Not losing FCS games helped. It'll help to keep winning OOC games. TXST dropped that ball this year but improved thanks to a couple conference wins. The SBC has gotten better and better since dropping old members and adding new. Still need better bowl tie ins and a NY6 bowl win to solidify the conference nationally but I think App St is getting close. Sucks App lost their coach because I am sure that will be a good excuse to drop them in the preseason polls when they should start in the top 25 and give them a great shot at making that bowl.

Apparently the AAC is looking for a 12th member now to replace UConn, even if it were football only.

Nothing says "my conference sucks" more than all the CUSA fans pimping their programs in this thread:

(12-13-2019 02:30 PM)TroyFootball05 Wrote:  Nothing says "my conference sucks" more than all the CUSA fans pimping their programs in this thread:

"Becuz marketz and 'croots, cuzzo"

They will be looking at someone, once again, based on market size rather than actual success on the field, sadly. The AAC brand will go the way of C-USA if they aren't careful. In the event of a departure by Houston, Memphis, or UCF, they are going to need success over markets because success is what brings viewers. Intrigue of successful teams playing each other is what brings viewers.

If UCF was 6-6 every year, they would have viewership similar to anyone else. ESPN could market the Sun Belt the way that they do the AAC, put our games on ABC at 3:30 and run commercials, give us the cash that the AAC gets, and you'd see a noticable rise in the level of play within 2 to 3 years.

It's a joke.

The Sun Belt has been one of the better G5 conferences for the last couple of seasons, I think the bowl wins and some other stats have that to back the claim up.

If we can get GaSo more consistent, CCU able to finish games, get stAte and Troy healthy and keep Louisiana and App State where they've been the last two seasons, this conference will turn some heads.

I don't know how to get the teams into the national conversations in terms of exposure, not sure if we need a decent tv deal or what, but this conference continues to be an afterthought despite having a top 20 team, multiple bowl-eligible teams, and a rather respectable body count of P5 schools this year.

(12-14-2019 01:09 PM)hotrod2001 Wrote:  The Sun Belt has been one of the better G5 conferences for the last couple of seasons, I think the bowl wins and some other stats have that to back the claim up.

If we can get GaSo more consistent, CCU able to finish games, get stAte and Troy healthy and keep Louisiana and App State where they've been the last two seasons, this conference will turn some heads.

I don't know how to get the teams into the national conversations in terms of exposure, not sure if we need a decent tv deal or what, but this conference continues to be an afterthought despite having a top 20 team, multiple bowl-eligible teams, and a rather respectable body count of P5 schools this year.

We're working on it. Bad thing is that it takes time to get there, you don't just flip a switch.

I really thought Coastal would do better this year than last the way they started out. It's a mystery what's going on there. 10 players in one day in the portal isn't exactly a ringing endorsement of a healthy program either. It remains to be seen what happens with them.

Troy had a lot of defections and injuries, but the complaints coming out of their fans don't really sound like good news moving forward. It could just be fans talking though. Remains to be seen what happens. They shouldn't have had the year they had this year though.

stAte is gonna be stAte. They got bit hard by injuries this year for sure. Also other issues, as GS folks can sympathize with stuff that happened outside of games.

It does seem that this year the conference overall was better, but some of the top teams were dramatically affected by things (injuries, off field stuff) that was atypical. Hopefully all the teams are a lot more consistent moving forward.

(12-14-2019 01:09 PM)hotrod2001 Wrote:  The Sun Belt has been one of the better G5 conferences for the last couple of seasons, I think the bowl wins and some other stats have that to back the claim up.

If we can get GaSo more consistent, CCU able to finish games, get stAte and Troy healthy and keep Louisiana and App State where they've been the last two seasons, this conference will turn some heads.

I don't know how to get the teams into the national conversations in terms of exposure, not sure if we need a decent tv deal or what, but this conference continues to be an afterthought despite having a top 20 team, multiple bowl-eligible teams, and a rather respectable body count of P5 schools this year.

