Quote:C-USA still stalling
Conference USA presidents and athletic directors met last weekend in Dallas with still no decision on having a football championship game after the league expands to 12 football schools next year.
And at least one new member is not happy about the situation.
"When this was presented to us, the championship game was part of it," said Marshall athletic director Bob Marcum. "If they're going to start reneging on things, then maybe we had start re-evaluating things."
The C-USA presidents are mulling the financial risks and benefits of playing a title game, and there is some reluctance to put a team that could be in line for a BCS bowl berth in jeopardy of blowing it with an extra game.
Also, for next year at least, there could be a short turnaround time for the loser of the game. The GMAC and Wyndham New Orleans Bowls, which have C-USA tie-ins, are played less than two weeks after the probable title-game date.
"We're looking real hard at everything," said Tulane president Scott Cowen. "I'm a lousy predictor, but my guess is that we will not have a championship game in 2005. We want to wait until everything is in place."
That doesn't sit too well with Marcum, whose school has played in six of the past seven championship games in the Mid-America Conference, the league it is leaving for C-USA.
"People who are scared of things ought to buy a dog," he said. "If this conference's goal is to de-emphasize football, then maybe we joined for the wrong reasons. It sounds like we're going to have to have some more meetings."
The next scheduled gathering of presidents to discuss the matter is in August.
Making friends? Who cares??? I for one agree with him and I like someone who actually stands up against the grain and speaks out.
He is the voice of Marshall athletics and you think there is one person from MU that would NOT want a C-USAC????????
If a team isnt good enough to win its own conference then it sure doent deserve to make it to a New Years Day Bowl.
Im anxious to see how this pans out.
I think it's a bunch of horsepoo (I'm trying to watch my language!) that we don't have a CG in place already.
The only thing I see standing in the way is the decision of where to host it.
I don't care where they put it, just put it somewhere (I'm always looking for a reason to go to New Orleans!) and play the damn thing!
"I don't care where they put it, just put it somewhere (I'm always looking for a reason to go to New Orleans!) and play the damn thing!"
Agreed!
Quote:"If they're going to start reneging on things, then maybe we had start re-evaluating things."
Could we see a list of your options, Marcum? :rofl:
I have to agree that Marcum may have a legit "beef" here, although I suspect that the other C-USA A.D.'s are proably already tired of hearing his criticisms........well, they may as well get used to it because it "ain't easy" to keep Kayo and his fans happy as the MAC found out.
I'm sure that they'll get a championship game worked out in the end, and suspect that it'll end up being at rotating sites like the MAC.
P.S. Happen to see Sturt's post over on the C-USA board on this same subject, and he alludes to some disappointment with regards to the current TV offering for the C-USA championship game........he mentioned that the deal was similar to the MAC's, but I guess I thought ABC offered them a million for the game. Again, Sturt did not offer any sources, but I hadn't seen a comment like that anywhere.
I hate to say it, but Marcum is actually right about the title game. But it is interesting that he's challenging CUSA to quit whining about taking a gamble, while in another breath saying that the MAC should not take a gamble in holding their title game at a neutral site. So, Bob, which side of your face should we be paying attention to?
Marcum is quite the posturing harrumpfer.
Quote:"If they're going to start reneging on things, then maybe we had start re-evaluating things."
Go Independent, then. :rolleyes:
ex Cincy Kid Wrote:...he alludes to some disappointment with regards to the current TV offering for the C-USA championship game........he mentioned that the deal was similar to the MAC's, but I guess I thought ABC offered them a million for the game.
isn't that "million dollar contract" offer something like four years old? Things change over time, and across the board, sports programming contacts are getting negotiated down. I can't imagine that ConDOA is any exception to that trend.
As I already stated, Marcum's disappointment in the perceived lack of progress on the championship game is understandable, but I'm surprised he goes quite so far in his comments ("re-evaluating things") which reads almost as a threat to bolt the conference if the championship game doesn't come off........again, I sense Kayo is just trying to show how serious he is about this (championship game) being an expectation of Marshall in joining the league.
As I already stated, Marcum's disappointment in the perceived lack of progress on the championship game is understandable, but I'm surprised he goes quite so far in his comments ("re-evaluating things") which reads almost as a threat to bolt the conference if the championship game doesn't come off........again, I sense Kayo is just trying to show how serious he is about this (championship game) being an expectation of Marshall in joining the league.
Oh, I understand that part. And I'm with you; the "bolting" implication he's trying to make is absurdly hilarious simply because he has nowhere to bolt.
.....his options would seem rather limited at this point, n'est pas? Again, just like the MACC location discussion, methinks Kayo is very good at "framing" the discussion to suit his goals, and he's not afraid to let people know about it.
yup. he's making noise in the news to make his constituents think he's actually doing something, and to make them feel better when, in fact, all he is doing is talking in the news. And striking flint to kindling underneath those many bridges...
If we're all honest with each other, the public is not exactly clamoroing to see MAC and C-USA championship games........sure, they're a nice lil' offering, and I think viewership for the MACC has been pretty good, but in today's environment ESPN or ABC does not really need to offer up huge buckeroos for the privilege of televising it.
Part of Marshall's official "line" on moving to C-USA is much higher revenues (to offset higher travel costs), and I've always been a "doubter" as to the validity of this claim (net-net). That still doesn't mean Marshall should've stayed in the MAC, as they have a number of other legit reasons (from their perspective) as to why C-USA is a better overall fit (i.e. more bowls, southern geography, better TV deal) outside of geography. But, if the championship game in C-USA ends up being a minor revenue-enhancer, then Kayo will perhaps need to re-position himself on the net revenues, plus at the very least he certainly needs to do what he can to insure the C-USA remains committed to the game.
and, why do I care about marshall and cusa problems?
RedSteve Wrote:ex Cincy Kid Wrote:...he alludes to some disappointment with regards to the current TV offering for the C-USA championship game........he mentioned that the deal was similar to the MAC's, but I guess I thought ABC offered them a million for the game.
isn't that "million dollar contract" offer something like four years old? Things change over time, and across the board, sports programming contacts are getting negotiated down. I can't imagine that ConDOA is any exception to that trend.
And it certainly doesn't help that some of its most TV-friendly football programs (e.g., Louisville) are gone.
Rockytop: It's interesting from the perspective that the MAC has "wrestled" with some of these same issues (i.e. MACC location, etc.), and of course Marshall's AD has been vocal about both (C-USA championship game and the MACC).
I don't know why Marcum is brining money into this. With its new teams, CUSA would be lucky to get $500,000 for their championship game which comes out to $42,000 per team. That is a drop in the ole bucket as far as their travel costs are concerned. He is probably just trying to scare the other AD's into thinking Marshall will bolt. Too bad he has no where to bolt to - I doubt the MAC would take Marshall back as things currently stand.
Lurker: Just to clarify my earlier comments........I'm not sure Marcum is talking about money specifically (although we all are aware of the original statements about one of the networks supposedly offering C-USA something like $1.5 mil to stage the game, or a around $125K per school), although that point was raised by the Marshall poster (Sturt) I mentioned in another thread. I guess I'm guilty of taking that comment and then guessing that the revenue stream is part of what Marcum is concerned about given the public statements made about the improvements in C-USA. To be fair, the championship game is just one (relatively minor) part of that equation.