I noted the following comment by a Troy poster in the "Congrats ULM" thread........

More than any other program, we are probably tied at the hip, as neither of us population wise have much of a chance for C-USA

and honestly, I don't get it. I just don't understand what seems like such a strong desire on the part of some Belt teams to move to C-USA.

I have to qualify this thread and my comments by admitting that I'm not 100% up to snuff on exactly who's in, and who's out over there though I understand that Tulane and E. Carolina are moving on. There may be others.

I also understand that Western Kentucky is on the way in next year and see that MTSU and UNT, former Belt members are now members there. And if my memory serves me, I see there are a couple of schools from Florida, former Belt members, who are also there today.

To this observer, it looks like C-USA today is basically a collection of former Belt members. So with that I ask, why the desire to be there? Money? Prestige? A "bigger" conference?

Money I'd understand, if that's actually the case and with more slots for bowl-eligible teams at C-USA, it seems there would be more money there, at least in football.

Prestige? Please. Place that one where the sun doesn't shine. To paraphrase the song, "meet the new C-USA, same as the old Belt".

Want a bigger conference? I'd say work to expand the Belt and make it bigger and better. I absolutely love the addition of TxState which appears to be first class in every respect, and I also believe GaState, App State and Georgia Southern will all prove to be excellent additions to the Belt.

Personally, the only reason I'd ever want to see the Cajuns make what I consider would be nothing more than a lateral move to C-USA, would be for the fun of watching medics attempting to figure out how to administer mouth-to-mouth to LaTech fans who have worn their heads up their butts for several decades now.

I'm sure this has been discussed ad nauseam here, so forgive me. I do however, feel better for having posted this thread.

The biggest reason for me is this, TXST is playing tomorrow for win #6. Now that doesn't really mean anything in the Sun Belt, I mean we can win out and end at 9-3 with a 5-2 record in conference and still not make one of the 2 bowl slots available to the Sun Belt. There's likely to not be open spots from other conferences this year too. However, if we were in conference USA this year, we would be playing for a bowl game tomorrow. And with weaker competition as a whole in conference USA, it makes it even easier to get those wins.

At the moment, CUSA has better bowl access...even though some of those games are 20 gazillion miles away from the member schools. That being said, the SBC continues to get better each day, and we'll eventually get the number of bowls we need. It just takes time.

Its worth nothing that UNT and MTSU are both having tremendous success in CUSA and both were average to below average in the Belt the last few years. That's a good sign that we have already caught up in the competition game. Now its just perception.

(11-01-2013 11:29 PM)TXSTRiverBobcat Wrote:  The biggest reason for me is this, TXST is playing tomorrow for win #6. Now that doesn't really mean anything in the Sun Belt, I mean we can win out and end at 9-3 with a 5-2 record in conference and still not make one of the 2 bowl slots available to the Sun Belt. There's likely to not be open spots from other conferences this year too. However, if we were in conference USA this year, we would be playing for a bowl game tomorrow. And with weaker competition as a whole in conference USA, it makes it even easier to get those wins.

No you would not.

If TxSt was in conference USA they would have more bowl eligible teams than they have bowls which is the same issue you would face in the Sun Belt.

Much better hoops league for WKU...

(11-01-2013 11:43 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  At the moment, CUSA has better bowl access...even though some of those games are 20 gazillion miles away from the member schools. That being said, the SBC continues to get better each day, and we'll eventually get the number of bowls we need. It just takes time.

Its worth nothing that UNT and MTSU are both having tremendous success in CUSA and both were average to below average in the Belt the last few years. That's a good sign that we have already caught up in the competition game. Now its just perception.

It's not that those teams are competitive in the CUSA this year that proves that, it's the fact that SBC teams have beat CUSA teams on the field the last couple of years.

If TxSt were in the current C USA they most likely would already be bowl eligible.

I watched a replay of Rice and N Texas last night. Yea, I am almost certain TxSt would be bowl eligible as those jokers were tied for second and third in C USA West behind of all teams, TOOLAME.

(11-01-2013 11:17 PM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  I noted the following comment by a Troy poster in the "Congrats ULM" thread........

