(02-06-2024 02:09 PM)SlyFox Wrote:  I don't get the FIU disdain.

It's not (necessarily) disdain. They're not a natural (or any other kind of) rival for Liberty or probably anyone else in the conference. But the whole point here is what you said - that this isn't any kind of deal-breaker either (at least not for Liberty).

I think we're saying the same thing.

(02-06-2024 03:11 PM)inutech Wrote:  

(02-06-2024 02:09 PM)SlyFox Wrote:  I don't get the FIU disdain.

It's not (necessarily) disdain. They're not a natural (or any other kind of) rival for Liberty or probably anyone else in the conference. But the whole point here is what you said - that this isn't any kind of deal-breaker either (at least not for Liberty).

I think we're saying the same thing.

Exactly.

It's not disdain toward FIU at all. It's purely geographical: They are WAY down in South Florida. I mean, if you just look at neighboring states, you'd think Alabama, Georgia, and Florida schools would be elated to be in a pod, division, or other grouping with such nearby opponents.

But the distance from JSU/KSU to FIU is roughly equivalent to our distance from the University of Delaware or Sam Houston State. (700-something miles.)

Putting JSU and/or KSU in a travel group with FIU would be like putting SHSU in a travel group with UTEP and NMSU. Sure, it's only a state or two. But man, what a state...

And ultimately, any grouping not designed purely to foster/continue a rivalry has one purpose: to ease travel, either for the school or (less likely) for the fans. Otherwise, you might as well not have any groupings at all. Just schedule the teams as best as you can to get a good sampling of relative strength, and send the top two teams to the championship game.

And that's honestly where we're ending up. The only difference is (actual) rivalry games -- NMSU/UTEP, WKU/MTSU, JSU/KSU, perhaps another one or two, depending how expansion goes -- will hopefully be protected. Everything else will be up to the CUSA scheduling committee.

(02-06-2024 02:09 PM)SlyFox Wrote:  I don't get the FIU disdain. Having an excuse to head to Miami once every other year always works for me. Particularly if I can tack on a cheap cruise onto the trip.

Yeah, I don't exoect there to be pods either. This was the league that created that concept. But we are so farflung with minimal rivalries in place that it doesn't seem warranted.

I cannot even find FIU fans online or anywhere. That is why to me, it would be a boring rivalry.

(02-06-2024 06:40 PM)Turtle Power 98 Wrote:  

(02-06-2024 02:09 PM)SlyFox Wrote:  I don't get the FIU disdain. Having an excuse to head to Miami once every other year always works for me. Particularly if I can tack on a cheap cruise onto the trip.

Yeah, I don't exoect there to be pods either. This was the league that created that concept. But we are so farflung with minimal rivalries in place that it doesn't seem warranted.

I cannot even find FIU fans online or anywhere. That is why to me, it would be a boring rivalry.

Does not have to be a rivalry. It would just be a team you played very slightly more than you play the other teams in the conference.

You could think of it this way - when you joined CUSA at 9 teams, you were going to play FIU every year. And you were going to play the other teams every year (I can't not mention that this is an ideal conference situation, even if the specific teams never were).

And with this (theoretical) scheduling concept, you would still play FIU every year (no change there), but miss two of the other original teams and/or KSU/Del each year.

You are not gaining some amazing rivalry game that you would feel awful about missing. But you are also not really giving anything up. And probably not for any length if time. What could the odds possibly be that we will get through a single rotation through the whole conference?

(02-05-2024 01:06 PM)whupemall Wrote:  Rank the TOP FIVE conference opponents you would most like to see in your pods….. just list the top 5 CUSA teams you'd WANT to play every season.

LIBERTY would get…..
1. WKU
2. New Mexico St.
3. Delaware
4. Kenny
5. FIU

(02-05-2024 05:37 PM)PojoaquePosse Wrote:  As long as we play the minors every year, I'm cool. I'm perfectly fine with any other games CUSA wants to give us. I have no preference.

I'm with you, the only game that is a MUST is the Enemas U. Ugglies game. There is no if, ands or buts about it.

(02-06-2024 11:03 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(02-06-2024 09:08 AM)freshtop Wrote:  Liberty - FIU

Not sure Liberty would enjoy that as their guaranteed matchup each year, but if you are doing it for everyone else then it is what it is.

Well, while I have to assume it wouldn't be something they'd be super-happy about, the cost is also really low. What would they be giving up? Surely nothing they'd care about.

Just missing one of NMSU/UTEP/SHSU/Tech/WKU/MTSU/KSU/JSU/Del/and maybe UMass per year. On top of the one they'd be missing anyway no matter how we do scheduling.

I can't imagine they'd care about that. So FIU isn't good for them but it also isn't bad. It isn't like you'd be permanently pairing them with UTEP or something.

If we stay at 11 (unlikely), I think I'd pair the obvious ones but maybe just let the others rotate through the whole group.

i would definitely care about missing the Liberty-NMSU game. it's the only game i am really looking forward to year after year.

(02-07-2024 04:00 PM)BE_ Wrote:  

(02-06-2024 11:03 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(02-06-2024 09:08 AM)freshtop Wrote:  Liberty - FIU

Not sure Liberty would enjoy that as their guaranteed matchup each year, but if you are doing it for everyone else then it is what it is.

Well, while I have to assume it wouldn't be something they'd be super-happy about, the cost is also really low. What would they be giving up? Surely nothing they'd care about.

Just missing one of NMSU/UTEP/SHSU/Tech/WKU/MTSU/KSU/JSU/Del/and maybe UMass per year. On top of the one they'd be missing anyway no matter how we do scheduling.

I can't imagine they'd care about that. So FIU isn't good for them but it also isn't bad. It isn't like you'd be permanently pairing them with UTEP or something.

If we stay at 11 (unlikely), I think I'd pair the obvious ones but maybe just let the others rotate through the whole group.

i would definitely care about missing the Liberty-NMSU game. it's the only game i am really looking forward to year after year.

Well, the heart wants what the heart wants.

But you'd still get that game most years. 4/5 years, right? And as bad as Liberty might want that game, UTEP is going to want it more (and have a better case for it).

Without pairs, you'd still miss NMSU roughly as often anyway. With pods or divisions, I guess you'd play them every year if you were in their pod/division, but that doesn't seem likely, so you'd probably play them less often.

For NMSU
UTEP
LIBERTY
WESTERN KENTUCKY
LA TECH
MTSU

La. Tech
Delaware
Jax St.
UTEP
NMSU