New thread, b/c this got buried in the other one:

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/09/reports-...pear-false

Sorry, Duke Dawg.

Boooooo I wanted actual realignment.

Good. 14 is already two too many.

Lol.....TripleA ending all the realignment fun.

Of course, we all know conferences always tell the media the truth.

That article is anything but a denial.

(09-26-2013 10:35 PM)NoDak Wrote:  That article is anything but a denial.

I agree. There is nothing in that article that precludes JMU joining CUSA tomorrow even if this all is a hoax.

Hey, don't shoot the messenger. I'm just passing along what they said. Hell, you could make that argument and thus believe every internet rumor out there, no matter how many school or conference officials denied it.

I'm not saying it's dead. Only passing along what the Norfolk Pilot guy said. But my gut instinct is it's not true, b/c there is no smoke about any other team anywhere, and no smoke about JMU beyond a message board.

Plus, the guy said the rumors APPEAR to be false (based on what the school and conference officials said). I'd say he is 100% correct on that point. I even took care to put that word in the thread title.

(09-26-2013 11:52 PM)TripleA Wrote:  Hey, don't shoot the messenger. I'm just passing along what they said. Hell, you could make that argument and thus believe every internet rumor out there, no matter how many school or conference officials denied it.

I'm not saying it's dead. Only passing along what the Norfolk Pilot guy said. But my gut instinct is it's not true, b/c there is no smoke about any other team anywhere, and no smoke about JMU beyond a message board.

Plus, the guy said the rumors APPEAR to be false (based on what the school and conference officials said). I'd say he is 100% correct on that point. I even took care to put that word in the thread title.

lol. I was just messin with you. Actually, I tend to agree with your take on this. Not enough smoke to make me believe anything is all that imminent. But...You have to admit, it was the most interesting thing on the board today.

(09-26-2013 10:35 PM)NoDak Wrote:  That article is anything but a denial.

What article did you read? Now they might be bull shaqing when they say "we did not talk about expansion" but assuming it was an honest answer it's a cut at dry "we are staying at 14 with the membership we have"

(09-26-2013 07:13 PM)SApuro Wrote:  Good. 14 is already two too many.

+1

I'll scratch my head over F_U for a long time. It was clear ECU was leaving C-USA; we should have pulled the footprint in rather than extend to distant media markets.

UTSA was a rock star addition to C-USA.

(09-27-2013 08:33 AM)ESE84 Wrote:  

(09-26-2013 07:13 PM)SApuro Wrote:  Good. 14 is already two too many.

+1

I'll scratch my head over F_U for a long time. It was clear ECU was leaving C-USA; we should have pulled the footprint in rather than extend to distant media markets.

UTSA was a rock star addition to C-USA.

Yeah UTSA will be a really good add.

The F_U's were likely added as a compromise to Marshall. They have no in-state talent to recruit and rely heavily on Florida. WVU did as well.

If only MT, WKY, JMU and either Ga. So or App State were added, the eastern half of CUSA would have been a very compact regional division. Every game would have been within a 7 hour drive from Charlotte.

Now that there is a denial, doesn't that confirm it is indeed true? :D

(09-27-2013 07:52 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(09-26-2013 10:35 PM)NoDak Wrote:  That article is anything but a denial.

What article did you read? Now they might be bull shaqing when they say "we did not talk about expansion" but assuming it was an honest answer it's a cut at dry "we are staying at 14 with the membership we have"

"We did not talk about expansion" doesnt preclude adding a team for replacement. If UTEP leaves, they are replacing a team.

If we took these same posters and placed them in 2008, they would all be saying FAU is a good add. Most on here just look at the last couple years as the be all end all to realignment prospects.

I like UTSA being added too. But I am not seeing how they are a miraculous add and FAU is a garbage one. Like I said in 2008, FAU was a program coming off consecutive bowl victories after finishing year 4 of FBS football. Not like they can't improve for the future.

As for JMU, I still think a team from Ohio or Georgia should be added over another from VA if they stay East. And if a Western team leaves, they should get another one from there like Arkansas State.

I'd go with Georgia Southern over JMU if they want an FCS team. Way more success from a big recruiting state in the East that isn't currently in CUSA.

