Boise and SDSU are going to the nBE. There will be more exposure and better tv money than going back to the MWC. Sure, travel expenses will be greater... but since they will be in a "western division" travel expenses won't be out of control. The bad news is my Golden Eagles are stuck in C-USA. The good news is C-USA will hold tight through this deal... and I actually don't mind the look of that new C-USA west division (so long as USM is in it). The MWC will take a hit as I see the nBE adding 2 schools from the MWC to go to 14 schools. I see the nBE and C-USA definitely being the top 2 conferences from the "group of 5" and both having a lot of growth potential.

The nBE

WEST DIVISION
Boise State
San Diego State
Fresno State
UNLV
Houston
SMU
Tulane

EAST DIVISION
Cincinnati
USF
UCF
UCONN
Temple
ECU
Memphis



The nC-USA

WESTERN DIVISION
Tulsa
Southern Miss
La Tech
UTEP
Rice
UTSA
North Texas

EASTERN DIVISION
Marshall
Middle Tennessee
FIU
FAU
UAB
Charlotte
Old Dominion

I have a difficult time imagining why any MWC team would leave for a marginal move at best

The only think I don't like is that if geography is the determinant of divisions USM will be shifted west, breaking up the annual football matchup with UAB.

OK......but I don't see UConn or Cincinnati hanging around the nBE for long. And if the nBE poaches the MWC, as you predict, I think the western flank of C-USA would be in jeopardy.

I am not smart enough to see how it will all end, but I have a confident feeling Southern Miss will end up in the top-tier of the Group of Five/Gang of Five/Other Five, whatever it is called.

(12-14-2012 10:16 AM)RowdyRoost Wrote:  Boise and SDSU are going to the nBE. There will be more exposure and better tv money than going back to the MWC. Sure, travel expenses will be greater... but since they will be in a "western division" travel expenses won't be out of control. The bad news is my Golden Eagles are stuck in C-USA. The good news is C-USA will hold tight through this deal... and I actually don't mind the look of that new C-USA west division (so long as USM is in it). The MWC will take a hit as I see the nBE adding 2 schools from the MWC to go to 14 schools. I see the nBE and C-USA definitely being the top 2 conferences from the "group of 5" and both having a lot of growth potential.

The nBE

WEST DIVISION
Boise State
San Diego State
Fresno State
UNLV
Houston
SMU
Tulane

EAST DIVISION
Cincinnati
USF
UCF
UCONN
Temple
ECU
Memphis



The nC-USA

WESTERN DIVISION
Tulsa
Southern Miss
La Tech
UTEP
Rice
UTSA
North Texas

EASTERN DIVISION
Marshall
Middle Tennessee
FIU
FAU
UAB
Charlotte
Old Dominion

If we're still in CUSA at the start of next football season, Jeff Hammond should be fired (and I won't be in the stands). Also, don't count on those CUSA teams you listed actually being there

The big thing is NOT how great a football tradition and record you have, it isn't how strong your program is in the eyes of the community it is located, but it about how many tv sets that some executive sitting in some office far from places like Hattiesburg Ms. thinks could or does turn on to watch a game his network is airing. He might have no idea that at a Southern Miss - Tulane game in the Superdome might be mostly Southern Miss fans who made the short trip the the Big Easy and not the local Tulane team who has been a loser for most of the past 50 years while Southern Miss has been mostly a winning program in that time. He doesn't study the history, but goes by some research done on limited scope by some young employee that has little interest in history, but lots of interest in making a bigger check.

While this is the way of things and you can like it or not, it is how things are done. That is why Tulane will get the invitation or media attention even though USM normally is the better story. I don't hate Tulane, but I actually like Tulane since it is in my birthcity and favorite city I have ever been to. I love the Saints and have been a Saints fan since I saw a sign in N.O. saying bring the NFL to New Orleans. Facts are not always favorable to the things one loves most. I love Southern Miss and grew up 30 miles from the campus. I went to school there and would recommend USM to young people, but the hard cold facts, Southern Miss will be a mid major because of population, Old Mess, err Ole Miss, and to a lesser degree, Miss. State.

