With the announcement of the Sun Belt and CUSA TV deal over the past few days it seems to me we have reached a tipping point placing the Sun Belt squarely in the lead over its rival conference. Over the past three or four seasons it has seemed to me that both conferences competitively have been on somewhat equal footing with CUSA having a slight edge in resources. Now it seems that the Sun Belt has the momentum to race ahead for good. Am I totally off base? Let's discuss.

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Tallest midget. The teams (including Appalachian State) in conference need to win some damn games.

There are a few things CUSA is still ahead of us in. I think they’re a better overall basketball league. For the most part, they have better budgets and arguably better facilities than a lot of us. And they do a great job with attendance compared to a lot of us.

But on the other hand, the notion that CUSA is on the next rung of the ladder up from us is 100% dead. The teams who left for CUSA thinking they were moving up in the world, were actually just stepping to the left.

I’m not going to say we surpassed them as a conference, but their new tv deal is the final nail in the coffin for anyone who thinks CUSA is superior to the Sun Belt.

(03-14-2018 07:51 PM)troutbummike Wrote:  Tallest midget. The teams (including Appalachian State) in conference need to win some damn games.

Tallest midget really? CUSA is our rival conference so before you can compete with a petite conference like the American you have to beat your rival midget like CUSA.

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I think there is virtually no difference between the Sun Belt, CUSA, and the MAC. The MWC has a half a foot ahead (especially if they get BYU back). The AAC is a full step ahead. The P5 is a mile ahead.

Visual representation of where the FBS conferences are

SEC
Big Ten
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.
ACC
Pac 12
Big 12
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.
.
.
.
.
AAC
.
.
MWC
.
SBC
CUSA
MAC

(03-14-2018 07:59 PM)Georgia_Power_Company Wrote:  

(03-14-2018 07:51 PM)troutbummike Wrote:  Tallest midget. The teams (including Appalachian State) in conference need to win some damn games.

Tallest midget really? CUSA is our rival conference so before you can compete with a petite conference like the American you have to beat your rival midget like CUSA.

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It wasn't meant to be insulting.... Our two conferences are repeatedly ranked as the 2 worst (although Western Michigan skews that for the past few years) in FBS. That said, I don't think it's coincidental that the belt is getting more respect since Georgia Southern and Appalachian State joined. Let's win some games!

(03-14-2018 08:24 PM)EigenEagle Wrote:  Visual representation of where the FBS conferences are

SEC
Big Ten
.
.
ACC
Pac 12
Big 12
.
.
.
.
.
.
AAC
.
.
MWC
.
SBC
CUSA
MAC

That's fair but I would disagree with the MAC being on the bottom. I still think they are the next rung up on the ladder with CUSA bringing up the bottom.

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Curious and just too lazy to try and look this up but what is the head to head between SBC and CUSA in football the last two years? SBC and MAC? If that easy to find without going through each schools schedule and checking scores.

Where do we rate with conference wide rating system the last two years? Those are not the ultimate answer but I know they exist.

My gut tells me SBC is trending up and the CUSA is not but I am curious about some numbers.

(03-14-2018 08:34 PM)McLeansvilleAppFan Wrote:  Curious and just too lazy to try and look this up but what is the head to head between SBC and CUSA in football the last two years? SBC and MAC? If that easy to find without going through each schools schedule and checking scores.

Where do we rate with conference wide rating system the last two years? Those are not the ultimate answer but I know they exist.

My gut tells me SBC is trending up and the CUSA is not but I am curious about some numbers.

I won't do that math either, but based on my memory (and I had to correct this after my wife mentioned losing to umass) App State in OOC v G5 boasts - 2-1 v CUSA, 1-0 v MWC, 4-0 v MAC, and the game that didn't happen v umass Independent 0-1.

The MAC benefits in that as a set of schools (all but Buffalo & Akron) have been in the game since the formation of FBS football in the early 80's.

They aren't quite AAC like in tradition but have been around forever including a few which are original NCAA D1 basketball schools.

