(12-25-2014 02:47 PM)born in the burg Wrote:  The key word here is peers. This means schools of a like profile academically, financially, demographically, geographically, etc.

With the above in mind, the peers of Southern Miss are below.

In a pure sense, we fit only those who have no market, no budget, and no real hope of moving "up."

Louisiana Tech
Louisiana
Troy
Arkansas State
Middle Tennessee
South Alabama (although USA is urban)

I would be ok with this as the basis of a tightly-knit regional conference partnered with another group of tightly-knit schools geographically, but I would like few or no cross-over games.

In the current situation, I think geography and institutional similarity is extremely important. In order to be entertaining at this level of college football, I think that traveling fans, bands, and cheerleaders are important. The chance of running into alumni on a regular basis stokes rivalries. Rivalry and pageantry are what we have all been missing out on by shunning our regional peers.

While I think Southern Miss and MT are peers in football; it has nothing to do with Market. Do you realize MT has the largest undergraduate student body in Tennessee, is located 30 miles from Nashville (Hottest growth City in the South) and is in one of the largest Media Markets in the South?
Our peers are:
1. MARSHALL
2. MEMPHIS
3.WESTERN KENTUCKY
4. NORTH TEXAS
5. LA TECH
6. OLD DOMINION
7. UTSA
8. UTEP
9. FIU
10 FAU
11.CHARLOTTE
12.USF
13.ECU
14. OTHERS YET TO BE DETERMINED

(12-25-2014 06:47 PM)BlueRaiderBoy Wrote:  

(12-25-2014 02:47 PM)born in the burg Wrote:  The key word here is peers. This means schools of a like profile academically, financially, demographically, geographically, etc.

With the above in mind, the peers of Southern Miss are below.

In a pure sense, we fit only those who have no market, no budget, and no real hope of moving "up."

Louisiana Tech
Louisiana
Troy
Arkansas State
Middle Tennessee
South Alabama (although USA is urban)

I would be ok with this as the basis of a tightly-knit regional conference partnered with another group of tightly-knit schools geographically, but I would like few or no cross-over games.

In the current situation, I think geography and institutional similarity is extremely important. In order to be entertaining at this level of college football, I think that traveling fans, bands, and cheerleaders are important. The chance of running into alumni on a regular basis stokes rivalries. Rivalry and pageantry are what we have all been missing out on by shunning our regional peers.

While I think Southern Miss and MT are peers in football; it has nothing to do with Market. Do you realize MT has the largest undergraduate student body in Tennessee, is located 30 miles from Nashville (Hottest growth City in the South) and is in one of the largest Media Markets in the South?
Our peers are:
1. MARSHALL
2. MEMPHIS
3.WESTERN KENTUCKY
4. NORTH TEXAS
5. LA TECH
6. OLD DOMINION
7. UTSA
8. UTEP
9. FIU
10 FAU
11.CHARLOTTE
12.USF
13.ECU
14. OTHERS YET TO BE DETERMINED

1. How is La Tech your peer and not Southern Miss?
2. Does any person from your HOT market make the drive to MTSU on football Saturdays?

We drive to North Texas, Rice, Southern Miss in droves. UTSA is starting to get that type of following but that's only because the rivalry started off white hot. I mean you want to see some hate, come to Ruston the week if UTSA game.

(12-26-2014 01:37 AM)born in the burg Wrote:  

(12-25-2014 06:47 PM)BlueRaiderBoy Wrote:  

(12-25-2014 02:47 PM)born in the burg Wrote:  The key word here is peers. This means schools of a like profile academically, financially, demographically, geographically, etc.

With the above in mind, the peers of Southern Miss are below.

In a pure sense, we fit only those who have no market, no budget, and no real hope of moving "up."

Louisiana Tech
Louisiana
Troy
Arkansas State
Middle Tennessee
South Alabama (although USA is urban)

I would be ok with this as the basis of a tightly-knit regional conference partnered with another group of tightly-knit schools geographically, but I would like few or no cross-over games.

