AAC
43) South Florida
46) Cincinnati
80) Connecticut
114) Tulane
132) Temple
136) Central Florida
140) Houston
199) Memphis
233) East Carolina
254) SMU
268) Tulsa

MWC
60) Colorado State
71) Hawai'i
94) New Mexico
119) Utah State
149) San Diego State
156) Nevada
177) Wyoming
193) Air Force
222) San Jose State
223) UNLV
245) Boise State
349) Fresno State

CUSA
41) UAB
137) Florida International
138) Rice
145) Old Dominion
164) UTEP
178) Florida Atlantic
186) Southern Mississippi
191) UTSA
202) North Texas
247) Louisiana Tech
277) Marshall
318) Western Kentucky
364) Middle Tennessee

MAC
65) Buffalo
104) Massachusetts
174) Toledo
175) Akron
192) Ohio
248) Kent State
249) Miami
261) Northern Illinois
265) Western Michigan
308) Eastern Michigan
311) Ball State
316) Central Michigan
345) Bowling Green

SBC
124) New Mexico St.
148) Idaho
152) Georgia State
179) Louisiana Lafayette
212) South Alabama
218) Texas State
301) Arkansas State
383) Georgia Southern
412) Appalachian State
495) Louisiana Monroe
NR) Troy

This is as good as any place to ask Kittonhead. Know you are a Ohio fan and wanted us for ALL Sports, yet in your location you say "I root For: UMASS FOOTBALL ONLY". Curious as why you are doing it.

It is what it is that Ohio voted for put us on a term contract and then reached out once we declined the all sports invite. Don't understand why you have "I root For: UMASS FOOTBALL ONLY:

To give some context to the numbers, this is where the rankings put you in total dollars.

25) 688,905,000
75) 286,262,000
125) 138,026,000
175) 66,413,000
225) 33,099,000
275) 19,140,000
325) 10,233,000
375) 6,380,000
425) 4,009,000
475) 2,793,000

There are the elite research schools and a lot of good ones after that that mainly populate P5 conferences. To be thought of as a good research school overall you have to be within the Top 125. Schools below ranked 125 to 225 have a decent amount of research.

When you get down to schools in the 300's and 400's they have just a couple of grants usually with a significant dollar figure. One year they can be doing 5 million in research and the next nothing.

(10-12-2014 09:32 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  This is as good as any place to ask Kittonhead. Know you are a Ohio fan and wanted us for ALL Sports, yet in your location you say "I root For: UMASS FOOTBALL ONLY". Curious as why you are doing it.

It is what it is that Ohio voted for put us on a term contract and then reached out once we declined the all sports invite. Don't understand why you have "I root For: UMASS FOOTBALL ONLY:

-The MAC was required to offer an all sport invite to UMass before putting the school on a term contract. That was language added by UMass who wanted the all sport option in case the A10 fell apart.

-I love the FB Only strategy by UMass. I think they have a better chance at getting into the AAC as a FB Only school because its an easier sell for the western schools in the conference to have track the Olympic sports in the dead of winter up to Amherst.

It also gives UMass a chance to customize the schedule and I see that you've added Ohio to that schedule. That may include a basketball series as part of the deal.

-UMass has a lot of graduates (especially system wide OMG). It has a few fans for basketball. When I found out there was no bathrooms at your stadium and enjoy holding it through 4 quarters it was a match made in heaven. I am fan of only UMass football, nothing more.

Fantasy Realignment based on Research Dollars

B12 (#43 South Florida, #46 Cincinnati)-B12 taking in South Florida never made more sense.

AAC (#41 UAB, #65 Buffalo)-ACC reloads on the research front.

MWC (#164 UTEP, #191 UTSA)-The UTEP/UTSA combo sounds even better when decent research dollars are attached.

CUSA (#124 New Mexico State)-A research upgrade over UTEP.

MAC (#152 Georgia State)-Market value replacement for Buffalo

SBC (#128 North Dakota State)-Surprise quality research school

(10-12-2014 10:54 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(10-12-2014 09:32 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  This is as good as any place to ask Kittonhead. Know you are a Ohio fan and wanted us for ALL Sports, yet in your location you say "I root For: UMASS FOOTBALL ONLY". Curious as why you are doing it.

