(04-14-2017 02:31 PM)Volkmar Wrote:  

(04-14-2017 01:08 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  

(04-14-2017 10:33 AM)Volkmar Wrote:  Nice article...

"...You have to find another way to your destination. So learn to live in a new world, create your own party, but one that works economically. That means a geographically and economically sustainable model that probably doesn't include traveling to Virginia, North Carolina and Florida regularly. It also would include pairing yourselves with some teams that aren't your first choice. There's no reason that the seven Texas G-5 teams couldn't get together with some combination of the Louisiana G-5's and Tulsa or Southern Miss to form a functional and fun league. We could call it the Cajun-Cowboy League. Just workshopping. Those school all share geography, recruiting territory, and have natural or budding rivalries. TV sets didn't make Texas and OU an event, proximity and culture did. Good old fashioned hate did. That can't be manufactured from across the country.

Geographically based leagues also give your fan base the opportunity to see your product more easily. Flying into Boca Raton restricts access and opportunity. Plus all your non-revenue sports are now competing in what is essentially a bus league. Travel costs go down, opportunity goes up. That's the kind of party most ADs should be salivating for.

For Conference USA, the AAC, and the Sun Belt they've chased the traditional modalities: market size, TV eyes, populous areas etc. They've worked under the illusion that a broadcast company is going to reimburse them for the reach of their media markets. That's gotten them to where they are now, millions of dollars behind the Power 5. The illusion is that Old Dominion brings ESPN or Fox the Norfolk area. It doesn't. The same way that SMU or North Texas or even TCU don't bring ESPN the Metroplex on a silver platter. TV execs know where the value is and what drives ratings and for eastern Virginia it's the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech or North Carolina. Texas, Texas A&M and OU bring eyes from the Metroplex. Florida and Florida deliver the greater Miami area if at all, not FAU or FIU..."

"...If the Power 5's have beaten you to the punch on exposure from TV deals, then beat them to the punch in the digital realm. It's the one area where the landscape is somewhat level. G-5 schools can have just as large a social media presence as anyone. In this day and age you have to, that's where your recruits are and where your alumni base is going. To not utilize the available formats and those that are emerging is a critical mistake.

UTSA had a very limited social media presence under Larry Coker, Frank Wilson has redoubled those efforts. Seth Littrell has executed a similar social media revolution at North Texas. SMU has a dedicated video department for their football program. Tom Herman completely overhauled Houston's social media and content efforts making #HTownTakeOver a household phrase for college football fans. A coach that doesn't have a grasp on or vision for a social media strategy is bear hunting with a stick.

So too are G-5 Leagues that aren't willing to use alternate or nontraditional media as a tool for exposure..."

http://swcroundup.com/news/2017/4/11/a-p...ign=buffer

The statement that you can't build hate from across the country has been proven false by the 2000 miles of abhorrence between ODU and UTEP.

Something to keep in mind about being regional is that is the purpose of divisions. Perhaps our divisions are not quite as regional as they could be but they do help. Part of the problem is that the conference does not utilize the divisions nearly as well as it could.

Well, there are always exceptions to such rules, such as Notre Dame/USC in football. I don't count Army/Navy as an exception due to the Service Academy modality btw. By and large though, the most fierce rivalries in college are certainly regional, so the original statement from the article is accurate. I don't think his remark about regional rivalries was intended to be read as an absolute.

This is the first I hear of any rivalry between UTEP and ODU. Our biggest rival currently in CUSA would be UTSA in my opinion. Especially since they stole our colors and finger gestures.

(04-19-2017 11:03 AM)Fitbud Wrote:  

(04-14-2017 02:31 PM)Volkmar Wrote:  

(04-14-2017 01:08 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  

(04-14-2017 10:33 AM)Volkmar Wrote:  Nice article...

"...You have to find another way to your destination. So learn to live in a new world, create your own party, but one that works economically. That means a geographically and economically sustainable model that probably doesn't include traveling to Virginia, North Carolina and Florida regularly. It also would include pairing yourselves with some teams that aren't your first choice. There's no reason that the seven Texas G-5 teams couldn't get together with some combination of the Louisiana G-5's and Tulsa or Southern Miss to form a functional and fun league. We could call it the Cajun-Cowboy League. Just workshopping. Those school all share geography, recruiting territory, and have natural or budding rivalries. TV sets didn't make Texas and OU an event, proximity and culture did. Good old fashioned hate did. That can't be manufactured from across the country.

