(12-19-2011 12:40 AM)exflash Wrote:  

(12-19-2011 12:05 AM)techdawg88 Wrote:  

(12-19-2011 12:01 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(12-18-2011 11:52 PM)techdawg88 Wrote:  

(12-18-2011 11:30 PM)panama Wrote:  It was a joke but the truth is they dont average much more than us and we play nobody, they are in a town of 20k, they have 11k students, they have a budget of only $15 million. CUSA is not taking them.

you do realize that a number of CUSA schools are in small markets? Southern Miss, Marshall, ECU

Hattiesburg and Huntington are both more than double the size of Ruston. Greenville is four times the size of Ruston.

doesn't mean they aren't small markets. Tulsa, Rice & UTEP already know LaTech from when we were in the WAC together and Southern Miss might want them in so they can have another rival and somewhere close for their fans to travel to for away games

-------------ALL THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE SATURDAY WHEN THE NATION FOUND THAT UL IS FINALLY REACHING ITS POTENTIAL------45K WITH ABOUT 90% CAJUN FANS----THE NO MERCHANTS, HOTELS, AND RESTAURANTS ARE VERY AWARE OF THE BOMB GOING OFF WITH HUD HAVING LIT THE FUSE EARLY THIS YEAR--------ALL THE PLANETS ARE ALIGNING WITH THE ACADIANA AREA OF A MILLION PEOPLE PLUS, GREAT ADMINISTRATORS, AND YES QUALITY WELL PAID COACHES--I JUST FINISHED SEEING (AND HEARING ) THE GAME ON TV----MY EARS ACTUALLY HURT AT ONE TIME AT THE GAME-----THE TV BROUGHT THE EXCITEMENT OF THE CAJUN NOISE TO AMERICA-----WHAT A YEAR FOR RAGIN' CAJUN FOOTBALL!!!!

And the channel will still be changed whenever LSU plays by your own students. So calm down with the all caps and just keep up the good work for five years then talk. You guys had a very great season but there are many other programs who did.

(12-19-2011 12:40 AM)exflash Wrote:  

(12-19-2011 12:05 AM)techdawg88 Wrote:  

(12-19-2011 12:01 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(12-18-2011 11:52 PM)techdawg88 Wrote:  

(12-18-2011 11:30 PM)panama Wrote:  It was a joke but the truth is they dont average much more than us and we play nobody, they are in a town of 20k, they have 11k students, they have a budget of only $15 million. CUSA is not taking them.

you do realize that a number of CUSA schools are in small markets? Southern Miss, Marshall, ECU

Hattiesburg and Huntington are both more than double the size of Ruston. Greenville is four times the size of Ruston.

doesn't mean they aren't small markets. Tulsa, Rice & UTEP already know LaTech from when we were in the WAC together and Southern Miss might want them in so they can have another rival and somewhere close for their fans to travel to for away games

-------------ALL THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE SATURDAY WHEN THE NATION FOUND THAT UL IS FINALLY REACHING ITS POTENTIAL------45K WITH ABOUT 90% CAJUN FANS----THE NO MERCHANTS, HOTELS, AND RESTAURANTS ARE VERY AWARE OF THE BOMB GOING OFF WITH HUD HAVING LIT THE FUSE EARLY THIS YEAR--------ALL THE PLANETS ARE ALIGNING WITH THE ACADIANA AREA OF A MILLION PEOPLE PLUS, GREAT ADMINISTRATORS, AND YES QUALITY WELL PAID COACHES--I JUST FINISHED SEEING (AND HEARING ) THE GAME ON TV----MY EARS ACTUALLY HURT AT ONE TIME AT THE GAME-----THE TV BROUGHT THE EXCITEMENT OF THE CAJUN NOISE TO AMERICA-----WHAT A YEAR FOR RAGIN' CAJUN FOOTBALL!!!!

my freakin' ears hurt after reading this post.

yes....i'm like a forest gump. i read something out loud and move my lips so's i can unnastand. in this case i was YELLING IT so it would match.

La.Tech doesn't fit the model of small markets accepted by C-USA in the past. Season ticket sales and attendance are a thin fraction of what USM had as a charter member and what ECU and Marshall brought as expansion members.

Marshall ranked in three final polls and seven bowl appearances before acceptance.
ECU three final rankings and four bowls before acceptance. Those who recall the history know that CUSA did not want to take ECU but the Liberty after selling 17,000 tickets to ECU informed the newly formed CUSA that the best they would offer would be to take the CUSA champ OR ECU if ECU wasn't a member.

La.Tech has five, now six bowl appearances. Attendance is nothing to write home about. I don't believe Tech has outdrawn top of the Sun Belt in the last five years if not a longer span.

I do think Tech is likely to get in this time but it has more to do with the fact that the Alliance can take Tech without harming a viable conference than about Tech fitting in.

