Does CUSA sponsor, field hockey, rowing and swimming? If not those sports would need a home.

Football-only additions would only help us in the following scenarios:

1) Market Reach - I hate putting this one first, but since money is the root of college football, it really is the most important factor. That said, it should ONLY be considered if a major network (especially our current partners CBS and ESPN) explicitly state that adding _____ will get us more money and/or better slots on linear TV, and it's enough of a difference to overcome the money lost by sharing the CFP revenue with one or more additional mouths. There aren't a lot of candidates in this bracket. There are no obvious choices, but you could make a reasonable argument for Delaware, Mo State, and *maybe* NDSU, though the Bison are not in a great market and may not sustain the same "brand" in FBS that they enjoy in FCS.

2) Conference Strength - Call this the DBU factor. Just as it made sense to add DBU in baseball, if a school is available which substantially increases our football strength, it might make sense to add them. Not only would the new team itself potentially become a contender for a CFP spot, but the increased schedule strength would benefit our other top teams as well. The only semi-reliable way to compare FBS and FCS strength is the final 2022 Sagarin ranking, so I'll include it as well as this year's Athlon preseason FCS ranking. Any Sagarin ranking below 100 is a strong team, and a ranking below 75 would establish them as immediate contenders for the CUSA title, once their transition was complete. For comparison, 2022 CUSA champ UTSA was ranked 63, WKU was ranked 67, Sun Belt champ troy state was 55, and AAC champ Tulane was 25. Right now, the only FCS teams in this bracket are SDSU (preseason #1 FCS, Sagarin 41), NDSU (preseason #2, Sagarin 71), Montana State (preseason #3, Sagarin 80), and Montana (preseason #10, Sagarin 96). Delaware is ranked #25, but their Sagarin ranking was a pedestrian 149.

3) Travel / Regional Factors - Travel is not really an issue in football, so this is not nearly as important as it would be for an all-sports or non-football member. And when it comes to travel budgets, regional divisions don't really help at all in football like they would in OLY sports, so the fact a candidate or two might allow us to break into regional divisions for football ultimately doesn't make one bit of difference. That said, while there's no need for "travel partners" in football, adding a nearby conference rival for a member school could help strengthen fan interaction and improve the cohesiveness of the conference overall. So looking solely at potential football-only schools who might serve as a geographical rival... well, the cupboard is bare. Delaware could arguably serve this purpose for Liberty, but at ~300 miles away from Lynchburg, they're not exactly nearby. Mo State is no better, at nearly 400 miles away from Ruston and 500 away from WKU and SHSU. So it's probably safe to say there are no real candidates here.

So looking at the candidates:

NDSU - brings more "name recognition" than "market" but we'll count it; would definitely help with strength; would be a minus for travel. Would only work as a football-only addition.

SDSU - like NDSU without the name recognition; very strong, but again, a minus for travel. Would only work as a football-only addition.

Delaware - would (arguably) bring a market; solid but not an improvement in strength; arguably provides a (distant) "nearby" rival for Liberty; carries some academic prestige (R1), but this is really not a factor for football-only schools; would probably be a stronger candidate for all-sports membership if we could get them.

Mo State - would (arguably) bring a market; mediocre strength would not really help us; does not provide much of a regional boost, but close enough they could help expand the footprint without creating yet another island; like Delaware, they'd probably be a stronger all-sports candidate than a strong football-only candidate.

The Montanas - I'll lump these two together. Despite their very strong fan bases, they bring no real market value. They would be very strong football additions, but make no regional sense, unless the CUSA league office has its heart set on landing the Montanas and Dakotas to seize control of the mid-continent Canadian border. If the Montanas have FBS desires, they're far more suited to the MWC than to CUSA. Not a realistic candidate.

So EKU is no longer a “candidate “…. How soon you forget where you came from!

(06-30-2023 10:34 AM)LexColonel Wrote:  So EKU is no longer a “candidate “…. How soon you forget where you came from!

Correct.

So now will you stop copy and pasting this message on every thread on the damn realignment board?

