with LT from the get go in my opinion. I kinda wanted the conference to go after Ark St. too instead of one of the others as well. If we would have taken Ark. St, the belt (other than Lala) would have disappeared as an FCS conference in most people's eyes. I do not regret us taking in ODU, wanted them too, but I didn't want us to be the conference that took in FCS startups. That's what the belt was known for, FCS to FBS transition league. Last two that CUSA took in like that was UAB and USF, all other members were already FBS schools in its history. Last school the MAC brought up was......us in 97, but we had been there before, so it wasn't a new to big boy football thing. So CUSA bring FCS schools up did bother some of us, but like I said, one would have to be blind to not see what ODU was offering and what they would offer once their program grew up.

I would have been cool with the Cajuns. Most fun roadtrip ever (on multiple occasions). When they are winning, the Cajuns fans really get behind their teams.

And Lafayette is not a small town. They have their own CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox (something that Murfreesboro does not). This really helps the city get behind the teams, in my opinion. We take fifth fiddle to Titans, Preds, Vols, and Candy (and sometimes Belmont hoops).

But I think LaTech would not have been thrilled.

There's been a lot of talk about an SBC/CUSA reshuffle from both CUSA and SBC fans. It would make sense since tv money will likely tank across the G5 as cable becomes obsolete. Since tv money is not reliable anymore, we need more compact leagues that will decrease travel expenses and increase ticket sales.

My idea for a new Eastern Conference would be: Marshall, WKU, ODU, MTSU, App, UNCC, Coastal, Ga State, Ga Southern, Troy, UAB, and FAU.

12 teams, able to split into balanced divisions, strong in football, basketball, and baseball, compact league, our fans know each other for the most part. Plus, there's a perfect balance of traditional undergrad school (Marshall, WKU, App, Coastal, Ga Southern, Troy) and urban research school (ODU, MTSU, UNCC, Ga State, UAB, FAU) since a lot of people want to be associated with peer institutions. Just my two cents.

The conference should have been careful not to go over 12.

Other than that, the first schools invited should have been Ark St and ULL.

If the conferences get together, 10 from one and 14 from the other, you could end up with two 12 team leagues pretty easily. '

I doubt anyone wants to start a brand new conference due to the ncaa auto bid issues and cfp money issues. But swapping schools to have two more regional conferences could be done.

I would love to be in a conference with GSU and GSU. I hope it happens.

Sadly, ODU was once in an east coast football conference. Can't get any more east coast that this.

ODU
Maine
Rhode Island
Villanova
UMass
Delaware
Towson
New Hampshire
James Madison
William & Mary
Richmond

Arkansas State > North Texas

Appalachian State > Charlotte

Ga Southern > FIU


Imagine if we would have done that instead of what we did.

This conference would be looking pretty tough if you ask me.

Take the best of CUSA and Sun Belt and create a 12 team league. South 12.

(06-08-2016 12:49 PM)tennischamp Wrote:  

(06-08-2016 12:42 PM)THUNDERGround Wrote:  

(06-08-2016 12:20 PM)tennischamp Wrote:  
This is 100% correct.

No, it isn't.

Most of us in the AAC saw the Sun Belt additions of UNT, F_U, and MTSU as the worst decision CUSA has made. MTSU a worst addition. Pass whatever you are taking this way -------> when you are finished.

Uh, UNT went to a bowl in its first year in CUSA. So you had a crystal ball there, Kreskin?

But there is no immediate positive outlook to the other additions. Adding start-ups like ODU and UNC-Charlotte was also a bad move.

ODU would have gone to a bowl in 2014 if permitted by the NCAA. Charlotte is now in year 2 of FBS football. FAU won the baseball title. And you are saying that LaTech was'nt a quality add??? That's pretty funny.

CUSA skipped over successful programs with a lot of tradition like Arkansas State, Louisiana, and Troy that likely would've boosted CUSA at this point.

ULL and Troy? Like I said, pass what you're taking this way --->

Arkansas State gets a lot of viewership in Arkansas being the only other FBS school in that state, ULL has a very large fanbase in Louisiana, and Troy has been known being P5 upsetter/scarer, so there are a lot of people who will watch them just to see what happens.