More than any other program, we are probably tied at the hip, as neither of us population wise have much of a chance for C-USA

and honestly, I don't get it. I just don't understand what seems like such a strong desire on the part of some Belt teams to move to C-USA.

I have to qualify this thread and my comments by admitting that I'm not 100% up to snuff on exactly who's in, and who's out over there though I understand that Tulane and E. Carolina are moving on. There may be others.

I also understand that Western Kentucky is on the way in next year and see that MTSU and UNT, former Belt members are now members there. And if my memory serves me, I see there are a couple of schools from Florida, former Belt members, who are also there today.

To this observer, it looks like C-USA today is basically a collection of former Belt members. So with that I ask, why the desire to be there? Money? Prestige? A "bigger" conference?

Money I'd understand, if that's actually the case and with more slots for bowl-eligible teams at C-USA, it seems there would be more money there, at least in football.

Prestige? Please. Place that one where the sun doesn't shine. To paraphrase the song, "meet the new C-USA, same as the old Belt".

Want a bigger conference? I'd say work to expand the Belt and make it bigger and better. I absolutely love the addition of TxState which appears to be first class in every respect, and I also believe GaState, App State and Georgia Southern will all prove to be excellent additions to the Belt.

Personally, the only reason I'd ever want to see the Cajuns make what I consider would be nothing more than a lateral move to C-USA, would be for the fun of watching medics attempting to figure out how to administer mouth-to-mouth to LaTech fans who have worn their heads up their butts for several decades now.

I'm sure this has been discussed ad nauseam here, so forgive me. I do however, feel better for having posted this thread.

Perception. Even though we are pounding that CUSA ssss consecutive years running, its still considered bottom of the barrel. UL is putting 126 million into athletic upgrades. Groung breaking to be announced in the "very" near future.
We arent putting 126 mil into this to stay in the Belt. CUSA, as pitiful as it seems would still be a stepping stone to something bigger and better. Its happening. Trust me. its happening. I might add that the top CUSA school would be 3rd or 4th in the Sunbelt at this time... they are putrid.

Z

(11-02-2013 08:12 AM)zeebart21 Wrote:  

(11-01-2013 11:17 PM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  I noted the following comment by a Troy poster in the "Congrats ULM" thread........

More than any other program, we are probably tied at the hip, as neither of us population wise have much of a chance for C-USA

and honestly, I don't get it. I just don't understand what seems like such a strong desire on the part of some Belt teams to move to C-USA.

I have to qualify this thread and my comments by admitting that I'm not 100% up to snuff on exactly who's in, and who's out over there though I understand that Tulane and E. Carolina are moving on. There may be others.

I also understand that Western Kentucky is on the way in next year and see that MTSU and UNT, former Belt members are now members there. And if my memory serves me, I see there are a couple of schools from Florida, former Belt members, who are also there today.

To this observer, it looks like C-USA today is basically a collection of former Belt members. So with that I ask, why the desire to be there? Money? Prestige? A "bigger" conference?

Money I'd understand, if that's actually the case and with more slots for bowl-eligible teams at C-USA, it seems there would be more money there, at least in football.

Prestige? Please. Place that one where the sun doesn't shine. To paraphrase the song, "meet the new C-USA, same as the old Belt".

Want a bigger conference? I'd say work to expand the Belt and make it bigger and better. I absolutely love the addition of TxState which appears to be first class in every respect, and I also believe GaState, App State and Georgia Southern will all prove to be excellent additions to the Belt.

Personally, the only reason I'd ever want to see the Cajuns make what I consider would be nothing more than a lateral move to C-USA, would be for the fun of watching medics attempting to figure out how to administer mouth-to-mouth to LaTech fans who have worn their heads up their butts for several decades now.

I'm sure this has been discussed ad nauseam here, so forgive me. I do however, feel better for having posted this thread.

Perception. Even though we are pounding that CUSA ssss consecutive years running, its still considered bottom of the barrel. UL is putting 126 million into athletic upgrades. Groung breaking to be announced in the "very" near future.
We arent putting 126 mil into this to stay in the Belt. CUSA, as pitiful as it seems would still be a stepping stone to something bigger and better. Its happening. Trust me. its happening. I might add that the top CUSA school would be 3rd or 4th in the Sunbelt at this time... they are putrid.

