ThreeifbyLightning
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RE: MT still in the hunt for CUSA
(05-05-2012 10:24 AM)arkstfan Wrote: (05-05-2012 10:15 AM)TheRevSWT Wrote: Question (as you folks seem to be more knowledgeable on this than I):
If the main draw for MTSU to move to CUSA is more money/exposure, then wouldn't it behoove the Sunbelt to go ahead and make the adds necessary to get to 16, so there's a championship game, then go to the networks and renegotiate the deal?
Upside is you potentially eliminate the main reason for departures, but the downside would be you don't position yourself to cherry pick if another set or realignment leaves open a good candidate.
At least that's how I see it.
Numbers for numbers sake is of no help.
What we need is more out-of-conference wins and more post-season wins.
Having seen the complacency that the divisional format has caused in basketball, I am very leery of the divisional format.
When Arkansas State won the west in basketball a lot of our fans believed we had arrived but in reality we tied in the standings to be the third best team in the league.
I've lived in Little Rock a long time and have watched UALR go from a program that was a threat most any time they took the floor to a program that has racked up a lot of division banners but is much less the major upset threat than they once where. Fan interest isn't what it was years ago because fans don't care about division banners they care about whether you can make the Dance and do some damage and they care about whether you can beat a name team or push a ranked team to the wire.
Division banners are a quick way for people to declare we are "good enough" and not push harder.
It's also usually means having to keep a coach that probably shouldn't be given any more chances. We had kind of hit that point with Kermit. Hard to relieve a coach that just won a "title" even if it is just divisional. We got really lucky because he was able to land a few transfers that pushed the first team to the second team creating a unit with a lot of depth. We'll be really good for one more season. After that I wonder if Kermit will be able to sustain the success?
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05-05-2012 10:42 AM |
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ThreeifbyLightning
Heisman
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RE: MT still in the hunt for CUSA
One thing being missed in the TV discussions is the fact that new national sports programming is in play this time around with Fox and NBC that didn't exist before. Everyone wants in on college football, because athletics is becoming the only way for advertisers to keep their profits in line due to DVR's and On Demand.
Even though Sun Belt is a net loss in TV households as a result of the recent losses and additions the TV money is actually going to go up for the Sun Belt. But even if we double it we're only going to get $200K per school. That's not enough - especially for Middle - because we have a budget that is on an unsustainable growth pattern. We'll be at $30 million in a couple of years. Meanwhile, the average Sun Belt budget is going to be come in at around half that. That's a big problem for us.
As for C-USA they may not be able to negotiate a deal bigger than they got before whether they do it with the MWC or not, but given the demand (and the fact that most every other league's TV contract is tied up for a while), there is a very good chance C-USA doesn't lose anything to their per school average which gets them about $1 million per school. If they do AND its on NBC or Fox that's going to be better than the "exposure" we get with ESPN (and let's be honest at $100 to $200K per team the value is in visibility not the monetary amount).
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05-05-2012 10:50 AM |
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arkstfan
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RE: MT still in the hunt for CUSA
(05-05-2012 10:50 AM)ThreeifbyLightning Wrote: One thing being missed in the TV discussions is the fact that new national sports programming is in play this time around with Fox and NBC that didn't exist before. Everyone wants in on college football, because athletics is becoming the only way for advertisers to keep their profits in line due to DVR's and On Demand.
Even though Sun Belt is a net loss in TV households as a result of the recent losses and additions the TV money is actually going to go up for the Sun Belt. But even if we double it we're only going to get $200K per school. That's not enough - especially for Middle - because we have a budget that is on an unsustainable growth pattern. We'll be at $30 million in a couple of years. Meanwhile, the average Sun Belt budget is going to be come in at around half that. That's a big problem for us.