I would add Georgia Southern to the "get healthy" category. Our injury attrition at OL has been unreal. For the last several games we're playing without 4 of the OL starters we started out with and missing a couple of other two-deep guys as well. Add that to Shai Werts missing 2.5 games at the beginning of the season, one of our top backs missing the first 4 games because of an academic suspension, and one of our other top backs being out in the whole second half of the season, I think we should be a lot better on offense next season.

I also think inexperience at safety has hurt us against more pass-oriented teams. We could be improved on defense next season if we don't drop off too much at corner.

I don't know about Chip Lindsey but he might just need a better DC and he'll be fine.

(12-12-2019 11:21 AM)southcharlotteapp Wrote:  That's great. Now go get us some better bowl tie ins!

We have great locations, but opponents could be better.

If I were making my target list it would be USM, Marshall, FAU and Rice. cleans up geography.

(12-13-2019 04:10 PM)ericsaid Wrote:  

(12-13-2019 02:30 PM)TroyFootball05 Wrote:  Nothing says "my conference sucks" more than all the CUSA fans pimping their programs in this thread:

"Becuz marketz and 'croots, cuzzo"

They will be looking at someone, once again, based on market size rather than actual success on the field, sadly. The AAC brand will go the way of C-USA if they aren't careful. In the event of a departure by Houston, Memphis, or UCF, they are going to need success over markets because success is what brings viewers. Intrigue of successful teams playing each other is what brings viewers.

If UCF was 6-6 every year, they would have viewership similar to anyone else. ESPN could market the Sun Belt the way that they do the AAC, put our games on ABC at 3:30 and run commercials, give us the cash that the AAC gets, and you'd see a noticable rise in the level of play within 2 to 3 years.

It's a joke.

App/ECU fan doesn't believe # of people watching matters...

https://youtu.be/SjbPi00k_ME

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People continue to confuse locations and market share.

(12-12-2019 05:47 PM)ericsaid Wrote:  

(12-12-2019 05:42 PM)Oldyeller Wrote:  Significant competitive accomplishment. Seeing Texas state shaken some sticks and USA adding a shiny new venue and additional investments and improvements around the conference we're in good shape. All points to a solid group taking the challenge seriously and seeing return on investment.

Our problem, as a conference, is that most everyone HAS to schedule money games for P5's. Some teams have to schedule 2. The AAC and MWC don't have to do this currently which makes their OOC play look more respectable. The AAC will boast about having an above .500 record when beating P5's but it doesn't take a deep 5 to look at who they are playing.

We finally get some mid-tier P5 games and Georgia State pulls out the win, Coastal pulls out the win, and App gets two. GS almost had one against a Top 20 Minnesota squad that historically would've been considered average.

The AAC gets their money games against Notre Dame and Ohio State, much like almost every school in the Belt has, and they get their teeth kicked in. But they also have sub-.500 teams to play to balance those out to where people ignore them; and not only do people ignore them, but Navy gets back in the Top 25, only 9 spots below the team that had them down 35-3 at halftime.

If you're a Sun Belt team with one money game, two G5's and an FCS school, and you lose that money game the way Navy did but win out, you'd be lucky to crack the Top 25.

The idea that the AAC doesn't play money games is inaccurate. There are teams in the AAC that do not, but in most cases those teams are located within heavily recruited areas for P5 teams.

UCF for instance doesn't play money games. They instead tell P5's to come to Orlando, using the fertile Florida recruiting ground as bait. Temple is using the Philly area and an NFL Stadium for home games as bait.

Some are having success. Temple managed a 2 for 1 with Oklahoma and Penn State. UCF meanwhile has struggled to find top teams willing to come in. The best they have scheduled in the future for home games are Georgia Tech, Louisville, and North Carolina. The latter two have both played home and homes with SBC teams.

(12-15-2019 10:34 AM)Saint3333 Wrote:  People continue to confuse locations and market share.

The fact they said football only was very telling. It'll be someone that lifts the profile of the conference, not just because they're surrounded by a lot of people.

(12-15-2019 10:34 AM)Saint3333 Wrote:  People continue to confuse locations and market share.

Correct.

CUSA was terrible about understanding Market share back when expansion first happened. They saw UNT, UTSA, FIU, and FAU as access to large markets without realizing that most of those are the 4th or 5th followed teams in those markets at best. The Florida schools can claim the Miami market all they want, but anyone who understands how this works knows that Miami, Florida, and Florida State get more viewers in those markets, and there's a decent chance a UCF might get more as well.