Z

the fact is that as long as rice-so miss-utep-marshall are in that conference it will be considered a step above us. la tech unt wku utsa are schools with no more of a pedigree than belt schools but overall c-usa is looked on as a step up. our two most well known programs are stAte and u-laf. we need a cpl. of other schools to have some success and make a name for themselves and we need to quit talking about adding no name regional schools like jmu and liberty and eku etc. If we had a core of schools that beat some name teams that would make a big difference.

With what all is taking place in FBS the moves may be irrelevant. I think CUSA and SunBelt will look dramatically different in 4-5 years.

Based on what is happening in the Power Five conferences now I honestly think there will be a restructuring of the so-called Group of Five conferences in a few years. The Power Five is in separation mode and in light of comments made earlier this week by Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney it will be sooner than later. It won't take long for their 4 team playoff to expand to 8 teams once the controversy over who was left out creeps in. That will mandate 14 bowls, 15 if they incorporate one of the Big Four into the national championship game, which is about half of the bowls on this years schedule. It isn't hard to figure out which ones will be involved if you look at current conference bowl tie ins. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but it appears the groundwork for this has been being laid for several years.

The TV money that will be poured into this P5 playoff will be mind boggling. There are only so many dollars to go around and my fear is it will eat up most of the revenue the GOF schools now get. Less TV money means less $'s schools have to send teams to across far flung conference. A restructuring of the GOF into more regional conferences will have to take place. The GOF will have no choice but to have their own playoff, that I'm guessing will more resemble the FCS model with on campus games to save money.

What the big guys started in 1977, complete autonomy in their own division, will finally come to fruition 40 years later. I have been involved in this stuff a long time and the main reason I have wanted App out of 1-AA / FCS for years. We won't be in the top level, but we won't be in the bottom either.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/delany-says...--spt.html

I don't really want to be there anymore. They are crap in football, and they are heading down in hoops. WKU and MTSU will be the best thing about C-USA by next year, but I'll gladly put some of our SBC teams up against them. The SBC is on the rise in both basketball and football, always strong in baseball. Academically, they have Rice and that's big.

Projection: more bowl bids for Sun Belt over the next 3-4 years, while C-USA struggles to fill its slots -- even with so many members. Advantage: SBC.

SBC becomes a true hoops mid-major once again, about equal to C-USA. Perception: SBC up, C-USA down. Advantage:SBC.

Academics: Rice is a very nice carrot and will be snatched up by another conference.

Agree or disagree, but it's clear there is now an argument for the SBC. A year ago, there was none.

(11-02-2013 09:05 AM)Wild Bill Kelso Wrote:  With what all is taking place in FBS the moves may be irrelevant. I think CUSA and SunBelt will look dramatically different in 4-5 years.

Based on what is happening in the Power Five conferences now I honestly think there will be a restructuring of the so-called Group of Five conferences in a few years. The Power Five is in separation mode and in light of comments made earlier this week by Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney it will be sooner than later. It won't take long for their 4 team playoff to expand to 8 teams once the controversy over who was left out creeps in. That will mandate 14 bowls, 15 if they incorporate one of the Big Four into the national championship game, which is about half of the bowls on this years schedule. It isn't hard to figure out which ones will be involved if you look at current conference bowl tie ins. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but it appears the groundwork for this has been being laid for several years.

The TV money that will be poured into this P5 playoff will be mind boggling. There are only so many dollars to go around and my fear is it will eat up most of the revenue the GOF schools now get. Less TV money means less $'s schools have to send teams to across far flung conference. A restructuring of the GOF into more regional conferences will have to take place. The GOF will have no choice but to have their own playoff, that I'm guessing will more resemble the FCS model with on campus games to save money.

What the big guys started in 1977, complete autonomy in their own division, will finally come to fruition 40 years later. I have been involved in this stuff a long time and the main reason I have wanted App out of 1-AA / FCS for years. We won't be in the top level, but we won't be in the bottom either.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/delany-says...--spt.html

Good post Wild Bill. In a thousand words or less, teach me some stuff about App State. I'm really in the dark.