(03-14-2018 07:52 PM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote:  There are a few things CUSA is still ahead of us in. I think they’re a better overall basketball league. For the most part, they have better budgets and arguably better facilities than a lot of us. And they do a great job with attendance compared to a lot of us.

But on the other hand, the notion that CUSA is on the next rung of the ladder up from us is 100% dead. The teams who left for CUSA thinking they were moving up in the world, were actually just stepping to the left.

I’m not going to say we surpassed them as a conference, but their new tv deal is the final nail in the coffin for anyone who thinks CUSA is superior to the Sun Belt.

I'd have to disagree a little when it comes to facilities. Have you seen where UAB plays football? Heck, go look at some of CUSA's baseball fields... they are really bad.

(03-14-2018 11:28 PM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote:  Heck, go look at some of CUSA's baseball fields... they are really bad.

UTSA's is awful

(03-14-2018 07:34 PM)Georgia_Power_Company Wrote:  With the announcement of the Sun Belt and CUSA TV deal over the past few days it seems to me we have reached a tipping point placing the Sun Belt squarely in the lead over its rival conference. Over the past three or four seasons it has seemed to me that both conferences competitively have been on somewhat equal footing with CUSA having a slight edge in resources. Now it seems that the Sun Belt has the momentum to race ahead for good. Am I totally off base? Let's discuss.

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Overtaken? I mean, are we better...maybe. But national perception yawns at either league trying to claim they are better.

(03-14-2018 11:41 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(03-14-2018 07:34 PM)Georgia_Power_Company Wrote:  With the announcement of the Sun Belt and CUSA TV deal over the past few days it seems to me we have reached a tipping point placing the Sun Belt squarely in the lead over its rival conference. Over the past three or four seasons it has seemed to me that both conferences competitively have been on somewhat equal footing with CUSA having a slight edge in resources. Now it seems that the Sun Belt has the momentum to race ahead for good. Am I totally off base? Let's discuss.

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Overtaken? I mean, are we better...maybe. But national perception yawns at either league trying to claim they are better.

No I understand that perception of the casual fan says we are still on the bottom or equal to CUSA but I was thinking more along the lines of reality not perception. I'm not saying right now today March the 15th we are ahead but I saying with the new TV deal we should now pull ahead and stay that way.

(03-14-2018 11:28 PM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote:  

(03-14-2018 07:52 PM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote:  There are a few things CUSA is still ahead of us in. I think they’re a better overall basketball league. For the most part, they have better budgets and arguably better facilities than a lot of us. And they do a great job with attendance compared to a lot of us.

But on the other hand, the notion that CUSA is on the next rung of the ladder up from us is 100% dead. The teams who left for CUSA thinking they were moving up in the world, were actually just stepping to the left.

I’m not going to say we surpassed them as a conference, but their new tv deal is the final nail in the coffin for anyone who thinks CUSA is superior to the Sun Belt.

I'd have to disagree a little when it comes to facilities. Have you seen where UAB plays football? Heck, go look at some of CUSA's baseball fields... they are really bad.

Yeah but have you seen where USA plays football? There's not really a metric to measure how nice a stadium or an arena is, but I think a majority of CUSA schools have better facilities than a majority of Sun Belt schools. Two CUSA football stadiums are used for bowl games. And baseball facilities? The Sun Belt has some really nice ones, but also some really bad ones. Georgia State, App State, Little Rock, and Arkansas State are nothing you would want to tell your friends about.

(03-15-2018 07:53 AM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote:  

(03-14-2018 11:28 PM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote:  

(03-14-2018 07:52 PM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote:  There are a few things CUSA is still ahead of us in. I think they’re a better overall basketball league. For the most part, they have better budgets and arguably better facilities than a lot of us. And they do a great job with attendance compared to a lot of us.

But on the other hand, the notion that CUSA is on the next rung of the ladder up from us is 100% dead. The teams who left for CUSA thinking they were moving up in the world, were actually just stepping to the left.

