(09-11-2014 12:45 PM)blazr Wrote: [ -> ] (09-11-2014 11:44 AM)demiveeman Wrote: [ -> ] (09-11-2014 11:39 AM)blazr Wrote: [ -> ] (09-11-2014 11:23 AM)Bham Blazer Wrote: [ -> ] (09-11-2014 10:37 AM)blazr Wrote: [ -> ]We're in the East division this year because we can demand favors from the conference as a founding member. Don't be shocked to see us still in the East next season for the same reason (though that is likely 50/50 as geography may just dictate the decision...no one knows yet).
The SEC threw Missouri in the SEC East, so CUSA should be able to do the same for us.
The issue will be the addition of Charlotte. Next season, without a change in CUSA membership...by addition or subtraction, someone HAS to go west. We don't want to be that school, but we may have to so as to avoid strife. WKU and MTSU have the same reasons to want to avoid going west as UAB.
But, as a founding member, we should take precedence over them when it comes to this.
Sure. But the question is if Mackin wants to pull a Tom Jurich-like move - telling one of those schools to STFU and deal with it, when UAB really is the most logical choice to go west geographically AND financially speaking.
I certainly hope he does.
the only school that makes sense to move west for football if UAB stays east would be FIU. They are going to have to fly everywhere anyway and if you make FAU a permanent crossover the don't lose the one game that matters in the east. problem is all the east schools want one game a year in Fl for recruiting.
Games in Texas might help recruiting also.
La Tech and USM aren't really far away. We'd still play 2 east teams a year.
(09-11-2014 01:13 PM)bladhmadh Wrote: [ -> ]the only school that makes sense to move west for football if UAB stays east would be FIU. They are going to have to fly everywhere anyway and if you make FAU a permanent crossover the don't lose the one game that matters in the east. problem is all the east schools want one game a year in Fl for recruiting.
All the east schools want one game a year against FAU/FIU because it's an easy conference win.
Great News Blazers
I really like being able to pick out your seats when buying individual tickets now. There are about six empty seats next to my season ticket block. Now I can buy those specifically if I want to invite extra guests.
Improvements are happening. Exciting time to be a Blazer!
(09-11-2014 01:16 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote: [ -> ]La Tech and USM aren't really far away. We'd still play 2 east teams a year.
As much as I might want to be in the same division as USM and La Tech, I would much rather be in the same division as MTSU. Two destination cities within close travel to each other.
Shreveport and Hattiesburg are not good away trips. Hattiesburg is not a destination, and Shreveport is 6 1/2 hours away. Saying they "aren't really far away" is like saying the same thing for Marshall.
Right now, the east is setup with some decent proximity.
UAB-MTSU-WKU
FIU-FAU
The only real problem is Marshall/ODU.
(09-11-2014 01:30 PM)JeffUAB Wrote: [ -> ]I really like being able to pick out your seats when buying individual tickets now. There are about six empty seats next to my season ticket block. Now I can buy those specifically if I want to invite extra guests.
Improvements are happening. Exciting time to be a Blazer!
If you are buying individual game tickets the week of that game, UAB can legally sell Sec 10 & 11 (50 yd line) in the west stand if still available. You just can't (legally) buy them in the spring or summer before the season.
I think I'll sit in one of those seats and see if some octogenarian tries to run me.
Latest NWS forecast for Birmingham on Saturday:
Saturday - A chance of showers, mainly before 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 86. Light north wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
(09-11-2014 01:32 PM)demiveeman Wrote: [ -> ] (09-11-2014 01:16 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote: [ -> ]La Tech and USM aren't really far away. We'd still play 2 east teams a year.
As much as I might want to be in the same division as USM and La Tech, I would much rather be in the same division as MTSU. Two destination cities within close travel to each other.
Shreveport and Hattiesburg are not good away trips. Hattiesburg is not a destination, and Shreveport is 6 1/2 hours away. Saying they "aren't really far away" is like saying the same thing for Marshall.
Right now, the east is setup with some decent proximity.
UAB-MTSU-WKU
FIU-FAU
The only real problem is Marshall/ODU.
La Tech plays home games in Ruston, La which is 5 1/2 hours away and Hattiesburg is about 30min less drive time than Bowling Green.
(09-11-2014 02:05 PM)bladhmadh Wrote: [ -> ] (09-11-2014 01:32 PM)demiveeman Wrote: [ -> ] (09-11-2014 01:16 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote: [ -> ]La Tech and USM aren't really far away. We'd still play 2 east teams a year.
As much as I might want to be in the same division as USM and La Tech, I would much rather be in the same division as MTSU. Two destination cities within close travel to each other.
Shreveport and Hattiesburg are not good away trips. Hattiesburg is not a destination, and Shreveport is 6 1/2 hours away. Saying they "aren't really far away" is like saying the same thing for Marshall.
Right now, the east is setup with some decent proximity.
UAB-MTSU-WKU
FIU-FAU
The only real problem is Marshall/ODU.
La Tech plays home games in Ruston, La which is 5 1/2 hours away and Hattiesburg is about 30min less drive time than Bowling Green.