Geographically based leagues also give your fan base the opportunity to see your product more easily. Flying into Boca Raton restricts access and opportunity. Plus all your non-revenue sports are now competing in what is essentially a bus league. Travel costs go down, opportunity goes up. That's the kind of party most ADs should be salivating for.

For Conference USA, the AAC, and the Sun Belt they've chased the traditional modalities: market size, TV eyes, populous areas etc. They've worked under the illusion that a broadcast company is going to reimburse them for the reach of their media markets. That's gotten them to where they are now, millions of dollars behind the Power 5. The illusion is that Old Dominion brings ESPN or Fox the Norfolk area. It doesn't. The same way that SMU or North Texas or even TCU don't bring ESPN the Metroplex on a silver platter. TV execs know where the value is and what drives ratings and for eastern Virginia it's the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech or North Carolina. Texas, Texas A&M and OU bring eyes from the Metroplex. Florida and Florida deliver the greater Miami area if at all, not FAU or FIU..."

"...If the Power 5's have beaten you to the punch on exposure from TV deals, then beat them to the punch in the digital realm. It's the one area where the landscape is somewhat level. G-5 schools can have just as large a social media presence as anyone. In this day and age you have to, that's where your recruits are and where your alumni base is going. To not utilize the available formats and those that are emerging is a critical mistake.

UTSA had a very limited social media presence under Larry Coker, Frank Wilson has redoubled those efforts. Seth Littrell has executed a similar social media revolution at North Texas. SMU has a dedicated video department for their football program. Tom Herman completely overhauled Houston's social media and content efforts making #HTownTakeOver a household phrase for college football fans. A coach that doesn't have a grasp on or vision for a social media strategy is bear hunting with a stick.

So too are G-5 Leagues that aren't willing to use alternate or nontraditional media as a tool for exposure..."

http://swcroundup.com/news/2017/4/11/a-p...ign=buffer

The statement that you can't build hate from across the country has been proven false by the 2000 miles of abhorrence between ODU and UTEP.

Something to keep in mind about being regional is that is the purpose of divisions. Perhaps our divisions are not quite as regional as they could be but they do help. Part of the problem is that the conference does not utilize the divisions nearly as well as it could.

Well, there are always exceptions to such rules, such as Notre Dame/USC in football. I don't count Army/Navy as an exception due to the Service Academy modality btw. By and large though, the most fierce rivalries in college are certainly regional, so the original statement from the article is accurate. I don't think his remark about regional rivalries was intended to be read as an absolute.

This is the first I hear of any rivalry between UTEP and ODU. Our biggest rival currently in CUSA would be UTSA in my opinion. Especially since they stole our colors and finger gestures.

Once again, check your history. UTSA adopted blue before UTEP did, and our hand gesture was also adopted before yours. This was discussed at length in a thread more than a couple years ago, with our side providing proof and your side blowing a bunch of hot air.

(04-19-2017 11:03 AM)Fitbud Wrote:  

(04-14-2017 02:31 PM)Volkmar Wrote:  

(04-14-2017 01:08 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  

(04-14-2017 10:33 AM)Volkmar Wrote:  Nice article...

"...You have to find another way to your destination. So learn to live in a new world, create your own party, but one that works economically. That means a geographically and economically sustainable model that probably doesn't include traveling to Virginia, North Carolina and Florida regularly. It also would include pairing yourselves with some teams that aren't your first choice. There's no reason that the seven Texas G-5 teams couldn't get together with some combination of the Louisiana G-5's and Tulsa or Southern Miss to form a functional and fun league. We could call it the Cajun-Cowboy League. Just workshopping. Those school all share geography, recruiting territory, and have natural or budding rivalries. TV sets didn't make Texas and OU an event, proximity and culture did. Good old fashioned hate did. That can't be manufactured from across the country.

