Here’s a wild notion. What if FAU and FIU made a move to the A-Sun to save on travel and went Indy in football. I bet schools would jump all over the opportunity to play these schools due to fertile recruiting grounds.

Would the risk be worth taking?

FAU and FIU invested millions and paid conference entrance fees just to go back to the TAAC?

(06-01-2020 03:11 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Here’s a wild notion. What if FAU and FIU made a move to the A-Sun to save on travel and went Indy in football. I bet schools would jump all over the opportunity to play these schools due to fertile recruiting grounds.

Would the risk be worth taking?

If CUSA were smart, they would encourage this by letting them be football only. This way everyone saves money on ravel for the sports that don't make money and FIU and FAU are secure and dont have to worry about the FBS Independent abyss.

As independents, those two schools would probably have even less trouble filling out a schedule than UConn or UMass, given their very attractive recruiting location in south Florida. Problem is that they would be giving up access to the G5-reserved NY6 bowl. FAU won 11 games last year. That is not too terribly far from getting the NY6 bowl, and if they improve this coming year under a new coach, as App State under a new coach, they'll be real. contenders for the NY6 spot. That goes out the window if they are independent.

The proposal by solohawks is plausible. I just do not think FAU/FIU would agree unless they could show multi-millions in saved travel costs. The A-Sun is better on travel but still has a few long trips. Maybe if they went to twelve teams (add FIU,FAU). They could then have North and South divisions to really save on travel.

NORTH

Bellarmine
NJIT
Lipscomb
UNA
Kenn. St.
Liberty


SOUTH

FIU
FAU
UNF
Stetson
FGCJ
Jacksonville

I'm far from a fan of either school, but it's crazy to me how there's so much idea to kick out F_U when they're some of the most well rounded programs in CUSA.

(06-01-2020 03:11 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Here’s a wild notion. What if FAU and FIU made a move to the A-Sun to save on travel and went Indy in football. I bet schools would jump all over the opportunity to play these schools due to fertile recruiting grounds.

Would the risk be worth taking?

Sure. If UMass and NM State can make a go of it, I see no reason FAU and FIU cant do just as well. The question really should be---"Would they be better off as an indy?". I suspect not.

(06-02-2020 12:14 PM)Auburn_Blazer Wrote:  I'm far from a fan of either school, but it's crazy to me how there's so much idea to kick out F_U when they're some of the most well rounded programs in CUSA.

Their football teams are both on current upswings, but basketball is a flaming dumpster at both. Baseball has been good, more so at FAU, and FIU has a good soccer team typically. But I'm not sure they're really "well rounded." They also have poor attendance for both revenue sports, especially FIU. And FIU's football stadium is high school level with inadequate press and coach facilities.

Could, yes. Should? No.

(06-02-2020 12:19 PM)CitrusUCF Wrote:  

(06-02-2020 12:14 PM)Auburn_Blazer Wrote:  I'm far from a fan of either school, but it's crazy to me how there's so much idea to kick out F_U when they're some of the most well rounded programs in CUSA.

Their football teams are both on current upswings, but basketball is a flaming dumpster at both. Baseball has been good, more so at FAU, and FIU has a good soccer team typically. But I'm not sure they're really "well rounded." They also have poor attendance for both revenue sports, especially FIU. And FIU's football stadium is high school level with inadequate press and coach facilities.

They both made pretty good basketball hires recently and it seems to be showing. I don't think either will turn into a basketball powerhouse but much more respectable.

To the OP's question, not worth looking at probably.

To answer OP's question, I do think both schools could make it as independents if they joined the A-Sun for other sports. They've been fairly successful at landing 1:1 series thanks to the recruiting exposure. Might get tougher if they remain a threat to win, but I think the list of teams doing 1:1 would be decent and add in some 2:1s for bigger schools. Might be able to get a 2:1 type deal with some really big teams if they play at Joe Robbie.

