Well, obviously this isn't something that could be done right now, but what about in 5 years?

Basically, I am going off of the assumption here that CUSA's "media market" gambit will fail and that we will surpass them in football. The only question in my mind is when will it become apparent that CUSA's expansion strategy was misguided and that's when some CUSA teams could be ripe for the picking.

Go ahead and scoff away, but if you think it's a ridiculous idea then just ask yourself if you only believe that just because you think "CUSA is better 'cause it's CUSA". Using that logic we should all try to join the SoCon because of its membership from the 1920s.

As long as their TV contract is better they will stay put.

Here's what I don't get. Everybody and their momma is moving to the South -- i.e., the so-called sun belt. So, why wouldn't college programs want to join a conference named after the place everybody and their momma is moving too? They'd have better athletes, better weather, much better looking women ....

(06-09-2015 12:39 PM)GaSouthern Wrote:  As long as their TV contract is better they will stay put.

When their TV contract is renegotiated they will be playing weekdays on secondary sports channels just like us and the MAC. When their current TV deal was in place CUSA had UCF, Houston, Memphis, and East Carolina among others. There's no way it's not going to tank.

Why don't we build the conference we have instead of relying on a) a magical golden ticket to be with FIU, b) FIU magically deciding to come back to our conference.

(06-09-2015 12:39 PM)gsu95 Wrote:  Here's what I don't get. Everybody and their momma is moving to the South -- i.e., the so-called sun belt. So, why wouldn't college programs want to join a conference named after the place everybody and their momma is moving too? They'd have better athletes, better weather, much better looking women ....

Wha'd you got against USA?

You a freedomhater boy?

(06-09-2015 12:57 PM)ark30inf Wrote:  Why don't we build the conference we have instead of relying on a) a magical golden ticket to be with FIU, b) FIU magically deciding to come back to our conference.

Don't think anyone wants anything to do with F_U. But USM, now that is something I can work with.

I think what he is saying is build the brand as we currently sit, don't add more now. Wait, if the CCG rules change, we don't need 12, if they do change the rules then the Big 12 will be in raiding mode and CUSA will take a hit. When that happens, we attack as well.

Ultimately it comes down to no reason for adding anyone right now, I don't care how many threads we start about expansion.

The key thing is to make sure we have at least as many (if not more) bowl tie ins and the TV revenue is better here.

Remember, each team is going to have to pay an exit fee and an entrance fee (I'm sure it can be waived for the right team)... So the benefit has to be better than what they have by enough to recoup their losses in moving.

Can it be done? You bet. I just don't know if their renegotiated TV deal will be down to the level that the Sun Belt's is at. We could offset that by being the tops of G5 for several years in a row. Current makeup can make that happen.

But we have to have the carrot to dangle in front of their faces.

I don't think the idea its so far fetch, if their new tv contract isn't as profitable as the last, which, I got to think its not going to be, than what real advantage does conference USA have over us? Their basketball is just as bad as ours, basically, a 1 bid conference, infact, Charlotte just had their best returning player announce his transfer, I believe that's 4 or 5 since they fired their coach, unless the new coach, Mark Price is a miracle worker, their going to be bad for atleast 3 or4 years. I think overall, the SBC has better non revenue sports than USA, and football, I don't think its close with how both App and Georgia Southern have come in and strengthen the overall conference. Where I disagree with you, is I don't see us raiding USA, but I think, because of travel cost , and the desire to have close, natural rivals, I think you could see a USA and SBC combining to form a super conference of mid majors, I don't think it will happen anytime soon, probably not in the next 10 years, but I think its something they will atleast consider.

There won't be a combo super conference, but there could be a whole new conference formed. If the SBC holds serve right now, wait until the next round of expansion, possibly next year, we have three spots we could use to be at 12. If it goes our way, drop Idaho and NMSU, add USM, MTSU and WKU, done. And this all happens while UAb is still going through whatever transition they are going through which still adds instability to CUSA.

And if ULaLa wants to be called Louisiana, South Alabama is USA, that other conference is CUSA.

(06-09-2015 12:57 PM)ark30inf Wrote:  Why don't we build the conference we have instead of relying on a) a magical golden ticket to be with FIU, b) FIU magically deciding to come back to our conference.

That magical golden ticket would be either WKU or MTSU. Basketball in CUSA is too strong for them to leave though.

That some schools might be disgruntled and want change is not far-fetched. What is far-fetched are the logistics required.