(11-02-2013 10:13 AM)Journeyman22 Wrote:  I don't really want to be there anymore. They are crap in football, and they are heading down in hoops. WKU and MTSU will be the best thing about C-USA by next year, but I'll gladly put some of our SBC teams up against them. The SBC is on the rise in both basketball and football, always strong in baseball. Academically, they have Rice and that's big.

Projection: more bowl bids for Sun Belt over the next 3-4 years, while C-USA struggles to fill its slots -- even with so many members. Advantage: SBC.

SBC becomes a true hoops mid-major once again, about equal to C-USA. Perception: SBC up, C-USA down. Advantage:SBC.

Academics: Rice is a very nice carrot and will be snatched up by another conference.

Agree or disagree, but it's clear there is now an argument for the SBC. A year ago, there was none.

Excellent post. Glad to see a like-minded, pro Belt poster.

(11-02-2013 10:19 AM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  

(11-02-2013 10:13 AM)Journeyman22 Wrote:  I don't really want to be there anymore. They are crap in football, and they are heading down in hoops. WKU and MTSU will be the best thing about C-USA by next year, but I'll gladly put some of our SBC teams up against them. The SBC is on the rise in both basketball and football, always strong in baseball. Academically, they have Rice and that's big.

Projection: more bowl bids for Sun Belt over the next 3-4 years, while C-USA struggles to fill its slots -- even with so many members. Advantage: SBC.

SBC becomes a true hoops mid-major once again, about equal to C-USA. Perception: SBC up, C-USA down. Advantage:SBC.

Academics: Rice is a very nice carrot and will be snatched up by another conference.

Agree or disagree, but it's clear there is now an argument for the SBC. A year ago, there was none.

Excellent post. Glad to see a like-minded, pro Belt poster.

I'm the one that posted that about us and Troy being tied at the hip. I am good with the SBC. The only thing C-USA has over us right now is bowls and that hopefully will change soon.

(11-02-2013 10:41 AM)Arrowhead Wrote:  

(11-02-2013 10:19 AM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  

(11-02-2013 10:13 AM)Journeyman22 Wrote:  I don't really want to be there anymore. They are crap in football, and they are heading down in hoops. WKU and MTSU will be the best thing about C-USA by next year, but I'll gladly put some of our SBC teams up against them. The SBC is on the rise in both basketball and football, always strong in baseball. Academically, they have Rice and that's big.

Projection: more bowl bids for Sun Belt over the next 3-4 years, while C-USA struggles to fill its slots -- even with so many members. Advantage: SBC.

SBC becomes a true hoops mid-major once again, about equal to C-USA. Perception: SBC up, C-USA down. Advantage:SBC.

Academics: Rice is a very nice carrot and will be snatched up by another conference.

Agree or disagree, but it's clear there is now an argument for the SBC. A year ago, there was none.

Excellent post. Glad to see a like-minded, pro Belt poster.

I'm the one that posted that about us and Troy being tied at the hip. I am good with the SBC. The only thing C-USA has over us right now is bowls and that hopefully will change soon.

Bigger conference with more bowl options to be sure. But as someone else pointed out, more bowl-eligible teams as well so someone's likely to be on the outside looking in.

I think key to the Belt's success, aside from recruiting and retaining solid members, will be scheduling better OOC opponents AND THEN BEATING THEM CONSISTENTLY.

(11-01-2013 11:29 PM)TXSTRiverBobcat Wrote:  The biggest reason for me is this, TXST is playing tomorrow for win #6. Now that doesn't really mean anything in the Sun Belt, I mean we can win out and end at 9-3 with a 5-2 record in conference and still not make one of the 2 bowl slots available to the Sun Belt. There's likely to not be open spots from other conferences this year too. However, if we were in conference USA this year, we would be playing for a bowl game tomorrow. And with weaker competition as a whole in conference USA, it makes it even easier to get those wins.

That problem goes away next year.

(11-02-2013 09:02 AM)runamuck Wrote:  

(11-02-2013 08:12 AM)zeebart21 Wrote:  

(11-01-2013 11:17 PM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  I noted the following comment by a Troy poster in the "Congrats ULM" thread........