Geographically based leagues also give your fan base the opportunity to see your product more easily. Flying into Boca Raton restricts access and opportunity. Plus all your non-revenue sports are now competing in what is essentially a bus league. Travel costs go down, opportunity goes up. That's the kind of party most ADs should be salivating for.

For Conference USA, the AAC, and the Sun Belt they've chased the traditional modalities: market size, TV eyes, populous areas etc. They've worked under the illusion that a broadcast company is going to reimburse them for the reach of their media markets. That's gotten them to where they are now, millions of dollars behind the Power 5. The illusion is that Old Dominion brings ESPN or Fox the Norfolk area. It doesn't. The same way that SMU or North Texas or even TCU don't bring ESPN the Metroplex on a silver platter. TV execs know where the value is and what drives ratings and for eastern Virginia it's the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech or North Carolina. Texas, Texas A&M and OU bring eyes from the Metroplex. Florida and Florida deliver the greater Miami area if at all, not FAU or FIU..."

"...If the Power 5's have beaten you to the punch on exposure from TV deals, then beat them to the punch in the digital realm. It's the one area where the landscape is somewhat level. G-5 schools can have just as large a social media presence as anyone. In this day and age you have to, that's where your recruits are and where your alumni base is going. To not utilize the available formats and those that are emerging is a critical mistake.

UTSA had a very limited social media presence under Larry Coker, Frank Wilson has redoubled those efforts. Seth Littrell has executed a similar social media revolution at North Texas. SMU has a dedicated video department for their football program. Tom Herman completely overhauled Houston's social media and content efforts making #HTownTakeOver a household phrase for college football fans. A coach that doesn't have a grasp on or vision for a social media strategy is bear hunting with a stick.

So too are G-5 Leagues that aren't willing to use alternate or nontraditional media as a tool for exposure..."

http://swcroundup.com/news/2017/4/11/a-p...ign=buffer

The statement that you can't build hate from across the country has been proven false by the 2000 miles of abhorrence between ODU and UTEP.

Something to keep in mind about being regional is that is the purpose of divisions. Perhaps our divisions are not quite as regional as they could be but they do help. Part of the problem is that the conference does not utilize the divisions nearly as well as it could.

Well, there are always exceptions to such rules, such as Notre Dame/USC in football. I don't count Army/Navy as an exception due to the Service Academy modality btw. By and large though, the most fierce rivalries in college are certainly regional, so the original statement from the article is accurate. I don't think his remark about regional rivalries was intended to be read as an absolute.

This is the first I hear of any rivalry between UTEP and ODU. Our biggest rival currently in CUSA would be UTSA in my opinion. Especially since they stole our colors and finger gestures.

I think the UTEP faithful were using a different finger gesture to the Monarchs the last time we were in town.

(04-19-2017 12:17 PM)Volkmar Wrote:  

(04-19-2017 11:03 AM)Fitbud Wrote:  

(04-14-2017 02:31 PM)Volkmar Wrote:  

(04-14-2017 01:08 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  

(04-14-2017 10:33 AM)Volkmar Wrote:  Nice article...

"...You have to find another way to your destination. So learn to live in a new world, create your own party, but one that works economically. That means a geographically and economically sustainable model that probably doesn't include traveling to Virginia, North Carolina and Florida regularly. It also would include pairing yourselves with some teams that aren't your first choice. There's no reason that the seven Texas G-5 teams couldn't get together with some combination of the Louisiana G-5's and Tulsa or Southern Miss to form a functional and fun league. We could call it the Cajun-Cowboy League. Just workshopping. Those school all share geography, recruiting territory, and have natural or budding rivalries. TV sets didn't make Texas and OU an event, proximity and culture did. Good old fashioned hate did. That can't be manufactured from across the country.

Geographically based leagues also give your fan base the opportunity to see your product more easily. Flying into Boca Raton restricts access and opportunity. Plus all your non-revenue sports are now competing in what is essentially a bus league. Travel costs go down, opportunity goes up. That's the kind of party most ADs should be salivating for.

