(10-09-2022 11:04 AM)The WEST is the BEST Wrote:  CUSA is focused on Jackson State, FAMU, Prarie View, and Howard. The thought is that CUSA membership would help in elevating HBCU programs and these schools are known nationally and have the best finances of HBCUs to compete at this level.

Hahahaha..that is epic trolling at its best. Kudos.

Ok, as a Kennesaw State guy, I get the questions and generally negative reactions I am seeing here. Kennesaw State is new to this level of scrutiny, and the KS folks will probably need to develop some thick skins over the next couple of years.

I will share some rumors that have been floating around the area, campus, and athletic department for the last several months. How accurate, I don't know, because they are just that, rumors. But I will say, the biggest rumor which was KS wanted CUSA and CUSA wanted KS all seem to have been true. This has been in the works since last winter.

The Positives of KS..

1..A huge public university(40k) about 20 miles north of downtown Atlanta. It's about 30 minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. KS literally sits on interstate I-75, so after the flight, there will not be hours of bus rides on back roads.

2..Recruiting..There are more FBS quality highschool football players in a 30 mile ring around KS than there are in most states. Georgia Highschool Football is 2nd to nobody in quality and only ranks behind California, Texas, and Florida in pure numbers. Every school that comes to KS to play will recruit while they are here. KS can have the same affect on CUSA that GSU has had in the Sunbelt, which is raise the talent level of the entire eastern half of the conference. Just look at App State and Coastal Carolina's rosters and you will see what I mean.

3..Location..If you look at a map of the eastern side of CUSA, Kennesaw State is located in what would be the hub of the spoke. I think for Olympic sports, you will see lots of trips that start in Atlanta and continue by bus to JSU, MTSU, and WKU. KS can serve as a sort of universal travel partner.

4..While KS isn't JMU, App, Georgia Southern, or SHSU in championship pedigree , they have been one of the best FCS startups in history, and actually carry a higher winning percentage than any other school in their short existence. KS also has a good baseball program and good women's sports overall, and unlike most FBS candidates, they already have most Title 9 requirements in place.

The Negatives of KS..

1..Fanbase..This is an issue that is mostly solved by time and success. First and foremost, FCS football in the South just isn't what it used to be. All of the traditional powers moved to FBS just about the time KS was hatching its football program. Some left just after KS started playing. Outside of JSU, KS never had time to develop those rivalries that feed interest and attendance. The other big issue in the state of Georgia, well is Georgia..UGA dominates the college football landscape in the state, and probably 85% of KS alumni are life long UGA fans. Let's face it, if you are over 10 years old and love college football you didn't start out as a KS fan. That said, football is a game of familiarity. KS playing WKU, UTEP, Liberty, MTSU, and other known programs is going to create more interest than playing Monmouth, Wofford, and Campbell..I think over time the fanbase will be solid. Also to those comparing KS to GSU, there us one big fact about Atlanta..Nobody likes driving thru Atlanta traffic for any event that you just don't have to. KS is an easy trip for anyone on the North side of the city, whereas GSU requires going thru Atlanta. I will also add that the heavy population areas are mostly north of the city..This is the main reason the Braves moved north of the city, and their attendance has skyrocketed.

2..Facilities..5th/3rd is a very nice stadium. While it was designed primarily for soccer, it works fine for football. However, it's small. Capacity is listed as 8300, though they have got over 9k in there. It's easily expandable to around 10.5k. It was designed to be able to expand to 15k, but that will require actually moving a road. There is also a contractual issue with the Atlanta United. They use the stadium for their minor league team as well as women's team, and I'm not sure how that can be resolved if extensive changes are being made. The stadium is also used for various other events. This is why I believe KS, likely in conjunction with Cobb County will build a new stadium altogether. Land adjoining the campus has been purchased with eventual plans for a mixed use sports venue which would include baseball and softball fields, along with a 25-30k football stadium. The timeline has not been made public, but the CUSA news may speed up the clock.
I would expect much more will be made public upon getting approval to join CUSA.

So, Kennesaw State a perfect addition? No..But they will bring things to the table that help the conference.

(10-08-2022 11:19 PM)jones682 Wrote:  

(10-08-2022 07:49 PM)LexColonel Wrote:  Watching Kennesaw on ESPN + now, they were NOT chosen for their football “facility” nor their attendance. Looks maybe 2500 fans (maybe more counting the band?). Based on what I see on TV, well, it had to be the “potential” and hopeful interest in the Atlanta market, but they sure aren’t showing up tonight. You all got ‘em now, good luck to all.