More than any other program, we are probably tied at the hip, as neither of us population wise have much of a chance for C-USA

and honestly, I don't get it. I just don't understand what seems like such a strong desire on the part of some Belt teams to move to C-USA.

I have to qualify this thread and my comments by admitting that I'm not 100% up to snuff on exactly who's in, and who's out over there though I understand that Tulane and E. Carolina are moving on. There may be others.

I also understand that Western Kentucky is on the way in next year and see that MTSU and UNT, former Belt members are now members there. And if my memory serves me, I see there are a couple of schools from Florida, former Belt members, who are also there today.

To this observer, it looks like C-USA today is basically a collection of former Belt members. So with that I ask, why the desire to be there? Money? Prestige? A "bigger" conference?

Money I'd understand, if that's actually the case and with more slots for bowl-eligible teams at C-USA, it seems there would be more money there, at least in football.

Prestige? Please. Place that one where the sun doesn't shine. To paraphrase the song, "meet the new C-USA, same as the old Belt".

Want a bigger conference? I'd say work to expand the Belt and make it bigger and better. I absolutely love the addition of TxState which appears to be first class in every respect, and I also believe GaState, App State and Georgia Southern will all prove to be excellent additions to the Belt.

Personally, the only reason I'd ever want to see the Cajuns make what I consider would be nothing more than a lateral move to C-USA, would be for the fun of watching medics attempting to figure out how to administer mouth-to-mouth to LaTech fans who have worn their heads up their butts for several decades now.

I'm sure this has been discussed ad nauseam here, so forgive me. I do however, feel better for having posted this thread.

Perception. Even though we are pounding that CUSA ssss consecutive years running, its still considered bottom of the barrel. UL is putting 126 million into athletic upgrades. Groung breaking to be announced in the "very" near future.
We arent putting 126 mil into this to stay in the Belt. CUSA, as pitiful as it seems would still be a stepping stone to something bigger and better. Its happening. Trust me. its happening. I might add that the top CUSA school would be 3rd or 4th in the Sunbelt at this time... they are putrid.

Z

the fact is that as long as rice-so miss-utep-marshall are in that conference it will be considered a step above us. la tech unt wku utsa are schools with no more of a pedigree than belt schools but overall c-usa is looked on as a step up. our two most well known programs are stAte and u-laf. we need a cpl. of other schools to have some success and make a name for themselves and we need to quit talking about adding no name regional schools like jmu and liberty and eku etc. If we had a core of schools that beat some name teams that would make a big difference.

But that is just that...perception. Southern Miss is perceived as a better program then Belt schools, but they are staring in the barrel of a 24 game losing streak.

Rice gets a huge advantage over everyone else because of academics, but is there anyone here who would argue that most belt teams could beat them regularly?

Marshall is still benefitting from its early years at the FBS level when it ran away with the MAC a couple times. They've been consistently average since moving to CUSA.

Those teams benefit from history. They had more success early on at the FBS level than many of our schools did, and because of that they are perceived to be better. At this moment in time though? I'd put all 8 SBC teams up against USM, and put the top half of the league up against Rice and Marshall any day of the week.

Its a screwed up system that benefits those who were good twenty years ago.

CUSA currently has more tv money, better bowl tie ins, just raided some of the better belt basketball programs, is more geographically proximal (IDAHO?), has a history of greater success than SBC, better public perception than SBC.

Sorry, the reality is it : CUSA > SBC when looking at the #s. Now hold a positive w/l record vs CUSA for more than 2-3 seasons and you'll see the perception change.

"What's the rub re joining C-USA?"

It's not really CUSA anymore, that's the rub...that said from money and bowls, to prestige and exposure...CUSA is seen as better.

(11-02-2013 08:09 AM)CajunExpress Wrote:  If TxSt were in the current C USA they most likely would already be bowl eligible.

I watched a replay of Rice and N Texas last night. Yea, I am almost certain TxSt would be bowl eligible as those jokers were tied for second and third in C USA West behind of all teams, TOOLAME.

"Toolame" is sitting at 6-2 (4-0) with Yulman stadium under construction all before moving to the AAC next season.