For Conference USA, the AAC, and the Sun Belt they've chased the traditional modalities: market size, TV eyes, populous areas etc. They've worked under the illusion that a broadcast company is going to reimburse them for the reach of their media markets. That's gotten them to where they are now, millions of dollars behind the Power 5. The illusion is that Old Dominion brings ESPN or Fox the Norfolk area. It doesn't. The same way that SMU or North Texas or even TCU don't bring ESPN the Metroplex on a silver platter. TV execs know where the value is and what drives ratings and for eastern Virginia it's the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech or North Carolina. Texas, Texas A&M and OU bring eyes from the Metroplex. Florida and Florida deliver the greater Miami area if at all, not FAU or FIU..."

"...If the Power 5's have beaten you to the punch on exposure from TV deals, then beat them to the punch in the digital realm. It's the one area where the landscape is somewhat level. G-5 schools can have just as large a social media presence as anyone. In this day and age you have to, that's where your recruits are and where your alumni base is going. To not utilize the available formats and those that are emerging is a critical mistake.

UTSA had a very limited social media presence under Larry Coker, Frank Wilson has redoubled those efforts. Seth Littrell has executed a similar social media revolution at North Texas. SMU has a dedicated video department for their football program. Tom Herman completely overhauled Houston's social media and content efforts making #HTownTakeOver a household phrase for college football fans. A coach that doesn't have a grasp on or vision for a social media strategy is bear hunting with a stick.

So too are G-5 Leagues that aren't willing to use alternate or nontraditional media as a tool for exposure..."

http://swcroundup.com/news/2017/4/11/a-p...ign=buffer

The statement that you can't build hate from across the country has been proven false by the 2000 miles of abhorrence between ODU and UTEP.

Something to keep in mind about being regional is that is the purpose of divisions. Perhaps our divisions are not quite as regional as they could be but they do help. Part of the problem is that the conference does not utilize the divisions nearly as well as it could.

Well, there are always exceptions to such rules, such as Notre Dame/USC in football. I don't count Army/Navy as an exception due to the Service Academy modality btw. By and large though, the most fierce rivalries in college are certainly regional, so the original statement from the article is accurate. I don't think his remark about regional rivalries was intended to be read as an absolute.

This is the first I hear of any rivalry between UTEP and ODU. Our biggest rival currently in CUSA would be UTSA in my opinion. Especially since they stole our colors and finger gestures.

Once again, check your history. UTSA adopted blue before UTEP did, and our hand gesture was also adopted before yours. This was discussed at length in a thread more than a couple years ago, with our side providing proof and your side blowing a bunch of hot air.

I never saw that thread. It doesn't count however if you were a community college at the time.

LOL. I'm just kidding.

I once proposed on this forum that the G5 schools from Texas should start their own conference.

It would be awesome. Any chance it could work?

UTEP
UTSA
SMU
Texas St.
Rice
Houston
North Texas

(04-14-2017 01:05 PM)FIU4Ever Wrote:  As for the article, FIU, FAU and I would presume UTEP will never be "bus league" members of any conference just based on the locations of the campus. So we will always budget for flights.

But if you add NMSU flying to El Paso suddenly makes a lot more $en$e. 2 for 1.

(04-19-2017 03:35 PM)Fitbud Wrote:  I once proposed on this forum that the G5 schools from Texas should start their own conference.

It would be awesome. Any chance it could work?

UTEP
UTSA
SMU
Texas St.
Rice
Houston
North Texas

Major downgrade for Houston and SMU. I see no reason they'd be interested.

(04-14-2017 02:31 PM)Volkmar Wrote:  I don't count Army/Navy as an exception due to the Service Academy modality btw.

They're also only about a 4 hour drive from each other and recruit the same kinds of student athletes.

(04-14-2017 01:17 PM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  

(04-14-2017 01:08 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  The statement that you can't build hate from across the country has been proven false by the 2000 miles of abhorrence between ODU and UTEP.

Something to keep in mind about being regional is that is the purpose of divisions. Perhaps our divisions are not quite as regional as they could be but they do help. Part of the problem is that the conference does not utilize the divisions nearly as well as it could.

Would pods be better? Kind of hard to do with 14 schools, but it might work. Would have to do 2 of 5 and 1 of 4.