As for C-USA they may not be able to negotiate a deal bigger than they got before whether they do it with the MWC or not, but given the demand (and the fact that most every other league's TV contract is tied up for a while), there is a very good chance C-USA doesn't lose anything to their per school average which gets them about $1 million per school. If they do AND its on NBC or Fox that's going to be better than the "exposure" we get with ESPN (and let's be honest at $100 to $200K per team the value is in visibility not the monetary amount).
I doubt CUSA goes from 12 to 14 and losing more significant national programs without losing per team money until the rampant inflation in rights fees catches up.
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05-05-2012 11:23 AM |
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KAjunRaider
Heisman
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RE: MT still in the hunt for CUSA
(05-04-2012 11:01 PM)RaiderDoug Wrote: (05-04-2012 10:49 PM)Burn the Horse Wrote: WHY ON EARTH ARE PEOPLE ASSEMBLING ON PRESIDENTS' YARDS OVER A LOUSY C-USA?! This is insanity. The ONLY teams worth a **** left on their roster are ECU, Southern Miss, and Tulsa. The rest of the league consists of Tech (laughable), two Sun Belt programs, and some FCS move-ups. Why is that so impressive?!
Geeze people, recognize what you have here. We have worked for a decade to build this Conference, and now, just as we're getting where we want to be, people are wanting to jump ship for a lateral move that will do nothing but increase your travel expenses. There are so many stupid people in the world.
I've been trying to preach sanity on BRZ and gomiddle for several days. It's starting to sink in I think.
I don't know if people really want to be in CUSA (especially with the recent changes, I don't know if it's all that great - I want some of thier bowl tie ins though), but it's almost like an insult that a program like MT got left out. It's as if we need the validation that comes with getting called up.
It's a little bit galling that a dead in the water, middle of nowhere in the worst state in the union in LaTech gets in, and we didn't.
And when you throw in the fact that it appears that our chances were derailed by our own President - it's tough to take.
I personally love me some Louisiana. Some of the best folks around, both North and South. Never miss a chance to visit my adopted home state.
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05-05-2012 11:30 AM |
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ark30inf
Hall of Famer
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RE: MT still in the hunt for CUSA
(05-05-2012 10:50 AM)ThreeifbyLightning Wrote: One thing being missed in the TV discussions is the fact that new national sports programming is in play this time around with Fox and NBC that didn't exist before. Everyone wants in on college football, because athletics is becoming the only way for advertisers to keep their profits in line due to DVR's and On Demand.
Even though Sun Belt is a net loss in TV households as a result of the recent losses and additions the TV money is actually going to go up for the Sun Belt. But even if we double it we're only going to get $200K per school. That's not enough - especially for Middle - because we have a budget that is on an unsustainable growth pattern. We'll be at $30 million in a couple of years. Meanwhile, the average Sun Belt budget is going to be come in at around half that. That's a big problem for us.
As for C-USA they may not be able to negotiate a deal bigger than they got before whether they do it with the MWC or not, but given the demand (and the fact that most every other league's TV contract is tied up for a while), there is a very good chance C-USA doesn't lose anything to their per school average which gets them about $1 million per school. If they do AND its on NBC or Fox that's going to be better than the "exposure" we get with ESPN (and let's be honest at $100 to $200K per team the value is in visibility not the monetary amount).
There is one less FBS conference to compete with. Whoever gets us as a tv deal needs to work on promoting what they buy and increasing its value rather than just using it as cheap schedule filler you don't have to do anything with.
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05-05-2012 11:39 AM |
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RaiderDoug
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RE: MT still in the hunt for CUSA
(05-05-2012 11:30 AM)KAjunRaider Wrote: I personally love me some Louisiana. Some of the best folks around, both North and South. Never miss a chance to visit my adopted home state.
It's not my adopted home state (That would be Tennessee), it is my home state - Terrebonne Parish for my first 15 years.
That said, outside of New Orleans and Cajun Country (don't kill me UL fans), I don't see a whole lot to like in Louisiana. Corrupt govt, a wasteland of a countryside. There's nothing there.
