http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball...b-football

I wonder if this will really happen concerning UAB.

I've known Paul Bryant Jr. since I was in high school. He's not his daddy, that's for sure.

(11-22-2014 02:48 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  I've known Paul Bryant Jr. since I was in high school. He's not his daddy, that's for sure.

When Bryant Jr calls UAB the Vandy of CUSA then I know he has had too many bourbons and branch waters.

CBSSports.com has published an interesting follow-up article:

UAB football isn't alone in losing money for athletic departments

(11-25-2014 01:36 PM)Jonathan Sadow Wrote:  CBSSports.com has published an interesting follow-up article:

UAB football isn't alone in losing money for athletic departments

From the link's sidebar graph on athletic department deficits, it is beyond dispute that UH is Tier One.

Why isn't Rice on that chart?

(11-25-2014 01:44 PM)Owl Movement Wrote:  From the link's sidebar graph on athletic department deficits, it is beyond dispute that UH is Tier One.

Who covers those deficits? Does the money come from donations, endowment, taxpayers, or student fees? The Air Force Academy was a big eye-opener for me.

(11-25-2014 01:48 PM)owl95 Wrote:  Why isn't Rice on that chart?

I don't see any private schools on that list ... such as Tulane or Tulsa. It may have used data that private schools don't have to make public.

CBSSports football writer Jon Solomon Wrote:Twenty-six athletic departments at public universities in Group of Five conferences reported a larger deficit in 2012-13 than UAB's $17.5 million loss, according to a CBSSports.com analysis of the most recent USA Today Sports college athletics financial database.

I wouldn't call it 'losing money' as much as it is investing in a department. When you consider that among our largest costs is scholarships that don't really fund football, but education, (unlike most other departmental scholarships, you don't major in football) and merely go to one student rather than another, I think the actual 'cost' of athletics at Rice is fairly reasonable relative to the exposure we get from it and how it contributes to the student experience..

Of course, that is a double edged-sword in that the better you are, the more exposure you get... but ALSO, as a HIGHLY academic institution, I think even some of our 'bad' press is a net positive for the University. Yeah, we got hammered against Miss State last year, but we won CUSA in football with guys like Cellist and Civil/Environmental Engineer Gabe Baker over schools that don't have our academic reputation and 4 other conference titles (iirc) and have a coach that teaches football to our international students... and that got repeatedly mentioned during the National Broadcast.

The bad news for many of these other schools is that they aren't (generally) providing the yin to offset the yang... some of them miserably so.

I really hate our commercial that we play with the moderately dressed students basically standing there and the super-imposed graphics... It just looks cheap and cheesy and not at all indicative of the class and excellence (or the beauty) of the University

What would be a good replacement for UAB? Army? USL? Any thoughts if this really happens

Texas St, ULaLa, ULM would all make sense - not that I want it to happen.

(11-25-2014 04:27 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  Texas St, ULaLa, ULM would all make sense - not that I want it to happen.

Honestly, I don't think we *have* to replace them. And if we don't, splitting the TV money fewer ways will net us at least $7.95.

But if we do add, I'd say ULL. Solid fan support, great community, etc.

Also, I don't want to elevate Texas State. I think the most realistic opportunity for us to move up is for the MWC to decide they want a Texas presence.

(Yes, I know many don't think that's a move up, but the MWC has a number of state flagship (or close) schools, plus AF. And if they take UTEP, UNT, UTSA, and Texas State, do we really think we would be better off in a further depleted CUSA? As I've said before, I think a real danger is a three tier system with the P5/AAC-MWC/MAC-Belt-CUSA all being treated differently. We need to be in at least the middle tier.)

If UAB drops then the conference will have an uneven number of teams and might wish to add somebody for balance. ULL would serve that purpose.

Fewer teams doesn't necessarily mean more revenue for each. It's a balance between TV coverage area and share per school, but yes it could work out that one less school means more money.

The MWC could invite Texas State at any time, from where they are at now.

(11-25-2014 04:27 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  Texas St, ULaLa, ULM would all make sense - not that I want it to happen.

Number one, I don't want it to happen.

