(11-28-2019 01:29 PM)DustMyBroom Wrote:  

(11-28-2019 11:58 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  What has happened to USM? Did nurturing yet another group of big city schools that moved to greener pastures just break the administration’s spirit?

When AState moved Division I in football in 1975 until about 2010, 35 years give or take, if you had asked AState fans what their aspirations for football were they would have said USM.

Since then USM wouldn’t be in their top five. The fire seems to be out in how the school handles athletics especially post Fedora


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The combination of getting passed over for membership to the AAC (which most Southern Miss fans blame on our rivals), Ellllllllllllis happening, and the Tyndall ruling coming down hard on us is what killed our spirit. All three happened within about a two year period, along with massive turnover in the athletic department. Even our compliance staff left, poached by Memphis.

We’re playing games against teams that no one recognizes in a conference that clearly doesn’t value us.

It’s led directly to the “one of us” era, where we hire coaches with direct ties to the program for largely sentimental reasons rather than going after the best available. The result is a baseball program that doesn’t take risks, a basketball program that just hired a guy with a losing d1 record, and a football coach whose 28 wins in four years includes 20 conference wins, four FCS wins, and three Sun Belt wins. The only other win was against Kentucky...in his very first game.

Fan apathy is at an all time high. If a change isn’t made somewhere and somehow, a department that’s already suffering is going to dwindle away to nothing.

The good news is that Bennett has been far from idle. He’s taken advantage of the most favorable political situation in Southern Miss’s history to fix some glaring academic issues, and managed to push through some finance reforms for athletics. He also hasn’t hesitated to run off athletic directors who weren’t performing up to his standard. He also just finished a two year stint as head of CUSA’s Executive Council.

McClain was a long time member of Southern Miss’s athletic department before leaving to become Troy’s AD. He obviously would know everyone in the room at a Sun Belt meeting, and he’s acutely aware of the need for change at Southern Miss. One need look no further than the changes he made to the game day atmosphere this season to see that.

That said, the Sun Belt isn’t an ideal fit. Southern Miss is adamantly opposed to playing off-Saturday regular season football games, even on the road. Additionally, the divisional alignment isn’t ideal. If UTA and UALR stay in the conference after the add, it would create a situation where Southern Miss is the eastern most West team outside football season, even though USM and USA are very close to each other. Southern Miss would be stuck playing a lot of schools its fan base doesn’t know...exactly the problem we have now. There would need to be some type of optimized schedule adopted to make it work, and I’m not sure existing Sun Belt schools would want to extend that kind of special treatment.

USM Divisional distances C-USA
UAB 232
LaTech 239
Rice 436
UNT 528
UTSA 631
UTEP 1124

Sun Belt
USA 95 (football only divisional opponent)
ULM 207
Louisiana 223
UALR 347 (non-football)
AState 366 (stadiums both by US 49 not that anyone would drive US49 the whole way)
UTA 511 (non-football)
TXST 600


USM in the Olympic sports alignment would have 4 closer teams than the four furthest in CUSA.
In football. In football would have four closer than the four furthest CUSA.

Doesn't mean can sell it but the geography certainly works

(11-29-2019 10:05 AM)Usajags Wrote:  

(11-29-2019 09:56 AM)APPrising Wrote:  I'd certainly be interested in Marshal. USM backing out of our game last year was the sign of a weak program. Not sure I want them. I'd rather get one of those Florida schools to give SunBelt more exposure in that state.

Hell no to the F_U schools, been there, done that. People in south Florida barely care about Miami, there in no interest in the F_U programs.

I still believe had UAb dropped football a year earlier, they would now be in the new Big East, and would still not be playing football.

USM had an ECU like program, now both of those programs are a shadow of who they used to be.

There is a near zero chance we would have been in the Big East.

(11-29-2019 09:45 AM)ericsaid Wrote:  

(11-28-2019 10:07 PM)APPdiesel Wrote:  This recent sunbelt growth is so new its going to take 5 more similar years and 1 or 2 more programs making significant strides for any real administrative desire to materialize. App has been good in this leage for 4 years. Louisiana 2. Georgia State 1. Georgia Southern has teetered between good and bad.

No university president makes decisions that rashly. Fan sentiment is great and it can be a catalyst for change but it's impulsive and there's a reason fans don't get to make major program altering decisions.

That said, the Sunbelt needs teams that win, not ones that are living off waning 30 year old brand value.

Pride | Passion | Purpose

The issue Southern Miss is running into is that they have no rivalries and hardly any match-ups within driving distance. In the Sun Belt they would get Louisiana Lafayette/Monroe, Troy, South Alabama, and Georgia State (a bit longer). UAB lost football for two years and after being the best of the rest and being stuck in C-USA playing Old Dominion, Charlotte, F_U, and the other new schools, their fans have lost interest.

