(02-27-2012 03:48 PM)War Torn Ruston Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:42 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:37 PM)War Torn Ruston Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:28 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  I can understand if you are in the Alabama/Mississippi/Louisiana area why you'd like a league like this. Travel is very good for teams in that area. Travel still isn't that good for ECU in it, and the only team that would bring more than 500 fans to a game in Greenville would be Marshall. ECU and Marshall are just in a far different region than the rest of those schools. I'm not going to insult you idea, just ECU and Marshall from you travel and regional perspective don't fit it.

So you are saying you do not fit in C-USA now because that is what this is with added teams in the same region C-USA is in. Where do you belong? I really do not have any idea what is left for you that is not a step down. The ACC? You will not go to Syracuse or Florida because they are not regional so...... The Big East goes to San Diego so I guess you do not fit in there. SEC? Nope. That A&M trip or Missouri is just not gonna cut it. Switch with Appy State. I bet they wouldn't complain.
ECU fits here just fine. You just can't be happy.

Yes I am saying that we don't fit in C-USA regionally. We never really did even from day one, but it was the best collection of schools we could align ourselves with. The merger going forward will be the best collection of schools we can align ourselves with from a budget, tradition, and name recognition standpoint. There's never going to be a non-AQ league that's regional for us.

Well you can say that about any conference now. Washington and Arizona are pretty damn far away. Uconn and South Florida? Gainsville and Fayetteville. State College and The Twin Cities. Regional has not meant a thing for 2 decades if you think about it.
It is those teams willing to take the risk that get rewarded. Lets say The Big East crumbles. Rutgers, Louisville, Cincinnati, and Uconn are gone. Then South Florida and Houston goes somewhere.
Then The Alliance gets called off and the remaining Mountain West schools talk SMU, UTEP, and Tulsa into joining the MWC and they invite Southern Miss and ECU. Will ECU say no if Southern Miss says yes after Tulane starts shouting they will come?
Also- Where do you feel you fit in?

Depending on when this happen SMU and Houston could be back to where they were pre 90's if they get five years of Big East play. People hate on Houston but hey are starting to land good talent and they are building like a 60k stadium aren't they?

If the Big East crumbled it would probably be a new conference with only big Market teams and maybe USM and ECU. I don't see them offering UAB, Rice, Tulane, even some MWC teams unless they suddenly change for the better. It would most likely be Houston, SMU, Tulsa, UCF, and Boise St as the core then they would add teams.

(02-27-2012 03:43 PM)War Torn Ruston Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:38 PM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  I don't blame Marshall for leaving in the first place. Conference USA was loaded when it had teams like Memphis, Cincy, Louisville, SMU, Houston, ECU all in the same conference. And it was better than playing in the Mac.

But now it's kind of lateral between the two in terms of football. If ECU and Marshall joined it would probably be better than the alliance minus no Florida recruiting unless they schedule a home and home rivalry with FAU and FIU.

True. I like MAC football. There for about a 4 week stretch the Tuesday night MAC games on ESPN were crazy. I find it hard to feel that bad for The Big East to be honest. Hell they destroyed the metro conference and the old C-USA. No wonder a lot of fans hate them. Can't say I blame them.

Absolutely agree about MAC football. Just jaw dropping must see TV for a few weeks there.

(02-27-2012 03:48 PM)War Torn Ruston Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:42 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:37 PM)War Torn Ruston Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:28 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  I can understand if you are in the Alabama/Mississippi/Louisiana area why you'd like a league like this. Travel is very good for teams in that area. Travel still isn't that good for ECU in it, and the only team that would bring more than 500 fans to a game in Greenville would be Marshall. ECU and Marshall are just in a far different region than the rest of those schools. I'm not going to insult you idea, just ECU and Marshall from you travel and regional perspective don't fit it.

So you are saying you do not fit in C-USA now because that is what this is with added teams in the same region C-USA is in. Where do you belong? I really do not have any idea what is left for you that is not a step down. The ACC? You will not go to Syracuse or Florida because they are not regional so...... The Big East goes to San Diego so I guess you do not fit in there. SEC? Nope. That A&M trip or Missouri is just not gonna cut it. Switch with Appy State. I bet they wouldn't complain.
ECU fits here just fine. You just can't be happy.

Yes I am saying that we don't fit in C-USA regionally. We never really did even from day one, but it was the best collection of schools we could align ourselves with. The merger going forward will be the best collection of schools we can align ourselves with from a budget, tradition, and name recognition standpoint. There's never going to be a non-AQ league that's regional for us.