That said, I don't know if it's beneficial for them to do that. Hard to know the costs, potential revenue, and potential savings. Certainly the A-Sun would save money versus CUSA. I tend to think it would be financially positive since they could probably get 3 P5 games per year including UCF every other year for one of them. Then the rivalry game for one of them. And then they just need two fill a few spots with northern teams looking for recruiting exposure like UConn, UMass, etc.

Let's say something like this for FAU:

H - NC State (1:1)
A - Michigan (buy game)
A - Wisconsin (2:1)
H - Rutgers (1:1)
A - UCF (1:1)
H - UConn (1:1)
A - UMass (1:1)
H - West Virginia (1:1)
A - Buffalo (1:1)
A - Liberty (1:1)
H - Florida A&M (buy game)
H - FIU (1:1)

If they could successfully pull that off, that gives you 3 P5 home games, a G5 home game, an FCS game, and FIU. They'd certainly sell a hell of a lot more tickets than for a CUSA schedule.

Of course, they'd be sacrificing the Access Bowl opportunity, but it's going to be rare for a CUSA team to beat out AAC and MWC teams. It'll take a perfect season of not only F_U going undefeated but also the AAC and MWC champs having two losses and no one like App State looming in the tall grass. I'm also not real sure that F_U could successfully negotiate a bowl tie-in as anything more than a backup. They don't exactly travel well. Maybe the Boca Bowl and the Bahamas Bowl?

I think they could get better than a CUSA schedule in football as an independent. They might be able to get 1 SEC school to come down most years. But would the Atlantic 10 or some other conference would want their other sports?

(06-02-2020 01:44 PM)kevinwmsn Wrote:  I think they could get better than a CUSA schedule in football as an independent. They might be able to get 1 SEC school to come down most years. But would the Atlantic 10 or some other conference would want their other sports?

LOL, no. It would be A-Sun or bust.

I dont know how they would feel about it. And I understand this is a hypothetical question...

So my hypothetical answer would be

I think all the schools with the possible exception of NJIT and Bellarmine would welcome both. Let them have football as an indy like Liberty does.

A few years down the road, KSU and UNA decide they want to explore FBS. Having FIU and FAU in the same conference may even make North Florida and FGCU look a little harder at starting a football program. Then you have
Liberty
UNA
Kennesaw State
FIU
FAU
FGCU
UNF
All playing football. The ASUN may be able to petition the NCAA to sponsor FBS football.

Then I would work out a deal with UMass and Army on some kind of a scheduling agreement. Or even joining as football members only.

(There you go NoDak)

In a nutshell, no. Under the current system, with the exception of Notre Dame and BYU nobody else is going to survive long-term as an independent at the FBS level if you want to put on a winning product.

(06-02-2020 02:31 PM)lion1983 Wrote:  I dont know how they would feel about it. And I understand this is a hypothetical question...

So my hypothetical answer would be

I think all the schools with the possible exception of NJIT and Bellarmine would welcome both. Let them have football as an indy like Liberty does.

A few years down the road, KSU and UNA decide they want to explore FBS. Having FIU and FAU in the same conference may even make North Florida and FGCU look a little harder at starting a football program. Then you have
Liberty
UNA
Kennesaw State
FIU
FAU
FGCU
UNF
All playing football. The ASUN may be able to petition the NCAA to sponsor FBS football.

Then I would work out a deal with UMass and Army on some kind of a scheduling agreement. Or even joining as football members only.

(There you go NoDak)

And Hypothetically
If the petition gets a no, the ASUN could approach the MAC about starting a football super conference.

The ASUN schools along with UMass, UConn, and Army in one division
And the MAC schools in another.

If anything I believe FAU and FIU would do better if they weren't playing in the same conference. Sticking together like that in one conference has the public confused.

If one was in CUSA and the other SBC for example they could play a rivalry game annually to simplify non-conference scheduling.

(06-02-2020 01:17 PM)CitrusUCF Wrote:  To answer OP's question, I do think both schools could make it as independents if they joined the A-Sun for other sports. They've been fairly successful at landing 1:1 series thanks to the recruiting exposure. Might get tougher if they remain a threat to win, but I think the list of teams doing 1:1 would be decent and add in some 2:1s for bigger schools. Might be able to get a 2:1 type deal with some really big teams if they play at Joe Robbie.

