If you peruse the KatFans.com message board you will find hardly any enthusiam about a potential move from the WAC to CUSA. I live near Sam and their AD lives around the corner from me in my neighborhood. And even I am stunned by the strong pushback from Sam fans.

Perhaps this article this afternoon in the local Huntsville paper explains the hesitancy.

Huntsville (TX) Item Wrote:Sam Houston's speculated move to Conference USA brings questions, concerns
Colton Foster | The Item

HUNTSVILLE — Sam Houston athletics could soon be on the move again, according to Action Network’s Brett McMurphy.

The veteran college football reporter said Monday that Sam Houston football could likely be moving up to the FBS level and joining Conference USA. The rumored move is coming a year after the Bearkats split from the Southland Conference for the WAC.

Click Here for Full Story

In summary, the story outlines the challenges for SHSU:

• $18M Athletic Budget -- Student fee was just voted down
• Bowers Stadium is undersized and outdated
• Attendance even for an FCS champion is half of what FBS requires
  

(11-02-2021 02:50 PM)SlyFox Wrote:  If you peruse the KatFans.com message board you will find hardly any enthusiam about a potential move from the WAC to CUSA. I live near Sam and their AD lives around the corner from me in my neighborhood. And even I am stunned by the strong pushback from Sam fans.

Perhaps this article this afternoon in the local Huntsville paper explains the hesitancy.

Huntsville (TX) Item Wrote:Sam Houston's speculated move to Conference USA brings questions, concerns
Colton Foster | The Item

HUNTSVILLE — Sam Houston athletics could soon be on the move again, according to Action Network’s Brett McMurphy.

The veteran college football reporter said Monday that Sam Houston football could likely be moving up to the FBS level and joining Conference USA. The rumored move is coming a year after the Bearkats split from the Southland Conference for the WAC.

Click Here for Full Story

In summary, the story outlines the challenges for SHSU:

• $18M Athletic Budget -- Student fee was just voted down
• Bowers Stadium is undersized and outdated
• Attendance even for an FCS champion is half of what FBS requires
  

"There's an FBS attendance requirement?"

-UMass

Allegedly but rarely enforced.

It seems Tarleton State is more committed to reaching FBS football than SHSU is.

(11-02-2021 02:50 PM)SlyFox Wrote:  If you peruse the KatFans.com message board you will find hardly any enthusiam about a potential move from the WAC to CUSA. I live near Sam and their AD lives around the corner from me in my neighborhood. And even I am stunned by the strong pushback from Sam fans.

Perhaps this article this afternoon in the local Huntsville paper explains the hesitancy.

Huntsville (TX) Item Wrote:Sam Houston's speculated move to Conference USA brings questions, concerns
Colton Foster | The Item

HUNTSVILLE — Sam Houston athletics could soon be on the move again, according to Action Network’s Brett McMurphy.

The veteran college football reporter said Monday that Sam Houston football could likely be moving up to the FBS level and joining Conference USA. The rumored move is coming a year after the Bearkats split from the Southland Conference for the WAC.

Click Here for Full Story

In summary, the story outlines the challenges for SHSU:

• $18M Athletic Budget -- Student fee was just voted down
• Bowers Stadium is undersized and outdated
• Attendance even for an FCS champion is half of what FBS requires
  

I was on their board before and was shocked to see the same. They seem to prefer competing for FCS national titles than playing on the bottom rung of a bigger stage. Same thing going on in the board for Jacksonville State. I’m sure their perspectives on this will change in time when they see the school investing into the program. That budget will go up. I had seen that SHSU committed to building a new stadium by the end of 2023 AND JSU was doing a major overhaul of theirs as well.

I looked at their board and some posters are crapping all over FBS. Here is a little example of what they are saying.

Originally Posted by SlyFox View Post
Greetings from a Liberty fan living by Lake Conroe. I am sensing a general lack of enthusiasm from your fanbase concerning CUSA just as we have at Liberty. Obviously for different reasons.

What I can tell you is that playing even for low level bowls is significantly more engaging for fans than the FCS playoffs. The difference is night & day. I am well aware of the general lack of enthusiasm for sports in Huntsville. Just giving you all a word from someone whose school made the transition rather recently.