I think the best thing for USM and most schools in C-USA as well as most football schools in the Big East, would be if they take advantage to form a big 24 team conference. A gimmick is needed, like Boise State and it's blue field, and the big conference would certainly cause attention to be given it. Also most of the teams in C-USA and the Big East have only limited attraction in a national level that will eventually hurt their getting attention on a national scale. A great brand of football is played by these teams, and the better teams can play with the big boys, but until a marker is laid down to the nation that we will be heard, these schools will stay just off stage. Egos must be put aside and the fact each school will benefit due to the numbers is far more helpful.

(12-14-2012 10:16 AM)RowdyRoost Wrote:  EASTERN DIVISION
Marshall
Middle Tennessee
FIU
FAU
UAB
Charlotte
Old Dominion

Good lord.

(12-14-2012 10:39 AM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(12-14-2012 10:16 AM)RowdyRoost Wrote:  Boise and SDSU are going to the nBE. There will be more exposure and better tv money than going back to the MWC. Sure, travel expenses will be greater... but since they will be in a "western division" travel expenses won't be out of control. The bad news is my Golden Eagles are stuck in C-USA. The good news is C-USA will hold tight through this deal... and I actually don't mind the look of that new C-USA west division (so long as USM is in it). The MWC will take a hit as I see the nBE adding 2 schools from the MWC to go to 14 schools. I see the nBE and C-USA definitely being the top 2 conferences from the "group of 5" and both having a lot of growth potential.

The nBE

WEST DIVISION
Boise State
San Diego State
Fresno State
UNLV
Houston
SMU
Tulane

EAST DIVISION
Cincinnati
USF
UCF
UCONN
Temple
ECU
Memphis



The nC-USA

WESTERN DIVISION
Tulsa
Southern Miss
La Tech
UTEP
Rice
UTSA
North Texas

EASTERN DIVISION
Marshall
Middle Tennessee
FIU
FAU
UAB
Charlotte
Old Dominion

If we're still in CUSA at the start of next football season, Jeff Hammond should be fired (and I won't be in the stands). Also, don't count on those CUSA teams you listed actually being there

Are you serious?

GJH doesn't have the power to donate 10 million to our athletic fund every year nor increase the population of Hattiesburg by 500,000 people. Which is what matters.

Don't think you're going to see a Western division of the BE.

(12-14-2012 10:59 AM)BamaScorpio69 Wrote:  Don't think you're going to see a Western division of the BE.

IA, if the BE was wanting a western division so much then they shouldn't have added Tulane before the MWC teams

(12-14-2012 10:50 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  

(12-14-2012 10:39 AM)AndreWhere Wrote:  If we're still in CUSA at the start of next football season, Jeff Hammond should be fired (and I won't be in the stands). Also, don't count on those CUSA teams you listed actually being there

Are you serious?

GJH doesn't have the power to donate 10 million to our athletic fund every year nor increase the population of Hattiesburg by 500,000 people. Which is what matters.

This. Hammond could say, "I will do anything, literally anything, to join [X] conference", but it doesn't change the fact that a bunch of people back in the 1800s decided to live about 90 miles south of Hattiesburg. If only we had a hot tub time-machine...

(12-14-2012 10:50 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  

(12-14-2012 10:39 AM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(12-14-2012 10:16 AM)RowdyRoost Wrote:  Boise and SDSU are going to the nBE. There will be more exposure and better tv money than going back to the MWC. Sure, travel expenses will be greater... but since they will be in a "western division" travel expenses won't be out of control. The bad news is my Golden Eagles are stuck in C-USA. The good news is C-USA will hold tight through this deal... and I actually don't mind the look of that new C-USA west division (so long as USM is in it). The MWC will take a hit as I see the nBE adding 2 schools from the MWC to go to 14 schools. I see the nBE and C-USA definitely being the top 2 conferences from the "group of 5" and both having a lot of growth potential.

