(02-27-2013 08:40 PM)Afflicted Wrote:  

(02-27-2013 07:19 PM)MUHERD76 Wrote:  

(02-27-2013 06:56 PM)Afflicted Wrote:  I hope Tulsa is invited to the Big East soon. I'm eagerly anticipating how CUSA will react. I wouldn't be surprised to see Banowsky go to 16 by adding three schools. To be honest, I hope he does it. NMSU, Arkansas State and WKU would be the obvious frontrunners according to the rumors I've heard.

IMO, there is no reason to go past 14 if Tulsa leaves. Remember....the future BCS will pay out base dollar figures to each conference in the "Group of 5". The more members you have, the less payout there is per member.

True, but there's also more money to be made on gameday if you're playing schools in your region who are within driving distance. FAU fans won't travel to Texas anymore than Rice fans will travel to Florida. Even USM barely brings a handful of fans to Rice Stadium when the two teams play in Houston. I don't blame them, it's a long way to drive and flying is expensive. CUSA needs to be fan-friendly. The fewer cross-divisional games there are, the better. Not to be offensive, but no team in the east excites me. Y'all probably feel the same way about those of us in the west. It's only normal to have a greater interest in the schools that reside within your geographic footprint. After a few years, playing NMSU and Arkansas State every year could grab my attention and get me excited. The same can't happen with a cross-divisional foe that's 1,000 miles away because you don't get to foster that rivalry every year.

Hope you guys get to see the "Hundred Miles of Hate" in the future.

All true, but the future for the G05, in complete reality, lies in the regional nature of our conferences. Think MAC for stability and consistency.

Regionally based, I like having MTSU/Charlotte/ODU, WKU (presuming) and even UAB relatively nearby. I think ODU and Charlotte, in particuar are going to be good long term rivals. I get less excited about playing UTEP, North Texas and UTSA (no offense meant, at all to those fine schools.)

In a perfect world having a tight geographic footprint would be the first priority, especially at the Go5 level, the more games you can drive to the better.

Drew this one up last year after the departure of Memphis and UCF who I had in my original "dream conference" a few years ago, App and Georgia Southern took their place. Now with ECU gone to the Big East, they could be replaced with Arkansas State or JMU and keep the divisions exactly the same, or perhaps Louisiana and push either Georgia State or UAB to the north. I realize something like this would never happen, it's too bad


If I were drawing up the conference today, there are probably a few changes I'd make, but I'd still like to have a much more drivable conference.

(02-28-2013 01:12 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  In a perfect world having a tight geographic footprint would be the first priority, especially at the Go5 level, the more games you can drive to the better.

Drew this one up last year after the departure of Memphis and UCF who I had in my original "dream conference" a few years ago, App and Georgia Southern took their place. Now with ECU gone to the Big East, they could be replaced with Arkansas State or JMU and keep the divisions exactly the same, or perhaps Louisiana and push either Georgia State or UAB to the north. I realize something like this would never happen, it's too bad


If I were drawing up the conference today, there are probably a few changes I'd make, but I'd still like to have a much more drivable conference.

I'd rather just not play sports at all. USA? Georgia State? Why not just sell the campus to DeVry and call it a day?

(02-28-2013 01:17 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(02-28-2013 01:12 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  In a perfect world having a tight geographic footprint would be the first priority, especially at the Go5 level, the more games you can drive to the better.

Drew this one up last year after the departure of Memphis and UCF who I had in my original "dream conference" a few years ago, App and Georgia Southern took their place. Now with ECU gone to the Big East, they could be replaced with Arkansas State or JMU and keep the divisions exactly the same, or perhaps Louisiana and push either Georgia State or UAB to the north. I realize something like this would never happen, it's too bad


If I were drawing up the conference today, there are probably a few changes I'd make, but I'd still like to have a much more drivable conference.

I'd rather just not play sports at all. USA? Georgia State? Why not just sell the campus to DeVry and call it a day?

