(02-27-2024 05:49 PM)HarborPointe Wrote:  

(02-27-2024 02:30 PM)OsageJ Wrote:  Hmmmm....WKU inn the same conf. as Kent St and Eastern Michigan. Just doesn't sound right. Oh well better than Oregon in a conf. with Nebraska and Rutgers.

It also sounds considerably better than WKU in the same conference as New Mexico State and whatever Southland call-up is next on CUSA’s list.

Good point. What a mess in all directions. Well except for a privileged few.

I didn’t independently verify the math, but per
this write-up https://www.hustlebelt.com/2024/2/27/240...nment-2024 :

Bowling Green, KY — lies within 250 miles of Miami (OH), within 300 miles of Ball State, and within 400 miles of Bowling Green (the MAC school) and Ohio. That’s four opponents located within approximately a 6-hour drive. Add several miles and a few minutes, and Toledo is encompassed into that radius as well.

Comparatively, only Middle Tennessee, Jacksonville State, and Kennesaw State are within a 400-mile radius in the CUSA. Nobody else is within a 500-mile radius.

(02-27-2024 05:59 PM)HarborPointe Wrote:  I didn’t independently verify the math, but per
this write-up https://www.hustlebelt.com/2024/2/27/240...nment-2024 :

Bowling Green, KY — lies within 250 miles of Miami (OH), within 300 miles of Ball State, and within 400 miles of Bowling Green (the MAC school) and Ohio. That’s four opponents located within approximately a 6-hour drive. Add several miles and a few minutes, and Toledo is encompassed into that radius as well.

Comparatively, only Middle Tennessee, Jacksonville State, and Kennesaw State are within a 400-mile radius in the CUSA. Nobody else is within a 500-mile radius.

Yup, the distances between schools in CUSA is massive and just downright awful. Georgia Southern is ODU's furthest opponent in SBC but would be our 3rd closest rival if they were added to the former CUSA East Division. I think WKU fans would enjoy actually having a tight knit conference with nearby schools.

(02-27-2024 05:59 PM)HarborPointe Wrote:  I didn’t independently verify the math, but per
this write-up https://www.hustlebelt.com/2024/2/27/240...nment-2024 :

Bowling Green, KY — lies within 250 miles of Miami (OH), within 300 miles of Ball State, and within 400 miles of Bowling Green (the MAC school) and Ohio. That’s four opponents located within approximately a 6-hour drive. Add several miles and a few minutes, and Toledo is encompassed into that radius as well.

Comparatively, only Middle Tennessee, Jacksonville State, and Kennesaw State are within a 400-mile radius in the CUSA. Nobody else is within a 500-mile radius.

But being only 60 miles from MTSU helps out a lot and once you get on a plane, does it really matter? Not like CUSA has a lot of fans traveling, anyway. Even travel costs won't offset the loss of revenue from handing their MAC money to the CUSA front office. I don't know how Judy got them to sign GoRs for that pos conference, but I'm guessing some of them want their children back unharmed.

(02-27-2024 09:00 AM)ballantyneapp Wrote:  I don't see WKU to MAC right now.

CUSA just signed a GOR so WKU would owe a big exit fee by G5 standards. They get MACTION over CUSA October, travel and TV is slightly better in the MAC, but they also give up a lot of bball credits thanks to FAU, and Liberty is manipulating their way into more playoff blowouts with their charmin soft schedule.

Who in their right mind would sign a GOR deal with CUSA?

(02-28-2024 08:52 AM)AppManDG Wrote:  

(02-27-2024 09:00 AM)ballantyneapp Wrote:  I don't see WKU to MAC right now.

CUSA just signed a GOR so WKU would owe a big exit fee by G5 standards. They get MACTION over CUSA October, travel and TV is slightly better in the MAC, but they also give up a lot of bball credits thanks to FAU, and Liberty is manipulating their way into more playoff blowouts with their charmin soft schedule.

Who in their right mind would sign a GOR deal with CUSA?