Some dude replied with
Coming from a fanbase that has never experienced playoff success at rhe fcs level….your comment is meaninless but welcome anyway.

I guess the critics don’t realize you can have boosters but tickets to meet the FBS standards. It tickets that count not butts.

Are you guys really going to FloSports? And can they pay equal to or more than what the league was getting through their current agreements?

(11-02-2021 03:49 PM)TexasTerror Wrote:  Are you guys really going to FloSports? And can they pay equal to or more than what the league was getting through their current agreements?

Is this a serious question? No, we’re not going to FloSports? WTF is FloSports?

Fans don’t understand the financial impacts that the administrators are seeing. All they see if the entire world dunking on Conference USA who can’t hardly stand up it’s been so battered. We just have to get some of these teams inked to stop the bleeding.

That's fine with me. Those fans could stay home and not support their program. Hopefully they do so it makes it easier on my school to outperform them.

If shsu backs out then pick the best of the approx 30 fcs schools that are waiting on hold, according to cbs sports Dennis Dodd.

I wouldn't worry about the attendance requirement, it's never enforced and most teams end up lying about their numbers anyway

(11-02-2021 03:34 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  I guess the critics don’t realize you can have boosters but tickets to meet the FBS standards. It tickets that count not butts.

I remember reports of EMU athletic department buying their own tickets multiple years to make sure they met the requirement.

(11-02-2021 04:08 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  

(11-02-2021 03:34 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  I guess the critics don’t realize you can have boosters but tickets to meet the FBS standards. It tickets that count not butts.

I remember reports of EMU athletic department buying their own tickets multiple years to make sure they met the requirement.

Yep every two years Pepsi would buy 17k in tickets to help meet the rolling two year requirement. Otherwise they would average what…9k I believe?

I just think adding all these teams is a bad mistake. The Power Conference is going to split and god knows what's going to happen then. The
mew FBS teams will find themselves back in FCS (or something similar), along with 70 of their newfound FBS G5 friends, many of them are going to be pissed off.

The best thing that could happen is everyone leave and CUSA just shuts the dam door. I don't see that happening if Liberty is going to start bankrolling CUSA though.


Sincerely, concerned

MU Alum.

(11-02-2021 04:30 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(11-02-2021 04:08 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  

(11-02-2021 03:34 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  I guess the critics don’t realize you can have boosters but tickets to meet the FBS standards. It tickets that count not butts.

I remember reports of EMU athletic department buying their own tickets multiple years to make sure they met the requirement.

Yep every two years Pepsi would buy 17k in tickets to help meet the rolling two year requirement. Otherwise they would average what…9k I believe?

Half of Sam houstons games, they can't even get 5K. Sometimes down under 4K.

(11-02-2021 04:42 PM)Johns1124 Wrote:  I just think adding all these teams is a bad mistake. The Power Conference is going to split and god knows what's going to happen then. The
mew FBS teams will find themselves back in FCS (or something similar), along with 70 of their newfound FBS G5 friends, many of them are going to be pissed off.

The best thing that could happen is everyone leave and CUSA just shuts the dam door. I don't see that happening if Liberty is going to start bankrolling CUSA though.


Sincerely, concerned

MU Alum.

Jajaja should have thought about that before y'all left us behind. Hopefully Judy invites all 30 FCS schools that have shown interest....

(11-02-2021 04:42 PM)Johns1124 Wrote:  I just think adding all these teams is a bad mistake. The Power Conference is going to split and god knows what's going to happen then. The
mew FBS teams will find themselves back in FCS (or something similar), along with 70 of their newfound FBS G5 friends, many of them are going to be pissed off.

The best thing that could happen is everyone leave and CUSA just shuts the dam door. I don't see that happening if Liberty is going to start bankrolling CUSA though.


Sincerely, concerned

MU Alum.

If the Sun Belt or AAC open a spot for Tech and FIU (And MW opens a spot for UTEP), sure sounds great. Dissolve the conference. But aren’t going to break our programs going independent for schools that left us for dead. You looked out for yourself and now we are going to look out for ourselves.

(11-02-2021 03:34 PM)Curtisc83 Wrote:  The difference is night & day. I am well aware of the general lack of enthusiasm for sports in Huntsville. Just giving you all a word from someone whose school made the transition rather recently.

I thought their favorite sport was executing inmates?