It is what it is that Ohio voted for put us on a term contract and then reached out once we declined the all sports invite. Don't understand why you have "I root For: UMASS FOOTBALL ONLY:

-The MAC was required to offer an all sport invite to UMass before putting the school on a term contract. That was language added by UMass who wanted the all sport option in case the A10 fell apart.

-I love the FB Only strategy by UMass. I think they have a better chance at getting into the AAC as a FB Only school because its an easier sell for the western schools in the conference to have track the Olympic sports in the dead of winter up to Amherst.

It also gives UMass a chance to customize the schedule and I see that you've added Ohio to that schedule. That may include a basketball series as part of the deal.

-UMass has a lot of graduates (especially system wide OMG). It has a few fans for basketball. When I found out there was no bathrooms at your stadium and enjoy holding it through 4 quarters it was a match made in heaven. I am fan of only UMass football, nothing more.

Enough with the no bathroom crap and holding it for 4 quarters. There are huge bathrooms at either end of the old football facilities about 40 yards from the end zone. Doubt basketball games are part of the deal, those are being held back for a conference alliance deal and the A10 plays 18 conference games.

Yes the AAC is the goal, but will be watching CUSA new media contract since the old one only runs through 2015-16. CUSA is better in football and why better in basketball compared to the MAC. Football-only, it was a good fit for us as it was for Temple all those years. Sorry to see the affiliation end after next year.

This basketball season will be interesting as the team will need time to develope and has a heavy front end loaded schedule, with most of the games on the road. Four top 25 votes in USA Today poll. We average over 6k and even thou we play a game in Springfield every year, it does not count as a home game. Last year it was a sell-out and we had a number of those in the Mullins Center.

Regarding travel expenses for olympic sports, divisions will help. The A10 is not small as it goes out to St Louis, through southern Ohio, up to extreme west and south east New York, through Mass and Rhode Island and down through extreme west and east Penn, through Virginia and North Carolina. Most football conferences are larger than the A10, but the A10 does not have divisions.

(10-16-2014 10:34 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  

(10-12-2014 10:54 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(10-12-2014 09:32 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  This is as good as any place to ask Kittonhead. Know you are a Ohio fan and wanted us for ALL Sports, yet in your location you say "I root For: UMASS FOOTBALL ONLY". Curious as why you are doing it.

It is what it is that Ohio voted for put us on a term contract and then reached out once we declined the all sports invite. Don't understand why you have "I root For: UMASS FOOTBALL ONLY:

-The MAC was required to offer an all sport invite to UMass before putting the school on a term contract. That was language added by UMass who wanted the all sport option in case the A10 fell apart.

-I love the FB Only strategy by UMass. I think they have a better chance at getting into the AAC as a FB Only school because its an easier sell for the western schools in the conference to have track the Olympic sports in the dead of winter up to Amherst.

It also gives UMass a chance to customize the schedule and I see that you've added Ohio to that schedule. That may include a basketball series as part of the deal.

-UMass has a lot of graduates (especially system wide OMG). It has a few fans for basketball. When I found out there was no bathrooms at your stadium and enjoy holding it through 4 quarters it was a match made in heaven. I am fan of only UMass football, nothing more.

Enough with the no bathroom crap and holding it for 4 quarters. There are huge bathrooms at either end of the old football facilities about 40 yards from the end zone. Doubt basketball games are part of the deal, those are being held back for a conference alliance deal and the A10 plays 18 conference games.

Yes the AAC is the goal, but will be watching CUSA new media contract since the old one only runs through 2015-16. CUSA is better in football and why better in basketball compared to the MAC. Football-only, it was a good fit for us as it was for Temple all those years. Sorry to see the affiliation end after next year.

This basketball season will be interesting as the team will need time to develope and has a heavy front end loaded schedule, with most of the games on the road. Four top 25 votes in USA Today poll. We average over 6k and even thou we play a game in Springfield every year, it does not count as a home game. Last year it was a sell-out and we had a number of those in the Mullins Center.

Regarding travel expenses for olympic sports, divisions will help. The A10 is not small as it goes out to St Louis, through southern Ohio, up to extreme west and south east New York, through Mass and Rhode Island and down through extreme west and east Penn, through Virginia and North Carolina. Most football conferences are larger than the A10, but the A10 does not have divisions.