(06-30-2023 10:11 AM)whupemall Wrote:  Football-only additions would only help us in the following scenarios:

1) Market Reach - I hate putting this one first, but since money is the root of college football, it really is the most important factor. That said, it should ONLY be considered if a major network (especially our current partners CBS and ESPN) explicitly state that adding _____ will get us more money and/or better slots on linear TV, and it's enough of a difference to overcome the money lost by sharing the CFP revenue with one or more additional mouths. There aren't a lot of candidates in this bracket. There are no obvious choices, but you could make a reasonable argument for Delaware, Mo State, and *maybe* NDSU, though the Bison are not in a great market and may not sustain the same "brand" in FBS that they enjoy in FCS.

2) Conference Strength - Call this the DBU factor. Just as it made sense to add DBU in baseball, if a school is available which substantially increases our football strength, it might make sense to add them. Not only would the new team itself potentially become a contender for a CFP spot, but the increased schedule strength would benefit our other top teams as well. The only semi-reliable way to compare FBS and FCS strength is the final 2022 Sagarin ranking, so I'll include it as well as this year's Athlon preseason FCS ranking. Any Sagarin ranking below 100 is a strong team, and a ranking below 75 would establish them as immediate contenders for the CUSA title, once their transition was complete. For comparison, 2022 CUSA champ UTSA was ranked 63, WKU was ranked 67, Sun Belt champ troy state was 55, and AAC champ Tulane was 25. Right now, the only FCS teams in this bracket are SDSU (preseason #1 FCS, Sagarin 41), NDSU (preseason #2, Sagarin 71), Montana State (preseason #3, Sagarin 80), and Montana (preseason #10, Sagarin 96). Delaware is ranked #25, but their Sagarin ranking was a pedestrian 149.

3) Travel / Regional Factors - Travel is not really an issue in football, so this is not nearly as important as it would be for an all-sports or non-football member. And when it comes to travel budgets, regional divisions don't really help at all in football like they would in OLY sports, so the fact a candidate or two might allow us to break into regional divisions for football ultimately doesn't make one bit of difference. That said, while there's no need for "travel partners" in football, adding a nearby conference rival for a member school could help strengthen fan interaction and improve the cohesiveness of the conference overall. So looking solely at potential football-only schools who might serve as a geographical rival... well, the cupboard is bare. Delaware could arguably serve this purpose for Liberty, but at ~300 miles away from Lynchburg, they're not exactly nearby. Mo State is no better, at nearly 400 miles away from Ruston and 500 away from WKU and SHSU. So it's probably safe to say there are no real candidates here.

So looking at the candidates:

NDSU - brings more "name recognition" than "market" but we'll count it; would definitely help with strength; would be a minus for travel. Would only work as a football-only addition.

SDSU - like NDSU without the name recognition; very strong, but again, a minus for travel. Would only work as a football-only addition.

Delaware - would (arguably) bring a market; solid but not an improvement in strength; arguably provides a (distant) "nearby" rival for Liberty; carries some academic prestige (R2), but this is really not a factor for football-only schools; would probably be a stronger candidate for all-sports membership if we could get them.

Mo State - would (arguably) bring a market; mediocre strength would not really help us; does not provide much of a regional boost, but close enough they could help expand the footprint without creating yet another island; like Delaware, they'd probably be a stronger all-sports candidate than a strong football-only candidate.

The Montanas - I'll lump these two together. Despite their very strong fan bases, they bring no real market value. They would be very strong football additions, but make no regional sense, unless the CUSA league office has its heart set on landing the Montanas and Dakotas to seize control of the mid-continent Canadian border. If the Montanas have FBS desires, they're far more suited to the MWC than to CUSA. Not a realistic candidate.

The University of Delaware is rated R1 (Very High Research Activity).

(06-30-2023 10:34 AM)LexColonel Wrote:  So EKU is no longer a “candidate “…. How soon you forget where you came from!

I was under the impression EKU wanted in for all sports, not just as a football-only member, which is what my post very explicitly was about.

