The unofficial online home for fans of the UAB Blazers. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

http://krod.com/rumors-flying-that-utep-...witter_top

NMSU as a replacement??? No thanks

(04-25-2016 03:41 PM)biglizard Wrote:  NMSU as a replacement??? No thanks

Move east and add Ga State. Although, with the current TV contract it may be more difficult to get the teams CUSA wants as replacements. I do think, though, that CUSA just got caught with being the 1st TV contract renegotiation with the new parameters. When their contracts come up for renewal other G5 conference with experience similar problems.

Also, does CUSA even want to expand if someone leaves?

Expansion could just dilute the $ pool. 13 could cause a scheduling imbalance.

UMass could be an attractive temporary fix. They are FBS independent for the next two seasons. They won't want to leave the A-10 (much better basketball) but an arrangement to allow them in for football-only plus a rotation of basketball home-and-home games (not a full conference slate, maybe 3 home+3 away) could fix their football scheduling and bowl problems, balance our schedule, and give us some good RPI games.

(04-25-2016 03:59 PM)GreenMississippi Wrote:  Expansion could just dilute the $ pool. 13 could cause a scheduling imbalance.

UMass could be an attractive temporary fix. They are FBS independent for the next two seasons. They won't want to leave the A-10 (much better basketball) but an arrangement to allow them in for football-only plus a rotation of basketball home-and-home games (not a full conference slate, maybe 3 home+3 away) could fix their football scheduling and bowl problems, balance our schedule, and give us some good RPI games.

There is an internal push to add UMass to AAC should they lose a team...

(04-25-2016 03:37 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  http://krod.com/rumors-flying-that-utep-...witter_top

Who would the MWC add to get to 14? I don't see them adding just 1 and operating at 13.

I doubt they add anyone until Hawaii drops out. No rush, UTEP will be available if/when they need them (no where else to go).

If they do leave , I say we stay at 13. No reason to dilute our payouts even more. Then when someone leaves for the AAC, we would be back to the ideal number - 12.

I don't think 13 is unmanageable in the short-term - scheduling wise. The Big 10 had 11 teams for almost two decades.

Kick UTSA out and stay at 12

The conference leadership vacuum is still located in Dallas. CUSA brass will be scrambling to get another Texas school in the mix.

(04-25-2016 04:56 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  Kick UTSA out and stay at 12

We have a winner!

Another Texas school likely won't have the votes to get in.

(04-25-2016 04:56 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  Kick UTSA out and stay at 12

As close as we just came to getting kicked to the curb, I shudder at the idea.

(04-25-2016 06:11 PM)Smaug Wrote:  

(04-25-2016 04:56 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  Kick UTSA out and stay at 12

As close as we just came to getting kicked to the curb, I shudder at the idea.

I think we are the last fan base to state anything about kicking anyone out. If not for our conference mates we'd be in limbo ourselves.

Their attendance is pretty solid in football. Yep we are the last people to want to kick anyone out.

(04-25-2016 09:16 PM)rook360 Wrote:  

(04-25-2016 06:11 PM)Smaug Wrote:  

(04-25-2016 04:56 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  Kick UTSA out and stay at 12

As close as we just came to getting kicked to the curb, I shudder at the idea.

I think we are the last fan base to state anything about kicking anyone out. If not for our conference mates we'd be in limbo ourselves.

as a fan, I can state anything I like.

Obviously it seems everyone has embraced mediocrity around here. Pay our coaches mediocre wages. Make sure we keep mediocre teams (actually UTSA has to go away to get mediocre) in the conference.

Whatever happened to Volker's vision around here.

Yippee, CUSA allowed us to stay in a crappy conference.

Maybe we can add Tulane again so I can add another casino on my road trips

It's not about accepting mediocrity.

It's been harped on time and time again, but Conference USA has been and still is the launching pad. Our failure to launch isn't on our peers or the people at conference headquarters. If we had enough agency to do what needed to be done when it needed to be done, then we would have been good to go a long time ago. Right now, we're trying to catch up and at least get on the right side of the haves and have nots before things get worse. Conference USA is useful in that regard, way more than the conferences we could have fell into had we been dropped.

I really like UTEP. They're one of my favorite conference members. It'd be bittersweet seeing them leave, but I could get them feeling more at home there. I'm not as high on some of the bottom programs, but I wouldn't dare advocate for anyone being thrown out.

(04-25-2016 11:45 PM)Hopeful Wrote:  I'm not as high on some of the bottom programs, but I wouldn't dare advocate for anyone being thrown out.

True - but if UTSA and the F-U's want to move to new conferences, I'd be very happy for them.

(04-25-2016 10:39 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  

(04-25-2016 09:16 PM)rook360 Wrote:  

(04-25-2016 06:11 PM)Smaug Wrote:  

(04-25-2016 04:56 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  Kick UTSA out and stay at 12

As close as we just came to getting kicked to the curb, I shudder at the idea.

I think we are the last fan base to state anything about kicking anyone out. If not for our conference mates we'd be in limbo ourselves.

as a fan, I can state anything I like.

Obviously it seems everyone has embraced mediocrity around here. Pay our coaches mediocre wages. Make sure we keep mediocre teams (actually UTSA has to go away to get mediocre) in the conference.

Whatever happened to Volker's vision around here.

Yippee, CUSA allowed us to stay in a crappy conference.

feel better now since you got that off your chest....again. The conference is a mediocre conference and we're still here. It's not saying alot about us either.
I mean, you have every right to state you're opinion (America!) but what conferences were actually courting US while football was on hiatus?

I like Hopeful's statement-
"Our failure to launch isn't on our peers or the people at conference headquarters. If we had enough agency to do what needed to be done when it needed to be done, then we would have been good to go a long time ago."

If UTEP does leave, I hope we go after a GA team or stay in a good regional footprint. Nothing against the Texas teams, but I think C-USA needs to rebrand itself.

If the old money thugs had gotten their way, we'd we wishing we could be in a conference as nice as this one.

I fully expect our CUSA leadership to suggest UT- Plano or Southern North Texas at Midland to be a replacement. And it will get rubber-stamped and presented before any other school can apply to join.

Realistically, who plays FBS football in our footprint that would be the best option to move up ?

Arkansas State
LA-Monroe
LA-Lafayette

would be the best options IMO