The nBE

WEST DIVISION
Boise State
San Diego State
Fresno State
UNLV
Houston
SMU
Tulane

EAST DIVISION
Cincinnati
USF
UCF
UCONN
Temple
ECU
Memphis



The nC-USA

WESTERN DIVISION
Tulsa
Southern Miss
La Tech
UTEP
Rice
UTSA
North Texas

EASTERN DIVISION
Marshall
Middle Tennessee
FIU
FAU
UAB
Charlotte
Old Dominion

If we're still in CUSA at the start of next football season, Jeff Hammond should be fired (and I won't be in the stands). Also, don't count on those CUSA teams you listed actually being there

Are you serious?

GJH doesn't have the power to donate 10 million to our athletic fund every year nor increase the population of Hattiesburg by 500,000 people. Which is what matters.

I'm not saying his job isn't impossible. I'm just saying his job is his job. I'm not asking anything from Hammond except the performance level we got from his two predecessors, both of whom grew our facilities, hired well, and even (gasp!) got us into good conferences.

Really, he should be gone already IMHO. You don't poor mouth your own school in the middle of realignment just to get a few dollars out of the donors / to get a job. Don't you think other schools /conferences hear about that crap?

(12-14-2012 10:22 AM)billyoregon Wrote:  OK......but I don't see UConn or Cincinnati hanging around the nBE for long. And if the nBE poaches the MWC, as you predict, I think the western flank of C-USA would be in jeopardy.

I am not smart enough to see how it will all end, but I have a confident feeling Southern Miss will end up in the top-tier of the Group of Five/Gang of Five/Other Five, whatever it is called.

None us has enough inside info to know what the outcome of all this will be but if the nBE takes 3 from the current 10 team MWC then they will have to add NMSU and Idaho because no one in C-USA will want to make the move any longer. If UNLV, Fresno St and UNM are gone then I would suggest C-USA go after the 3 remaining eastern teams of the MWC, Colorado St, Wyoming and AFA. That is a big IF and I have no more idea what will happen than the rest of you. I still don't think the nBE will get a big enough payday to make a western division worth those schools while but we will just have to wait and see.

(12-14-2012 11:04 AM)USM Birds of War Wrote:  

(12-14-2012 10:50 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  

(12-14-2012 10:39 AM)AndreWhere Wrote:  If we're still in CUSA at the start of next football season, Jeff Hammond should be fired (and I won't be in the stands). Also, don't count on those CUSA teams you listed actually being there

Are you serious?

GJH doesn't have the power to donate 10 million to our athletic fund every year nor increase the population of Hattiesburg by 500,000 people. Which is what matters.

This. Hammond could say, "I will do anything, literally anything, to join [X] conference", but it doesn't change the fact that a bunch of people back in the 1800s decided to live about 90 miles south of Hattiesburg. If only we had a hot tub time-machine...

I lived on the coast from 2000-2005. It's USM territory. Jeff needs to sell/exploit/solidify that fact instead of harassing his secretary for donations.

In your scenario, after a year or so, things could improve for Southern Miss or drastically worsen. If UTEP and Tulsa leave for the MWC, and Cincy and UCONN and Navy stays put, Southern Miss is screwed for a long time. Best case scenario for USM (USM to the nBE): Several nBE schools leave (Boise and SDSU; if not them, Cincy, UCONN and Navy). In either situation, I think USM gets invited to the nBE. Second best scenario (USM stays in CUSA): MWC doesn't expand or at least doesn't take any CUSA teams.