Sorry, yes. My wording was off. I meant Shreveport being the destination city for activities if you go to Ruston...since there's nothing in Ruston to make a trip out of.
My argument isn't even necessarily about driving times themselves, but justifying the driving times. Who on earth wants to drive to Ruston, LA and Hattiesburg, MS as a weekend trip (which is what we need to have happen as a fanbase)?
Western Kentucky and Murphreesburo are in actual metros with stuff to do and reasons to bring the whole family other than just a football away game.
I also think the familiarity in football would help basketball rivalries. I want to be associated with the eastern teams more than I do the western teams.
(09-11-2014 01:32 PM)demiveeman Wrote: [ -> ] (09-11-2014 01:16 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote: [ -> ]La Tech and USM aren't really far away. We'd still play 2 east teams a year.
As much as I might want to be in the same division as USM and La Tech, I would much rather be in the same division as MTSU. Two destination cities within close travel to each other.
Shreveport and Hattiesburg are not good away trips. Hattiesburg is not a destination, and Shreveport is 6 1/2 hours away. Saying they "aren't really far away" is like saying the same thing for Marshall.
Right now, the east is setup with some decent proximity.
UAB-MTSU-WKU
FIU-FAU
The only real problem is Marshall/ODU.
Permanent crossover games may resolve the problem. UAB-SMiss, FAU-FIU, & WKU-MTSU come to mind. Of course, if there are to be 8 conference games, that means playing the other teams from the other division once every 6 years...
And Charlotte is just about as close as Ruston. According to quick google checks they are both close to 400 miles away.
(09-11-2014 02:17 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote: [ -> ] (09-11-2014 01:32 PM)demiveeman Wrote: [ -> ] (09-11-2014 01:16 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote: [ -> ]La Tech and USM aren't really far away. We'd still play 2 east teams a year.
As much as I might want to be in the same division as USM and La Tech, I would much rather be in the same division as MTSU. Two destination cities within close travel to each other.
Shreveport and Hattiesburg are not good away trips. Hattiesburg is not a destination, and Shreveport is 6 1/2 hours away. Saying they "aren't really far away" is like saying the same thing for Marshall.
Right now, the east is setup with some decent proximity.
UAB-MTSU-WKU
FIU-FAU
The only real problem is Marshall/ODU.
Permanent crossover games may resolve the problem. UAB-SMiss, FAU-FIU, & WKU-MTSU come to mind. Of course, if there are to be 8 conference games, that means playing the other teams from the other division once every 6 years...
Or go to 9 conference games. One permanent cross over would mean you rotate the other 6 schools and play them all over a three year period.
Did anyone hear that UAB FB is seeing increased ticket demand after a promising start on the field?
(09-11-2014 02:17 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote: [ -> ] (09-11-2014 01:32 PM)demiveeman Wrote: [ -> ] (09-11-2014 01:16 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote: [ -> ]La Tech and USM aren't really far away. We'd still play 2 east teams a year.
As much as I might want to be in the same division as USM and La Tech, I would much rather be in the same division as MTSU. Two destination cities within close travel to each other.
Shreveport and Hattiesburg are not good away trips. Hattiesburg is not a destination, and Shreveport is 6 1/2 hours away. Saying they "aren't really far away" is like saying the same thing for Marshall.
Right now, the east is setup with some decent proximity.
UAB-MTSU-WKU
FIU-FAU
The only real problem is Marshall/ODU.
Permanent crossover games may resolve the problem. UAB-SMiss, FAU-FIU, & WKU-MTSU come to mind. Of course, if there are to be 8 conference games, that means playing the other teams from the other division once every 6 years...
Well Southern Miss already moved to the West, right?
As a fan, I don't care about the Southern Miss game enough to want us to be locked with Southern Miss (especially if it could hurt our SoS to do so).
I'm much more excited for what the future holds with MTSU and WKU, as I think they have the opportunity to become great matchups/rivalries in both basketball and football in the future.
MTSU is located in a major metro and vacation destination. Western Kentucky is located in Bowling Green, a city that is in major growth mode in both population and business.
Hattiesburg is a dead-end city that happens to have a fellow conference football team in it.
(09-11-2014 02:19 PM)blazers9911 Wrote: [ -> ]And Charlotte is just about as close as Ruston. According to quick google checks they are both close to 400 miles away.
Yet the cities of Charlotte and Ruston couldn't be further apart.
yep,
sure is good to see the increase.
Now
FWIW
Travel distance from The Ham.
194.8 Murfreesboro Tn - East
232.2 Hattiesburg Ms - West
256.9 Bowling Green Ky - East
385.2 Ruston La - West
391.1 Charlotte NC - East
530.1 Huntington WV - East
666.9 Houston Tx - West
673.8 Denton Tx - West
710.4 Norfolk Va - East
725.9 Ft Lauderdale Fl - East
746.2 Miami Fl - East
862.1 San Antonio Tx - West
1,274 El Paso Tx - West
I'll be honest. It doesn't matter to me travel wise. I will fly to the further cities and I can get there cheaper on Southwest.