Ok then its UMass all sports and Army FB only to C-USA for a northeast presence for the conference. Let's do it.

(10-16-2014 10:34 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  

(10-12-2014 10:54 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(10-12-2014 09:32 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  This is as good as any place to ask Kittonhead. Know you are a Ohio fan and wanted us for ALL Sports, yet in your location you say "I root For: UMASS FOOTBALL ONLY". Curious as why you are doing it.

It is what it is that Ohio voted for put us on a term contract and then reached out once we declined the all sports invite. Don't understand why you have "I root For: UMASS FOOTBALL ONLY:

-The MAC was required to offer an all sport invite to UMass before putting the school on a term contract. That was language added by UMass who wanted the all sport option in case the A10 fell apart.

-I love the FB Only strategy by UMass. I think they have a better chance at getting into the AAC as a FB Only school because its an easier sell for the western schools in the conference to have track the Olympic sports in the dead of winter up to Amherst.

It also gives UMass a chance to customize the schedule and I see that you've added Ohio to that schedule. That may include a basketball series as part of the deal.

-UMass has a lot of graduates (especially system wide OMG). It has a few fans for basketball. When I found out there was no bathrooms at your stadium and enjoy holding it through 4 quarters it was a match made in heaven. I am fan of only UMass football, nothing more.

Enough with the no bathroom crap and holding it for 4 quarters. There are huge bathrooms at either end of the old football facilities about 40 yards from the end zone. Doubt basketball games are part of the deal, those are being held back for a conference alliance deal and the A10 plays 18 conference games.

Yes the AAC is the goal, but will be watching CUSA new media contract since the old one only runs through 2015-16. CUSA is better in football and why better in basketball compared to the MAC. Football-only, it was a good fit for us as it was for Temple all those years. Sorry to see the affiliation end after next year.

Are you serious about UMass potentially moving to CUSA all sports?



The MAC has a $124 million dollar TV deal with ESPN for production of all Football, Basketball games plus many Olympic sports. CUSA has an $80 million dollar TV deal between CBS College Sports/Fox. Is that CUSA TV deal likely to go up when ESPN has also laid out $120 million for the AAC? CUSA would be lucky to maintain its current arrangement after losing so many members (only Marshall, UTEP, UAB, Rice remain from 2010 lineup).

The MAC was rated higher in basketball than CUSA last year and has played its conference tournament for 15 years in Cleveland and the Cavs arena with championship games regularly around 10,000. Its not quite as well attended as the MVC's arch madness but its much better than having your conference tournament played on North Texas's campus which is the type of treatment to expect from CUSA.

The MAC is a regional footprint conference that has the advantages of bus travel, neutral conference tournament sites while at the same time plays in FBS and has a 9 figure ESPN TV deal. The conference has been around since 1946 and has the most tradition of any G5 conference. Nobody in this conference has to spend greater than 600,000 for a basketball or football coach.

The AAC is pulling in more revenue than the MAC by 2 million per school but they are spending 3-4 million more on their coaching staffs. That conference I think is becoming where you put the private schools and East Coast publics that are too far from CUSA (UConn, Temple, ECU, USF, UCF). Note that if ECU considers CUSA a bad geographic fit CUSA a bad geographic fit for UMass.

The B12 decides to add UC and Houston, that would open a spot naturally for Rice in the AAC and then UMass can be looking at filling the other spot. The only schools that desire a spot in CUSA at this point are in the Sun Belt or FCS conferences.

Kittonhead, could you link your source for us?

Kitton, the MAC was ahead by a tiny fraction and we had an unreal RPI, which put you just ahead of CUSA. The MAC can not get an at large NIT berth, never mind the big dance. Keep pretending the MAC is ahead of CUSA in basketball or even Football. One year ahead by fraction is just a blip. Lets see how you compare this year on your own, without a scheduling agreement with UMass.

This is what I can find and is 8 mill per year for 13 years, but posters say it will grow to 10 Mill in future years and say that it's contingent on Basketball improving.

Quote:The Mid-American Conference and ESPN on Tuesday, Aug. 19, announced a new 13-year rights agreement for football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball. The deal adds provisions to the three years that remained on the previous contract and extends the agreement for 10 more years, through the 2026-27 school year.

