(12-30-2014 11:13 PM)Kingkong13 Wrote:  

(12-30-2014 10:23 PM)geauxcajuns Wrote:  

(12-30-2014 10:20 PM)pilot172000 Wrote:  Either way it hasn't hit the Ragin Pagin yet. Curious though why it would start here...

Very few raginpagin posters browse here. I can't break that news there just yet. it will be full meltdown mode. The natives are getting restless though and word will start to spread.

I don't buy it. The RP board guys think they are a shoe in. This doesn't smell right.

The guys in the loop have been awfully quiet lately. There is a reason for that.

Nothing against GA St but I would rather have ULL than those guys in CUSA even if we lost an extra recruit or 2 to ULL.

NIU or no one. I believe NIU would accept we were to offer. I think both C-USA and NIU would benefit from them moving to C-USA. But, I'm sure the AAC, MWC, and especially the MAC wouldn't be happy about it. Half of the Belt would be mad too. Of course I think anytime you can upset most of the other G5s, you are doing something right.

(12-30-2014 10:32 PM)HerdZoned Wrote:  

(12-30-2014 05:25 PM)pilot172000 Wrote:  I bet its Ohio.

Most if not all Marshall fans would love it to be Ohio. But Ohio is one of 2 Charter members of the MAC that is still in the MAC, the other being Western Michigan. Ohio has been in the MAC since 1946 and they aren't going anywhere.

My guess if its a MAC school CUSA would make a run at NIU or Akron. I would love it to be NIU and would support Akron, although Akron is a work in progress.

I think Akron would be a solid add. Good basketball, good facilities, good market...football isn't far off. I think the school that jumps will get a boost from separating from the other MAC schools.

We had a good bowl against NIU in 2008. They would bolster an already strong Western Division.

(12-31-2014 12:59 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  We had a good bowl against NIU in 2008. They would bolster an already strong Western Division.

You think they'd join the western division? I think we'd be the closest school in the division at about 850 miles away.

(12-31-2014 12:22 AM)Saint Greg Wrote:  

(12-30-2014 10:32 PM)HerdZoned Wrote:  

(12-30-2014 05:25 PM)pilot172000 Wrote:  I bet its Ohio.

Most if not all Marshall fans would love it to be Ohio. But Ohio is one of 2 Charter members of the MAC that is still in the MAC, the other being Western Michigan. Ohio has been in the MAC since 1946 and they aren't going anywhere.

My guess if its a MAC school CUSA would make a run at NIU or Akron. I would love it to be NIU and would support Akron, although Akron is a work in progress.

I think Akron would be a solid add. Good basketball, good facilities, good market...football isn't far off. I think the school that jumps will get a boost from separating from the other MAC schools.

The Zips just beat us 70-63. They are 8-4 and have wins over USC (The 1 in Cali) and South Carolina.

Their football started off promising this year although we did stomp a mudhole in them. But they lost 2 games in a row that they probably should have won and their season went down the crapper then. I still think Terry Bowden can turn them around.

They just announced a complete renovation of their basketball facility the JAR.

If a MAC school, I think Miami (OH) would be a good add with Cincy market...

The Big 12 has come out and said that they're staying at 10 members, so no one is going anywhere out of the AAC. That means that we'll not likely lose anyone this year either. This has bought everybody some time. I think CUSA will play at 13 members for at least the next year, maybe longer.

(12-30-2014 05:33 PM)PaulDel2 Wrote:  

(12-30-2014 05:07 PM)Saint Greg Wrote:  

(12-30-2014 04:48 PM)RonBurgundy Wrote:  Gross, Georgia State is a joke. But it's probably them cause no one in conference would have an objection.

TV market. If we add someone for our TV contract I think it will be Georgia State.

There have been rumors of Ga State reconsidering whether it should play football. Why add them?

Ga St plays football?

(12-31-2014 08:50 AM)mturn017 Wrote:  

(12-30-2014 05:33 PM)PaulDel2 Wrote:  

(12-30-2014 05:07 PM)Saint Greg Wrote:  

(12-30-2014 04:48 PM)RonBurgundy Wrote:  Gross, Georgia State is a joke. But it's probably them cause no one in conference would have an objection.