We don't know if CFP would share with a new conference created from scratch and odds are they would not. That leaves transforming an existing CFP recipient league.

So let's say UTEP, Rice, UTSA, UNT want a reformation. They come to the Sun Belt. CUSA will replace at least two of them. Figure two out of App, GaSt, GaSo, USA, Troy, and maybe JMU.

Now you have USM and LaTech trying to determine their next move. If they opt to join the Texans, then two more from the before list get picked off to go CUSA.

Then you have the ugly part. You have a critical mass that can likely get the 3/4ths votes to do things like mandate FBS football or expel a member deemed out of the footprint. And of course you have a big press conference where you announce it as a new conference (while telling the NCAA and CFP, just kidding about being a new league).

It can be done, it just isn't easy to do and depending on the next CUSA deal, it could be completely impossible to do.

(06-09-2015 01:02 PM)Usajags Wrote:  

(06-09-2015 12:57 PM)ark30inf Wrote:  Why don't we build the conference we have instead of relying on a) a magical golden ticket to be with FIU, b) FIU magically deciding to come back to our conference.

Don't think anyone wants anything to do with F_U. But USM, now that is something I can work with.

I think what he is saying is build the brand as we currently sit, don't add more now. Wait, if the CCG rules change, we don't need 12, if they do change the rules then the Big 12 will be in raiding mode and CUSA will take a hit. When that happens, we attack as well.

Ultimately it comes down to no reason for adding anyone right now, I don't care how many threads we start about expansion.

This is all so, well, yesterday.

(06-08-2015 12:23 PM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  A few years of stability for the conference coupled with the verifiable efforts of a number of members as it relates to facilities improvement, coaches salaries, etc, and we'll be turning down C-USA members who want in.

Patience grasshoppers.

Even when MT was back in the Belt, i've advocated a combination of the two and split along east/west lines.

That said, the reality is we're all crabs in the bucket. No one will stop looking out for themselves long enough to work together for the common good.

Don't kid yourselves, the first time CUSA finds itself with a hole, all it has to do is place one phone call to Mobile, Lafayette, or Jonesboro, and that hole is instantly patched. You can all talk about conference solidarity, but you know it ain't going to happen.

This isn't a knock on the SBC or in any way - it's the same thing we discuss in CUSA - "OOOhhh, maybe we can poach UCF back from the AAC since the AAC doesn't look that great, and who wants to join that conference anyway, blah blah blah".

FWIW, I think that sooner or later, we all end up back together in some sort of mid-tier between FCS and the power 5 conferences.

(06-09-2015 01:29 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  That some schools might be disgruntled and want change is not far-fetched. What is far-fetched are the logistics required.

We don't know if CFP would share with a new conference created from scratch and odds are they would not. That leaves transforming an existing CFP recipient league.

So let's say UTEP, Rice, UTSA, UNT want a reformation. They come to the Sun Belt. CUSA will replace at least two of them. Figure two out of App, GaSt, GaSo, USA, Troy, and maybe JMU.

Now you have USM and LaTech trying to determine their next move. If they opt to join the Texans, then two more from the before list get picked off to go CUSA.

Then you have the ugly part. You have a critical mass that can likely get the 3/4ths votes to do things like mandate FBS football or expel a member deemed out of the footprint. And of course you have a big press conference where you announce it as a new conference (while telling the NCAA and CFP, just kidding about being a new league).

It can be done, it just isn't easy to do and depending on the next CUSA deal, it could be completely impossible to do.

I think its possible after a few years and everything is settled after realignment. I don't see schools from CUSA defecting to us, but a joint effort reorganization of both conferences that is geographically determined. This could also pair up really good travel partners. I could see one conference with NSMU/UTEP, UNT/La Tech, TxSt/UTSA, Rice/ULL, USM/ULM, and ASU/Missouri St. The other conference could be MTSU/WKU, Marshall/ODU, AppSt/UNCC/ Troy/USA, and FIU/FAU.

(06-09-2015 02:48 PM)RaiderDoug Wrote:  FWIW, I think that sooner or later, we all end up back together in some sort of mid-tier between FCS and the power 5 conferences.

We're already there.

(06-09-2015 02:48 PM)RaiderDoug Wrote:  Even when MT was back in the Belt, i've advocated a combination of the two and split along east/west lines.

That said, the reality is we're all crabs in the bucket. No one will stop looking out for themselves long enough to work together for the common good.