Well you can say that about any conference now. Washington and Arizona are pretty damn far away. Uconn and South Florida? Gainsville and Fayetteville. State College and The Twin Cities. Regional has not meant a thing for 2 decades if you think about it.
It is those teams willing to take the risk that get rewarded. Lets say The Big East crumbles. Rutgers, Louisville, Cincinnati, and Uconn are gone. Then South Florida and Houston goes somewhere.
Then The Alliance gets called off and the remaining Mountain West schools talk SMU, UTEP, and Tulsa into joining the MWC and they invite Southern Miss and ECU. Will ECU say no if Southern Miss says yes after Tulane starts shouting they will come?
Also- Where do you feel you fit in?

You're throwing out a quite frankly crazy scenario that's never going to happen so I can't even really answer it. If the BE did crumble some of those teams are going to get left out of AQ leagues. There would be Memphis, USF, and UCF left looking for something unless you think all are going to find another AQ home. As for your point about there is no regional that's why I have been clear the merger is the best thing we can do because there's never going to be a regional league and it's just about being with the best available non-AQ programs no matter the location. The merger is going to be that.

(02-27-2012 03:57 PM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:48 PM)War Torn Ruston Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:42 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:37 PM)War Torn Ruston Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:28 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  I can understand if you are in the Alabama/Mississippi/Louisiana area why you'd like a league like this. Travel is very good for teams in that area. Travel still isn't that good for ECU in it, and the only team that would bring more than 500 fans to a game in Greenville would be Marshall. ECU and Marshall are just in a far different region than the rest of those schools. I'm not going to insult you idea, just ECU and Marshall from you travel and regional perspective don't fit it.

So you are saying you do not fit in C-USA now because that is what this is with added teams in the same region C-USA is in. Where do you belong? I really do not have any idea what is left for you that is not a step down. The ACC? You will not go to Syracuse or Florida because they are not regional so...... The Big East goes to San Diego so I guess you do not fit in there. SEC? Nope. That A&M trip or Missouri is just not gonna cut it. Switch with Appy State. I bet they wouldn't complain.
ECU fits here just fine. You just can't be happy.

Yes I am saying that we don't fit in C-USA regionally. We never really did even from day one, but it was the best collection of schools we could align ourselves with. The merger going forward will be the best collection of schools we can align ourselves with from a budget, tradition, and name recognition standpoint. There's never going to be a non-AQ league that's regional for us.

Well you can say that about any conference now. Washington and Arizona are pretty damn far away. Uconn and South Florida? Gainsville and Fayetteville. State College and The Twin Cities. Regional has not meant a thing for 2 decades if you think about it.
It is those teams willing to take the risk that get rewarded. Lets say The Big East crumbles. Rutgers, Louisville, Cincinnati, and Uconn are gone. Then South Florida and Houston goes somewhere.
Then The Alliance gets called off and the remaining Mountain West schools talk SMU, UTEP, and Tulsa into joining the MWC and they invite Southern Miss and ECU. Will ECU say no if Southern Miss says yes after Tulane starts shouting they will come?
Also- Where do you feel you fit in?

Depending on when this happen SMU and Houston could be back to where they were pre 90's if they get five years of Big East play. People hate on Houston but hey are starting to land good talent and they are building like a 60k stadium aren't they?

If the Big East crumbled it would probably be a new conference with only big Market teams and maybe USM and ECU. I don't see them offering UAB, Rice, Tulane, even some MWC teams unless they suddenly change for the better. It would most likely be Houston, SMU, Tulsa, UCF, and Boise St as the core then they would add teams.

Maybe. No idea. I doubt Tulsa and SMU have the power to convince anyone to do anything. Boise and Houston maybe. As long as Boise keeps its rivalry with Reno I am fine. I hate that city, the fans, the team, the uniforms, the pistol offense, the area....I hate everything about them. I even hate my ex-girlfriend because she lived there for 6 months. I hate that place with a passion. And it will be a shame if Boise does not play them anymore. That is football. Houston? South Florida? Notre Dame? I don't care. I just wanna beat the piss out of the Wolfpack.

(02-27-2012 03:29 PM)War Torn Ruston Wrote:  I really do not know why Marshall does not go back to the MAC. I am sure money has a lot to do with it but being in the MAC would make a lot of sense to me for them. They are still on TV with ESPN, and The Big 10 loves playing games against MAC teams. Maybe a Herd fan can tell me why I am wrong but I still like the idea. Northern Illinois, Toledo, Western Michigan, and Ohio have all looked great against good AQ teams. The MAC looks like it is just getting better.

