(05-04-2016 01:16 PM)EigenEagle Wrote: (05-04-2016 10:22 AM)WKUYG Wrote: you are not understand about the part in bold and before I say this let me say I would be saying the same for Western.
Not one of those 3 programs move the needle as fan as viewer. Viewers in large numbers. Now if this was 2011 and S.Miss was playing for a BCS spot in a bowl...
the last couple games on TV would bring in higher numbers. But that's it.
There is a ceiling on viewers in each of those 3 markets and it's why each are in CUSA and not the AAC. At least the major reason. The only hope for a ton more TV dollars are for large market schools to carve out a fanbase in those markets. Look at it this way .5% of viewers in FIU's market is more than 100% in S. Miss (or Western)
Most of our programs are local regional at best. At least the programs winning right now in football. You might rather see that game but the masses don't.
To get each of the three programs you named up to that level it will take a 5 year run of being ranked and ranked highly. I'm not saying that to hurt any of the three programs feeling ..as I said replace any with Western and it would the the same.
That is why CUSA went with markets...it's still the easiest and quickest way to grow TV dollars. Honestly without a bidding war...it's about the only way. That's the facts of it.
"Carve out a fan bases in those markets". You make it sound like it's really easy. Why haven't G5 teams in major markets struggling with winning and attendance figured that out yet? That's along the same vein as "just get better at basketball".
Sure Marshall and Southern Miss got left behind, but so did UTEP and Rice and UAB while the AAC invited East Carolina, who is in a town under 70,000. Tulane is the only AAC member who is a media market and nothing else. Every other recently-invited member has at least some recent success in football and basketball along with substantial fan bases. The AAC put itself on an island between the P5 and the rest of the G5 by inviting strong programs, not media markets.
There is absolutely no reason you can't build a fan base outside a large city. Boise State did it in a very medium-sized town, and so did East Carolina. The idea people in larger cities will come out to watch teams winning 3-5 games every year if you just market enthusiastically enough is just wishful thinking.
You will find as your new TV agreement goes into effect that ESPN doesn't buy into the idea that they need to televise Florida Atlantic versus Charlotte because lots of people will watch in local bars and pubs. Games like WKU versus Marshall and Southern Miss versus La Tech will take priority over games between two of your market teams. ESPN wants teams that will be watched, which is why Georgia Southern, App State, and Arkansas State seem to be their favorite SBC teams to televise despite them all being in small towns.
If anything the "media market" strategy is the reason CUSA is now practically at eye level with the Sun Belt. You had a chance to hand pick who you wanted from the FCS and the Sun Belt, and now the difference in TV money between the two leagues is most likely going to be negligible once the SBC deal is renewed and even though the Sun Belt was last in the G5 conference standings, we profited more per school than CUSA, the MWC, and the MAC even with two lame-duck football members who were dragging the conference football rating downward.
Well lets see ...
UCF and USF both build decent fanbases in areas that they had little support. So no it's not easy and I never said it was but ..for TV dollars to grow so does the number of eyes.
As I said FIU could get .5% of the eyes in their market and have more than S. Miss, Western, Marshall, Tech with 100%
FIU gave the conference the best chance to bring in the number of eyes needed. So far FIU has failed to do that and they might not ever do it. But as far as TV numbers go...CUSA had to take that chance.
I'm just going to address one other thing...
Boise State does not sitting in the middle of SEC and ACC schools. Boise State filled a void just as Gonzaga did in basketball. They earned it, on the field but if they were sitting right in the middle of the SEC . Boise State would not have became the media darlings they are.
As a example S. Ill was winning in the NCAA tourney at the same or higher rate as Gonzaga and also during the season. S.Ill went to the NCAA tourney 6 years in a roll and with 2 sweet 16 runs and 3 top 20 years (#11,#19,#15)
There were too many Big 10, SEC and even CUSA big boys sitting around them to get the attention espn gave the zags.
S. Ill had no void to fill
There is no void of good teams or national media teams in any of our areas. It will take a run like no one in this conference has seen to become that media darling and get the espn support that those two WESTERN schools got.
HUGE DIFFERENCE