Don't kid yourselves, the first time CUSA finds itself with a hole, all it has to do is place one phone call to Mobile, Lafayette, or Jonesboro, and that hole is instantly patched. You can all talk about conference solidarity, but you know it ain't going to happen.

This isn't a knock on the SBC or in any way - it's the same thing we discuss in CUSA - "OOOhhh, maybe we can poach UCF back from the AAC since the AAC doesn't look that great, and who wants to join that conference anyway, blah blah blah".

FWIW, I think that sooner or later, we all end up back together in some sort of mid-tier between FCS and the power 5 conferences.

You mean like when schools such as Houston, Cincinnati, and Memphis ditched the Missouri Valley then later landed back together in CUSA and ditched it to later land back together in the AAC?

(06-09-2015 02:48 PM)RaiderDoug Wrote:  Even when MT was back in the Belt, i've advocated a combination of the two and split along east/west lines.

That said, the reality is we're all crabs in the bucket. No one will stop looking out for themselves long enough to work together for the common good.

Don't kid yourselves, the first time CUSA finds itself with a hole, all it has to do is place one phone call to Mobile, Lafayette, or Jonesboro, and that hole is instantly patched. You can all talk about conference solidarity, but you know it ain't going to happen.

This isn't a knock on the SBC or in any way - it's the same thing we discuss in CUSA - "OOOhhh, maybe we can poach UCF back from the AAC since the AAC doesn't look that great, and who wants to join that conference anyway, blah blah blah".

FWIW, I think that sooner or later, we all end up back together in some sort of mid-tier between FCS and the power 5 conferences.

If CUSA had taken Elon, NW Nevada Wesleyan, and Minnesota Mining College there would still be some begging and pimping to get their school into it with them because of what Houston and ECU once did under that name and because everyone wants to be schoolyard picked for something.

They are not coming back.

(06-09-2015 03:17 PM)ark30inf Wrote:  

(06-09-2015 02:48 PM)RaiderDoug Wrote:  Even when MT was back in the Belt, i've advocated a combination of the two and split along east/west lines.

That said, the reality is we're all crabs in the bucket. No one will stop looking out for themselves long enough to work together for the common good.

Don't kid yourselves, the first time CUSA finds itself with a hole, all it has to do is place one phone call to Mobile, Lafayette, or Jonesboro, and that hole is instantly patched. You can all talk about conference solidarity, but you know it ain't going to happen.

This isn't a knock on the SBC or in any way - it's the same thing we discuss in CUSA - "OOOhhh, maybe we can poach UCF back from the AAC since the AAC doesn't look that great, and who wants to join that conference anyway, blah blah blah".

FWIW, I think that sooner or later, we all end up back together in some sort of mid-tier between FCS and the power 5 conferences.

If CUSA had taken Elon, NW Nevada Wesleyan, and Minnesota Mining College there would still be some begging and pimping to get their school into it with them because of what Houston and ECU once did under that name and because everyone wants to be schoolyard picked for something.

They are not coming back.

USM will someday defect to the Belt. Heard it here first.

(06-09-2015 03:24 PM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  

(06-09-2015 03:17 PM)ark30inf Wrote:  

(06-09-2015 02:48 PM)RaiderDoug Wrote:  Even when MT was back in the Belt, i've advocated a combination of the two and split along east/west lines.

That said, the reality is we're all crabs in the bucket. No one will stop looking out for themselves long enough to work together for the common good.

Don't kid yourselves, the first time CUSA finds itself with a hole, all it has to do is place one phone call to Mobile, Lafayette, or Jonesboro, and that hole is instantly patched. You can all talk about conference solidarity, but you know it ain't going to happen.

This isn't a knock on the SBC or in any way - it's the same thing we discuss in CUSA - "OOOhhh, maybe we can poach UCF back from the AAC since the AAC doesn't look that great, and who wants to join that conference anyway, blah blah blah".

FWIW, I think that sooner or later, we all end up back together in some sort of mid-tier between FCS and the power 5 conferences.

If CUSA had taken Elon, NW Nevada Wesleyan, and Minnesota Mining College there would still be some begging and pimping to get their school into it with them because of what Houston and ECU once did under that name and because everyone wants to be schoolyard picked for something.

They are not coming back.

USM will someday defect to the Belt. Heard it here first.

So you are a subscriber to the "many worlds" theory of quantum physics. Interesting.