Just ask yourself a different way WTR, if Boise was in the BE for 10 years and then the league disbanded could Boise ever really go back to the WAC? (Not the MWC.....the WAC)

I forgot Memphis. It will essential be the old conference USA core but they will have the advantage of perception because they would have been AQ teams even if for a short time.

(02-27-2012 03:10 PM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  So if we lived in a world where college football made sense this would be an ideal merger.

1.FAU
2.FIU
3.ULL
4.ULM
5.Tulane
6.South Alabama
7.Troy
8.UAB
9.MT
10.ECU
11.Marshall
12. USM
13.Rice
14. UTEP
15.UNT
16.WKU
17.ASU
18.Tulsa

2 Divisions, 9 game conference schedule, busable and easy plane access teams, 8 major TV markets, three sub size Tv markets, and competative teams in football. Revenue would be maximized because teams would be able to keep most of their TV money with low travel and this conference would have a strong rivalries within the divisions.

With the close proximity of teams attendence would also be at an all time high for most members. Like say for UAB, Troy fans can drive there, South fans can drive there, and MT fans can drive there let alone the students and alumni who live in Birmingham. Same for the Lousiana schools ULL had 29k without South in the Sun Belt if they had members like USM and Tulane who are only a skip and a hop away then they would be in the 30's. Or say USM, they could drive to Troy, ULL, ULM, Tulane This also would have brought the Go Daddy and New Orleans bowl with the Sun Belt teams.

What sounds like it makes for better televison Troy vs USM or Wyoming vs New Mexico. (I have watched a lot of football and I don't think I have ever seen Wyoming on TV) Heck I even remember that game where ECU beat Va Tech.

But once again this is just a hypothetical thread instead of the usual "I hate the Big East" or "Billy Bob Blogs about the Big 12 might want Louisville if they expanded"

30 years ago, that might have been called the "Southern Conference" and it might have been plausible. It's only plausible now, if the MWC decides against the merger. I won't say it's a terrible idea as on the flip side, USM, ECU and Marshall could end up being the BIG FISH in a small pond.

(02-27-2012 04:11 PM)ECUPirated Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:29 PM)War Torn Ruston Wrote:  I really do not know why Marshall does not go back to the MAC. I am sure money has a lot to do with it but being in the MAC would make a lot of sense to me for them. They are still on TV with ESPN, and The Big 10 loves playing games against MAC teams. Maybe a Herd fan can tell me why I am wrong but I still like the idea. Northern Illinois, Toledo, Western Michigan, and Ohio have all looked great against good AQ teams. The MAC looks like it is just getting better.

Just ask yourself a different way WTR, if Boise was in the BE for 10 years and then the league disbanded could Boise ever really go back to the WAC? (Not the MWC.....the WAC)

I think the thing would be who the other schools were in the WAC. If Air Force and say Fresno go to the Big East, and it breaks up in 10 years, Those 4 could be a package deal. If the WAC keeps football, and the newer schools do well, that could be a good conference. I think also- keep in mind- in some ways- no love lost with MWC- the MWC did stupid crap like not let them wear their blue jerseys at home.

(02-27-2012 04:11 PM)ECUPirated Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:29 PM)War Torn Ruston Wrote:  I really do not know why Marshall does not go back to the MAC. I am sure money has a lot to do with it but being in the MAC would make a lot of sense to me for them. They are still on TV with ESPN, and The Big 10 loves playing games against MAC teams. Maybe a Herd fan can tell me why I am wrong but I still like the idea. Northern Illinois, Toledo, Western Michigan, and Ohio have all looked great against good AQ teams. The MAC looks like it is just getting better.

Just ask yourself a different way WTR, if Boise was in the BE for 10 years and then the league disbanded could Boise ever really go back to the WAC? (Not the MWC.....the WAC)

I guess. As long as there is football I am happy. You seam to forget I did not wanna go to The Big East. To me Boise's Rivals will always be Fresno and Nevada. Maybe I will feel different in 10 years. But being in a smaller conference did not hurt Boise either like it hurts other teams. So asking me that is probably an unfair answer to you.

(02-27-2012 03:10 PM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  So if we lived in a world where college football made sense this would be an ideal merger.

1.FAU
2.FIU
3.ULL
4.ULM
5.Tulane
6.South Alabama
7.Troy
8.UAB
9.MT
10.ECU
11.Marshall
12. USM
13.Rice
14. UTEP
15.UNT
16.WKU
17.ASU
18.Tulsa

2 Divisions, 9 game conference schedule, busable and easy plane access teams, 8 major TV markets, three sub size Tv markets, and competative teams in football. Revenue would be maximized because teams would be able to keep most of their TV money with low travel and this conference would have a strong rivalries within the divisions.

