http://www.abc3340.com/story/29073540/ua...g-programs

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/...e75a9efe6e

(05-16-2015 12:14 AM)cleburneslim Wrote:  http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/...e75a9efe6e

thanks good read.

The al.com story sounds like football has a fighting chance if the donors step forward to fund the program.

Big ? is if CUSA will keep UAB around even if they bring football back? According to the article UAB choices were MVC, A10 and sun belt if they left cusa with MVC being the favored. Not sure what is possible either, a10 seems like a longshot. If UAB football is coming back than its ask cusa to keep them or jump to sun belt, maybe cusa and sun belt just trade uab for south alabama, not really a good deal for uab though.

Would any Sun Belt team actually make more money playing in C-USA? The exit fee from the Sun Belt and entry fee for C-USA might eat up any gains.

(05-16-2015 10:55 AM)bluesox Wrote:  Big ? is if CUSA will keep UAB around even if they bring football back? According to the article UAB choices were MVC, A10 and sun belt if they left cusa with MVC being the favored. Not sure what is possible either, a10 seems like a longshot. If UAB football is coming back than its ask cusa to keep them or jump to sun belt, maybe cusa and sun belt just trade uab for south alabama, not really a good deal for uab though.

I'd be very surprised if the A-10 was a real landing spot for UAB, for a variety of reasons. For the report to throw that out there might be a sign that they didn't interview anyone in the A-10 or other conferences mentioned regarding a future home for a football-less UAB, or simply relied on representations of UAB regarding this.

I'm not convinced that USA should 'start packing their bags for CUSA' if UAB drops football. There are many who think that USA would get a bid in that case. I'm just unconvinced.

Regarding the UAB to the Sun Belt comments, I'm also not sure that would happen either. The Belt would have to amend its bylaws to preclude basketball onlies from football revenue participation and also UAB would have to be willing to join a conference that has an express lane back to FBS.

(05-16-2015 12:08 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  Would any Sun Belt team actually make more money playing in C-USA? The exit fee from the Sun Belt and entry fee for C-USA might eat up any gains.

Assuming CUSA's television deal comes in identical to the current deal and ignoring CFP money as well as hoops units which are starting to get close between the two leagues, ignoring signage and uniform change costs which are probably $35k to $50k...

Exit cost from Sun Belt.
$1.1 million.
Entry cost to CUSA based on last nine admits.
$2 million.

Net revenue gain annually $757k it would be a four year cost recovery which is double what UNT, FIU, and WKU had and one year longer than FAU and MTSU who paid Sun Belt more to avoid 1.5 lame duck years rather than one.

Two unknowns, value of CUSA TV deal starting July 1, 2016 and whether Sun Belt which has opted to not exercise it's look-in provisions so far will exercise it after this year when four years remain. MAC opted to exercise at the four year remaining point and received a 500% increase for turning over all content instead of a limited number of games (Sun Belt deal is very similar to the replaced MAC deal).

My instinct is that CUSA isn't making any sort of move until they have at least the preliminary figures for the next deal. There are reports there will be a TV update at the league's spring meeting so it is very possible they will have the preliminary estimate at that point.