That said, I don't know if it's beneficial for them to do that. Hard to know the costs, potential revenue, and potential savings. Certainly the A-Sun would save money versus CUSA. I tend to think it would be financially positive since they could probably get 3 P5 games per year including UCF every other year for one of them. Then the rivalry game for one of them. And then they just need two fill a few spots with northern teams looking for recruiting exposure like UConn, UMass, etc.

Let's say something like this for FAU:

H - NC State (1:1)
A - Michigan (buy game)
A - Wisconsin (2:1)
H - Rutgers (1:1)
A - UCF (1:1)
H - UConn (1:1)
A - UMass (1:1)
H - West Virginia (1:1)
A - Buffalo (1:1)
A - Liberty (1:1)
H - Florida A&M (buy game)
H - FIU (1:1)

If they could successfully pull that off, that gives you 3 P5 home games, a G5 home game, an FCS game, and FIU. They'd certainly sell a hell of a lot more tickets than for a CUSA schedule.

Of course, they'd be sacrificing the Access Bowl opportunity, but it's going to be rare for a CUSA team to beat out AAC and MWC teams. It'll take a perfect season of not only F_U going undefeated but also the AAC and MWC champs having two losses and no one like App State looming in the tall grass. I'm also not real sure that F_U could successfully negotiate a bowl tie-in as anything more than a backup. They don't exactly travel well. Maybe the Boca Bowl and the Bahamas Bowl?

You're not getting 1-1's with any P5 or UCF. You would have a 2-Play at Hard Rock against BYU and a 1-1 with NMSU in there as well.

Um .... No.

(06-02-2020 03:10 PM)whittx Wrote:  

(06-02-2020 01:17 PM)CitrusUCF Wrote:  To answer OP's question, I do think both schools could make it as independents if they joined the A-Sun for other sports. They've been fairly successful at landing 1:1 series thanks to the recruiting exposure. Might get tougher if they remain a threat to win, but I think the list of teams doing 1:1 would be decent and add in some 2:1s for bigger schools. Might be able to get a 2:1 type deal with some really big teams if they play at Joe Robbie.

That said, I don't know if it's beneficial for them to do that. Hard to know the costs, potential revenue, and potential savings. Certainly the A-Sun would save money versus CUSA. I tend to think it would be financially positive since they could probably get 3 P5 games per year including UCF every other year for one of them. Then the rivalry game for one of them. And then they just need two fill a few spots with northern teams looking for recruiting exposure like UConn, UMass, etc.

Let's say something like this for FAU:

H - NC State (1:1)
A - Michigan (buy game)
A - Wisconsin (2:1)
H - Rutgers (1:1)
A - UCF (1:1)
H - UConn (1:1)
A - UMass (1:1)
H - West Virginia (1:1)
A - Buffalo (1:1)
A - Liberty (1:1)
H - Florida A&M (buy game)
H - FIU (1:1)

If they could successfully pull that off, that gives you 3 P5 home games, a G5 home game, an FCS game, and FIU. They'd certainly sell a hell of a lot more tickets than for a CUSA schedule.

Of course, they'd be sacrificing the Access Bowl opportunity, but it's going to be rare for a CUSA team to beat out AAC and MWC teams. It'll take a perfect season of not only F_U going undefeated but also the AAC and MWC champs having two losses and no one like App State looming in the tall grass. I'm also not real sure that F_U could successfully negotiate a bowl tie-in as anything more than a backup. They don't exactly travel well. Maybe the Boca Bowl and the Bahamas Bowl?

You're not getting 1-1's with any P5 or UCF. You would have a 2-Play at Hard Rock against BYU and a 1-1 with NMSU in there as well.

They’ve already gotten a bunch of 1:1s with P5 teams. Louisville and Texas A&M off the top of my head. And UCF rotates them on 1:1.