With the close proximity of teams attendence would also be at an all time high for most members. Like say for UAB, Troy fans can drive there, South fans can drive there, and MT fans can drive there let alone the students and alumni who live in Birmingham. Same for the Lousiana schools ULL had 29k without South in the Sun Belt if they had members like USM and Tulane who are only a skip and a hop away then they would be in the 30's. Or say USM, they could drive to Troy, ULL, ULM, Tulane This also would have brought the Go Daddy and New Orleans bowl with the Sun Belt teams.

What sounds like it makes for better televison Troy vs USM or Wyoming vs New Mexico. (I have watched a lot of football and I don't think I have ever seen Wyoming on TV) Heck I even remember that game where ECU beat Va Tech.

But once again this is just a hypothetical thread instead of the usual "I hate the Big East" or "Billy Bob Blogs about the Big 12 might want Louisville if they expanded"

Good lord, Acronym Conference!

(02-27-2012 03:37 PM)War Torn Ruston Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:28 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  I can understand if you are in the Alabama/Mississippi/Louisiana area why you'd like a league like this. Travel is very good for teams in that area. Travel still isn't that good for ECU in it, and the only team that would bring more than 500 fans to a game in Greenville would be Marshall. ECU and Marshall are just in a far different region than the rest of those schools. I'm not going to insult you idea, just ECU and Marshall from you travel and regional perspective don't fit it.

So you are saying you do not fit in C-USA now because that is what this is with added teams in the same region C-USA is in. Where do you belong? I really do not have any idea what is left for you that is not a step down. The ACC? You will not go to Syracuse or Florida because they are not regional so...... The Big East goes to San Diego so I guess you do not fit in there. SEC? Nope. That A&M trip or Missouri is just not gonna cut it. Switch with Appy State. I bet they wouldn't complain.
ECU fits here just fine. You just can't be happy.

Cmon WTR. You know better. Travel on 3 million dollar a year budget. Travel on a 15-20 million dollar a year budget. I won't say we belong anywhere, but ECU and:
ACC - natural rivalries / regional / lots of fans travel /
SEC - athletic similarities / football first / rural college town / baseball
BE - CUSA history, east coast, underdogs in most games against AQ
CUSA - a fit at the right time, all but destroyed, low budget, too much travel

Look at the logic in why ECU (like any other school) wants to step up.

(02-27-2012 04:17 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 04:11 PM)ECUPirated Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:29 PM)War Torn Ruston Wrote:  I really do not know why Marshall does not go back to the MAC. I am sure money has a lot to do with it but being in the MAC would make a lot of sense to me for them. They are still on TV with ESPN, and The Big 10 loves playing games against MAC teams. Maybe a Herd fan can tell me why I am wrong but I still like the idea. Northern Illinois, Toledo, Western Michigan, and Ohio have all looked great against good AQ teams. The MAC looks like it is just getting better.

Just ask yourself a different way WTR, if Boise was in the BE for 10 years and then the league disbanded could Boise ever really go back to the WAC? (Not the MWC.....the WAC)

I think the thing would be who the other schools were in the WAC. If Air Force and say Fresno go to the Big East, and it breaks up in 10 years, Those 4 could be a package deal. If the WAC keeps football, and the newer schools do well, that could be a good conference. I think also- keep in mind- in some ways- no love lost with MWC- the MWC did stupid crap like not let them wear their blue jerseys at home.

Funny thing. I have heard about Boise to the MWC for so long my mind is stuck with the MWC now. Boise fought and fought and the MWC finally came when they needed us. We didn't need them. Sometimes I wish we would of stayed put only because once we got into the MWC.....we were treated like $hit. Then the MWC went and got all of our rivals for us and now we are leaving. It is no wonder we do not have a traditional rival. We are never in a place long enough to get one.

(02-27-2012 04:22 PM)ECUPirated Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:37 PM)War Torn Ruston Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:28 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  I can understand if you are in the Alabama/Mississippi/Louisiana area why you'd like a league like this. Travel is very good for teams in that area. Travel still isn't that good for ECU in it, and the only team that would bring more than 500 fans to a game in Greenville would be Marshall. ECU and Marshall are just in a far different region than the rest of those schools. I'm not going to insult you idea, just ECU and Marshall from you travel and regional perspective don't fit it.

So you are saying you do not fit in C-USA now because that is what this is with added teams in the same region C-USA is in. Where do you belong? I really do not have any idea what is left for you that is not a step down. The ACC? You will not go to Syracuse or Florida because they are not regional so...... The Big East goes to San Diego so I guess you do not fit in there. SEC? Nope. That A&M trip or Missouri is just not gonna cut it. Switch with Appy State. I bet they wouldn't complain.
ECU fits here just fine. You just can't be happy.