Teams in large markets are always fighting from behind in terms of coverage. It doesn't matter how good Georgia State gets in Atlanta for example. They'll always be behind Georgia and Georgia Tech in the market itself. They hope that there are enough viewers left over after Georgia/Georgia Tech to watch them. My guess is ESPN remains skeptical considering we've not seen a Panthers home game selected for an ESPN/2 broadcast.

(12-15-2019 11:12 AM)eaglewraith Wrote:  

(12-15-2019 10:34 AM)Saint3333 Wrote:  People continue to confuse locations and market share.

The fact they said football only was very telling. It'll be someone that lifts the profile of the conference, not just because they're surrounded by a lot of people.

We all know the AAC said that because they want Boise or BYU. Remember, their goal is to make it a P6 not a P5. They can't pick up a CUSA/SBC/MAC school and get that status. That means they have to try to entice someone different.

(12-15-2019 11:12 AM)eaglewraith Wrote:  

(12-15-2019 10:34 AM)Saint3333 Wrote:  People continue to confuse locations and market share.

The fact they said football only was very telling. It'll be someone that lifts the profile of the conference, not just because they're surrounded by a lot of people.

BYU, Air Force, Boise or maybe Army. Not sure any other team moves the needle much.

(12-15-2019 11:24 AM)Rik Flair Wrote:  

(12-15-2019 11:12 AM)eaglewraith Wrote:  

(12-15-2019 10:34 AM)Saint3333 Wrote:  People continue to confuse locations and market share.

The fact they said football only was very telling. It'll be someone that lifts the profile of the conference, not just because they're surrounded by a lot of people.

BYU, Air Force, Boise or maybe Army. Not sure any other team moves the needle much.

I'd strike Air Force.

Army is a maybe. Boise and BYU are your most likely...and BYU is not currently part of a conference.

There's the whole thing about BYU thinking they're a P5 though.

(12-15-2019 10:34 AM)Saint3333 Wrote:  People continue to confuse locations and market share.

People continue to needlessly get upset about locations and market share. The reality is that 90% of mid majors do not any discernible market share that would make TV networks care. That's reflected in the very few dollars anyone is willing to pay any G5 except the AAC. The AAC has been able to combine the best of both worlds, that is large population locations and enough market interest thaf if they are winning people are interested enough to turn on their TV sets. Other than Boise State very few have been able to overcome being in a low population center and they have only done it by being followed regionally and nationally. And before anyone mentions P5s in small towns, remember that P5s markets are their entire state, not just that small college town.

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(12-15-2019 11:30 AM)eaglewraith Wrote:  

(12-15-2019 11:24 AM)Rik Flair Wrote:  

(12-15-2019 11:12 AM)eaglewraith Wrote:  

(12-15-2019 10:34 AM)Saint3333 Wrote:  People continue to confuse locations and market share.

The fact they said football only was very telling. It'll be someone that lifts the profile of the conference, not just because they're surrounded by a lot of people.

BYU, Air Force, Boise or maybe Army. Not sure any other team moves the needle much.

I'd strike Air Force.

Army is a maybe. Boise and BYU are your most likely...and BYU is not currently part of a conference.

There's the whole thing about BYU thinking they're a P5 though.

Keeps going in circles. None of those are happening.

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(12-15-2019 11:46 AM)panama Wrote:  

(12-15-2019 10:34 AM)Saint3333 Wrote:  People continue to confuse locations and market share.

People continue to needlessly get upset about locations and market share. The reality is that 90% of mid majors do not any discernible market share that would make TV networks care. That's reflected in the very few dollars anyone is willing to pay any G5 except the AAC. The AAC has been able to combine the best of both worlds, that is large population locations and enough market interest thaf if they are winning people are interested enough to turn on their TV sets. Other than Boise State very few have been able to overcome being in a low population center and they have only done it by being followed regionally and nationally. And before anyone mentions P5s in small towns, remember that P5s markets are their entire state, not just that small college town.

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No one is upset, just tiresome beating of an inaccurate drum from fans that live in metro areas...