MWC TV $ < C-USA TV $

(12-14-2012 11:05 AM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(12-14-2012 10:50 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  

(12-14-2012 10:39 AM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(12-14-2012 10:16 AM)RowdyRoost Wrote:  Boise and SDSU are going to the nBE. There will be more exposure and better tv money than going back to the MWC. Sure, travel expenses will be greater... but since they will be in a "western division" travel expenses won't be out of control. The bad news is my Golden Eagles are stuck in C-USA. The good news is C-USA will hold tight through this deal... and I actually don't mind the look of that new C-USA west division (so long as USM is in it). The MWC will take a hit as I see the nBE adding 2 schools from the MWC to go to 14 schools. I see the nBE and C-USA definitely being the top 2 conferences from the "group of 5" and both having a lot of growth potential.

The nBE

WEST DIVISION
Boise State
San Diego State
Fresno State
UNLV
Houston
SMU
Tulane

EAST DIVISION
Cincinnati
USF
UCF
UCONN
Temple
ECU
Memphis



The nC-USA

WESTERN DIVISION
Tulsa
Southern Miss
La Tech
UTEP
Rice
UTSA
North Texas

EASTERN DIVISION
Marshall
Middle Tennessee
FIU
FAU
UAB
Charlotte
Old Dominion

If we're still in CUSA at the start of next football season, Jeff Hammond should be fired (and I won't be in the stands). Also, don't count on those CUSA teams you listed actually being there

Are you serious?

GJH doesn't have the power to donate 10 million to our athletic fund every year nor increase the population of Hattiesburg by 500,000 people. Which is what matters.

I'm not saying his job isn't impossible. I'm just saying his job is his job. I'm not asking anything from Hammond except the performance level we got from his two predecessors, both of whom grew our facilities, hired well, and even (gasp!) got us into good conferences.

Really, he should be gone already IMHO. You don't poor mouth your own school in the middle of realignment just to get a few dollars out of the donors / to get a job. Don't you think other schools /conferences hear about that crap?

When has he ever poor mouthed USM? All he said was that RG did a sh*tty job of operating within a budget, which is a valid point considering that he spent $75,000 on a pressure washer.

Hey Andre.. In case you hadn't seen it.. Hammond has been talking to the Big XII and the other big conferences.. But nobody is calling us back.

It's not like we can demand an invitation, all we can do is politic and if nobody wants us that's not his fault.

Shite, the man has only been at the helm for a year and you act like he should be able to rope the moon, the SEC invite, and guarantee us a shot at the BCS title.

Here's a point that has not been thouroghly considered as yet. If UConn and Cinn. go to the ACC and/or the nBE football schools add members to get to 12 for a Champ. game, the future of the Sun Belt could go the way of the WAC.

Why? C-USA would then move replace deaprting schools with the addition of WKU, ASU and UL-L; which would leave the Sun Belt at 3 current football playing members (Troy, UL-M and USA). As there is a two year transistion period (which Tx. State and Ga. State are in the middle of) for FCS programs to move to FBS, there may not be enough time for 'FCS transitionals' to move in time to save the Sun Belt.

Now given the annual $480 million BCS pay-out split 75/25 between the AQ and non-AQ conferences, that's $120 million split not between 5 conferences but only 4 (or $30M apiece instead of $24M).

Is it Machiavellian? of course but if you're talking about an addtional $6 million annually, I'd be very concerned if I were the Sun Belt.

(12-14-2012 10:22 AM)billyoregon Wrote:  OK......but I don't see UConn or Cincinnati hanging around the nBE for long. And if the nBE poaches the MWC, as you predict, I think the western flank of C-USA would be in jeopardy.

I am not smart enough to see how it will all end, but I have a confident feeling Southern Miss will end up in the top-tier of the Group of Five/Gang of Five/Other Five, whatever it is called.

Like ECU was in C-USA those 2 may be real disgruntled and really want to leave, but until they get an option to leave they'll be stuck there. I hope USM ends up back in a league with ECU, Memphis, and Tulane. That's the group USM belongs with.