All the teams currently in CUSA.

I will say tho that this one is MUCH easier to break than say an ACC GOR.

(02-28-2024 08:52 AM)AppManDG Wrote:  

(02-27-2024 09:00 AM)ballantyneapp Wrote:  I don't see WKU to MAC right now.

CUSA just signed a GOR so WKU would owe a big exit fee by G5 standards. They get MACTION over CUSA October, travel and TV is slightly better in the MAC, but they also give up a lot of bball credits thanks to FAU, and Liberty is manipulating their way into more playoff blowouts with their charmin soft schedule.

Who in their right mind would sign a GOR deal with CUSA?

Schools that had nowhere else to go. CUSA understandably took advantage of that after the last
exodus.

I’d image UCONN for football only makes the easiest sense. Do they necessarily need 14 members for basketball since that sport works better without divisions anyway?

(02-28-2024 01:30 AM)MUther Wrote:  

(02-27-2024 05:59 PM)HarborPointe Wrote:  I didn’t independently verify the math, but per
this write-up https://www.hustlebelt.com/2024/2/27/240...nment-2024 :

Bowling Green, KY — lies within 250 miles of Miami (OH), within 300 miles of Ball State, and within 400 miles of Bowling Green (the MAC school) and Ohio. That’s four opponents located within approximately a 6-hour drive. Add several miles and a few minutes, and Toledo is encompassed into that radius as well.

Comparatively, only Middle Tennessee, Jacksonville State, and Kennesaw State are within a 400-mile radius in the CUSA. Nobody else is within a 500-mile radius.

But being only 60 miles from MTSU helps out a lot and once you get on a plane, does it really matter? Not like CUSA has a lot of fans traveling, anyway. Even travel costs won't offset the loss of revenue from handing their MAC money to the CUSA front office. I don't know how Judy got them to sign GoRs for that pos conference, but I'm guessing some of them want their children back unharmed.

stAte only has ULM and USM within a 400-mile radius. Some places just don't have close locality to other schools. We do have UL, GSU, USA, and Troy within 500 miles.

(02-28-2024 01:30 AM)MUther Wrote:  But being only 60 miles from MTSU helps out a lot and once you get on a plane, does it really matter? Not like CUSA has a lot of fans traveling, anyway. Even travel costs won't offset the loss of revenue from handing their MAC money to the CUSA front office. I don't know how Judy got them to sign GoRs for that pos conference, but I'm guessing some of them want their children back unharmed.

Hell, yeah, it does. Putting your teams on 90 minute flights over the course of a season is a lot less hardship on them than putting them on 3+ hour flights. It’s not just expense, it’s wear and tear. Travel time, missed class, lost sleep, etc. Having a month’s worth of weeknight football further compounds it. If you’re getting Big Ten money in exchange, that’s one thing, but for CUSA money?

Somebody calculated the amount of money WKU would owe, and while it was no picnic, it certainly wasn’t prohibitive to GTFO before being stuck for the foreseeable future in a Delaware-to-New Mexico-to-Miami conference with Kenny, Sam, and whoever TF else they can call up.

Also, didn’t somebody credible here mention when it was signed that the CUSA TV deal is on some kind of probation-type deal where if they don’t deliver target numbers, the term will be cut short? That could potentially affect the GOR end of it as well.

(02-28-2024 09:59 AM)usmjournalism Wrote:  I’d image UCONN for football only makes the easiest sense. Do they necessarily need 14 members for basketball since that sport works better without divisions anyway?

I'd be SHOCKED if UConn accepts a FB only deal with the MAC for various reasons. I think WKU and Delaware seem to be the favorites even though both would need to pay $1.6M to break free of the CUSA GoR and I could see how Delaware could probably swing that easier than WKU for a move to the MAC with donors BUT I think the MAC prefers WKU.

(02-28-2024 09:59 AM)usmjournalism Wrote:  I’d image UCONN for football only makes the easiest sense. Do they necessarily need 14 members for basketball since that sport works better without divisions anyway?