I can understand your objections to Georgia State, I don't even necessarily disagree, but I think they will grow and improve fairly soon. USA on the other hand, I cannot understand your objection to them in the slightest.

(02-28-2013 01:17 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(02-28-2013 01:12 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  In a perfect world having a tight geographic footprint would be the first priority, especially at the Go5 level, the more games you can drive to the better.

Drew this one up last year after the departure of Memphis and UCF who I had in my original "dream conference" a few years ago, App and Georgia Southern took their place. Now with ECU gone to the Big East, they could be replaced with Arkansas State or JMU and keep the divisions exactly the same, or perhaps Louisiana and push either Georgia State or UAB to the north. I realize something like this would never happen, it's too bad


If I were drawing up the conference today, there are probably a few changes I'd make, but I'd still like to have a much more drivable conference.

I'd rather just not play sports at all. USA? Georgia State? Why not just sell the campus to DeVry and call it a day?

Agree, I know UTEP and Tulsa are far away, but they are actually good at a sport. USA, Ga State, App st.. not so much. I do think WKU and Ohio would be good additions.

And you threw Appalachian State in there... gaaaaaaàaaa!

(02-28-2013 01:21 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(02-28-2013 01:17 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(02-28-2013 01:12 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  In a perfect world having a tight geographic footprint would be the first priority, especially at the Go5 level, the more games you can drive to the better.

Drew this one up last year after the departure of Memphis and UCF who I had in my original "dream conference" a few years ago, App and Georgia Southern took their place. Now with ECU gone to the Big East, they could be replaced with Arkansas State or JMU and keep the divisions exactly the same, or perhaps Louisiana and push either Georgia State or UAB to the north. I realize something like this would never happen, it's too bad


If I were drawing up the conference today, there are probably a few changes I'd make, but I'd still like to have a much more drivable conference.

I'd rather just not play sports at all. USA? Georgia State? Why not just sell the campus to DeVry and call it a day?

I can understand your objections to Georgia State, I don't even necessarily disagree, but I think they will grow and improve fairly soon. USA on the other hand, I cannot understand your objection to them in the slightest.

When did they start playing football... like ten minutes ago? Do they even have any fans? I've never met one. Besides all that, they're right in the middle of what used to be OUR territory. They're just a blatant imitation of USM that our state IHL should have excised like an ugly weed.

(02-28-2013 01:22 PM)Blazer88 Wrote:  

(02-28-2013 01:17 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(02-28-2013 01:12 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  In a perfect world having a tight geographic footprint would be the first priority, especially at the Go5 level, the more games you can drive to the better.

Drew this one up last year after the departure of Memphis and UCF who I had in my original "dream conference" a few years ago, App and Georgia Southern took their place. Now with ECU gone to the Big East, they could be replaced with Arkansas State or JMU and keep the divisions exactly the same, or perhaps Louisiana and push either Georgia State or UAB to the north. I realize something like this would never happen, it's too bad


If I were drawing up the conference today, there are probably a few changes I'd make, but I'd still like to have a much more drivable conference.

I'd rather just not play sports at all. USA? Georgia State? Why not just sell the campus to DeVry and call it a day?

Agree, I know UTEP and Tulsa are far away, but they are actually good at a sport. USA, Ga State, App st.. not so much. I do think WKU and Ohio would be good additions.

Again, this conference was drawn up with the highest priority placed on a tight footprint. If in some alternate universe I were actually able to draw up my own conference with the only stipulations being I couldn't place MT into an AQ conference and couldn't pull members from an AQ conference, it would look something like this. There are some changes I would make, but if it were me picking, I wouldn't have the conference stretching from Norfolk, VA to El Paso, Texas. No disrespect intended to UTEP, they are undoubtedly a better program than many included in this conference which again was first and foremost about tight footprint, when making a real world decision, I'd probably loosen the footprint some to get some better programs in there, but C-USA's existing footprint is larger than I'd like, don't get me wrong, I'm happy we got in even with the larger footprint, the travel is not ideal IMO, but it's better than staying in the Sun Belt.