KSU stadium is a nice stadium that professional teams like ATL United pay KSU to play in it. KSU stadium is nicer and have more amenities then EKU's. KSU is also planning to build a new stadium.

It's hilarious that you'd try to spin Atlanta United playing US Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League games as a positive for the Bank. The reason United plays there is specifically for rhe small capacity because those tournaments won't fill MBS.

That's not a FBS stadium period. If they do indeed build a new one it's a moot point, but it's saying something when your stadium is worse than FIU's...

(10-09-2022 07:00 AM)jones682 Wrote:  

(10-09-2022 12:04 AM)LexColonel Wrote:  Watching Kennesaw on ESPN + now, they were NOT chosen for their football “facility” nor their attendance. Looks maybe 2500 fans (maybe more counting the band?). Based on what I see on TV, well, it had to be the “potential” and hopeful interest in the Atlanta market, but they sure aren’t showing up tonight. You all got ‘em now, good luck to all.

Next time you are in the north Atlanta area, go to an event there and see for yourself. You will not be saying what I highlighted in bold.

Are you honestly trying to make the argument that KSU was "chosen" for the Bank?

(10-09-2022 11:04 AM)The WEST is the BEST Wrote:  CUSA is focused on Jackson State, FAMU, Prarie View, and Howard. The thought is that CUSA membership would help in elevating HBCU programs and these schools are known nationally and have the best finances of HBCUs to compete at this level.

FAMU is an economic mess. With horrible leadership. They have a lot of work to do to get their house in order.

(10-09-2022 10:27 AM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  

(10-09-2022 12:10 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(10-08-2022 10:43 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  

(10-08-2022 10:23 PM)inutech Wrote:  

(10-08-2022 07:42 PM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  The conference needs to be at 10 teams and probably 12 teams to protect itself from possible future defections.

No.

This is completely wrong.

If you lose someone that is the time to add someone.

You should probably be talking to your school president. Personally I know that I will sit by and see what happens since I have zero to do with who is or is not invited. If the board, all of our presidents, invite Timbuktu State, then welcome aboard.

I guess we can all rest easy given the CUSA track record on this kind of thing. They've certainly earned the benefit of the doubt, right?

Thanks to them we're in this great situation now.

I'm not saying everyone needs to be happy about it but it seems a bit futile to be so unhappy about it.

It's certainly helpful to remember that we have no say in any of this. And certainly being unhappy about it or posting here about how awful it is isn't going to change anything.

But it's still a bad deal for everyone if it happens. Fingers crossed that it doesn't work out.

I pray Judy doesn't feel the need to get this conference back to 14.

(10-09-2022 10:17 AM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  

(10-09-2022 09:35 AM)jones682 Wrote:  

(10-09-2022 09:15 AM)MT FAN Wrote:  We don't need anymore teams. FCS teams will always be there if we need them. TV money at the G5 level is nothing. I do not understand the obsession with adding teams to get potentially a few $100, 000 per team per year, but sacrifice quality of the league. I've said it several times on here before, why not just give our games away for more exposure? That's what we need to do to build the league long term. We need to focus on basketball first and hopefully use it to make football better. Destroying what little we have left of the conference casing pennies is crazy. Of course, Judy and our moron presidents are in charge so that's what we can expect.

I agree even as a KSU fan, I was not expecting C-USA to be adding teams at this time due to the reason you mentioned. I know it is 2024 if the BOR accept the change which is not likely.

Couple of questions for you. When is the BOR scheduled to decide this? Do you have a link to new stadium plans? Thanks.

BOR meeting is held Tuesday. It is rumored for KSU to build a new football and baseball stadium according to Nathan McCreery KSU radio personal and KSU is setting on the plans and not have released then to the public. The assistant athletic director said July that they are looking at 30 acres of land for development.

(10-09-2022 12:00 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(10-09-2022 07:00 AM)jones682 Wrote:  

(10-09-2022 12:04 AM)LexColonel Wrote:  Watching Kennesaw on ESPN + now, they were NOT chosen for their football “facility” nor their attendance. Looks maybe 2500 fans (maybe more counting the band?). Based on what I see on TV, well, it had to be the “potential” and hopeful interest in the Atlanta market, but they sure aren’t showing up tonight. You all got ‘em now, good luck to all.

Next time you are in the north Atlanta area, go to an event there and see for yourself. You will not be saying what I highlighted in bold.

Are you honestly trying to make the argument that KSU was "chosen" for the Bank?

No lol that is not my point. My point is that 5/3 is a nice stadium but it is undersized and it is nicer then EKU's. This was a reply to a EKU fan that was mad this his school was not picked.

