If UAB drops football, what impact will it have on the Sun Belt?

I would like to think that CUSA would stick with their 13, and even if they attempted to raid the Sun Belt, all members would stick together... but this is the real world.

What would be your best guess?

(11-10-2014 10:57 AM)rknj8993 Wrote:  If UAB drops football, what impact will it have on the Sun Belt?

I would like to think that CUSA would stick with their 13, and even if they attempted to raid the Sun Belt, all members would stick together... but this is the real world.

What would be your best guess?

Of course this raiding thing will come up again.....but if another year passes.....even with it not being so clear this year that Sunbelt is just as good.....the perception will fade that CUSA is anything but a lateral move and that the Belt if more bowls come and pay outs a little higher....could actually see turn downs of CUSA but even that statement will be seen as you gotta be kidden me talk by our CUSA folks.....money talks....always has but that money with TVcontracts and bowls will not be much different at all and I kind of like the Southern thing even with NMSU thrown in there.....sorry Idaho,

They could go so many routes. Odds are they would want to add an eastern school.

JMU - they've experessed interest in CUSA and wouldn't affect any other FBS conference

GSU - adds big market which CUSA likes to do

GS - adds team that has adapted quickly to FBS, if this continues is yet to be seen. In small market which hurts but is that CUSA motive still?

UL - have expressed desire to go to CUSA. LA Tech would try to block but new facilities and good teams in most sports is best add overall

stAte - have expressed desire to go to CUSA. Adds new state to CUSA.

TXST - many fans want to go to be around Texas teams, CUSA non Texas teams don't want another Texas team so it won't happen

(11-10-2014 11:02 AM)slycat Wrote:  They could go so many routes. Odds are they would want to add an eastern school.

JMU - they've experessed interest in CUSA and wouldn't affect any other FBS conference

GSU - adds big market which CUSA likes to do

GS - adds team that has adapted quickly to FBS, if this continues is yet to be seen. In small market which hurts but is that CUSA motive still?

UL - have expressed desire to go to CUSA. LA Tech would try to block but new facilities and good teams in most sports is best add overall

stAte - have expressed desire to go to CUSA. Adds new state to CUSA.

TXST - many fans want to go to be around Texas teams, CUSA non Texas teams don't want another Texas team so it won't happen

You've omitted the obvious choice.

(11-10-2014 11:02 AM)slycat Wrote:  They could go so many routes. Odds are they would want to add an eastern school.

I disagree. UAB leaving (we aren't) would leave 7 east division teams and 6 west.

Marshall
FIU
FAU
ODU
Charlotte
WKU
MT

LA Tech
USM
UTSA
UTEP
Rice
North Texas

All the talk about SBC members sticking together is fun and all, but If anyone is offered a CUSA spot they are taking it.

(11-10-2014 11:06 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(11-10-2014 11:02 AM)slycat Wrote:  They could go so many routes. Odds are they would want to add an eastern school.

JMU - they've experessed interest in CUSA and wouldn't affect any other FBS conference

GSU - adds big market which CUSA likes to do

GS - adds team that has adapted quickly to FBS, if this continues is yet to be seen. In small market which hurts but is that CUSA motive still?

UL - have expressed desire to go to CUSA. LA Tech would try to block but new facilities and good teams in most sports is best add overall

stAte - have expressed desire to go to CUSA. Adds new state to CUSA.

TXST - many fans want to go to be around Texas teams, CUSA non Texas teams don't want another Texas team so it won't happen

You've omitted the obvious choice.

Liberty?

(11-10-2014 11:06 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  You've omitted the obvious choice.

Nobody is added and each CUSA member gets a portion of UAB's share?

One thing is for sure, not a SBC team would turn down an opportunity to CUSA it.

Our idiot AD believed in the pinky promises in the last raid, all of you should be smarter than him.

@slycat, LTU@Ruston may not endorse UL, but neither will they block, or run a covert block. The ULS is a family that needs all members to back others in academics and any hint of such move would poison the UL/LTU co-operative efforts. Even in the attempted coup on LSU with regards to LSUA by LTU we watched T Joe smile silently even as he burned inside.

The obvious choice MTPiKapp us referring to is South Alabama.

(11-10-2014 11:02 AM)slycat Wrote:  They could go so many routes. Odds are they would want to add an eastern school.

JMU - they've experessed interest in CUSA and wouldn't affect any other FBS conference

GSU - adds big market which CUSA likes to do

GS - adds team that has adapted quickly to FBS, if this continues is yet to be seen. In small market which hurts but is that CUSA motive still?

UL - have expressed desire to go to CUSA. LA Tech would try to block but new facilities and good teams in most sports is best add overall

stAte - have expressed desire to go to CUSA. Adds new state to CUSA.

TXST - many fans want to go to be around Texas teams, CUSA non Texas teams don't want another Texas team so it won't happen

We have not expressed any such desire.