Appalachia;
ODU
Marshall
WKU
Charlotte
MT

Gulf;
FAU
FIU
USM
UAB
LT

Texas;
Rice
UNT
UTEP
UTSA

Think LT could float between either the gulf or Texas pod, whatever is better for them. The conference tournament byes go to the top 3 pod leaders and the best of the rest.

Pods work better with 16. Divide up into four 4 team divisions. Do NFL type scheduling with the pods but limit the travel. The Texas pod should not have to travel to anyone in the Atlantic pod but once every 8 years etc.

(04-19-2017 05:20 PM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  

(04-14-2017 01:17 PM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  

(04-14-2017 01:08 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  The statement that you can't build hate from across the country has been proven false by the 2000 miles of abhorrence between ODU and UTEP.

Something to keep in mind about being regional is that is the purpose of divisions. Perhaps our divisions are not quite as regional as they could be but they do help. Part of the problem is that the conference does not utilize the divisions nearly as well as it could.

Would pods be better? Kind of hard to do with 14 schools, but it might work. Would have to do 2 of 5 and 1 of 4.

Appalachia;
ODU
Marshall
WKU
Charlotte
MT

Gulf;
FAU
FIU
USM
UAB
LT

Texas;
Rice
UNT
UTEP
UTSA

Think LT could float between either the gulf or Texas pod, whatever is better for them. The conference tournament byes go to the top 3 pod leaders and the best of the rest.

Pods work better with 16. Divide up into four 4 team divisions. Do NFL type scheduling with the pods but limit the travel. The Texas pod should not have to travel to anyone in the Atlantic pod but once every 8 years etc.

I think every league needs to go back to 10 with scheduling agreements between leagues.

It won't. In the future they all will be 16 at a minimum. You can be ahead of the curve or behind it.

This is your friendly weekly reminder that the WAC tried to do pods. We all know how that ended.

(04-19-2017 08:03 PM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  It won't. In the future they all will be 16 at a minimum. You can be ahead of the curve or behind it.

16 is fine for the ones who have plenty of food on the table. At 16 we have too many mouths to feed.

I think a better business model for the rest of us is a smaller group put together by common interest levels.

(04-19-2017 07:03 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  

(04-19-2017 05:20 PM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  

(04-14-2017 01:17 PM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  

(04-14-2017 01:08 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  The statement that you can't build hate from across the country has been proven false by the 2000 miles of abhorrence between ODU and UTEP.

Something to keep in mind about being regional is that is the purpose of divisions. Perhaps our divisions are not quite as regional as they could be but they do help. Part of the problem is that the conference does not utilize the divisions nearly as well as it could.

Would pods be better? Kind of hard to do with 14 schools, but it might work. Would have to do 2 of 5 and 1 of 4.

Appalachia;
ODU
Marshall
WKU
Charlotte
MT

Gulf;
FAU
FIU
USM
UAB
LT

Texas;
Rice
UNT
UTEP
UTSA

Think LT could float between either the gulf or Texas pod, whatever is better for them. The conference tournament byes go to the top 3 pod leaders and the best of the rest.

Pods work better with 16. Divide up into four 4 team divisions. Do NFL type scheduling with the pods but limit the travel. The Texas pod should not have to travel to anyone in the Atlantic pod but once every 8 years etc.

I think every league needs to go back to 10 with scheduling agreements between leagues.

Money wise, this is the best way to do it. The problem is that 4 FBS teams get left out in the cold in such a scenario, and while we could all probably name 4 teams that shouldn't be FBS anyway, getting a group of presidents to voluntarily agree to force another school out of the FBS game essentially is another matter.

(04-19-2017 08:18 PM)techdawg28 Wrote:  This is your friendly weekly reminder that the WAC tried to do pods. We all know how that ended.

It did fail---but it failed because 4-team pods didn't work when 5-teams wanted yearly games against one another. The WAC needed to either use a traditional 2 division format which would have put the Airport 5 in same division or they needed to expand to 20 so the pods would be 5 teams in size (meaning the Airport 5 could all be in the same pod together). If they had done either of those options, the WAC wouldn't do likely be alive and well as a FBS football league today.