I stand corrected.

(06-30-2023 10:59 AM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  The University of Delaware is rated R1 (Very High Research Activity).

Crap! Thanks. The document I pulled up in my search was outdated.

I edited my post.

(06-30-2023 11:01 AM)whupemall Wrote:  

(06-30-2023 10:34 AM)LexColonel Wrote:  So EKU is no longer a “candidate “…. How soon you forget where you came from!

I was under the impression EKU wanted in for all sports, not just as a football-only member, which is what my post very explicitly was about.

I stand corrected.

Ok, yes you are right, not for football only.

(06-30-2023 10:39 AM)EatEmUp11 Wrote:  

(06-30-2023 10:34 AM)LexColonel Wrote:  So EKU is no longer a “candidate “…. How soon you forget where you came from!

Correct.

So now will you stop copy and pasting this message on every thread on the damn realignment board?

Please take note this has not been copied and pasted on every thread Sorry if you are offended and are YOU the gate keeper of this board, if so please let me know.

(06-30-2023 11:19 AM)LexColonel Wrote:  

(06-30-2023 10:39 AM)EatEmUp11 Wrote:  

(06-30-2023 10:34 AM)LexColonel Wrote:  So EKU is no longer a “candidate “…. How soon you forget where you came from!

Correct.

So now will you stop copy and pasting this message on every thread on the damn realignment board?

Please take note this has not been copied and pasted on every thread Sorry if you are offended and are YOU the gate keeper of this board, if so please let me know.

Oh come on, every post you make here is taking offense to something.

Just seems like a cycle. Get in here all huffy puffy before you realize that you read something wrong or misinterpreted something and that nobody is, in fact, trying to dig at EKU.

Missouri State better not be a football only candidate.

(06-30-2023 06:58 AM)Gemofthehills Wrote:  Does CUSA sponsor, field hockey, rowing and swimming? If not those sports would need a home.

IF Delaware was a FB only candidate--that would not be a problem.

The CAA and CAA FOOTBALL CONFERENCE are Two SEPARATE Conferences.

They would (in theory) leave the CAA Football Conference --BUT stay in the CAA conference. Very similar to the MVC and MVFC situation.

FOR "EatEmUp11" and Gemofthehills>>>>>>>>>>

(06-29-2023 01:45 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  Just to give the details for a review.

MVFC--NDSU, SDSU, and Missouri St. are members of this football only FCS conference.

Summit League (DI)-- NDSU and SDSU are full members for all sports in this non-fb conference.

MVC-- Missouri State is a full member in this non-fb conference.

If NDSU or SDSU became a FB only member of ANY other Football conference---it would NOT effect their membership in the Summit League or go against any NCAA rules.

In fact, Missouri St. could do the same thing as a FB only and stay in the MVC--BUT I very much doubt any conference would invite the Bears unless it was for All sports.

CAA--Delaware is a full member of this NON-FB conference.

CAA FOOTBALL CONFERENCE (yes, same name)-- Delaware is a member of this FB only FCS conference.

(06-29-2023 11:40 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  

(06-29-2023 06:02 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  First--CUSA may NOT even consider FB onlys. Probably won't add ANYONE for now anyway.

But--IF they did NDSU, SDSU, and Delaware would have to be considered.

I wish I could find a link but I swear that Judy was quoted within the last few months that CUSA would be open to adding schools for football only. It may have been aimed at some specific schools but of course she didn't name them.

YOU are right Miner--I also remember that quote. I assume it would have to be a pretty strong team. ARMY(Not happening), NDSU, Delaware?.

Missouri State--No for FB only--their FB is not strong enough.

I recognize I am playing Captain Obvious, but in my mind, here are the FCS options that may or may not have mutual interest:

All Sports
Delaware
Eastern Kentucky
Missouri State

That's it. Delaware is the only attractive option in my eyes. EKU & MSU have their merits but don't really move the needle for most anyone. SFA & Tarleton are not only lacking as viable candidates but would significantly downgrade the already reeling reputation of the league.