I feel the same thing would happen to many schools who had a proud history of competing with anyone only to be left behind. I know ECU would've likely tried to go independent rather than stay in C-USA had they been left behind, and they almost were.

How did UAB fans lose interest? Nearly a 25,000 average for the year with a really bad home schedule and a few games played during rainstorm/thunderstorms.

We hosted:

5-5 FCS Alabama State - 90 miles
1-10 South Alabama - 257 miles
8-3 La. Tech - 386 miles
2-9 Rice - 671 miles
1-10 Old Dominion - 715 miles
1-10 UTEP - 1,273 miles

Maybe the worst UAB home schedule I can think of.

If UAB is fans are losing interest in anything, it is basketball. The basketball program has been down spiraling for a while. Need to hire a proven coach

(11-29-2019 07:01 PM)ShrackUAB Wrote:  

(11-29-2019 09:45 AM)ericsaid Wrote:  

(11-28-2019 10:07 PM)APPdiesel Wrote:  This recent sunbelt growth is so new its going to take 5 more similar years and 1 or 2 more programs making significant strides for any real administrative desire to materialize. App has been good in this leage for 4 years. Louisiana 2. Georgia State 1. Georgia Southern has teetered between good and bad.

No university president makes decisions that rashly. Fan sentiment is great and it can be a catalyst for change but it's impulsive and there's a reason fans don't get to make major program altering decisions.

That said, the Sunbelt needs teams that win, not ones that are living off waning 30 year old brand value.

Pride | Passion | Purpose

The issue Southern Miss is running into is that they have no rivalries and hardly any match-ups within driving distance. In the Sun Belt they would get Louisiana Lafayette/Monroe, Troy, South Alabama, and Georgia State (a bit longer). UAB lost football for two years and after being the best of the rest and being stuck in C-USA playing Old Dominion, Charlotte, F_U, and the other new schools, their fans have lost interest.

I feel the same thing would happen to many schools who had a proud history of competing with anyone only to be left behind. I know ECU would've likely tried to go independent rather than stay in C-USA had they been left behind, and they almost were.

How did UAB fans lose interest? Nearly a 25,000 average for the year with a really bad home schedule and a few games played during rainstorm/thunderstorms.

We hosted:

5-5 FCS Alabama State - 90 miles
1-10 South Alabama - 257 miles
8-3 La. Tech - 386 miles
2-9 Rice - 671 miles
1-10 Old Dominion - 715 miles
1-10 UTEP - 1,273 miles

Maybe the worst UAB home schedule I can think of.

If UAB is fans are losing interest in anything, it is basketball. The basketball program has been down spiraling for a while. Need to hire a proven coach

The ASU and South game helped your attendance numbers, but nothing has helped more the Coach Clark. He has been great for you guys, for y’all, I hope you can keep him a few more years. You guys took the hit in basketball, not playing Louisville, Cincinnati and Memphis every year I’m sure has hurt your recruiting. I know when I hear the advertisement for a UAB basketball and you guys are playing FIU. Just not the same ring as the other games had.

The decline of UAB hoops not resulting in decisive action is surprising.

(11-29-2019 07:16 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  The decline of UAB hoops not resulting in decisive action is surprising.

They have been focusing on football the last couple years.

(11-29-2019 07:29 PM)Usajags Wrote:  

(11-29-2019 07:16 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  The decline of UAB hoops not resulting in decisive action is surprising.

They have been focusing on football the last couple years.

With your new stadium suspect that's going to be a harder investment to get a big return on in the future.

EDIT
Yes I know UAB's going new stadium too but being so far from any other FBS and especially P5 is a big plus

Adding Marshall would reignite some old SoCon rivalries with GaSo and App which would be good for the east. And I'm assuming Southern Miss, albeit never a Sun Belt member, would be happily welcomed in the West. So it would be a win-win. I'd say its better in the Sun Belt than CUSA at the moment too.

Having two schools defect from C-USA might help out with that stigma of the Sun Belt being the bottom of the FBS and more like greener pastures.

Nothing is happening until the tv revenue is there to support it. Does adding Marshall and USM/UAB suddenly convince ESPN to double the league payout? I doubt it.

Pride | Passion | Purpose

(11-29-2019 09:55 PM)APPdiesel Wrote:  Nothing is happening until the tv revenue is there to support it. Does adding Marshall and USM/UAB suddenly convince ESPN to double the league payout? I doubt it.

Pride | Passion | Purpose

Double, no, but do those teams add value, absolutely.

