Heard quite a bit of interesting info late yesterday as it pertains to CUSA and the Sunbelt.
First thing I heard is that CUSA is trying its best to secure a future TV deal to keep the league relevant. Even though the league has gotten commitments from other schools to join, the long-term viability is still very much in doubt due to lack of interest from TV execs. Bids for broadcasting rights might actually end up coming in lower than what it currently has. Not good.
2nd......LA TECH came very close to ending up in the Sunbelt. LA Tech's AD pursued a return to the Sunbelt but it all came down to JMU. Appy State, Coastal and Georgia Southern all pushed hard for Eastern expansion with Marshall, ODU and JMU. If the JMU deal fell through, it was going to be LA Tech added to the west. JMU got their ducks in a row and the rest is history.
So what does this tell me? La Tech is very likely next in line for a Sunbelt invitation if the landscape moves again.
Not surprised since the league was decimated. CUSA will need time to build back up and I think the 4 adds bought us some of that. Now we need to work on improving exposure and realize money will be a little hard to come by. It is what it is.
(12-18-2021 09:48 AM)MUHERD76 Wrote: [ -> ]Heard quite a bit of interesting info late yesterday as it pertains to CUSA and the Sunbelt.
First thing I heard is that CUSA is trying its best to secure a future TV deal to keep the league relevant. Even though the league has gotten commitments from other schools to join, the long-term viability is still very much in doubt due to lack of interest from TV execs. Bids for broadcasting rights might actually end up coming in lower than what it currently has. Not good.
2nd......LA TECH came very close to ending up in the Sunbelt. LA Tech's AD pursued a return to the Sunbelt but it all came down to JMU. Appy State, Coastal and Georgia Southern all pushed hard for Eastern expansion with Marshall, ODU and JMU. If the JMU deal fell through, it was going to be LA Tech added to the west. JMU got their ducks in a row and the rest is history.
So what does this tell me? La Tech is very likely next in line for a Sunbelt invitation if the landscape moves again.
You think the broadcasting rights will come in lower per school or the conference? I’m assuming you’re saying per school but figured I’d point that out. Big difference between splitting the pie 14 ways vs 9.
I assume that he is hearing this from Marshall sources so take it for what it is worth. I don't think anyone is surprised to hear that LaTech would try to make the move with their peers.
As for broadcasting rights, sometimes a little less money for bigger exposure is the ticket. But with the new alignment of schools, it may present some intriguing new options. I suspect those in Huntington are less in the loop these days now that they are no longer going to be a part of any upcoming deal.
They should have just gone to 16 with LA Tech and FIU.
The MAC gets WKU and MTSU.
UTEP joins the WAC and plays Indy football with NMSU.
(12-18-2021 09:54 AM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote: [ -> ]Not surprised since the league was decimated. CUSA will need time to build back up and I think the 4 adds bought us some of that. Now we need to work on improving exposure and realize money will be a little hard to come by. It is what it is.
Totally agree. Fortunately the league has a nice windfall of exit fee money coming that will keep it afloat for the immediate future. Personally I think CUSA will be fine so long as they are not stupid with the exit fee money. If they can get through these next 5-7 years, I think they will be ok. As I mentioned above, its the "Long-Term" that is concerning.
They will settle for a short-term "less than desirable" TV deal for now to get them through next 4-5 years while using exit fee money to offset any losses. The real determining factor of the league remaining solvent in 5-7 years from now is the TV deal that follows the one they are currently negotiating now.
(12-18-2021 09:59 AM)Ewglenn Wrote: [ -> ] (12-18-2021 09:48 AM)MUHERD76 Wrote: [ -> ]Heard quite a bit of interesting info late yesterday as it pertains to CUSA and the Sunbelt.
First thing I heard is that CUSA is trying its best to secure a future TV deal to keep the league relevant. Even though the league has gotten commitments from other schools to join, the long-term viability is still very much in doubt due to lack of interest from TV execs. Bids for broadcasting rights might actually end up coming in lower than what it currently has. Not good.
2nd......LA TECH came very close to ending up in the Sunbelt. LA Tech's AD pursued a return to the Sunbelt but it all came down to JMU. Appy State, Coastal and Georgia Southern all pushed hard for Eastern expansion with Marshall, ODU and JMU. If the JMU deal fell through, it was going to be LA Tech added to the west. JMU got their ducks in a row and the rest is history.
So what does this tell me? La Tech is very likely next in line for a Sunbelt invitation if the landscape moves again.
You think the broadcasting rights will come in lower per school or the conference? I’m assuming you’re saying per school but figured I’d point that out. Big difference between splitting the pie 14 ways vs 9.
Hard to say for sure at this point. All I know is from what I heard. Negotiations are not going well and what they settle for could be significantly less than what they currently have. The good news is that you guys have the exit fee money to help offset any short term losses. It's what happens down the road that will determine the long-term viability of the conference.