TV market. If we add someone for our TV contract I think it will be Georgia State.

There have been rumors of Ga State reconsidering whether it should play football. Why add them?

Ga St plays football?

No. Not really.

They do, but none of their fans know about it.

(12-30-2014 05:25 PM)pilot172000 Wrote:  I bet its Ohio.

I would defecate golden runs of happiness.

GaSt needs a new basketball arena and football stadium before they should even be mentioned, IMO. No empty NFL stadiums. No basketball boxes. UTSA and the F_U's can be grandfathered in, but they don't make it okay to add this or this to the conference.

So the C-USA presidents haven't gotten over their fetish for big market schools with terrible football that no one cares about.

(12-31-2014 09:59 AM)GEAUX UL Wrote:  So the C-USA presidents haven't gotten over their fetish for big market schools with terrible football that no one cares about.

We went 4-1 in bowls and could've filled 3 more bowls. I think we're doing fine.

I would just stay at 13. The prospect of driving 12 hours to play even NIU seems daunting. I still like Ohio but that won't help the west any.

(12-31-2014 01:11 AM)Saint Greg Wrote:  

(12-31-2014 12:59 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  We had a good bowl against NIU in 2008. They would bolster an already strong Western Division.

You think they'd join the western division? I think we'd be the closest school in the division at about 850 miles away.

Like UTEP, NIU would be on an island in the west, but would enjoy more games on television, and see an increase in conference payouts. Also by joining C-USA would strengthen it's position as a FBS football conference. That would benefit NIU too.

(12-31-2014 11:08 AM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  

(12-31-2014 01:11 AM)Saint Greg Wrote:  

(12-31-2014 12:59 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  We had a good bowl against NIU in 2008. They would bolster an already strong Western Division.

You think they'd join the western division? I think we'd be the closest school in the division at about 850 miles away.

Like UTEP, NIU would be on an island in the west, but would enjoy more games on television, and see an increase in conference payouts. Also by joining C-USA would strengthen it's position as a FBS football conference. That would benefit NIU too.

True, but the talent gap between NIU and most of the TX, MS and LA schools will always be wide. Illinois is a big state but we play football year round down here. They may pick up a good bit of recruits from us from it, we may pick up a good bit of market share. NIU was an Orange Bowl team 3 years ago and that carries weight, But its still 11 to 12 hours from Ruston and good Lord how far for UTEP or FIU.

Georgia is a huge gap in CUSA's footprint with no presence. Top that off with a huge TV market in Atlanta and I could see GSU happening. Success on the field can come and go VERY quickly. One has to only look at at USM here or Tulsa in the AAC to see how quickly a top program can crash and burn for a few years. It can happen to anyone. Markets tend to be more stable and dont fluxuate as much, especially when they are southern and continue to grow.

Confrence realignment has almost nothing to do with program success as a component. Its a part, but not a very big one anymore unless your a P5 looking to move.

(12-31-2014 11:16 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  

(12-31-2014 11:08 AM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  

(12-31-2014 01:11 AM)Saint Greg Wrote:  

(12-31-2014 12:59 AM)pilot172000 Wrote:  We had a good bowl against NIU in 2008. They would bolster an already strong Western Division.

You think they'd join the western division? I think we'd be the closest school in the division at about 850 miles away.

Like UTEP, NIU would be on an island in the west, but would enjoy more games on television, and see an increase in conference payouts. Also by joining C-USA would strengthen it's position as a FBS football conference. That would benefit NIU too.

True, but the talent gap between NIU and most of the TX, MS and LA schools will always be wide. Illinois is a big state but we play football year round down here. They may pick up a good bit of recruits from us from it, we may pick up a good bit of market share. NIU was an Orange Bowl team 3 years ago and that carries weight, But its still 11 to 12 hours from Ruston and good Lord how far for UTEP or FIU.

I agree. The distance is the largest issue, but if the adding them improves the new media deal enough (money & T.V. coverage), it could be worth the extra travel. NIU joining C-USA would certainly strengthen our position within the FBS structure, and in turn, strengthen NIU's position. C-USA teams would have a better opportunity to earn a BCS bowl, even if their OOC schedule is viewed as weak.