(09-27-2013 11:45 AM)Ragu Wrote:  I like UTSA being added too. But I am not seeing how they are a miraculous add and FAU is a garbage one. Like I said in 2008, FAU was a program coming off consecutive bowl victories after finishing year 4 of FBS football. Not like they can't improve for the future.

I note you used the word garbage, not me. My comment was footprint and geographic outliers. I was never crazy about being in the same conference as ECU or UCF, either. I loved your win over USF.

I got my Rice (and University of Houston) degrees when the Owls and Coogs were in the Southwest Conference, which was a very regional conference where we all knew and worked with fans of the other schools. UTSA is right down I-10 from Houston, and I know people who went to school there and I see their logo in Houston.

UTSA fans showed up big last year when they played at Rice. I will let you know how many FAU fans I see tomorrow at Rice stadium. I hope I am surprised.

Probably none. But considering UTSA is located in the same state, I am not sure that is relevant. FAU"s fanbase is showing signs of improvement but they are still very bad. Good that isn't the be all end all to improving the program though.

I wasn't quoting you about calling them garbage either. Otherwise I would have used the quote function. But I am have it over and over on here and it is the same old thing. People looking at real recent years as the be all end all. Like I said, if it were 2008 with realignment, all here would be praising it.

As for CUSA my list before JMU,

Ohio U
Arkansas State
Georgia Southern

and then if we take repeats:

Louisiana Lafayette

then JMU.

(09-27-2013 11:58 AM)Ragu Wrote:  As for CUSA my list before JMU,

Ohio U
Arkansas State
Georgia Southern

and then if we take repeats:

Louisiana Lafayette

then JMU.

I would be happy to see C-USA operate as two related entities, the East and the West. As long as we don't have to send the non-revenue sports across divisions and all over the map, let each side make the decisions that are best for their schools.

My bias for the West is all about Louisiana Lafayette and Texas State as the next schools in. If the East wants Ohio, have at it. I'd like to see the regional model, where all rivals are within driving distance or a short Southwest Airlines flight, get a real chance.

(09-27-2013 12:21 PM)ESE84 Wrote:  

(09-27-2013 11:58 AM)Ragu Wrote:  As for CUSA my list before JMU,

Ohio U
Arkansas State
Georgia Southern

and then if we take repeats:

Louisiana Lafayette

then JMU.

I would be happy to see C-USA operate as two related entities, the East and the West. As long as we don't have to send the non-revenue sports across divisions and all over the map, let each side make the decisions that are best for their schools.

My bias for the West is all about Louisiana Lafayette and Texas State as the next schools in. If the East wants Ohio, have at it. I'd like to see the regional model, where all rivals are within driving distance or a short Southwest Airlines flight, get a real chance.

Honestly, Im not so sure that CUSA West together with CUSA East is the long term future for CUSA. I could see those two splitting from one another and filling in with the best Sunbelt schools to create two very compact regional conferences that offer lots of opportunities for easy travel games and better rivalries.

For instance in the west--

Rice
UTEP
North Texas
UTSA
Tx State
UL-Laf
UL-Mon
La Tech
Ark St
S Miss
UAB
MTSU
You could clip off La-Monroe and MTSU to make it a more compact 10 team round robin type conference with no divisions.

(09-27-2013 12:35 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Honestly, Im not so sure that CUSA West together with CUSA East is the long term future for CUSA. I could see those two splitting from one another and filling in with the best Sunbelt schools to create two very compact regional conferences that offer lots of opportunities for easy travel games and better rivalries.

For instance in the west--

Rice
UTEP
North Texas
UTSA
Tx State
UL-Laf
UL-Mon
La Tech
Ark St
S Miss
UAB
MTSU
You could clip off La-Monroe and MTSU to make it a more compact 10 team round robin type conference with no divisions.

Although that could happen long-term (which you said), I am not sure Rice (or UTEP, USM, UAB and Marshall) would want to do anything to jeopardize the collection of all C-USA exit fees and the short-term contractual guarantee of television revenues from Houston, et al. I like a strategy of getting things going with our new AD, and being in position when the Big 12 takes on new members to either be a valid candidate for the Big 12, or to backfill Houston in the AAC when Houston moves to the Big 12.