Easiest sense in what degree? UMass gets a travel partner and the rest of the MAC has another opponent they have to fly to. Meanwhile WKU is a travel partner for a lot of other schools.
MAC is already a bad conference in football and UConn would only make them worse.
WKU on the other hand:

WKU:
2023: 8-5
2022: 9-5
2021: 9-5
2020: 5-7
2019: 9-4
2018: 3-9
2017: 6-7
2016: 11-3
2015: 12-2
2014: 8-5

UConn:
2023: 3-9
2022: 6-7
2021: 1-11 (L at home to FCS Holy Cross, W was vs Yale)
2020: Covid
2019: 2-10 (W to Wagner and UMass)
2018: 1-11
2017: 3-9
2016: 3-9
2015: 6-7
2014: 2-10

There is interest with the MAC and WKU already. WKU wants to be there. UConn on the other hand would only join if it were football only. Great move for UConn, but absolutely awful move for the MAC. Unless they were to force UConn's hand into going all sports, but UConn would have to be very desperate to make that move.

If I were the MAC I would only bring in UConn for all sports, which of course would never happen. The best bet would be adding Delaware if they can get out of the CUSA agreement. Seems a win/win for both the MAC and UD. If not, Id go for WKU if they can afford to leave CUSA now. They wanted to leave badly before, but now there's a greater penalty.

I'm not familiar with WKU's thinking, but there are some differences between this time and what was going on two years ago.

• CUSA has a new TV deal that is better than what they previously had, though it also included many weeknight games (which they will also have in the MAC).
• CUSA has a GOR, though there are arguments to be made that it isn't a severe enough penalty to dissuade anyone from leaving.
• CUSA isn't falling apart like it was when WKU was reaching out to the MAC. Not that their additions are very attractive, but it isn't like 2021 when 7 teams were gone in the blink of an eye.
• Liberty demonstrated last season that you can make the NY6/CFP by running through a super weak schedule. All you have to do is be undefeated and in a G5 where the committee isn't paying ton of attention and you can sneak in.
  

With all that, I can see WKU deciding to stay put and not risk moving.

(02-28-2024 09:12 AM)Blue_Trombone Wrote:  

(02-28-2024 08:52 AM)AppManDG Wrote:  

(02-27-2024 09:00 AM)ballantyneapp Wrote:  I don't see WKU to MAC right now.

CUSA just signed a GOR so WKU would owe a big exit fee by G5 standards. They get MACTION over CUSA October, travel and TV is slightly better in the MAC, but they also give up a lot of bball credits thanks to FAU, and Liberty is manipulating their way into more playoff blowouts with their charmin soft schedule.

Who in their right mind would sign a GOR deal with CUSA?

All the teams currently in CUSA.

I will say tho that this one is MUCH easier to break than say an ACC GOR.

At least they have a figure now. When we tried to buy our way out of CUSA they were like "no, you can't go". That's still some of the craziest and most amusing stuff to come from conference realignment.

(02-28-2024 01:36 PM)mturn017 Wrote:  

(02-28-2024 09:12 AM)Blue_Trombone Wrote:  

(02-28-2024 08:52 AM)AppManDG Wrote:  

(02-27-2024 09:00 AM)ballantyneapp Wrote:  I don't see WKU to MAC right now.

CUSA just signed a GOR so WKU would owe a big exit fee by G5 standards. They get MACTION over CUSA October, travel and TV is slightly better in the MAC, but they also give up a lot of bball credits thanks to FAU, and Liberty is manipulating their way into more playoff blowouts with their charmin soft schedule.

Who in their right mind would sign a GOR deal with CUSA?

All the teams currently in CUSA.

I will say tho that this one is MUCH easier to break than say an ACC GOR.

At least they have a figure now. When we tried to buy our way out of CUSA they were like "no, you can't go". That's still some of the craziest and most amusing stuff to come from conference realignment.

it made for entertaining reading though. Hopefully our Rice lawyer can start chiming in on his interpretation of the law and GOR.