(04-19-2017 03:48 PM)techdawg28 Wrote:  

(04-19-2017 03:35 PM)Fitbud Wrote:  I once proposed on this forum that the G5 schools from Texas should start their own conference.

It would be awesome. Any chance it could work?

UTEP
UTSA
SMU
Texas St.
Rice
Houston
North Texas

Major downgrade for Houston and SMU. I see no reason they'd be interested.

Not to mention they'd be greatly reducing their recruiting exposure.

Houston playing Tulane in New Orleans does far more for them than playing UTEP. And if they want exposure in Dallas, they've already got SMU.

(04-20-2017 10:15 AM)TechRocks Wrote:  

(04-19-2017 03:48 PM)techdawg28 Wrote:  

(04-19-2017 03:35 PM)Fitbud Wrote:  I once proposed on this forum that the G5 schools from Texas should start their own conference.

It would be awesome. Any chance it could work?

UTEP
UTSA
SMU
Texas St.
Rice
Houston
North Texas

Major downgrade for Houston and SMU. I see no reason they'd be interested.

Not to mention they'd be greatly reducing their recruiting exposure.

Houston playing Tulane in New Orleans does far more for them than playing UTEP. And if they want exposure in Dallas, they've already got SMU.

I honestly do think UTEP's long term home is probably in the west. IF Houston and SMU were involved, Im assuming the AAC is no more. Lets also assume UTEP goes west. Then the remaining Texas schools, along with Tulsa, Arky St, Memphis, and 2 or 3 Louisiana schools could create a solid group that would have pretty reasonable travel and solid football. Throw in Wichita, and the group would have decent basketball with Memphis, SMU, Tulsa, Houston, and Wichita. Could even stretch the footprint to Cinci if you wanted to try to land another good football/basketball combo school.

(04-20-2017 10:31 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(04-20-2017 10:15 AM)TechRocks Wrote:  

(04-19-2017 03:48 PM)techdawg28 Wrote:  

(04-19-2017 03:35 PM)Fitbud Wrote:  I once proposed on this forum that the G5 schools from Texas should start their own conference.

It would be awesome. Any chance it could work?

UTEP
UTSA
SMU
Texas St.
Rice
Houston
North Texas

Major downgrade for Houston and SMU. I see no reason they'd be interested.

Not to mention they'd be greatly reducing their recruiting exposure.

Houston playing Tulane in New Orleans does far more for them than playing UTEP. And if they want exposure in Dallas, they've already got SMU.

I honestly do think UTEP's long term home is probably in the west. IF Houston and SMU were involved, Im assuming the AAC is no more. Lets also assume UTEP goes west. Then the remaining Texas schools, along with Tulsa, Arky St, Memphis, and 2 or 3 Louisiana schools could create a solid group that would have pretty reasonable travel and solid football. Throw in Wichita, and the group would have decent basketball with Memphis, SMU, Tulsa, Houston, and Wichita. Could even stretch the footprint to Cinci if you wanted to try to land another good football/basketball combo school.

Without P5 money, you can't blast Wyoming, Colorado State, Air Force, and New Mexico apart but I tend to think they are agnostic as to whether they are the far eastern or far western edge of their conference with Utah and BYU gone.

(04-19-2017 08:39 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  

(04-19-2017 08:03 PM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  It won't. In the future they all will be 16 at a minimum. You can be ahead of the curve or behind it.

16 is fine for the ones who have plenty of food on the table. At 16 we have too many mouths to feed.

I think a better business model for the rest of us is a smaller group put together by common interest levels.

the money that we are splitting is so small that it doesn't matter. You will save money on the travel for all your sports. 1/16th of nothing is nothing.

(04-20-2017 09:54 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(04-19-2017 08:18 PM)techdawg28 Wrote:  This is your friendly weekly reminder that the WAC tried to do pods. We all know how that ended.

It did fail---but it failed because 4-team pods didn't work when 5-teams wanted yearly games against one another. The WAC needed to either use a traditional 2 division format which would have put the Airport 5 in same division or they needed to expand to 20 so the pods would be 5 teams in size (meaning the Airport 5 could all be in the same pod together). If they had done either of those options, the WAC wouldn't do likely be alive and well as a FBS football league today.

excellent point.