In the end, Tech getting into the Alliance isn't about being in a better conference and building forward, but rather having joined an instable conference that is now the worst in FBS and it being on the verge of collapse.

(12-18-2011 09:44 PM)techdawg88 Wrote:  

(12-18-2011 09:26 PM)panama Wrote:  Only if the Alliance fails at which point MWC starts raiding

I could see MWC taking Utah St & San Jose St., while CUSA tries to get back to 12 by taking LaTech

that's a good one...

Just combine the FBS teams from the WAC with the Sun Belt to form a new 14 team all-sports conference.

East
ASU
FAU
FIU
MTSU
Troy
ULL
WKU


West
LT
Idaho
NMSU
SJSU
ULM
UNT
USU


That would be a much better conference than either the Sun Belt or the WAC. The new Sun Belt/WAC champion could play the MAC champion in a bowl. Champion vs. Champion.

(12-19-2011 12:54 PM)PATiger Wrote:  Just combine the FBS teams from the WAC with the Sun Belt to form a new 14 team all-sports conference.

East
ASU
FAU
FIU
MTSU
Troy
ULL
WKU


West
LT
Idaho
NMSU
SJSU
ULM
UNT
USU


That would be a much better conference than either the Sun Belt or the WAC. The new Sun Belt/WAC champion could play the MAC champion in a bowl. Champion vs. Champion.

You forgot (or didnt know) that South Alabama will be a full member either next year or the year after. So that throws of the numbers a bit.

But I digress, because your signautre is what should of been commented on. Allow me to say how I feel about it in Emoticon.

:ncaabbs::ncaabbs::ncaabbs::ncaabbs::ncaabbs:

(12-19-2011 12:54 PM)PATiger Wrote:  Just combine the FBS teams from the WAC with the Sun Belt to form a new 14 team all-sports conference.

East
ASU
FAU
FIU
MTSU
Troy
ULL
WKU


West
LT
Idaho
NMSU
SJSU
ULM
UNT
USU


That would be a much better conference than either the Sun Belt or the WAC. The new Sun Belt/WAC champion could play the MAC champion in a bowl. Champion vs. Champion.

We take on more bottom feeders, cut the BCS money into smaller pieces and gain nothing more.
We're already meeting the MAC champion in a bowl.

(12-19-2011 01:11 PM)Fanof49ASU Wrote:  

(12-19-2011 12:54 PM)PATiger Wrote:  Just combine the FBS teams from the WAC with the Sun Belt to form a new 14 team all-sports conference.

East
ASU
FAU
FIU
MTSU
Troy
ULL
WKU


West
LT
Idaho
NMSU
SJSU
ULM
UNT
USU


That would be a much better conference than either the Sun Belt or the WAC. The new Sun Belt/WAC champion could play the MAC champion in a bowl. Champion vs. Champion.

We take on more bottom feeders, cut the BCS money into smaller pieces and gain nothing more.
We're already meeting the MAC champion in a bowl.

Today's athletics are all about markets and television contracts. Bowl money for non-Big 6 schools is a drop in the bucket compared to gate revenue and television contracts. The new combined conference would have access to bigger markets.

I think people lack perspective on the nature and size of college revenue and expenses.

Arkansas State and I'm sure others in the league as well had single road games this year that had a net income in excess of the per team share of the new C-USA TV deal that is touted as being a "rich deal". That C-USA deal is worth basically the same amount as a single home game with around 25,000 tickets sold.

Even those mega numbers tossed around for the Pac-12 and SEC pale compared to the value of tickets sold, donations, and sponsorships. Even up in that rarified air of immensely popular programs the combined value of TV money, NCAA basketball money, the highly attended league championship events, bowls and other league revenue all combined in the league distribution represent generally a third or less of the operating revenue of those conferences.

If Sun Belt schools received the revenue distribution of a TV contract equal to the new CUSA deal we would be looking at a 5% increase in athletic budget at the bottom of the conference and 2% at the top. By merely calling some key people, Arkansas State in a couple of days raised a multi-year committment to donate an amount almost equal to the CUSA per team share of TV money just by telling the donors the money would be used to hire Gus Malzahn.

This idea that it is about TV dollars is rank silliness. In the grand scheme of intercollegiate athletics, TV money isn't going to justify a cross-country alliance whether it be Big East or CUSA/MWC because the dollars left on the table in ticket sales for regional rivalries and the impact those have on donations will cost you more dollars than you gain.

Alliances are the sounds of a dying animal, IMHO. Sun Belt is getting stronger and will continue to get stronger in the coming years. I think everyone should just stay put for the time being and see what happens. South coming up will help some rivalries and market-grabbing, too. I probably wouldn't have even watched or cared about the SBC bowl games were it not for USA's growing football program; no telling how many other new people will watch our conference in the coming years.

UNT will be first invite to the Alliance or CUSA...