The MAC had completed five years of an eight-year deal with ESPN that reportedly paid the Cleveland-based conference about $1 million per year. The new deal includes a significant raise for the conference that has gained quite a following with its midweek football games on ESPN’s family of networks.

ESPN college football insider Brett McMurphy reported the contract is worth about $8 million per year and more than $100 million overall.

MAC commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher said he is contractually prohibited from talking about the financial terms of the new deal, but said, “We’re in a totally different area code than where we’ve been in the past. It puts us in good stead with our peers (in other conferences).”

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/2...ough-2027#

For reference, here is a link to the old CUSA contract.
http://www.ubbullrun.com/2011/1/7/191823...w-fox-deal

(10-17-2014 10:38 AM)Steve1981 Wrote:  This is what I can find and is 8 mill per year for 13 years, but posters say it will grow to 10 Mill in future years and say that it's contingent on Basketball improving.

Quote:The Mid-American Conference and ESPN on Tuesday, Aug. 19, announced a new 13-year rights agreement for football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball. The deal adds provisions to the three years that remained on the previous contract and extends the agreement for 10 more years, through the 2026-27 school year.

The MAC had completed five years of an eight-year deal with ESPN that reportedly paid the Cleveland-based conference about $1 million per year. The new deal includes a significant raise for the conference that has gained quite a following with its midweek football games on ESPN’s family of networks.

ESPN college football insider Brett McMurphy reported the contract is worth about $8 million per year and more than $100 million overall.

MAC commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher said he is contractually prohibited from talking about the financial terms of the new deal, but said, “We’re in a totally different area code than where we’ve been in the past. It puts us in good stead with our peers (in other conferences).”

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/2...ough-2027#

For reference, here is a link to the old CUSA contract.
http://www.ubbullrun.com/2011/1/7/191823...w-fox-deal

I wouldn't get caught up in the per school dollar figure as much as who the TV deal is with (ESPN vs. CBS/Fox/NBC) and the total dollar commitment laid out over the life of the contract. In total dollars ESPN is committing as much money for the MAC as it is for the AAC, albeit the AAC is getting that money over a shorter term but still in the peanuts TV deal game of the G5 total value is the best indicator.

Compare that to the SBC where the investment level by ESPN is about $4 million and the MAC is coming out pretty good.

CUSA picked up an $80 million dollar commitment from CBS/Fox and may be able to push it to $100 million next time around. I would take the MAC deal over that anytime of the week, especially that mid week football package that is highly visible for recruiting.

On the at-large bids to NIT/NCAA the MAC has done it before. The plan is to increase quality of the conference to the point where its a regular 2 NCAA bid league and schools are investing more heavily into basketball.

(10-17-2014 10:08 AM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  Kittonhead, could you link your source for us?

Don't have a link but the MAC deal its $10 million a year for the last 10 years of the contract according to McMurphy's tweet on the dollars. The first three years left from the remaining contract are $8 million a year. That makes the grand total $124 million dollars.

G5 conferences are developing themes

MWC (Western)
MAC (Midwestern)
AAC (Private/Eastern Public)
CUSA (Southern)
SBC (Starter Conference)

Its not going to really be about the TV money if you are a G5 as much as playing in a conference where you fit one of the themes. The only place where its a factor is with the SBC where you are locked in a conference with FCS upgrades and no visibility.

As to the MAC, they know basketball should be better and most programs after focusing on football for the last 15 years are now starting to place emphasis on basketball. Buffalo brought in Bobby Hurley as its men's basketball coach. Akron's coach has taken them to the NCAA tournament 3 times and is under contract for 10 years at 450k per year. Ohio brought in Saul Phillips for a $550k base. Salaries are accelerating and getting more in line with the top mid major conferences.

With the MVC losing Creighton and the Horizon losing Butler the MAC is gaining ground in basketball and soon will start pumping out 2 bid NCAA years with the trajectory its heading on. A lot of the MAC schools have they money now to buy home basketball games like power conference schools which Ohio has been doing a lot of in recent years.

So, to consolidate the rankings a bit, that means that these were the top 10 G5 schools by research expenditures (in 2012):

41) UAB
43) South Florida
46) Cincinnati
60) Colorado State
65) Buffalo
71) Hawai'i
80) Connecticut
94) New Mexico
104) Massachusetts
114) Tulane