In the current situation, I think geography and institutional similarity is extremely important. In order to be entertaining at this level of college football, I think that traveling fans, bands, and cheerleaders are important. The chance of running into alumni on a regular basis stokes rivalries. Rivalry and pageantry are what we have all been missing out on by shunning our regional peers.

While I think Southern Miss and MT are peers in football; it has nothing to do with Market. Do you realize MT has the largest undergraduate student body in Tennessee, is located 30 miles from Nashville (Hottest growth City in the South) and is in one of the largest Media Markets in the South?
Our peers are:
1. MARSHALL
2. MEMPHIS
3.WESTERN KENTUCKY
4. NORTH TEXAS
5. LA TECH
6. OLD DOMINION
7. UTSA
8. UTEP
9. FIU
10 FAU
11.CHARLOTTE
12.USF
13.ECU
14. OTHERS YET TO BE DETERMINED

1. How is La Tech your peer and not Southern Miss?
2. Does any person from your HOT market make the drive to MTSU on football Saturdays?

i. I did say that "Southern Miss and MT are peers" I just did not place them on the enumerated list.
2. Definitely not enough people travel from Nashville to Murfreesboro. Big Sore Spot with over 10,000 alums living in Nashville. Too many of our folks grew up as UT Fans And a few still cling to Vandy, from the days when we did not play big boy FB.

LA Tech FOOTBALL Peers would be the upper half of the G5.

However, the teams that we identify most with regarding tradition and history would be the following:

USM
Houston
Rice
Tulane
Fresno St
Nevada
UTEP
Tulsa
Utah St

If you ask an old-timer like me, you would hear that the non-P5 peers of USM are (recent history notwithstanding):

Memphis
Tulane
Cincinnati
Houston
Rice
SMU
ECU
Tulsa
USF
UCF
Marshall
UTEP
(UAB, RIP)

Since the previous posters are correct that USM is permanently restricted to non-P5 status, my preference would be for them to be part of a more geographically centered conference in the central time zone.

East
USM
Tulane
ULL
La Tech
Memphis
Middle Tennessee
South Alabama

West
Rice
Houston
SMU
UTEP
UTSA
Tulsa
Arkansas State

None of this should be construed as a slight to any school. It's just my opinion of what could be a sustainable regional conference.

UTEP's peers are the teams in the mountain, and cusa and independents like NotOurDame.

(12-26-2014 12:47 PM)Zombiewoof Wrote:  If you ask an old-timer like me, you would hear that the non-P5 peers of USM are (recent history notwithstanding):

Memphis
Tulane
Cincinnati
Houston
Rice
SMU
ECU
Tulsa
USF
UCF
Marshall
UTEP
(UAB, RIP)

Since the previous posters are correct that USM is permanently restricted to non-P5 status, my preference would be for them to be part of a more geographically centered conference in the central time zone.

East
USM
Tulane
ULL
La Tech
Memphis
Middle Tennessee
South Alabama

West
Rice
Houston
SMU
UTEP
UTSA
Tulsa
Arkansas State

None of this should be construed as a slight to any school. It's just my opinion of what could be a sustainable regional conference.

I am with you, except for some of the teams on that list have potential to leave the "have-not" category: Tulane, SMU, Rice (rich privates), Houston, Memphis, and to a lesser sense South Alabama (urban, "market" potential). We have the most in common with rural public institutions. Birds of a feather flock together... Thus 4 of the 6 on my list of those that we are not peers with have already chosen to separate from us (USM-types). This isn't necessarily a bad thing. I just want a super-regional set-up with schools that we have a ton in common with. Some that come to mind that fit this category are:

USM, ULL, LA TECH, ARK ST, TROY, MARSHALL, W KENT, MIDDLE TN

(12-26-2014 03:10 PM)born in the burg Wrote:  

(12-26-2014 12:47 PM)Zombiewoof Wrote:  If you ask an old-timer like me, you would hear that the non-P5 peers of USM are (recent history notwithstanding):

Memphis
Tulane
Cincinnati
Houston
Rice
SMU
ECU
Tulsa
USF
UCF
Marshall
UTEP
(UAB, RIP)

Since the previous posters are correct that USM is permanently restricted to non-P5 status, my preference would be for them to be part of a more geographically centered conference in the central time zone.

