(11-30-2015 05:05 PM)mrbig Wrote: (11-30-2015 05:03 PM)GoodOwl Wrote: If Uh somehow was able to get into BigXII, it would close another door for Rice. Worse, if UH went to ACC and closed out the Houston/Texas market opportunity there. Rice's only potential P5 options would be down to Big10 and Pac12.
I'm actually thinking that UH to the BigXII would be Rice's best chance to move out of CUSA. Even if Rice wasn't heading for the P5 any time soon, Rice would (arguably) be one of the better (and obvious) options to backfill into the American conference. And the American conference has better peer schools, schools that more people have heard of, and better bowl affiliations. Plus, the BigXII is probably the least stable conference. In the past, there have been rumors in the past of UT thinking about the PAC or going independent, and that would really gut the conference. Not that I'm sure the BigXII is an option for Rice or UH, that conference doesn't really need another Texas-based school.
Well, I was thinking only in terms of P5 options, but you might be right about the American. Funny how just a few years ago when all the sandwhich boarding happened and other schools fled, many, including myslef, did not think the AAC would be much better than CUSA for Rice. But the thing is, nothing is static. The landscape is always evolving, even when it seems things are quiet. Right now, AAC would be far better for Rice than CUSA, but of course, we'd have to be willing to pay an exit fee. There's that spending money to buyout past decisions thing again. That seems to be our Achilles' heel (or hell) at Rice.
We are so unwilling to spend some to get to a better position. Then, when we have to spend more as a result of not spending more when we have an opportunity, we find ourselves having to spend more just to stay where we were and not moving ahead even so or worse, falling further behind. You'd think leaders and boosters of a school with Rice's intelligence would be able to see this. They do seem to at many other schools. But it does not seem so at Rice. They want to use other people's money to solve their problem if money has to be spent. Where have we seen that mentality fail before? Maybe now it makes a bit more sense.
I believe money has to be spent for Rice to improve. Big money. More money than from just a few well-heeled boosters who don't seem to be coming out of the woodwork to support the current product and football coach they see, no matter how many crying players shed their tears. University money needs to be invested in this. The university has to fundamentally change its attitude towards athletics spending by a couple of orders of magnitude or it likely cannot be successful. Owl69 says if you don't know where you're going, any path will get you there. Rice is afraid to commit to excellence in Div I athletics, especially football, then fine. Drop it all now. No sense in spending anything at this level if we don't intend to do what it takes. We are effectively already in the Div I-AA or Div II place that McKinsey study said was pointless for Rice. We have been for a few years now.
This makes no sense. And it is needlessly divisive. I don't like watching my school twist in the wind with half-measures. No booster will have/spend enough, but Rice itself can. They are smart enough to find an accounting reason that will satisfy the number-crunchers. There's just no will to change. Just tell us Rice has no intention of doing what it takes. All this rhetoric without fundamental change in action and spending is seemingly pointless. You can't climb the mountain if you are not taking steps and leaps up while the mountain grows taller beneath your very feet. Do or do not, there is no try--Yoda.
UH to offer Herman $ 3M / year 
