I have come to terms with the Alliance as it stands now. I am NOT ok with expanding it anytime soon.

Personally I wish the Conference would kindly ask for us to leave.
I too can see the potential of schools like ODU and JMU etc but playing them is totally different than being in a league with them.

I will not give up however.
We have to start acting like a school worthy of SECs #15 and not like a team who is happy in the Sunbelt.
Man up mateys yo ho

We can pull off an independent stretch again.

(03-06-2012 11:01 AM)PiKappWags Wrote:  I have come to terms with the Alliance as it stands now. I am NOT ok with expanding it anytime soon.

Personally I wish the Conference would kindly ask for us to leave.
I too can see the potential of schools like ODU and JMU etc but playing them is totally different than being in a league with them.

I will not give up however.
We have to start acting like a school worthy of SECs #15 and not like a team who is happy in the Sunbelt.
Man up mateys yo ho

We can pull off an independent stretch again.

So where do all out other sports go? We surely wouldn't be able to stay in CUSA/Alliance if we pull our football.

Scheduling in all sports would be a beast.

Now guaranteed bowl tie ins.

The environment at this time does not allow you to be independent unless you have a church/faith backing you like BYU or you are a anomaly like Notre Dame.

(03-06-2012 11:57 AM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote:  So where do all out other sports go? We surely wouldn't be able to stay in CUSA/Alliance if we pull our football.

Scheduling in all sports would be a beast.

Now guaranteed bowl tie ins.

The environment at this time does not allow you to be independent unless you have a church/faith backing you like BYU or you are a anomaly like Notre Dame.

Other sports can survive in lower tier conferences like A-10, or even MAC now that they are loosing a few.

The big drawback that I see to being independent is the bowl tie ins. No way around that, even a 10 win season wouldnt get a bowl if ECU were to ruffle feathers by going indy.
The flipside though is what ECU has been able to accomplish with season oppening games in Charlotte agasint big time opponents. Make that the bowl game. Open in Charlotte with an SEC team, ACC, perhaps even a big 12 team. Charlotte is 250 miles away, so is DC. Maybe an opening weekend game against a Big 10 team in DC.
I just don't see it being as big of a stumbling block as some think it to be. Especially if ECU were to go into this thing with a set timeframe in mind. 3-5 years. If nothing changes, no invites come, then give in and go to whatever conference is available.
Just my thinking.

Anybody feel like revisiting this option after the recent statement by Ballard about CUSA expansion?

Aftre looking at the whole realignment scene I really do think that Independence is becoming a more attractive option to a lot of fans. I know the administration said it wasn't going to happen, but by saying that I think it definately proves that the option was discussed at some point.

I had another idea about going independent again this morning. With the big conferences about to have 9 conference games and only needing to schedule 3 OOC, 2 when you think about an annual rivalry game in some instances, what if there were a pod of respectable independent teams to rotate playing each year? I'm thinking Southern Miss, Marshall, and obviously ECU. IMO Southern Miss and Marshall are getting the shaft just as much as ECU in this realignment. Could the three teams work together in a semi-independent way to fill out a schedule that would make more money for all three of us than what the new CUSA or alliance might be able to do? Just a thought.
Possible ECU schedule
Southern Miss, Marshall, 1 FCS (ASU, GSU, UNCC, JMU), 2 ACC games, 2 BE games, 2 SEC games, Army/Navy, remaining two of old CUSA/MAC/Sunbelt.
IF it could be pulled off it's a step up in schedule for Southern Miss, Marshall, and ECU; while presenting the Big 6 schools with a rotating schedule of Southern Miss, Marshall, and ECU instead of having to play every year. Even with 2-1 or 2-1-neutral site scheduling travel would be reasonable and perhaps offset lost conference tv revenue.

IDK thoughts? In my mind I'm just throwing against the wall and hoping something sticks becuase I definately feel like the alliance/CUSA expansion efforts are running straight down the wall and piling up on the floor.

The Alliance is pretty much garbage but Indy is even worse. TV revenue and legitimate scheduling are the real issues with Indy. Even BYU is starting to have problems scheduling. Most of the other conferences will be going to 9 game schedules soon so it will make it even harder.

I don't even give a crap about bowl tie-ins to be honest, they're essentially exhibition games outside of the major bowls. I'm probably in the minority there.

If a good TV deal could be cut I think it's doable but sadly in this day and age it's not. TV revenue drives EVERYTHING.

The best option is completely dominate this ****** league we're getting sucked into and hope for the best. If our leadership can't make that happen at this point they have all failed us.