A State would most likely turn down a CUSA offer. There is truly no benefits to go there.

(11-10-2014 11:11 AM)CajunExpress Wrote:  One thing is for sure, not a SBC team would turn down an opportunity to CUSA it.

Our idiot AD believed in the pinky promises in the last raid, all of you should be smarter than him.

@slycat, LTU@Ruston may not endorse UL, but neither will they block, or run a covert block. The ULS is a family that needs all members to back others in academics and any hint of such move would poison the UL/LTU co-operative efforts. Even in the attempted coup on LSU with regards to LSUA by LTU we watched T Joe smile silently even as he burned inside.

Right now, we would turn down such an invite.

Might change in the future, but right now we don't gain enough in exposure and money to make such a move.

It's the same today as it ever was, the only way to avoid CUSA cherry picking from the Sun Belt is a GOR.

You can talk about perception vs reality or speculate about future bowls and TV contracts, but the fact remains that there is the very real fear that if you turn down a CUSA invite, someone else will accept.

You're already discussing adding one more FCS member, be it EKU, Missouri State, ETSU, Jax State etc, if you turn down the invite and someone else accepts than two of those might be inbound? What if at the next reevaluation Idaho is cut loose? Maybe NMSU just goes full member or maybe the UMASS FB only conversation is revisited.

Sun Belt pride is great, but no one wants to look up five years from now and be starting over with 2-3 new FCS members, none of whom bring to the table what App and GS do.

(11-10-2014 11:17 AM)GaryRWReport Wrote:  A State would most likely turn down a CUSA offer. There is truly no benefits to go there.

No benefit that's not so small its essentially moot.

We don't have the donor support to make a move, and the likely new CUSA TV Contract will only bring a small cash increase to our current situation.

The pink elephant in the room though is the reason to move. We simply must be in a conference with Alabama teams right now. We do a large portion of our recruiting right now out of Alabama and Georgia. Moving to CUSA without a UAB, Georgia State, or Georgia Southern, significantly reduces our exposure in both states.

Hopefully UAB doesn't drop football, but if they did I think that South Alabama would get the invite.

I think that Tech would block UL.
I don't think stAte wants to leave.
I don't think Georgia State is ready from a football standpoint.
I think C-USA has enough Texas teams already so Texas St is out.

Georgia Southern is a real possibility, but I don't know if they would want to jump conferences so soon.

Of course JMU could get an invite, or Missouri State.

Maybe try to poach Ohio or Akron, but the MAC typcially stays tight.

I would be opposed to UMass without some serious concessions (cut their revenue sharing, force basketball scheduling agreements).

It shouldn't matter anyway. I can't imagine the fanbase sitting by and letting football get cut.

(11-10-2014 11:16 AM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  The obvious choice MTPiKapp us referring to is South Alabama.

South Alabama fits the CUSA profile(market, budget, basketball tradition) as well or better as anyone in the Sun Belt, the fact that they're only ~250 miles from the (alleged)departing member just makes the choice that much more obvious.

(11-10-2014 11:20 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  It's the same today as it ever was, the only way to avoid CUSA cherry picking from the Sun Belt is a GOR.

You can talk about perception vs reality or speculate about future bowls and TV contracts, but the fact remains that there is the very real fear that if you turn down a CUSA invite, someone else will accept.

You're already discussing adding one more FCS member, be it EKU, Missouri State, ETSU, Jax State etc, if you turn down the invite and someone else accepts than two of those might be inbound? What if at the next reevaluation Idaho is cut loose? Maybe NMSU just goes full member or maybe the UMASS FB only conversation is revisited.

Sun Belt pride is great, but no one wants to look up five years from now and be starting over with 2-3 new FCS members, none of whom bring to the table what App and GS do.

Yes, and we're very different from your average SBC team. This isn't about some kind of SBC pride in our case as much as it is the fact that the CUSA is not seen as above the SBC in Arkansas. A move would be seen as lateral in this area, and almost a step down to our donor base.

It would take a serious back track from negative statements made about CUSA by our President and AD in order for such a thing to work, and frankly I don't think our fans would believe such backtracking, and would see us as turning into a LA Tech, and trying to beg our way into a league. That would be a terrible perception for our donor base.

(11-10-2014 11:31 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(11-10-2014 11:16 AM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  The obvious choice MTPiKapp us referring to is South Alabama.

South Alabama fits the CUSA profile(market, budget, basketball tradition) as well or better as anyone in the Sun Belt, the fact that they're only ~250 miles from the (alleged)departing member just makes the choice that much more obvious.

You really think Southern Miss would be okay with USA?

I know that the CUSA tv deal is more lucrative, but selfishly I hope my team wouldn't move because the Fox platform is not nearly as good as ESPN, IMO.