(01-23-2014 03:00 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  That sort of scheduling makes a lot of sense but the SEC isn't going to legitimize those schools by playing them regularly.

Even if the games were always played at the SEC's field? This would carry over to all other sports, too, which will help with travel expenses as non-revenue sport budgets are getting squeezed at many places. It would be a huge PR boost locally, as well. If your reasoning is true, then our schools need to get over themselves. UK and WKU have played the last few years, and it has been good for the state as a whole. It is also a good measure for the SEC coaches. You can hee and haw about losing to other power conference schools, but if you start losing to the C-USA counterpart, it is curtains much more quickly.

(01-23-2014 02:51 PM)bigblueblindness Wrote:  

(01-23-2014 02:41 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(01-23-2014 02:33 PM)bigblueblindness Wrote:  I agree with Missouri State and Arkansas State as the next best adds. When the need arises again (probably a Texas school moving), whoever wins the value award between Georgia State and Georgia Southern should be considered. Having representation in as many southern states as possible is a good strategy, especially if future contracted OOC games with a power conference is in cards. For long term scheduling purposes, I'm betting the SEC would love to know that all of their schools have a built-in OOC game in every sport and will pay handsomely for it all to occur on the SEC's campuses. It matches up nicely:

Missouri - Missouri State
Arkansas - Arkansas State
LSU - Louisiana Tech
Kentucky - Western Kentucky
Tennessee - MTSU
Vanderbilt - Rice (good peer matchup)
TAMU - alternate UTSA/UTEP/North Texas
Ole Miss/Mississippi State - Alternate Southern Miss and UTSA/UTEP/North Texas
Alabama/Auburn - Alternate UAB and UTSA/UTEP/North Texas
Florida/Georgia - Alternate FIU and FAU
South Carolina - Alternate Marshall/ODU/UNC-Charlotte for now

Marshall/ODU/UNC-Charlotte will have yearly partners as soon as Virginia Tech and NC State see the light and join the SEC

Excellent point, The next move for CUSA should be a scheduling agreement with the SEC.

If the SEC knew they could schedule years in advance, I'm betting they would pay a pretty penny for the guaranteed games. They are going to need a G5 conference that is flexible and will spread out these games over 13-14 weeks for SEC Network purposes. Furthermore, many of these games would be the larger public school in a state funding the smaller school, thus keeping athletic money in-state. There are a lot of wins in this scenario. The PAC/MWC and Big 10/MAC should consider such an arrangement, as well.

The MAC has a scheduling arrangement with the B1G and also has an agreement where the B1G provides officials free off charge.

(01-23-2014 02:33 PM)bigblueblindness Wrote:  I agree with Missouri State and Arkansas State as the next best adds. When the need arises again (i.e., an AAC spot opening up), whoever wins the value award between Georgia State and Georgia Southern should be considered. Having representation in as many southern states as possible is a good strategy, especially if future contracted OOC games with a power conference is in the cards. For long term scheduling purposes, I'm betting the SEC would love to know that all of their schools have a built-in OOC game in every sport and will pay handsomely for it all to occur on the SEC's campuses. It matches up nicely:

Missouri - Missouri State
Arkansas - Arkansas State
LSU - Louisiana Tech
Kentucky - Western Kentucky
Tennessee - MTSU
Vanderbilt - Rice (good peer matchup)
TAMU - alternate UTSA/UTEP/North Texas
Ole Miss/Mississippi State - Alternate Southern Miss and UTSA/UTEP/North Texas
Alabama/Auburn - Alternate UAB and UTSA/UTEP/North Texas
Florida/Georgia - Alternate FIU and FAU
South Carolina - Alternate Marshall/ODU/UNC-Charlotte for now

Marshall/ODU/UNC-Charlotte will have yearly partners as soon as Virginia Tech and NC State see the light and join the SEC

The eastern side of the Sun Belt REALLY wants Missouri State. The Bears are a bus trip in all sports for Arkansas State and Arkansas-Little Rock and with two airports to work with and SW Airlines now serving Branson they are appealing to schools with SW access.

(01-23-2014 03:12 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(01-23-2014 02:51 PM)bigblueblindness Wrote:  

(01-23-2014 02:41 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(01-23-2014 02:33 PM)bigblueblindness Wrote:  I agree with Missouri State and Arkansas State as the next best adds. When the need arises again (probably a Texas school moving), whoever wins the value award between Georgia State and Georgia Southern should be considered. Having representation in as many southern states as possible is a good strategy, especially if future contracted OOC games with a power conference is in cards. For long term scheduling purposes, I'm betting the SEC would love to know that all of their schools have a built-in OOC game in every sport and will pay handsomely for it all to occur on the SEC's campuses. It matches up nicely:

Missouri - Missouri State
Arkansas - Arkansas State
LSU - Louisiana Tech
Kentucky - Western Kentucky
Tennessee - MTSU
Vanderbilt - Rice (good peer matchup)
TAMU - alternate UTSA/UTEP/North Texas
Ole Miss/Mississippi State - Alternate Southern Miss and UTSA/UTEP/North Texas
Alabama/Auburn - Alternate UAB and UTSA/UTEP/North Texas
Florida/Georgia - Alternate FIU and FAU
South Carolina - Alternate Marshall/ODU/UNC-Charlotte for now

Marshall/ODU/UNC-Charlotte will have yearly partners as soon as Virginia Tech and NC State see the light and join the SEC

Excellent point, The next move for CUSA should be a scheduling agreement with the SEC.

