Football wins the Sun Belt, hoops makes the NCAAs, softball 1 win away from the WCWS, baseball is top 5 in the country, solid fan support, etc

TV market.

(05-23-2014 11:26 PM)Lee Moses Wrote:  TV market.

Which considering our current TV deal really doesn't mean much. At this point, CUSA needs quality programs and not necessarily huge TV markets.

I could make a case for ULL being roughly as good as many of the C-USA 3.0 additions, including us. Yet I could not make a case for them being a good addition to the additions. At 14, we don't need them and they add nothing; simple as that.

If someone else leaves, they are the first team I would look to to replace the traitor.

A good football team, a top baseball team...bring more than UTSA.

(05-23-2014 11:37 PM)BamaScorpio69 Wrote:  

(05-23-2014 11:26 PM)Lee Moses Wrote:  TV market.

Which considering our current TV deal really doesn't mean much. At this point, CUSA needs quality programs and not necessarily huge TV markets.

Agree. I suspect that someday ULL will be in the conference. They may not bring a market, but they do bring competitive programs and a good traveling fan base. I think the geography of each division will continue to tighten over the coming years.

(05-24-2014 12:35 AM)Ole Blue Wrote:  If someone else leaves, they are the first team I would look to to replace the traitor.

Two points:

1- The differences between "Go5" conferences is already small, and will, IMO, be shrinking. So the old idea of "graduating" up conferences is pretty much gone. ULL is probably as good off in the SBC as they would be in CUSA and better than in the American.

2- Realignment is pretty much done until programs and conferences begin to get forced by economic pressures out of FBS. So I don't foresee any further shifting to open slots in CUSA and hence to elevate a team from the SBC.

(05-24-2014 06:01 AM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  

(05-24-2014 12:35 AM)Ole Blue Wrote:  If someone else leaves, they are the first team I would look to to replace the traitor.

Two points:

1- The differences between "Go5" conferences is already small, and will, IMO, be shrinking. So the old idea of "graduating" up conferences is pretty much gone. ULL is probably as good off in the SBC as they would be in CUSA and better than in the American.

2- Realignment is pretty much done until programs and conferences begin to get forced by economic pressures out of FBS. So I don't foresee any further shifting to open slots in CUSA and hence to elevate a team from the SBC.

If the NCAA passes the deregulation of the championship game and doesn't require 12 teams then I think realignment is done. If it doesn't pass it will depend if the Big 12 wants to add 2 members so they can have a CCG. If that's the case then the trickle down will start again until everyone is at 12. There may not be any movement in CUSA because we have 2 extra members and it doesn't make sense to add more than 12 the way the new payouts work.

(05-23-2014 10:46 PM)Beagleagle23 Wrote:  Football wins the Sun Belt, hoops makes the NCAAs, softball 1 win away from the WCWS, baseball is top 5 in the country, solid fan support, etc

Bad timing. If they had done this a couple of years ago they would have been considered more. Baseball and Softball are always decent at ULL, but not football and basketball.

(05-24-2014 07:02 AM)T_Won1 Wrote:  

(05-23-2014 10:46 PM)Beagleagle23 Wrote:  Football wins the Sun Belt, hoops makes the NCAAs, softball 1 win away from the WCWS, baseball is top 5 in the country, solid fan support, etc

Bad timing. If they had done this a couple of years ago they would have been considered more. Baseball and Softball are always decent at ULL, but not football and basketball.

They've had quite a solid football program for several years. Multiple bowl wins in the last few years. Their basketball has been down for a while but they were really good in the early 2000's so they do have some history. I agree they should be the #1 target should CUSA need another team.

What??? Being a good athletic program matters? Of course it does. Bring them in. Obviously brings perfect sense, and that is why it won't happen.

(05-24-2014 07:17 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  What??? Being a good athletic program matters? Of course it does. Bring them in. Obviously brings perfect sense, and that is why it won't happen.

If fielding good athletic programs were the true criteria, Southern Miss would've gotten the BE invite instead of USF in the C-USA 1.0 era.
As far as ULL, as were stated, they might as well stay put in the 'belt. Short of a new conference being formed, realignment is done.
Unfortunately, there's too many programs in C-USA already (thanks BB -another misstep).

(05-23-2014 10:46 PM)Beagleagle23 Wrote:  Football wins the Sun Belt, hoops makes the NCAAs, softball 1 win away from the WCWS, baseball is top 5 in the country, solid fan support, etc

Historically bad football program and no room.

That said they are doing really well in a lot of areas now and if they joined the Tech vs ULL rivalry would be fun to watch - lots of hate there. If CUSA has any openings I think they get the invite.

Athletic budget of only $13 million with limitations on growing it.
TV market.

(05-24-2014 07:12 AM)Hilltopper2K Wrote:  

(05-24-2014 07:02 AM)T_Won1 Wrote:  

(05-23-2014 10:46 PM)Beagleagle23 Wrote:  Football wins the Sun Belt, hoops makes the NCAAs, softball 1 win away from the WCWS, baseball is top 5 in the country, solid fan support, etc

Bad timing. If they had done this a couple of years ago they would have been considered more. Baseball and Softball are always decent at ULL, but not football and basketball.

They've had quite a solid football program for several years. Multiple bowl wins in the last few years. Their basketball has been down for a while but they were really good in the early 2000's so they do have some history. I agree they should be the #1 target should CUSA need another team.

They had a solid football program for the last 3 years...

you have to go back to '93, '94, and '95 to find 3 winning seasons in a row. Two of those seasons ended at 6-5.

But I would take UL-L over Ark St or any other school in CUSA's foot print. They have shown the commitment that a lot of schools haven't. But like most of us they are still only a couple bad seasons away from getting 15 to 18,000 fans.

(05-24-2014 07:12 AM)Hilltopper2K Wrote:  

(05-24-2014 07:02 AM)T_Won1 Wrote:  

(05-23-2014 10:46 PM)Beagleagle23 Wrote:  Football wins the Sun Belt, hoops makes the NCAAs, softball 1 win away from the WCWS, baseball is top 5 in the country, solid fan support, etc

Bad timing. If they had done this a couple of years ago they would have been considered more. Baseball and Softball are always decent at ULL, but not football and basketball.

They've had quite a solid football program for several years. Multiple bowl wins in the last few years. Their basketball has been down for a while but they were really good in the early 2000's so they do have some history. I agree they should be the #1 target should CUSA need another team.

They got good in football too late though. This is their Sagarin Ratings in football since 1998:

98: 137
99: 147
00: 188
01: 148
02: 124
03: 136
04: 122
05: 119
06: 124
07: 137
08: 106
09: 123
10: 162
Hired Hudspeth
11: 82
12: 62
13: 81

What will happen when Hudspeth leaves?

(05-23-2014 11:46 PM)forerunner Wrote:  I could make a case for ULL being roughly as good as many of the C-USA 3.0 additions, including us. Yet I could not make a case for them being a good addition to the additions. At 14, we don't need them and they add nothing; simple as that.

Agreed. And I would rephrase your first sentence to say that ULL is as good as or better than every addition over the past two years to C-USA.

Think you'll find that most WKU fans love Lafayette and would like to see them in C-USA.

(05-24-2014 08:39 AM)TitanTopper Wrote:  Think you'll find that most WKU fans love Lafayette and would like to see them in C-USA.

I like the Cajuns other than the complaining related to their name. Personally, I hope CUSA does NOT expand anymore, but the Cajuns and stAte would be towards the top of my short list.