Just can't see anyway they skip over DFW market..

my .02

(12-18-2011 09:17 PM)YouCanUseaMint Wrote:  The WAC isn't going anywhere

Agree 100%!!! The only thing I'd add is the word "fast" to the end of your statement...

(12-19-2011 12:54 PM)PATiger Wrote:  Just combine the FBS teams from the WAC with the Sun Belt to form a new 14 team all-sports conference.

East
ASU
FAU
FIU
MTSU
Troy
ULL
WKU


West
LT
Idaho
NMSU
SJSU
ULM
UNT
USU


That would be a much better conference than either the Sun Belt or the WAC. The new Sun Belt/WAC champion could play the MAC champion in a bowl. Champion vs. Champion.

And why would you think UNT or ULM would want to go west? Neither of us want any part of your proposed arrangement.

(12-19-2011 02:10 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  This idea that it is about TV dollars is rank silliness. In the grand scheme of intercollegiate athletics, TV money isn't going to justify a cross-country alliance whether it be Big East or CUSA/MWC because the dollars left on the table in ticket sales for regional rivalries and the impact those have on donations will cost you more dollars than you gain.

The MWC/CUSA alliance is about one thing now.

It's about avoiding, at all costs, the obvious reality that they are not much better after the defections than most of the WAC or the SBC.

It's about being able to keep this delusion intact by not having to merge with those "lowly" leagues.

(12-19-2011 04:00 PM)CAJUNNATION Wrote:  

(12-19-2011 02:10 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  This idea that it is about TV dollars is rank silliness. In the grand scheme of intercollegiate athletics, TV money isn't going to justify a cross-country alliance whether it be Big East or CUSA/MWC because the dollars left on the table in ticket sales for regional rivalries and the impact those have on donations will cost you more dollars than you gain.

The MWC/CUSA alliance is about one thing now.

It's about avoiding, at all costs, the obvious reality that they are not much better after the defections than most of the WAC or the SBC.

It's about being able to keep this delusion intact by not having to merge with those "lowly" leagues.

College football is fast becoming like the economy. The middle class is disappearing.

A few years ago there was a vibrant middle class in college football, Utah, BYU, TCU, Houston, Louisville, Cincinnati, Boise.

They have been taken up, the question is will they remain in the upper class? In the case of Houston, Boise, etc., I think the answer is no.

We talk a lot here about how the WAC isn't the WAC any more, but what about the Big East. Of the 8 charter members in 1991, only Rutgers remains. They are the only school left from when they signed on to the BCS.

The Alliance was first get an AQ. That was shot. Then it was about TV but now the best they can hope for is to reduce the sting of the TV rights reduction.

CUSA since 2004 has lost Louisville, Cincinnati, USF, (Army no real loss except brand value), TCU, Houston, SMU, and UCF.

Mountain West since 2010 has lost BYU, Utah, TCU, Boise State, and San Diego State.

There is little to pick from for the MWC (USU, SJSU, Idaho, NMSU). CUSA actually good shore up but they are so frustrated from the rounds of realignment that they are desperate.

If you skim the cream off a half gallon of milk so that you have a quart of 2% and you do that to another half gallon and then pour them together, you have a gallon of 2% and hope that people think its whole milk.

The WAC always has Lamar and Sam Houston (who will be playing for the FCS national championship this year) to restock with should the California and Montana schools not work out. I just don't see two WAC schools leaving, assuming a merger. Louisiana Tech will not be chosen over Temple, UNT, FIU, etc. And if there isn't a merger and AFA bolts w/ Navy to the Big East, why would USU or SJSU want to join the MWC? At that point, it's a lateral move to a clearly more unstable conference. The WAC will offer better travel (two divisions, no Hawaii), ESPN exposure, and Texas recruiting.

Wyoming
UNLV
Nevada
Fresno
Hawaii
CSU
New Mexico

vs

UTSA
Texas State
Utah State
Louisiana Tech
Idaho
San Jose State
New Mexico State
----
Boise State
Denver
UT Arlington
Seattle

I've watched Sam Houston State play a couple of games this season, they are really good for an FCS program. their stadium leaves plenty to be desired, but their offense is great at their level.

Everything about pecking order.....

1 B1G
2 SEC
3 PAC 12
4 Big 12
4 ACC
5 Big East
6 CUSA
6 MWC
7 Sun Belt
7 MAC
8 WAC

(12-20-2011 12:15 AM)Fear The Frog Wrote:  Everything about pecking order.....

1 B1G
2 SEC
3 PAC 12
4 Big 12
4 ACC
5 Big East
6 CUSA
6 MWC
7 Sun Belt
7 MAC
8 WAC

Big Ten #1? Surely you aren't talking football...

(12-19-2011 12:54 PM)PATiger Wrote:  Just combine the FBS teams from the WAC with the Sun Belt to form a new 14 team all-sports conference.

East
ASU
FAU
FIU
MTSU
Troy
ULL
WKU


West
LT
Idaho
NMSU
SJSU
ULM
UNT
USU