to the Sun Belt Conference. I feel bad they had to drop football, but now is the time for them to come back to the Belt. If USA goes to Conference USA, we add New Mexico State in all sports. These additions would take our basketball up several notches. I doubt a Sun Belt team turns down a ConUSA offer, although there really is not a darn bit of difference between the conferences at this point, although ConUSA still has a better "name". If the Belt would stick together, we could be a better conference in the long run. The Big 12 or American Athletic will raid ConUSA when they feel like it. Just not sure who is left that they would want.

Cusa has a better overall tv deal with fox and regional stations. Just take a look at their scheduled bball TV games compared to the belt.

No comparing the two conferences and that's why anyone in the sbc is ready to go.

(12-02-2014 10:51 PM)insideualr Wrote:  No comparing the two conferences and that's why anyone in the sbc is ready to go.

Conference USA lost everyone of consequence and is basically the Sun Belt 2.0. Last year the Sun Belt clearly did better in head to head matchups and in the bowl games. Obviously, this year Marshall is better than any Sun Belt school. If the Sun Belt would just add New Mexico State, and then maybe UAB, there would be little to no difference in basketball either. They are both bottom of the barrel football conferences and one bid basketball leagues. ConUSA can continue to get more Sun Belt teams, if that is really what they want, because their "name" still has more prestige despite all the good programs having left.

I would certainly hope our leaders consider the Sun Belt before dumping us somewhere like the A-SUN. They've given me no reason to believe in them, though.

Would love to have UAB in the New SBC!

(12-03-2014 02:22 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  I would certainly hope our leaders consider the Sun Belt before dumping us somewhere like the A-SUN. They've given me no reason to believe in them, though.

Thanks for posting. What is your opinion of why this happened? Is it because you are part of the UA system, like we are? I doubt your deficits are significantly worse than the other nonBCS schools in your state. What happened to you brings back bad memories for us, since about 25-30 years ago the U of Ark did it's best to shut down our sports programs. Seems like this is no longer a worry for us, but you never know. It's hard to believe this could happen after a season when you were bowl eligible. On the other hand, the strongest attempt to shut down our program occurred during the time we were going to postseason in men's basketball on a regular basis.

The official statement said the athletic department would continue to be subsidized at its current rate. The decision to drop football was because the report projected it would take an extra $49 million over the next 5 years to keep pace with cost increases associated with having a competitive C-USA program. I don't buy that. Our athletic budget was already $30 million. There are many programs making it work with far less than that.

The administration seems to have no backup plan if C-USA decides to drop us. They literally said C-USA should keep us because we were loyal to them during realignment.

The President said trustees were pressuring to shut down the program last year but did not influence his current decision.

(12-03-2014 02:14 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(12-02-2014 10:51 PM)insideualr Wrote:  No comparing the two conferences and that's why anyone in the sbc is ready to go.

Conference USA lost everyone of consequence and is basically the Sun Belt 2.0. Last year the Sun Belt clearly did better in head to head matchups and in the bowl games. Obviously, this year Marshall is better than any Sun Belt school. If the Sun Belt would just add New Mexico State, and then maybe UAB, there would be little to no difference in basketball either. They are both bottom of the barrel football conferences and one bid basketball leagues. ConUSA can continue to get more Sun Belt teams, if that is really what they want, because their "name" still has more prestige despite all the good programs having left.

No team in the sbc will turn down the invite. Simple as that.

(12-03-2014 09:51 PM)insideualr Wrote:  

(12-03-2014 02:14 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(12-02-2014 10:51 PM)insideualr Wrote:  No comparing the two conferences and that's why anyone in the sbc is ready to go.

Conference USA lost everyone of consequence and is basically the Sun Belt 2.0. Last year the Sun Belt clearly did better in head to head matchups and in the bowl games. Obviously, this year Marshall is better than any Sun Belt school. If the Sun Belt would just add New Mexico State, and then maybe UAB, there would be little to no difference in basketball either. They are both bottom of the barrel football conferences and one bid basketball leagues. ConUSA can continue to get more Sun Belt teams, if that is really what they want, because their "name" still has more prestige despite all the good programs having left.

No team in the sbc will turn down the invite. Simple as that.

It is true that in the pecking order of things that the CUSA is slightly above the SBC. Better TV contracts, bowl arrangements, etc. So if they alter their By Laws to allow UAB to remain as a basketball only school, we should make a big push to join up! Nothing wrong with the SBC, but the CUSA is better.

(12-03-2014 09:58 PM)PTJR Wrote:  

(12-03-2014 09:51 PM)insideualr Wrote:  

(12-03-2014 02:14 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(12-02-2014 10:51 PM)insideualr Wrote:  No comparing the two conferences and that's why anyone in the sbc is ready to go.

Conference USA lost everyone of consequence and is basically the Sun Belt 2.0. Last year the Sun Belt clearly did better in head to head matchups and in the bowl games. Obviously, this year Marshall is better than any Sun Belt school. If the Sun Belt would just add New Mexico State, and then maybe UAB, there would be little to no difference in basketball either. They are both bottom of the barrel football conferences and one bid basketball leagues. ConUSA can continue to get more Sun Belt teams, if that is really what they want, because their "name" still has more prestige despite all the good programs having left.

No team in the sbc will turn down the invite. Simple as that.

It is true that in the pecking order of things that the CUSA is slightly above the SBC. Better TV contracts, bowl arrangements, etc. So if they alter their By Laws to allow UAB to remain as a basketball only school, we should make a big push to join up! Nothing wrong with the SBC, but the CUSA is better.

The better TV contracts, bowl arrangements, etc. are left over from when they had teams like Memphis, Tulsa, ECU, and Houston. Those will be renegotiated before long. That's why their emphasis is getting teams in TV markets. Be interesting to see if they take GaState or South Alabama, if they take anyone. Obviously, GaSt brings the bigger market and overall potential. Also, for the moment, the better basketball team but that will change soon enough.

(12-03-2014 10:07 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(12-03-2014 09:58 PM)PTJR Wrote:  

(12-03-2014 09:51 PM)insideualr Wrote:  

(12-03-2014 02:14 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(12-02-2014 10:51 PM)insideualr Wrote:  No comparing the two conferences and that's why anyone in the sbc is ready to go.

Conference USA lost everyone of consequence and is basically the Sun Belt 2.0. Last year the Sun Belt clearly did better in head to head matchups and in the bowl games. Obviously, this year Marshall is better than any Sun Belt school. If the Sun Belt would just add New Mexico State, and then maybe UAB, there would be little to no difference in basketball either. They are both bottom of the barrel football conferences and one bid basketball leagues. ConUSA can continue to get more Sun Belt teams, if that is really what they want, because their "name" still has more prestige despite all the good programs having left.

No team in the sbc will turn down the invite. Simple as that.

It is true that in the pecking order of things that the CUSA is slightly above the SBC. Better TV contracts, bowl arrangements, etc. So if they alter their By Laws to allow UAB to remain as a basketball only school, we should make a big push to join up! Nothing wrong with the SBC, but the CUSA is better.

The better TV contracts, bowl arrangements, etc. are left over from when they had teams like Memphis, Tulsa, ECU, and Houston. Those will be renegotiated before long. That's why their emphasis is getting teams in TV markets. Be interesting to see if they take GaState or South Alabama, if they take anyone. Obviously, GaSt brings the bigger market and overall potential. Also, for the moment, the better basketball team but that will change soon enough.

In the ovrall scheme of things, TV market trumps on field/court performance. Not ironclad, but generally.