East
USM
Tulane
ULL
La Tech
Memphis
Middle Tennessee
South Alabama

West
Rice
Houston
SMU
UTEP
UTSA
Tulsa
Arkansas State

None of this should be construed as a slight to any school. It's just my opinion of what could be a sustainable regional conference.

I am with you, except for some of the teams on that list have potential to leave the "have-not" category: Tulane, SMU, Rice (rich privates), Houston, Memphis, and to a lesser sense South Alabama (urban, "market" potential). We have the most in common with rural public institutions. Birds of a feather flock together... Thus 4 of the 6 on my list of those that we are not peers with have already chosen to separate from us (USM-types). This isn't necessarily a bad thing. I just want a super-regional set-up with schools that we have a ton in common with. Some that come to mind that fit this category are:

USM, ULL, LA TECH, ARK ST, TROY, MARSHALL, W KENT, MIDDLE TN

With all deference to any of those schools, it's a dang shame that USM is now on that level. When I was in college, USM's peers were seen to be whoever they could get to play them, as they played a very tough independent schedule. Then as late as 1990, Cincinnati, Florida State, Louisville, Memphis State, South Carolina, Tulane, and Virginia Tech and all of the other schools in the proposed Raycom Conference were thought to be their equals. Those other schools were Boston College, East Carolina, Miami, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, and West Virginia. Now USM is the only school of the 16 not in a P5 conference or the AAC. Now, despite a winning record against almost every one of those teams, USM is likely to be permanently relegated to the lower levels of D1 football. It's just a shame.

(12-24-2014 04:57 PM)HarborPointe Wrote:  Hmph. Right now our football peers are Alcorn State and whoever played in the various Junior College bowls.

WKU actually modeled their transition to FBS after Southern Miss in terms of budget, success on field, etc. USM will be back soon with all the tradition.

(12-26-2014 05:10 PM)CrushMI Wrote:  

(12-24-2014 04:57 PM)HarborPointe Wrote:  Hmph. Right now our football peers are Alcorn State and whoever played in the various Junior College bowls.

WKU actually modeled their transition to FBS after Southern Miss in terms of budget, success on field, etc. USM will be back soon with all the tradition.

We'll be back, but I'm honestly not too confident about the "soon" part.

Pacific.

(12-30-2014 11:54 AM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  Pacific.

I cannot express how terrible I feel that I laughed at this.

(12-30-2014 11:54 AM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  Pacific.

I was scanning this thread to see if anybody had posted this as I was going to.

(12-26-2014 06:59 PM)HarborPointe Wrote:  

(12-26-2014 05:10 PM)CrushMI Wrote:  

(12-24-2014 04:57 PM)HarborPointe Wrote:  Hmph. Right now our football peers are Alcorn State and whoever played in the various Junior College bowls.

WKU actually modeled their transition to FBS after Southern Miss in terms of budget, success on field, etc. USM will be back soon with all the tradition.

We'll be back, but I'm honestly not too confident about the "soon" part.

just b/c I'm me, I have to ask the question....where are the rings? (your sig)

hell, If one is gonna go bling with it....then at least bring the bling.....

(12-30-2014 02:34 PM)stinkfist Wrote:  just b/c I'm me, I have to ask the question....where are the rings? (your sig)

hell, If one is gonna go bling with it....then at least bring the bling.....

I just may have to 'shop those in now that you mentioned it.