Cmon WTR. You know better. Travel on 3 million dollar a year budget. Travel on a 15-20 million dollar a year budget. I won't say we belong anywhere, but ECU and:
ACC - natural rivalries / regional / lots of fans travel /
SEC - athletic similarities / football first / rural college town / baseball
BE - CUSA history, east coast, underdogs in most games against AQ
CUSA - a fit at the right time, all but destroyed, low budget, too much travel

Look at the logic in why ECU (like any other school) wants to step up.

Travel is not a big deal to these Universities guys. It isn't. Maybe to fans who are on a tight budget or schedule but not on the teams. Boise State has their own plane. They only pay for fuel. They have their own buses. They only pay for gas. All they have to pay for is room and board and food. And I don't know about your schools but Boise always puts visitors in the same place where they basically stay for free.

(02-27-2012 04:31 PM)War Torn Ruston Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 04:22 PM)ECUPirated Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:37 PM)War Torn Ruston Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:28 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  I can understand if you are in the Alabama/Mississippi/Louisiana area why you'd like a league like this. Travel is very good for teams in that area. Travel still isn't that good for ECU in it, and the only team that would bring more than 500 fans to a game in Greenville would be Marshall. ECU and Marshall are just in a far different region than the rest of those schools. I'm not going to insult you idea, just ECU and Marshall from you travel and regional perspective don't fit it.

So you are saying you do not fit in C-USA now because that is what this is with added teams in the same region C-USA is in. Where do you belong? I really do not have any idea what is left for you that is not a step down. The ACC? You will not go to Syracuse or Florida because they are not regional so...... The Big East goes to San Diego so I guess you do not fit in there. SEC? Nope. That A&M trip or Missouri is just not gonna cut it. Switch with Appy State. I bet they wouldn't complain.
ECU fits here just fine. You just can't be happy.

Cmon WTR. You know better. Travel on 3 million dollar a year budget. Travel on a 15-20 million dollar a year budget. I won't say we belong anywhere, but ECU and:
ACC - natural rivalries / regional / lots of fans travel /
SEC - athletic similarities / football first / rural college town / baseball
BE - CUSA history, east coast, underdogs in most games against AQ
CUSA - a fit at the right time, all but destroyed, low budget, too much travel

Look at the logic in why ECU (like any other school) wants to step up.

Travel is not a big deal to these Universities guys. It isn't. Maybe to fans who are on a tight budget or schedule but not on the teams. Boise State has their own plane. They only pay for fuel. They have their own buses. They only pay for gas. All they have to pay for is room and board and food. And I don't know about your schools but Boise always puts visitors in the same place where they basically stay for free.

Uh...did I go to the wrong school(s) lol? Iv'e attended Troy, Alabama A&M, and UAB for a semeser and I have never heard of traveling for free. Maybe Boise is just balling like a boss but I wouldn't most teams have their own Airplane. I've been to one away game since I've been at Troy and it was ULL. We paid for a hotel, gas, food, and to go partying. Well above 150 per 4 people for the trip.

Granted I did have a crazy night on B Street.....

So that's what you guys got with all that money from those BCS games!

I thought everyone had their own plane these days...LOL. I don't know. I just remember Pete's rant on how it wasn't a big deal to go to the east coast to play 6 games because it wasn't like we didn't have our on plane to get there with.

It's not about the money or how you get there... it's about students missing class time.









[tries to keep straight face]

(02-27-2012 03:28 PM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  

(02-27-2012 03:22 PM)War Torn Ruston Wrote:  I like the C-USA / Sunbelt merger idea. I would trade UTEP for the Ruston Dawgs though. UTEP does not really fit in there. I understand why ECU and Southern Miss would look at that as a step back but they also want geography and regional rivalries so......They need to drop the name Sunbelt as well. Sounds generic.

This idea would just be Conference USA and makes more sense than losing all the auto bids and having to ever fly to Hawaii, Wyoming, New Mexico, or Fresno from the east coast or Florida.

And it's probably better for UTEP than the MWC because they can just schedule New Mexico in OOC and get to play most their games in Texas and Louisiana.

Get rid of the name Sun Belt from this equation and a lot of fans would actually find this very appealing after a while. Being able to drive to 2-3 away games and come back in the same day and getting to Fly to places like Miami, Boca, Dallas, and Mobile.

We appreciate all of you for sparing UTEP. Whew! Again, thanks for setting us free for good behavior.

NO