RE: ODU plans to leave CUSA. Enjoy 1-AA
With regards to this topic and as a long time ODU fan I'd like to say the following -
1). I'm currently fine with ODU being in CUSA. Doesn't mean that I wouldn't be thrilled if they got an invite to join ECU tomorrow as a travel partner in the AAC as that would provide better geographical rivalries, better TV coverage of games, stronger basketball & football teams, and more TV revenue. Note: The TV revenue could go down when the current contract expires.
2). I'm actually optimistic about the future of CUSA. While ODU is typically among the top 4-5 teams in sports like men's basketball and men's soccer, they need to improve in football to be considered at that same level year in, year out in that sport.
3). In men's basketball ..... schools like MTSU, WKU, Marshall, and LA Tech are also typically among the top 4-5 teams in men's basketball year after year. UAB is going through a bit of a downward swing but I see that as likely being a very short event for them and expect them to bounce back sooner rather than later. Other schools are showing significant improvement this season (UTSA and N. Texas). If they are able to sustain that level of improvement in the next few years they too will be as good as any of the rest of the teams at the top. I don't think that schools like Charlotte, Southern Miss, and UTEP are going to stay down in basketball like they are for much longer. There is too much history among those schools for them not to make the necessary changes to right the ship. In short, the status of men's basketball seems to be on the upswing, and if it continues on its current trajectory then the conference is looking very appealing as a basketball league.
4). In football .... schools like LA Tech, WKU, and Marshall are typically vying for the conference championship. That said, there are several others that have shown they too can challenge for the right to be in the championship game - teams like MTSU and ODU. FAU has made a remarkable improvement in a very short time and if they can maintain that level over the next few years then they are going to cause everyone else to up the ante to stay competitive.
5). In baseball .... schools like FAU, Rice, and Southern Miss are typically among the top performers, but others like LA Tech and ODU have made some noise on the diamond recently as well in conference. There are probably some other schools that I should mention here as well, but I admit that I don't follow baseball conference wide as much as I do basketball and football. Don't mean to slight anyone by leaving them out. Bottom line here is that CUSA year in and year out usually has a strong showing in baseball on a national scale.
In short, I see the major sports teams improving overall in CUSA, and if the trend continues, and some of those that have had their level of play drop down get back to where they are expected to be, then who is to say that the conference couldn't rise up to the level the AAC has been at the last couple of years? The conference really does need to make vast improvements to its TV package (basketball, baseball, football, and soccer). Currently they are akin to a 3rd world country in that area.
(This post was last modified: 02-24-2018 11:48 AM by ODU BBALL.)
|