Question about the exit fees, will they be used to all CUSA members, new and old, or will the CUSA be like the AAC and only give exit monies to current(reminding) CUSA schools???
I still a time in the future when the AAC, SBC and CUSA get together and all 3 settle on geographic footprints.
(12-18-2021 09:48 AM)MUHERD76 Wrote: [ -> ]LA TECH came very close to ending up in the Sunbelt. LA Tech's AD pursued a return to the Sunbelt but it all came down to JMU. Appy State, Coastal and Georgia Southern all pushed hard for Eastern expansion with Marshall, ODU and JMU. If the JMU deal fell through, it was going to be LA Tech added to the west. JMU got their ducks in a row and the rest is history.
I don't doubt our AD pursued the Sun Belt. The decimation of CUSA seemed imminent after the AAC took almost half the conference away and everyone was trying to bail. However I am skeptical that the eastern Sun Belt schools, including Troy at the time, would vote for LaTech over WKU. The eastern members held and continue to hold the most sway in the Sun Belt. They all wanted Troy in the west division and a Tech invitation would keep Troy in the east. I would guess that WKU would have been invited if JMU was unable to join in order to achieve the desired conference division split. Where did you get this news?
What are making now 400-500k? I would be happy if we strike a deal worth around 100-200k per school. The difference will be made up with the playoffs distribution money.
(12-18-2021 12:35 PM)JCMiner Wrote: [ -> ]What are making now 400-500k? I would be happy if we strike a deal worth around 100-200k per school. The difference will be made up with the playoffs distribution money.
I think CUSA managed to hold onto some exciting football. WKU and Tech will play air raid and we have Liberty. Depending on how the move ups do this might be an attractive lineup. We obviously won’t get as much money as a whole. Which is why we have to stick to 9 unless bringing NDSU can guarantee us more TV money. Since ESPN wants so much control, let them tell us whether to add or stay put. Plus if we stay with CBS we won’t have to play all these weekday games. Even ULL admits that it ruins their game day experience. They could have had 27k every Saturday but played three weekday games to empty stadiums. I guess it’s really a choice. Media interest or fans in the seats.
(12-18-2021 09:48 AM)MUHERD76 Wrote: [ -> ]Heard quite a bit of interesting info late yesterday as it pertains to CUSA and the Sunbelt.
First thing I heard is that CUSA is trying its best to secure a future TV deal to keep the league relevant. Even though the league has gotten commitments from other schools to join, the long-term viability is still very much in doubt due to lack of interest from TV execs. Bids for broadcasting rights might actually end up coming in lower than what it currently has. Not good.
2nd......LA TECH came very close to ending up in the Sunbelt. LA Tech's AD pursued a return to the Sunbelt but it all came down to JMU. Appy State, Coastal and Georgia Southern all pushed hard for Eastern expansion with Marshall, ODU and JMU. If the JMU deal fell through, it was going to be LA Tech added to the west. JMU got their ducks in a row and the rest is history.
So what does this tell me? La Tech is very likely next in line for a Sunbelt invitation if the landscape moves again.
Wow! All that history and success at LT and they still got passed over for an FCS call up.
(12-18-2021 01:03 PM)Side.Show.Joe Wrote: [ -> ] (12-18-2021 09:48 AM)MUHERD76 Wrote: [ -> ]Heard quite a bit of interesting info late yesterday as it pertains to CUSA and the Sunbelt.
First thing I heard is that CUSA is trying its best to secure a future TV deal to keep the league relevant. Even though the league has gotten commitments from other schools to join, the long-term viability is still very much in doubt due to lack of interest from TV execs. Bids for broadcasting rights might actually end up coming in lower than what it currently has. Not good.
2nd......LA TECH came very close to ending up in the Sunbelt. LA Tech's AD pursued a return to the Sunbelt but it all came down to JMU. Appy State, Coastal and Georgia Southern all pushed hard for Eastern expansion with Marshall, ODU and JMU. If the JMU deal fell through, it was going to be LA Tech added to the west. JMU got their ducks in a row and the rest is history.
So what does this tell me? La Tech is very likely next in line for a Sunbelt invitation if the landscape moves again.
Wow! All that history and success at LT and they still got passed over for an FCS call up.
And as much as you suck all u needed to do was be in Dallas.
Like most folks I don't think the conference merry-go-round stuff is over. Will probably be an on-going happening from now on. I also think some kind of wholesale east-west shift will occur. No sense worrying about any of it.
For now, I just hope the new CUSA gets some kind of TV deal worth a dern.
(12-18-2021 09:54 AM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote: [ -> ]Not surprised since the league was decimated. CUSA will need time to build back up and I think the 4 adds bought us some of that. Now we need to work on improving exposure and realize money will be a little hard to come by. It is what it is.
C-USA's media rights were worth next to nothing before the league got poached. The new alignment will probably start even further behind. It could take them years just to get their rights back to the embarrassing low amount 3.0 made. Plus, the last round of realignment indicated that markets still drive the bus, and Liberty, SHSU, and Jacksonville State are not the kinds of markets ESPN is clamoring to throw money at.