Football-Only
North Dakota State
South Dakota State

Realistically the Dakota States are the only real options. Once again, they are waiting to see what happens with the MWC but would likely be game just to gain entry to the club. Travel would be as close to a non-factor as you can get for the league. Honestly I don't see a downside in making this move. But I get why it hasn't happened.

On the FBS Indy side, Army is not happening. Period. UConn is holding out hope for the Big XII but otherwise would likely consider affiliate membership. UMass drools at the idea of keeping their football program afloat. We are fine right where we are,

(06-30-2023 10:34 AM)LexColonel Wrote:  So EKU is no longer a “candidate “…. How soon you forget where you came from!

Correct, we hate EKU.

(06-30-2023 12:12 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  FOR "EatEmUp11" and Gemofthehills>>>>>>>>>>

(06-29-2023 01:45 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  Just to give the details for a review.

MVFC--NDSU, SDSU, and Missouri St. are members of this football only FCS conference.

Summit League (DI)-- NDSU and SDSU are full members for all sports in this non-fb conference.

MVC-- Missouri State is a full member in this non-fb conference.

If NDSU or SDSU became a FB only member of ANY other Football conference---it would NOT effect their membership in the Summit League or go against any NCAA rules.

In fact, Missouri St. could do the same thing as a FB only and stay in the MVC--BUT I very much doubt any conference would invite the Bears unless it was for All sports.

CAA--Delaware is a full member of this NON-FB conference.

CAA FOOTBALL CONFERENCE (yes, same name)-- Delaware is a member of this FB only FCS conference.

Damn lot of information I am sure will be forgotten by me.

Jones sarcasm aside, Disagree on some of your statements , SlyFox.

EKU is *probably the Top candidate in the mind of Many posters--IF, IF there is an opening in the EAST.

In the WEST--SFA will be ready in 2-4 years; is a perfect geographic fit; rival for SHSU; and has enough money with the new Univ. of Texas backing. They already rank in the top five in athletic revenue among all candidates.


*UNLESS-- 1.) CUSA decided to go with Missouri St.--and call that "Central."

2.) CUSA decided to go with one or two FB Only adds instead.


Additionally--IMO CUSA would Not invite EKU or Missouri St. as FB onlys.

IMHO---it's the same old list:

Missouri St.
EKU
SFA
Chatty
Tarleton

FB onlys-- NDSU, SDSU, Delaware

Of course some of these continue to say--"NO"--and the list could be changed by dominoes falling above and IF/who/where current members depart.

(06-30-2023 12:12 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  FOR "EatEmUp11" and Gemofthehills>>>>>>>>>>

(06-29-2023 01:45 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  Just to give the details for a review.

MVFC--NDSU, SDSU, and Missouri St. are members of this football only FCS conference.

Summit League (DI)-- NDSU and SDSU are full members for all sports in this non-fb conference.

MVC-- Missouri State is a full member in this non-fb conference.

If NDSU or SDSU became a FB only member of ANY other Football conference---it would NOT effect their membership in the Summit League or go against any NCAA rules.

In fact, Missouri St. could do the same thing as a FB only and stay in the MVC--BUT I very much doubt any conference would invite the Bears unless it was for All sports.

CAA--Delaware is a full member of this NON-FB conference.

CAA FOOTBALL CONFERENCE (yes, same name)-- Delaware is a member of this FB only FCS conference.

Yes, separate conferences ran by the same people. Just wonder if the CAA proper would have reservations about allowing UD to stay in the conference knowing their foot is out the door anyways, as that’s what an FBS move would signify I imagine. The more I thought about it, the more unlikely it seems (in my mind) that they’d get the boot. Just have the JMU/CAA situation fresh in mind (this sort of move would clearly have differences).

I’d rather that not be an issue for them. I agree with SlyFox NDSU or SDSU should be the only fb-only adds seriously considered. MSU and UD don’t bring enough in those sports alone to justify bringing them in. Just IMHO. CUSA will do what CUSA does.