(02-28-2013 01:26 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(02-28-2013 01:21 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  I can understand your objections to Georgia State, I don't even necessarily disagree, but I think they will grow and improve fairly soon. USA on the other hand, I cannot understand your objection to them in the slightest.

When did they start playing football... like ten minutes ago? Do they even have any fans? I've never met one. Besides all that, they're right in the middle of what used to be OUR territory. They're just a blatant imitation of USM that our state IHL should have excised like an ugly weed.

USA has been playing football longer than ODU, Charlotte or UTSA and yes they do have fans, passionate ones. They have traditionally strong basketball and their football will do well. They also dwarf both of our schools in endowment and market. They are a good school, Mobile is a great city to visit, and outside of Ladd Peebles, they have good facilities.

If you're scared of them making recruiting tougher, say you're scared, don't make it about anything else.

For USM, being in a league like that just undermines the whole purpose of our athletics program. FB was an area where we could (and did) work our way up to rough parity with the other schools in the region: MSU, Tulane, Ole Miss, etc.

Back when CUSA was the best non-AQ league, being in it put us at a pretty high level. If you looked at schools with a directional name, third schools in a state, etc., we were top dog. Later, ECU, UCF, and USF got in, but we were still one of just a few.

Now, with every frickin' commuter college in the area clawing its way into CUSA, what's the point? Rather than distinguishing USM from places like USA, sports are now linking us to those places.

You may think that's what we deserve. That doesn't change the fact that we did so much better before.

(02-28-2013 01:26 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  When did they start playing football... like ten minutes ago? Do they even have any fans? I've never met one. Besides all that, they're right in the middle of what used to be OUR territory. They're just a blatant imitation of USM that our state IHL should have excised like an ugly weed.

Head over to the Sun Belt board. There are several USA fans over there very passionate about their solid basketball program and their quickly rising football program.

USA would be a good addition for C-USA.

(02-28-2013 01:38 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  For USM, being in a league like that just undermines the whole purpose of our athletics program. FB was an area where we could (and did) work our way up to rough parity with the other schools in the region: MSU, Tulane, Ole Miss, etc.

Back when CUSA was the best non-AQ league, being in it put us at a pretty high level. If you looked at schools with a directional name, third schools in a state, etc., we were top dog. Later, ECU, UCF, and USF got in, but we were still one of just a few.

Now, with every frickin' commuter college in the area clawing its way into CUSA, what's the point? Rather than distinguishing USM from places like USA, sports are now linking us to those places.

You may think that's what we deserve. That doesn't change the fact that we did so much better before.

I guess 0-12 still hurts.

(02-28-2013 01:30 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(02-28-2013 01:22 PM)Blazer88 Wrote:  

(02-28-2013 01:17 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(02-28-2013 01:12 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  In a perfect world having a tight geographic footprint would be the first priority, especially at the Go5 level, the more games you can drive to the better.

Drew this one up last year after the departure of Memphis and UCF who I had in my original "dream conference" a few years ago, App and Georgia Southern took their place. Now with ECU gone to the Big East, they could be replaced with Arkansas State or JMU and keep the divisions exactly the same, or perhaps Louisiana and push either Georgia State or UAB to the north. I realize something like this would never happen, it's too bad


If I were drawing up the conference today, there are probably a few changes I'd make, but I'd still like to have a much more drivable conference.

I'd rather just not play sports at all. USA? Georgia State? Why not just sell the campus to DeVry and call it a day?

Agree, I know UTEP and Tulsa are far away, but they are actually good at a sport. USA, Ga State, App st.. not so much. I do think WKU and Ohio would be good additions.