The TV money is about 1% of our athletic budget. It's not going to make a difference if we’re making 400k or 100k.
(12-18-2021 01:06 PM)theATLDawg Wrote: [ -> ] (12-18-2021 01:03 PM)Side.Show.Joe Wrote: [ -> ] (12-18-2021 09:48 AM)MUHERD76 Wrote: [ -> ]Heard quite a bit of interesting info late yesterday as it pertains to CUSA and the Sunbelt.
First thing I heard is that CUSA is trying its best to secure a future TV deal to keep the league relevant. Even though the league has gotten commitments from other schools to join, the long-term viability is still very much in doubt due to lack of interest from TV execs. Bids for broadcasting rights might actually end up coming in lower than what it currently has. Not good.
2nd......LA TECH came very close to ending up in the Sunbelt. LA Tech's AD pursued a return to the Sunbelt but it all came down to JMU. Appy State, Coastal and Georgia Southern all pushed hard for Eastern expansion with Marshall, ODU and JMU. If the JMU deal fell through, it was going to be LA Tech added to the west. JMU got their ducks in a row and the rest is history.
So what does this tell me? La Tech is very likely next in line for a Sunbelt invitation if the landscape moves again.
Wow! All that history and success at LT and they still got passed over for an FCS call up.
And as much as you suck all u needed to do was be in Dallas.
I wasn't throwing shade at LT. I think it's wrong that the Sun Belt took JMU over LA Tech. And in my opinion, I think it was dumb to take Southern Miss ahead of LT.
I don't see why you choose to diminish UNT. After 8 years together in C-USA, UNT and LA Tech have the same number of C-USA football championships... zero. At least UNT basketball has a C-USA tournament title in the trophy case.
You should also abandon the Dallas market myth.... Then American already had SMU in the Dallas market. UNT was added because we have invested and built facilities deserving of inclusion in the AAC. Being in the DFW market wasn't the main factor in our move to the American. It's quite obvious that the American didn't need UNT for the Dallas market.
It just seems so weird to see a C-USA that no longer has any of its founders and that is the weakest of FBS. From 1996-2004, C-USA was the best conference outside of the BCS.
We all know the Sunbelt east rules the conference and the Sunbelt west will eventual break from the East.
But who cares now? We have 60 million in exit fees coming our way.
WKU is beating App State 49-31
CUSA 4.0 shed all the dead weight and is better (NET rankings) than the AAC and the Sunbelt
in basketball.
The AAC is biggest loser all the conference reshuffling. All their good teams are gone, they added the CUSA duds and Memphis, SMU are out the door.
(12-18-2021 01:44 PM)Side.Show.Joe Wrote: [ -> ] (12-18-2021 01:06 PM)theATLDawg Wrote: [ -> ] (12-18-2021 01:03 PM)Side.Show.Joe Wrote: [ -> ] (12-18-2021 09:48 AM)MUHERD76 Wrote: [ -> ]Heard quite a bit of interesting info late yesterday as it pertains to CUSA and the Sunbelt.
First thing I heard is that CUSA is trying its best to secure a future TV deal to keep the league relevant. Even though the league has gotten commitments from other schools to join, the long-term viability is still very much in doubt due to lack of interest from TV execs. Bids for broadcasting rights might actually end up coming in lower than what it currently has. Not good.
2nd......LA TECH came very close to ending up in the Sunbelt. LA Tech's AD pursued a return to the Sunbelt but it all came down to JMU. Appy State, Coastal and Georgia Southern all pushed hard for Eastern expansion with Marshall, ODU and JMU. If the JMU deal fell through, it was going to be LA Tech added to the west. JMU got their ducks in a row and the rest is history.
So what does this tell me? La Tech is very likely next in line for a Sunbelt invitation if the landscape moves again.
Wow! All that history and success at LT and they still got passed over for an FCS call up.
And as much as you suck all u needed to do was be in Dallas.
I wasn't throwing shade at LT. I think it's wrong that the Sun Belt took JMU over LA Tech. And in my opinion, I think it was dumb to take Southern Miss ahead of LT.
I don't see why you choose to diminish UNT. After 8 years together in C-USA, UNT and LA Tech have the same number of C-USA football championships... zero. At least UNT basketball has a C-USA tournament title in the trophy case.
You should also abandon the Dallas market myth.... Then American already had SMU in the Dallas market. UNT was added because we have invested and built facilities deserving of inclusion in the AAC. Being in the DFW market wasn't the main factor in our move to the American. It's quite obvious that the American didn't need UNT for the Dallas market.
You still think SMU is going to be there, that's cute. The B12 is going to be decimated again before this is over. My guess is 3-4 B12 originals could still move and WVU. The B12 is going to look something like an urban CUSA2.0, without any atonomy.