If the SEC knew they could schedule years in advance, I'm betting they would pay a pretty penny for the guaranteed games. They are going to need a G5 conference that is flexible and will spread out these games over 13-14 weeks for SEC Network purposes. Furthermore, many of these games would be the larger public school in a state funding the smaller school, thus keeping athletic money in-state. There are a lot of wins in this scenario. The PAC/MWC and Big 10/MAC should consider such an arrangement, as well.

The MAC has a scheduling arrangement with the B1G and also has an agreement where the B1G provides officials free off charge.

SEC supervisor of football officials will administer Sun Belt officials starting in 2014.

Good info from both of you, Kittonhead and arkstfan. Sounds like things are moving in a good direction.

(01-23-2014 03:12 PM)bigblueblindness Wrote:  

(01-23-2014 03:00 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  That sort of scheduling makes a lot of sense but the SEC isn't going to legitimize those schools by playing them regularly.

Even if the games were always played at the SEC's field? This would carry over to all other sports, too, which will help with travel expenses as non-revenue sport budgets are getting squeezed at many places. It would be a huge PR boost locally, as well. If your reasoning is true, then our schools need to get over themselves. UK and WKU have played the last few years, and it has been good for the state as a whole. It is also a good measure for the SEC coaches. You can hee and haw about losing to other power conference schools, but if you start losing to the C-USA counterpart, it is curtains much more quickly.

It's bad for the sport but it keeps the separation. It's part of the P5 attempt to maintain their status as better. One could make a pretty strong argument that the MAC/Big10 arrangement is partly responsible for the MAC's success and the Big10's slide. Those two are normalizing.

(01-23-2014 05:59 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  

(01-23-2014 03:12 PM)bigblueblindness Wrote:  

(01-23-2014 03:00 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  That sort of scheduling makes a lot of sense but the SEC isn't going to legitimize those schools by playing them regularly.

Even if the games were always played at the SEC's field? This would carry over to all other sports, too, which will help with travel expenses as non-revenue sport budgets are getting squeezed at many places. It would be a huge PR boost locally, as well. If your reasoning is true, then our schools need to get over themselves. UK and WKU have played the last few years, and it has been good for the state as a whole. It is also a good measure for the SEC coaches. You can hee and haw about losing to other power conference schools, but if you start losing to the C-USA counterpart, it is curtains much more quickly.

It's bad for the sport but it keeps the separation. It's part of the P5 attempt to maintain their status as better. One could make a pretty strong argument that the MAC/Big10 arrangement is partly responsible for the MAC's success and the Big10's slide. Those two are normalizing.

Plus I feel that each of the SEC member schools does not want to hand over control of who they have to play out of conference to anyone even there own conference office. They would rather decide who they play instead of giving that control over to the conference.

Until they went to 12 the SEC didn't even make the league football schedule.

No they didn't. The coaches made it at some schools. Bear Bryant wouldn't play certain schools. Georgia and LSU at one time didn't play each other for 25 years.

(12-03-2013 10:22 AM)Tallgrass Wrote:  Before I begin this post, congrats to CUSA for a good start in basketball. That is a nice bonus added to a very good effort from this football season.

In picking up NIU and MSU, CUSA would gain the second university in each state and in two states with a large population. MSU also brings good basketball; NIU basketball is not much.

CUSA has many good expansion candidates. This proposal in this post is but one of many options available to CUSA as it gets ready for its soon to be tv negotiations. The good football, now followed by a good basketball start, is promising. This two year window for CUSA to renegotiate its tv contract is just right, it is long enough to allow CUSA to establish its new brand but short enough to expand upon its current tv contract:

CUSA/WEST BY TRAVEL PARTNER:
NIU/Missouri State
UTEP/UTSA
UNT/LaTech
Rice/Southern Miss

CUSA/EAST BY TRAVEL PARTNER:
FIU/FAU
ODU/Marshall
WKU/UAB
MTU/Charlotte

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

1 bid league with 14 teams. That's just bad.

(01-23-2014 09:36 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Until they went to 12 the SEC didn't even make the league football schedule.

They also made a pittance of what they make now because of it. Look at how a marquee game was played in the SEC almost every week this year. That would have never happened when everyone handled their own schedule.

(01-24-2014 12:53 AM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  

(12-03-2013 10:22 AM)Tallgrass Wrote:  Before I begin this post, congrats to CUSA for a good start in basketball. That is a nice bonus added to a very good effort from this football season.

In picking up NIU and MSU, CUSA would gain the second university in each state and in two states with a large population. MSU also brings good basketball; NIU basketball is not much.

