(06-21-2016 04:40 PM)ark30inf Wrote:  

(06-21-2016 04:09 PM)runamuck Wrote:  

(06-21-2016 01:36 PM)Crump1 Wrote:  

(06-21-2016 11:25 AM)ark30inf Wrote:  

(06-21-2016 10:53 AM)Crump1 Wrote:  I do not want to leave the SBC or join CUSA. However, due to the haphazard manner of conference formation I would be happy to end up in a whole new conference that makes more sense geographically and in terms of fan support and similarity between programs.

Give me a league that is strong in FB, draws fans and is tight enough for me to make most of the road trips if I elect to do so.

I don't care what the patch on the sleeve says. I am not naïve enough to think that matters.

Obviously, who you end up with is important. I love App and GaSo but swap them for USM and La Tech and I could live with it.

Is it worth it to save $100,000 in travel costs if we have to replace App and GaSo with UNT and UTSA for example? Hell no.

I'm afraid that this new "travel cost" and "geographic sense" thing has potential to become a questing beast like tv contract amounts and the marketz did....regardless of actual cost-benefit.

Is it really worth it to be able to go to a game in Denton instead of Boone? To me...no.

If we have to do UNT again and drop App...tell me in actual numbers how much money we save and what percentage of our budget it is. In my opinion it'll need to be substantial.

you are right the texas schools are too far off the radar for there to ever be much of a rivalry with the eastern schools. good schools for sure, but lets face facts. for us texas schools to gin up some excitement and boost our following we need to hang with the schools our fans are interested in seeing us play. thats why the two conferences should have a big pow-wow and divie every one up. g5 schools have more recruits from their own region and that would spur interest. we should quit worrying about why none of our games are selected for the national network game of the week. get a showing of good crowds with some home and homes and the networks might take notice.

It is true that Texans don't think right. TXST fans would probably get more of a high facing a terrible UNT or UTEP than they would a really good App or GaSo if that were the situation.

And you have to take that into account when coming up with a new conference.

But for me...App, GaSo, Louisiana, etc. have the football vibe I'm interested in associating with and it doesn't matter that they aren't local, aren't from Arkansas, and are farther away than UNT.

Honestly, I think a G5 with a strong Texas Louisiana core would draw pretty decent interest in the 4 or 5 state region.

Texas St
UNT
UTSA
Rice
LaTech
ULL
ULM
Ark St
USM
UAB

You could stop there, or pick up a couple more Bama schools to make more rivalries. That would give a very regional footprint with a ton of drivable games concentrated in some of the best recruiting areas of the country. Get an ESPN deal for 6-10 games. Sell a 15-20 game package to Fox SW (which would fit that footprint well). Maybe get a few games on CBS-Sports, and then make a deal with someone like BeIn or ESPN3 for the rest.

Pay would be as good or better than CUSA sees now, with lower expenses and likely better game day attendance due the opponents consistently bringing more fan interest than the more far flung opponents currently served up by both current versions of CUSA/SB.