(10-09-2022 11:53 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(10-08-2022 11:19 PM)jones682 Wrote:  

(10-08-2022 07:49 PM)LexColonel Wrote:  Watching Kennesaw on ESPN + now, they were NOT chosen for their football “facility” nor their attendance. Looks maybe 2500 fans (maybe more counting the band?). Based on what I see on TV, well, it had to be the “potential” and hopeful interest in the Atlanta market, but they sure aren’t showing up tonight. You all got ‘em now, good luck to all.

KSU stadium is a nice stadium that professional teams like ATL United pay KSU to play in it. KSU stadium is nicer and have more amenities then EKU's. KSU is also planning to build a new stadium.

It's hilarious that you'd try to spin Atlanta United playing US Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League games as a positive for the Bank. The reason United plays there is specifically for rhe small capacity because those tournaments won't fill MBS.

That's not a FBS stadium period. If they do indeed build a new one it's a moot point, but it's saying something when your stadium is worse than FIU's...

KSU stadium has more amenities then FIU's

(10-09-2022 02:17 PM)jones682 Wrote:  

(10-09-2022 11:53 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(10-08-2022 11:19 PM)jones682 Wrote:  

(10-08-2022 07:49 PM)LexColonel Wrote:  Watching Kennesaw on ESPN + now, they were NOT chosen for their football “facility” nor their attendance. Looks maybe 2500 fans (maybe more counting the band?). Based on what I see on TV, well, it had to be the “potential” and hopeful interest in the Atlanta market, but they sure aren’t showing up tonight. You all got ‘em now, good luck to all.

KSU stadium is a nice stadium that professional teams like ATL United pay KSU to play in it. KSU stadium is nicer and have more amenities then EKU's. KSU is also planning to build a new stadium.

It's hilarious that you'd try to spin Atlanta United playing US Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League games as a positive for the Bank. The reason United plays there is specifically for rhe small capacity because those tournaments won't fill MBS.

That's not a FBS stadium period. If they do indeed build a new one it's a moot point, but it's saying something when your stadium is worse than FIU's...

KSU stadium has more amenities then FIU's

You could have Gordon Ramsey in the kitchen and the Augusta national greens crew maintaining a world class natural grass playing surface and the bank would not be a FBS stadium as presently constructed.

(10-09-2022 02:21 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(10-09-2022 02:17 PM)jones682 Wrote:  

(10-09-2022 11:53 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(10-08-2022 11:19 PM)jones682 Wrote:  

(10-08-2022 07:49 PM)LexColonel Wrote:  Watching Kennesaw on ESPN + now, they were NOT chosen for their football “facility” nor their attendance. Looks maybe 2500 fans (maybe more counting the band?). Based on what I see on TV, well, it had to be the “potential” and hopeful interest in the Atlanta market, but they sure aren’t showing up tonight. You all got ‘em now, good luck to all.

KSU stadium is a nice stadium that professional teams like ATL United pay KSU to play in it. KSU stadium is nicer and have more amenities then EKU's. KSU is also planning to build a new stadium.

It's hilarious that you'd try to spin Atlanta United playing US Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League games as a positive for the Bank. The reason United plays there is specifically for rhe small capacity because those tournaments won't fill MBS.

That's not a FBS stadium period. If they do indeed build a new one it's a moot point, but it's saying something when your stadium is worse than FIU's...

KSU stadium has more amenities then FIU's

You could have Gordon Ramsey in the kitchen and the Augusta national greens crew maintaining a world class natural grass playing surface and the bank would not be a FBS stadium as presently constructed.

It is not and is said that it is under sized. That is not the argument, the argument is that it is not a nice stadium and it is a nice stadium. This started when a mad EKU fan started ranting about why EKU was not chosen.

(10-09-2022 03:40 PM)PAAcocahesAssociation Wrote:  Oh, and I think Kennessaw State would be a terrible addition to CUSA BTW, since that's what this thread is actually about. I know they are looking for another football school, but I'd give Bellarmine a ring up in Louisville. Seem to be an up and coming hoops team in a basketball tradition rich city, playing at Freedom Hall. Kind of an interesting pick, but one I think would be good for the future of CUSA.

Bellarmine has fewer than 4,000 students, no football at all and just moved to D1 basketball in the last couple years. In comparison, KSU has 40,000 students and has FCS football that has been reasonably successful at that level.

I think C-USA should let Missouri St., Delaware, N.C. A&T, EKU, Jackson St., and Chattanooga know the first two teams to commit will receive invites to join the conference. First come, first serve!