"So yes, in a nutshell there is a system to fast track universities to Tier 1 status. To get there you need over a half a billion in untouched funds in the state to just be ready to give out, a very large state base of corporate research funding, a large collection of federally funded research agencies based out of your state, a annual budget surplus, a state mandate on higher education and a little bit of sleaze to be willing to help keep those funds in state."

Well, if any state can do it, it's Texas.

(04-21-2010 11:47 AM)FIUFan Wrote:  "So yes, in a nutshell there is a system to fast track universities to Tier 1 status. To get there you need over a half a billion in untouched funds in the state to just be ready to give out, a very large state base of corporate research funding, a large collection of federally funded research agencies based out of your state, a annual budget surplus, a state mandate on higher education and a little bit of sleaze to be willing to help keep those funds in state."

Well, if any state can do it, it's Texas.

I think a lot of it has to do with the insane amount of research dollars that it takes to get universities to achieve this status. Combine that with the infrastructure needs to do the research and it is extremely cost prohibitive to do it quickly. Most states just don't have the room in the budget to throw chunks of money to the Tier 1 process. Well that and the Texas legislature has already proven they have enough sleaze in them to get things like this accomplished.

The thread title says MT (not UNT or FIU). So get back to topic peeps.

(04-21-2010 02:00 PM)troy4ever21 Wrote:  The thread title says MT (not UNT or FIU). So get back to topic peeps.

Youngsters like you shouldn't attempt to tell folks what to do
It doesn't work and a young whipper-snapper, pipsqueak shouldn't refer to folks as peeps. It ain't polite.

(04-21-2010 02:44 PM)MeanGreen61 Wrote:  

(04-21-2010 02:00 PM)troy4ever21 Wrote:  The thread title says MT (not UNT or FIU). So get back to topic peeps.

Youngsters like you shouldn't attempt to tell folks what to do
It doesn't work and a young whipper-snapper, pipsqueak shouldn't refer to folks as peeps. It ain't polite.

+1 mean green61.

I don't like LA Tech. I don't think anyone in Conference USA actually likes that school. MTSU is the best overall candidate in the east and UNT probably has it in the west. Western Kentucky is throwing a lot of money at their program and if they can get that stadium up to about 30,000 and actually win a few games I could see them coming in. I don't think Conference USA in its current form will be around much longer. We're too spread out and most of the fanbase is with the eastern teams. If the Big 10 really does decide to rape the Big East, I can see the old CUSA teams and CUSAE (hopefully minus UAB) merging.