(02-28-2024 10:26 AM)HarborPointe Wrote:  

(02-28-2024 01:30 AM)MUther Wrote:  But being only 60 miles from MTSU helps out a lot and once you get on a plane, does it really matter? Not like CUSA has a lot of fans traveling, anyway. Even travel costs won't offset the loss of revenue from handing their MAC money to the CUSA front office. I don't know how Judy got them to sign GoRs for that pos conference, but I'm guessing some of them want their children back unharmed.

Hell, yeah, it does. Putting your teams on 90 minute flights over the course of a season is a lot less hardship on them than putting them on 3+ hour flights. It’s not just expense, it’s wear and tear. Travel time, missed class, lost sleep, etc. Having a month’s worth of weeknight football further compounds it. If you’re getting Big Ten money in exchange, that’s one thing, but for CUSA money?

Somebody calculated the amount of money WKU would owe, and while it was no picnic, it certainly wasn’t prohibitive to GTFO before being stuck for the foreseeable future in a Delaware-to-New Mexico-to-Miami conference with Kenny, Sam, and whoever TF else they can call up.

Also, didn’t somebody credible here mention when it was signed that the CUSA TV deal is on some kind of probation-type deal where if they don’t deliver target numbers, the term will be cut short? That could potentially affect the GOR end of it as well.

Regional conferences/divisions are always best.

(02-26-2024 02:41 PM)T-Dog Wrote:  

This puts the MAC at 13 full members, so logic says there might be a 14th....

Also, this is a blow to CUSA, who wanted UMass to join.

I guess. But UMass has a 24-112 record in FBS football. It is really, really hard to be that bad. As a Liberty fan, I am glad they will probably be off our 2025-2027 schedules. But I prefer Tarleton, with more upside, over UMass, which cares more about academics and looking good in social circles than athletics.

(02-26-2024 03:14 PM)GreenDaddy Wrote:  I bet WKU is getting ready to pull the trigger on moving to the much more stable MAC. They would have been gone last time if MTSU would have made the move.

Which means CUSA will have to yet again bring an undeserving school up to FBS.

I think absolutely not. The situation is so much different than the last time around.

1. The last time around, CUSA was down to 5 teams. Since then they added Liberty, NMS, Jax. State, Sam Houston St, Kennesaw St, and Delaware. Kennesaw St. and Jax. St. are not that far from WKU.

2. At the time, CUSA was stuck in an awful Tv/media deal, but Judy rectified that, and now their deal is virtually equal to the MAC.

3. The basketball tournament was moved from Frisco, TX to Huntsville, Alabama, much closer to WKU.

4. CUSA was already better than the MAC in basketball, baseball, and softball, and last year, they slightly edged it out in football.

5. The MAC has the worst attendance of any FBS conference and cold weather weekday games in November in Ohio and Michigan.

(02-28-2024 03:43 PM)Turtle Power 98 Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 03:14 PM)GreenDaddy Wrote:  I bet WKU is getting ready to pull the trigger on moving to the much more stable MAC. They would have been gone last time if MTSU would have made the move.

Which means CUSA will have to yet again bring an undeserving school up to FBS.

I think absolutely not. The situation is so much different than the last time around.

1. The last time around, CUSA was down to 5 teams. Since then they added Liberty, NMS, Jax. State, Sam Houston St, Kennesaw St, and Delaware. Kennesaw St. and Jax. St. are not that far from WKU.

2. At the time, CUSA was stuck in an awful Tv/media deal, but Judy rectified that, and now their deal is virtually equal to the MAC.

3. The basketball tournament was moved from Frisco, TX to Huntsville, Alabama, much closer to WKU.

4. CUSA was already better than the MAC in basketball, baseball, and softball, and last year, they slightly edged it out in football.

5. The MAC has the worst attendance of any FBS conference and cold weather weekday games in November in Ohio and Michigan.

Huntsville was where I thought the SBC should hold their basketball tournament. But Pensacola was chosen instead.