And that equates to exactly NOTHING on the field. Just stop.

Do you really think additions of at least ULL and Arkansas State wouldn't have raised the profile of CUSA? They would have helped CUSA's conference ratings and would've improved overall TV viewership significantly since 2012. Just look at their TV ratings for televised games for the past 4 years for your proof. If you still think I'm wrong, you need your brain checked.

ASU? Yes. ULL, it wouldn't matter because LaTech would block them. In fact, I'd rather have App or GaSo than ULL. BTW, what were ULL's ratings last year???

(06-08-2016 03:20 PM)FlyHawk98 Wrote:  Arkansas State > North Texas

Appalachian State > Charlotte

Ga Southern > FIU


Imagine if we would have done that instead of what we did.

This conference would be looking pretty tough if you ask me.

Preach it brother.

I have never held a job where my boss said, "I THINK you are going to do well, so let me give you a raise". It is just unrealistic in the extreme. You don't get paid for your potential.

(06-08-2016 05:20 PM)WEARE Wrote:  I have never held a job where my boss said, "I THINK you are going to do well, so let me give you a raise". It is just unrealistic in the extreme. You don't get paid for your potential.

No, but you do hire people who may not be the most qualified candidate for the position, but who have the highest upside. Conference realignment decisions should be a product of the long game. Schools like UTSA, Charlotte, and yes, ODU are short-term risks, but you bring them on because you think they'll grow into their roles and possibly flourish there. Conversely, there might be safer choices, but that may be all they'll ever be.

Judy's take on the article

Judy MacLeod says "we never released actual numbers especially when it is a work in progress . A lot things written in that article, a lot things that were proposals and didnt pass"

https://twitter.com/CUSAbbs/status/740682953190215680

(06-08-2016 06:14 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(06-08-2016 05:20 PM)WEARE Wrote:  I have never held a job where my boss said, "I THINK you are going to do well, so let me give you a raise". It is just unrealistic in the extreme. You don't get paid for your potential.

No, but you do hire people who may not be the most qualified candidate for the position, but who have the highest upside. Conference realignment decisions should be a product of the long game. Schools like UTSA, Charlotte, and yes, ODU are short-term risks, but you bring them on because you think they'll grow into their roles and possibly flourish there. Conversely, there might be safer choices, but that may be all they'll ever be.

You hire the best candidates, but they don't start as a supervisor. I'm not flaming any school, but to solicit teams with no results, fan base, or brand without expecting the conference money to drop significantly is foolish. These start-ups and fresh big market schools may be great and outperform the all the teams of this conference one day, but one day hasn't come to pass. You don't get paid for potential.

(06-08-2016 03:20 PM)FlyHawk98 Wrote:  Arkansas State > North Texas

Appalachian State > Charlotte

Ga Southern > FIU


Imagine if we would have done that instead of what we did.

This conference would be looking pretty tough if you ask me.

While App and Ga So. worked well for the belt, they were 1AA during the time of our realignment. CUSA didn't need more 1AA teams and there was no way to know how those two schools would have prospered or if theyd have major growing pains.

North Texas was a good add, substitute a different team to get Ark St. and we'd be talking

(06-09-2016 05:47 AM)WEARE Wrote:  I'm not flaming any school, but to solicit teams with no results, fan base, or brand without expecting the conference money to drop significantly is foolish. These start-ups and fresh big market schools may be great and outperform the all the teams of this conference one day, but one day hasn't come to pass. You don't get paid for potential.

You may have a point on the results part but to say Charlotte and ODU had no fanbase is a flat out lie. Both schools have had solid basketball programs over the years and have slowly been gaining fans since the 70s.

Also, no team in this league has a true national brand or anything outside of a recognizable name.

(06-09-2016 06:52 AM)herdinva Wrote:  

(06-08-2016 03:20 PM)FlyHawk98 Wrote:  Arkansas State > North Texas

Appalachian State > Charlotte

Ga Southern > FIU


Imagine if we would have done that instead of what we did.