Number two, if it does happen, those wouldn't be my choices. I think in terms of conference footprint. We would have lost our presence in Alabama by virtue of losing the #3 school in the state. Does it make sense to replace them with #4 or #5 in a state where we already have #3 (La Tech) or a school that ranks probably close to double digits in a state where we already have four members? I think not. It seems more logical to expand the footprint or at least minimize the loss sustained. My choices would be to expand the footprint with Arkansas State (#2 in Arkansas) or Georgia Southern (#3 in Georgia, yes just up from 1-AA, but so is ODU, and they have an incredible 1-AA pedigree and are already close to dominating the Sun Belt), or to try to retain the Alabama presence with Troy or South Alabama (one of which will obviously replace UAB as #3 in Alabama in the disaster scenario). I actually think USA has more upside than Troy.

Maybe even add three and go to a 16 team league. TV revenue would get divided even more, but at least you are adding some potential viewers (or at least cutting losses) on the demand side. Yes, ULaLa fans travel well. But there are 20,000-30,000 of them, and that means nothing in TV-land. If I were asked who the up-and-coming programs are in the south, I think GaSo and USA would be at the top of my list. They sound like good candidates to me.

I agree that Georgia Southern also makes sense for the reasons stated.

If 16 teams improves C-USA's revenues and position relative to the G5, then that should be done.

I don't have the information to support the conjecture, but in my uninformed opinion a C-USA/Sunbelt merger might make sense too.

If we go to 16, I'd almost say go all the way the 18, and essentially create two regional 9 team leagues.

But my first choice (if UAB drops football) would be just to stand pat at 13.

I do not want more CUSA games to play unless it is with Texas State, which would be a good road trip.
We get a lot more publicity with games against good P5 teams such as Norte Dame and A&M which can get national television on a decent channel. UAB might be running into the money being spent on football is not worth it when they are mostly playing G5 schools that get television coverage only on an obscure channel at a bad time slot.

(11-25-2014 03:02 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  I really hate our commercial that we play with the moderately dressed students basically standing there and the super-imposed graphics... It just looks cheap and cheesy and not at all indicative of the class and excellence (or the beauty) of the University

Made a new thread for discussion of Rice's current commercial here:
http://csnbbs.com/thread-715119.html

(11-26-2014 09:19 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  Number two, if it does happen, those wouldn't be my choices. I think in terms of conference footprint. We would have lost our presence in Alabama by virtue of losing the #3 school in the state. Does it make sense to replace them with #4 or #5 in a state where we already have #3 (La Tech) or a school that ranks probably close to double digits in a state where we already have four members? I think not. It seems more logical to expand the footprint or at least minimize the loss sustained. My choices would be to expand the footprint with Arkansas State (#2 in Arkansas) or Georgia Southern (#3 in Georgia, yes just up from 1-AA, but so is ODU, and they have an incredible 1-AA pedigree and are already close to dominating the Sun Belt), or to try to retain the Alabama presence with Troy or South Alabama (one of which will obviously replace UAB as #3 in Alabama in the disaster scenario). I actually think USA has more upside than Troy.

...If I were asked who the up-and-coming programs are in the south, I think GaSo and USA would be at the top of my list. They sound like good candidates to me.

Selfishly, I'd like GA State instead of GA Southern as it would include the Atlanta metro area (Top 10 market) and probably more access/exposure to potential recruits for all C-USA schools, but especially Rice.

GA Southern definitely has more of the winning tradition and rabid fanbase than GA State, but GA Southern is located in a small town in south GA, whereas GA State is located near to the world's busiest airport.

Also, FYI, it is rumored and has been proposed that GA State will be buying the Atlanta Braves' soon-to-be-former-home of Turner Field downtown to extend their campus and develop a downtown athletic footprint for GA State football and other sports:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost...ount=10316
#2 on the diagram/render shown is the old Turner Field (Braves baseball) after changing it into a football stadium for GA State)
another link with the render showing: http://www.ajc.com/news/news/breaking-ne...-pr/nfq8X/

BTW the http://www.skyscraperpage.com
also has a neat Houston forum (as well as many other US cities and world cities) for those interested: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=114123
good to bookmark and check out during those times of year csnbbs gets slow!

(11-26-2014 09:10 AM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  If UAB drops then the conference will have an uneven number of teams and might wish to add somebody for balance.

The conference has done just fine this season with 13 football teams.