I’m not going to say we surpassed them as a conference, but their new tv deal is the final nail in the coffin for anyone who thinks CUSA is superior to the Sun Belt.

I'd have to disagree a little when it comes to facilities. Have you seen where UAB plays football? Heck, go look at some of CUSA's baseball fields... they are really bad.

Yeah but have you seen where USA plays football? There's not really a metric to measure how nice a stadium or an arena is, but I think a majority of CUSA schools have better facilities than a majority of Sun Belt schools. Two CUSA football stadiums are used for bowl games. And baseball facilities? The Sun Belt has some really nice ones, but also some really bad ones. Georgia State, App State, Little Rock, and Arkansas State are nothing you would want to tell your friends about.

Why does hosting a bowl game make the facility better? Montgomery hosts the Camilia Bowl in a high school stadium with 25k seats. And why do you knock South Alabama's stadium while praising CUSA stadiums for having bowl games?

As far as budgets go, there's pretty much parity across the board when you don't consider the budgets of the non-football schools (which can't be interpreted the same way).

(03-15-2018 08:04 AM)EigenEagle Wrote:  

(03-15-2018 07:53 AM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote:  

(03-14-2018 11:28 PM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote:  

(03-14-2018 07:52 PM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote:  There are a few things CUSA is still ahead of us in. I think they’re a better overall basketball league. For the most part, they have better budgets and arguably better facilities than a lot of us. And they do a great job with attendance compared to a lot of us.

But on the other hand, the notion that CUSA is on the next rung of the ladder up from us is 100% dead. The teams who left for CUSA thinking they were moving up in the world, were actually just stepping to the left.

I’m not going to say we surpassed them as a conference, but their new tv deal is the final nail in the coffin for anyone who thinks CUSA is superior to the Sun Belt.

I'd have to disagree a little when it comes to facilities. Have you seen where UAB plays football? Heck, go look at some of CUSA's baseball fields... they are really bad.

Yeah but have you seen where USA plays football? There's not really a metric to measure how nice a stadium or an arena is, but I think a majority of CUSA schools have better facilities than a majority of Sun Belt schools. Two CUSA football stadiums are used for bowl games. And baseball facilities? The Sun Belt has some really nice ones, but also some really bad ones. Georgia State, App State, Little Rock, and Arkansas State are nothing you would want to tell your friends about.

Why does hosting a bowl game make the facility better? Montgomery hosts the Camilia Bowl in a high school stadium with 25k seats. And why do you knock South Alabama's stadium while praising CUSA stadiums for having bowl games?

As far as budgets go, there's pretty much parity across the board when you don't consider the budgets of the non-football schools (which can't be interpreted the same way).

Well the Sun Bowl is on the campus of UTEP and the Boca Raton Bowl is on the campus of FAU. Ladd isn't South's football stadium and it's across town from their campus so it's a little different. Same with UAB.

(03-14-2018 08:27 PM)troutbummike Wrote:  

(03-14-2018 07:59 PM)Georgia_Power_Company Wrote:  

(03-14-2018 07:51 PM)troutbummike Wrote:  Tallest midget. The teams (including Appalachian State) in conference need to win some damn games.

Tallest midget really? CUSA is our rival conference so before you can compete with a petite conference like the American you have to beat your rival midget like CUSA.

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It wasn't meant to be insulting.... Our two conferences are repeatedly ranked as the 2 worst (although Western Michigan skews that for the past few years) in FBS. That said, I don't think it's coincidental that the belt is getting more respect since Georgia Southern and Appalachian State joined. Let's win some games!

Don't hurt your arm patting yourself on the back too much. Is it possible the entire league is getting better? Is it possible that App has had better results due to scheduling, i.e., State? Is it possible that the investments the schools are making in facilities working? Is it possible the media situations is much improved and making a contribution, etc, etc.,

CUSA is probably better on the field at the moment. We did not have a good year outside of bowl games last season. I would give them a slight edge, but it's not the gulf that UNT fans think it is. Blowing the doors off the mean green was an eye opener for many of them.