This conference would be looking pretty tough if you ask me.

While App and Ga So. worked well for the belt, they were 1AA during the time of our realignment. CUSA didn't need more 1AA teams and there was no way to know how those two schools would have prospered or if theyd have major growing pains.

North Texas was a good add, substitute a different team to get Ark St. and we'd be talking

App and GS are two totally different animals in comparison to ODU and Charlotte, App was averaging over 24,000 per game for the last 10 years or so, GS over 21, both had shown they could compete with P5 schools, Apps infrastructure was in place before the move, and GS was about to spend, I think around 50 million on the football facilities right before the move, both were in the running for NC almost every year, and Apps Yosef club, was I believe one the most successful, if not the most successful funding raising in the FCS was annually averaging over 3 million per year. Bottom line is, both these teams were more than ready to make the move up, and to imply that it basically was a "crap shoot" whether either one of these schools would be successful is just wrong. Its not luck that both these schools in their first 3 years have had success, infact the odds were it was really good that they would compete for a SBC championship, sooner rather than later, and in Apps case finish just outside the top 30 in just their 3rd year,

(06-08-2016 03:04 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  other than that, the first schools invited should have been Ark St and ULL.

I will continue to disagree with this argument..

The first team that should have been added and was added was ODU. For those of you that don't remember, a large number of us did a LOT of research on _all_ the potential expansion candidates.

And we actually had one of the mods go in and erase any of the 'trash talk' type discussions to prevent any homerism selections.

We did a ton of number crunching, both in terms of talent, recruiting, money, market, and future potential. In fact, if I remember from the thread it was almost unanimous among those of us who were involved that ODU was the top of the list.

We had a ton of dispute on #2 though... I think we had Arkansas State and MTSU as our options for #2 (WKU was already in at that point, I think). The "homer" type posts kept plugging for Appalachian State and ULL.

I'm not sure but I think the final adds of UNT and FIU were the ones that most of us were scratching our heads over at the time, because they were toward the bottom of our 'best choice' lists at the time. But you know what.. they're here now, so deal with it.. cause they might just come back and kick other teams butts some years..

(06-09-2016 06:52 AM)herdinva Wrote:  

(06-08-2016 03:20 PM)FlyHawk98 Wrote:  Arkansas State > North Texas

Appalachian State > Charlotte

Ga Southern > FIU


Imagine if we would have done that instead of what we did.

This conference would be looking pretty tough if you ask me.

While App and Ga So. worked well for the belt, they were 1AA during the time of our realignment. CUSA didn't need more 1AA teams and there was no way to know how those two schools would have prospered or if theyd have major growing pains.

North Texas was a good add, substitute a different team to get Ark St. and we'd be talking

Old Dominion, Charlotte, and UTSA didn't even have teams lol


FCS is better than no program at all.

Plus App State and Ga Southern are PROVEN to be good football programs through both fan support, and winning tradition.

No comparison between now....or ever for that matter.


Edit: ODU had a team, but it was a brand new FCS program. I like the addition of them. They were worth taking the gamble as they had proven to have a quickly growing fan base at the FCS level.

(06-09-2016 08:05 AM)FlyHawk98 Wrote:  

(06-09-2016 06:52 AM)herdinva Wrote:  

(06-08-2016 03:20 PM)FlyHawk98 Wrote:  Arkansas State > North Texas

Appalachian State > Charlotte

Ga Southern > FIU


Imagine if we would have done that instead of what we did.

This conference would be looking pretty tough if you ask me.

While App and Ga So. worked well for the belt, they were 1AA during the time of our realignment. CUSA didn't need more 1AA teams and there was no way to know how those two schools would have prospered or if theyd have major growing pains.

North Texas was a good add, substitute a different team to get Ark St. and we'd be talking

Old Dominion, Charlotte, and UTSA didn't even have teams lol


FCS is better than no program at all.

Plus App State and Ga Southern are PROVEN to be good football programs through both fan support, and winning tradition.

No comparison between now....or ever for that matter.

Agree. Nothing against ODU or Charlotte, but you can't put them in the same level with Ga Southern and App State. Both are proven winners.