Again, this conference was drawn up with the highest priority placed on a tight footprint. If in some alternate universe I were actually able to draw up my own conference with the only stipulations being I couldn't place MT into an AQ conference and couldn't pull members from an AQ conference, it would look something like this. There are some changes I would make, but if it were me picking, I wouldn't have the conference stretching from Norfolk, VA to El Paso, Texas. No disrespect intended to UTEP, they are undoubtedly a better program than many included in this conference which again was first and foremost about tight footprint, when making a real world decision, I'd probably loosen the footprint some to get some better programs in there, but C-USA's existing footprint is larger than I'd like, don't get me wrong, I'm happy we got in even with the larger footprint, the travel is not ideal IMO, but it's better than staying in the Sun Belt.

I don't think the travel will be all that bad. Especially for MTSU. The 7 school divisions will create basically 2 leagues with some crossover games. Most of you competition will be within your division so you actually have a better geographic situation than you think.

But overall I get your point. UTEP would be a good geographic fit in the MWC and maybe that will happen one day. Right now we are the ones that stretch the western edge of C-USA but east division schools won't be making the trip all that often. UAB is the school that would be screwed travel-wise if they end up in the west division.

(02-28-2013 01:48 PM)mathenis89 Wrote:  

(02-28-2013 01:26 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  When did they start playing football... like ten minutes ago? Do they even have any fans? I've never met one. Besides all that, they're right in the middle of what used to be OUR territory. They're just a blatant imitation of USM that our state IHL should have excised like an ugly weed.

Head over to the Sun Belt board. There are several USA fans over there very passionate about their solid basketball program and their quickly rising football program.

USA would be a good addition for C-USA.

I bet those people are posting from grandma's basement and have never been to a USA sporting event.

I remember the original SBC basketball conference. I was a UNO hoops fan back then. When the SBC added football, though, it ruined college sports.

If USA gets in, I'm done. I'll do a Ralph Friedgen style diploma-burning ceremony and never return to USM again.

(02-28-2013 01:53 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  If USA gets in, I'm done. I'll do a Ralph Friedgen style diploma-burning ceremony and never return to USM again.

Seems like that would be best for the school and this board.

(02-28-2013 01:49 PM)Captainplanet Wrote:  

(02-28-2013 01:38 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  For USM, being in a league like that just undermines the whole purpose of our athletics program. FB was an area where we could (and did) work our way up to rough parity with the other schools in the region: MSU, Tulane, Ole Miss, etc.

Back when CUSA was the best non-AQ league, being in it put us at a pretty high level. If you looked at schools with a directional name, third schools in a state, etc., we were top dog. Later, ECU, UCF, and USF got in, but we were still one of just a few.

Now, with every frickin' commuter college in the area clawing its way into CUSA, what's the point? Rather than distinguishing USM from places like USA, sports are now linking us to those places.

You may think that's what we deserve. That doesn't change the fact that we did so much better before.

I guess 0-12 still hurts.

I was every bit as passionate in my hatred of USA in 1997, 1999, 2003 and 2011 as I am now. There is nothing that could happen in one season of one sport to change my feelings about them.

(02-28-2013 01:55 PM)wh49er Wrote:  

(02-28-2013 01:53 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  If USA gets in, I'm done. I'll do a Ralph Friedgen style diploma-burning ceremony and never return to USM again.

Seems like that would be best for the school and this board.

If you really want to be in a conference with USA (which I doubt) I think you can get in.

As far as a BE invite, publicly we don't know if Tulsa has even been sent one yet. If they have received one then the Tulsa Admin is playing their cards extremely close to the vest. The ones who would know are the big donors, the Board of Regents and the TU admin. No one is giving any info.

(02-28-2013 01:58 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(02-28-2013 01:55 PM)wh49er Wrote:  

(02-28-2013 01:53 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  If USA gets in, I'm done. I'll do a Ralph Friedgen style diploma-burning ceremony and never return to USM again.

Seems like that would be best for the school and this board.

If you really want to be in a conference with USA (which I doubt) I think you can get in.

You've already signed a home and home with them so your AD see them as your equal or something close to that. March on down to Hattiesburg and get out your zippo....why wait until they are in a conference with USM?