CUSA has many good expansion candidates. This proposal in this post is but one of many options available to CUSA as it gets ready for its soon to be tv negotiations. The good football, now followed by a good basketball start, is promising. This two year window for CUSA to renegotiate its tv contract is just right, it is long enough to allow CUSA to establish its new brand but short enough to expand upon its current tv contract:

CUSA/WEST BY TRAVEL PARTNER:
NIU/Missouri State
UTEP/UTSA
UNT/LaTech
Rice/Southern Miss

CUSA/EAST BY TRAVEL PARTNER:
FIU/FAU
ODU/Marshall
WKU/UAB
MTU/Charlotte

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

1 bid league with 14 teams. That's just bad.

Try again.

(01-23-2014 02:33 PM)bigblueblindness Wrote:  I agree with Missouri State and Arkansas State as the next best adds. When the need arises again (i.e., an AAC spot opening up), whoever wins the value award between Georgia State and Georgia Southern should be considered. Having representation in as many southern states as possible is a good strategy, especially if future contracted OOC games with a power conference is in the cards. For long term scheduling purposes, I'm betting the SEC would love to know that all of their schools have a built-in OOC game in every sport and will pay handsomely for it all to occur on the SEC's campuses. It matches up nicely:

Missouri - Missouri State
Arkansas - Arkansas State
LSU - Louisiana Tech
Kentucky - Western Kentucky
Tennessee - MTSU
Vanderbilt - Rice (good peer matchup)
TAMU - alternate UTSA/UTEP/North Texas
Ole Miss/Mississippi State - Alternate Southern Miss and UTSA/UTEP/North Texas
Alabama/Auburn - Alternate UAB and UTSA/UTEP/North Texas
Florida/Georgia - Alternate FIU and FAU
South Carolina - Alternate Marshall/ODU/UNC-Charlotte for now

Marshall/ODU/UNC-Charlotte will have yearly partners as soon as Virginia Tech and NC State see the light and join the SEC

Take Southern. We'll pass.

(12-03-2013 10:22 AM)Tallgrass Wrote:  Before I begin this post, congrats to CUSA for a good start in basketball. That is a nice bonus added to a very good effort from this football season.

In picking up NIU and MSU, CUSA would gain the second university in each state and in two states with a large population. MSU also brings good basketball; NIU basketball is not much.

CUSA has many good expansion candidates. This proposal in this post is but one of many options available to CUSA as it gets ready for its soon to be tv negotiations. The good football, now followed by a good basketball start, is promising. This two year window for CUSA to renegotiate its tv contract is just right, it is long enough to allow CUSA to establish its new brand but short enough to expand upon its current tv contract:

CUSA/WEST BY TRAVEL PARTNER:
NIU/Missouri State
UTEP/UTSA
UNT/LaTech
Rice/Southern Miss

CUSA/EAST BY TRAVEL PARTNER:
FIU/FAU
ODU/Marshall
WKU/UAB
MTU/Charlotte

No thanks on NIU. They've had a nice run the last few years but they don't fit the current CUSA model and wouldn't provide any real long-term value that CUSA is after. Mo. State is a longshot but a possibility down the road. Any further expansion on the west side of CUSA would likely point to Texas State, Arkansas State or Louisiana first. On the east side I would think JMU, Delaware and maybe a Georgia Southern at some point down the road could be targets. Wouldn't be surprised to see CUSA show some interest in a Mac Ohio school as well. Possibly a Toledo/Miami/Akron or Ohio. I could even see CUSA going to 16 at some point if the value is there and maybe target two of the 4 above mentioned Ohio schools and simply move MTSU over to the west side. There are a lot of different options CUSA could go. Personally I would rather see CUSA stay at 14 and just add two basketball only schools for scheduling purposes. Mo. State and VCU would be good adds. VCU getting to compete against some of its old rivals again (ODU, UAB, WKU) could be attractive if the Big East happens to take some schools from the A-10.

It will probably be five years before CUSA or as we call it the Sunbelt 2 expands but these two teams would be a great addition. No more teams from Louisiana or Texas including Arkansas as it is a very unpopulated and poor state other than the University of Arkansas why controls the state.

why would NIU downgrade to CUSA?

(01-25-2014 05:22 PM)AntiG Wrote:  why would NIU downgrade to CUSA?

...Hahahah. Yeah right. Keep dreaming. CUSA is a big upgrade over the Mac. Better TV deal, better destinations, better bowls, not to mention that CUSA actually won bowl games this year while the Mac went 0-5. No comparison. The Mac is simply not a "forward thinking" conference like CUSA is. The Mac has been a bus league for 60+ years now and will likely be a bus league for another 60+ years assuming it survives in FBS.

The MAC is in a better spot than CUSA.

The P5 teams in their states will actually play them instead of refuse to admit they even exist.

(01-25-2014 08:51 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  The MAC is in a better spot than CUSA.

The P5 teams in their states will actually play them instead of refuse to admit they even exist.

How many of those P5 teams from the same state visit those Mac schools on game day?....

(01-25-2014 08:51 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  The MAC is in a better spot than CUSA.

The P5 teams in their states will actually play them instead of refuse to admit they even exist.

CUSA gets fans in the stadiums something the MAC has not figured out.