Some folks in C-USA and the SBC need to get over their egos and swap some programs around to create some more regional configurations. For starters:

Texas St, Ark St, ULL, and ULM for FAU, FIU, ODU, Charlotte, Marshall, and WKU

C-USA West: UTEP, UTSA, Rice, UNT, Texas St, Ark St
C-USA East: ULL, ULM, LA Tech, USM, UAB, MTSU

SBC South: FAU, FIU, GA St, GA South, Troy, USA
SBC North: Marshall, WKU, ODU, Charlotte, App St, Coastal Carolina

It’s not perfect and could use a little tweaking and horse trading but it’s a step in the right direction

(11-29-2019 09:45 AM)ericsaid Wrote:  

(11-28-2019 10:07 PM)APPdiesel Wrote:  This recent sunbelt growth is so new its going to take 5 more similar years and 1 or 2 more programs making significant strides for any real administrative desire to materialize. App has been good in this leage for 4 years. Louisiana 2. Georgia State 1. Georgia Southern has teetered between good and bad.

No university president makes decisions that rashly. Fan sentiment is great and it can be a catalyst for change but it's impulsive and there's a reason fans don't get to make major program altering decisions.

That said, the Sunbelt needs teams that win, not ones that are living off waning 30 year old brand value.

Pride | Passion | Purpose

The issue Southern Miss is running into is that they have no rivalries and hardly any match-ups within driving distance. In the Sun Belt they would get Louisiana Lafayette/Monroe, Troy, South Alabama, and Georgia State (a bit longer). UAB lost football for two years and after being the best of the rest and being stuck in C-USA playing Old Dominion, Charlotte, F_U, and the other new schools, their fans have lost interest.

I feel the same thing would happen to many schools who had a proud history of competing with anyone only to be left behind. I know ECU would've likely tried to go independent rather than stay in C-USA had they been left behind, and they almost were.

I don't buy excuses, I buy results.

Pride | Passion | Purpose

(11-27-2019 07:04 PM)GaSoEagle Wrote:  If there is real interest from the administrations of USM and Marshall I think there would be reciprocal interest from the Sun Belt

It's definitely a topic of discussion on their conference board. The poster that started it linked an article from January of this year showing that the SBC received the 3rd highest payout from the CFP. It's an interesting thread.

Link: https://www.csnbbs.com/thread-888896.html

(11-29-2019 11:37 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Some folks in C-USA and the SBC need to get over their egos and swap some programs around to create some more regional configurations. For starters:

Texas St, Ark St, ULL, and ULM for FAU, FIU, ODU, Charlotte, Marshall, and WKU

C-USA West: UTEP, UTSA, Rice, UNT, Texas St, Ark St
C-USA East: ULL, ULM, LA Tech, USM, UAB, MTSU

SBC South: FAU, FIU, GA St, GA South, Troy, USA
SBC North: Marshall, WKU, ODU, Charlotte, App St, Coastal Carolina

It’s not perfect and could use a little tweaking and horse trading but it’s a step in the right direction

For CUSA this makes since, but the SBC is already a better geographic conference. Why do we need to be blown up to help them???

Enjoy your MACtion......oh wait, your conference has already played all their games. Enjoy your Saturday off.

(11-29-2019 11:37 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Some folks in C-USA and the SBC need to get over their egos and swap some programs around to create some more regional configurations. For starters:

Texas St, Ark St, ULL, and ULM for FAU, FIU, ODU, Charlotte, Marshall, and WKU

C-USA West: UTEP, UTSA, Rice, UNT, Texas St, Ark St
C-USA East: ULL, ULM, LA Tech, USM, UAB, MTSU

SBC South: FAU, FIU, GA St, GA South, Troy, USA
SBC North: Marshall, WKU, ODU, Charlotte, App St, Coastal Carolina

It’s not perfect and could use a little tweaking and horse trading but it’s a step in the right direction

It would make more sense to have one of the Louisiana schools in the Texas division. Not that this is happening anyway.

Bottom line is under current conditions it doesn't make a lot of sense for USM or Marshall or any other CUSA to pay a $2 million exit even if Sun Belt waives it's entry fee unless leadership just feels like a shake up is required.

(11-30-2019 05:46 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Bottom line is under current conditions it doesn't make a lot of sense for USM or Marshall or any other CUSA to pay a $2 million exit even if Sun Belt waives it's entry fee unless leadership just feels like a shake up is required.

I agree with this. It doesn't make financial sense for C-USA teams to leave for the SB at this time, or vice versa.

What I do think is possible in the next few years is for C;USA to split. The discontent with the league is way stronger in C-USA, so I think change would be initiated there.

Marshall, ODU, FIU, FAU, WKU, MTSU, UAB, and USM (CLT being left behind) could withdraw from C-USA to form their own new league. They could invite App State, Ga. Southern, and two among Ga. State, Troy, and USA. Coastal would be left behind.

Of course, if I had to bet $100, I think the most likely scenario five years from now is status quo.

Oh great, it's devolving into a realignment thread.

Pride | Passion | Purpose

What ? Not F_U's in South Florida ?

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(11-30-2019 05:46 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Bottom line is under current conditions it doesn't make a lot of sense for USM or Marshall or any other CUSA to pay a $2 million exit even if Sun Belt waives it's entry fee unless leadership just feels like a shake up is required.

USM would not have to pay any exit fee.