Why CUSA was so eager to add another team in that state is beyond me. Hope those folks from ECU and Marshall and FIU get to love them some Ruston.
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05-05-2012 05:13 PM |
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WKUSledgeHammer
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RE: MT still in the hunt for CUSA
(05-04-2012 09:12 PM)Burn the Horse Wrote: Seriously, I just don't see what all the fuss is about with Conference USA anymore. That league is a shell of its former self and on the decline, whereas the Belt is on the rise.
Pretty much my thought. If Loserville, Cincy, Memphis, et al, ain't in it, then why frickin' bother?
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05-05-2012 08:03 PM |
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exflash
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RE: MT still in the hunt for CUSA
(05-05-2012 05:13 PM)RaiderDoug Wrote: (05-05-2012 11:30 AM)KAjunRaider Wrote: I personally love me some Louisiana. Some of the best folks around, both North and South. Never miss a chance to visit my adopted home state.
It's not my adopted home state (That would be Tennessee), it is my home state - Terrebonne Parish for my first 15 years.
That said, outside of New Orleans and Cajun Country (don't kill me UL fans), I don't see a whole lot to like in Louisiana. Corrupt govt, a wasteland of a countryside. There's nothing there.
Why CUSA was so eager to add another team in that state is beyond me. Hope those folks from ECU and Marshall and FIU get to love them some Ruston.
One thing that I do and don't know------I do know that you must rent a car if you want to fly to see a Ruston game---I don't know if you fly to Shreveport or Monroe to get there---I do wonder if all the garbage of flying to get to Ruston had been looked at----ABout a 1-2 hour drive to get to Ruston from Shreveport---unreal!!!
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05-05-2012 10:08 PM |
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WestEndRaider
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RE: MT still in the hunt for CUSA
Honestly, at this point, I would rather MTSU just stay in the Sun Belt. ECU, Southern Miss, Tulsa and Marshall, are the only teams that would be a step up from the Sun Belt. If C-USA still had Houston, UCF and SMU, then I would definitely love for MTSU to got to C-USA. C-USA is still slightly better than the Belt, but not so much more, that I would be willing to give up our rivals with WKU and Troy for. Middle staying in the Belt and the conference adding Georgia Southern and App State, would be my dream scenario.
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05-06-2012 12:41 PM |
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zeebart21
All American
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RE: MT still in the hunt for CUSA
(05-05-2012 05:13 PM)RaiderDoug Wrote: (05-05-2012 11:30 AM)KAjunRaider Wrote: I personally love me some Louisiana. Some of the best folks around, both North and South. Never miss a chance to visit my adopted home state.
It's not my adopted home state (That would be Tennessee), it is my home state - Terrebonne Parish for my first 15 years.
That said, outside of New Orleans and Cajun Country (don't kill me UL fans), I don't see a whole lot to like in Louisiana. Corrupt govt, a wasteland of a countryside. There's nothing there.
Why CUSA was so eager to add another team in that state is beyond me. Hope those folks from ECU and Marshall and FIU get to love them some Ruston.
Why would UL fans kill you? We are Cajun Country. I agree, the rest of the state leaves alot to be desired. Moanroe is useless.
Z
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05-06-2012 12:48 PM |
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ark30inf
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RE: MT still in the hunt for CUSA
(05-06-2012 12:41 PM)WestEndRaider Wrote: Honestly, at this point, I would rather MTSU just stay in the Sun Belt. ECU, Southern Miss, Tulsa and Marshall, are the only teams that would be a step up from the Sun Belt. If C-USA still had Houston, UCF and SMU, then I would definitely love for MTSU to got to C-USA. C-USA is still slightly better than the Belt, but not so much more, that I would be willing to give up our rivals with WKU and Troy for. Middle staying in the Belt and the conference adding Georgia Southern and App State, would be my dream scenario.
I'd be a little afraid if I were any SBC team to head off to CUSA with realignment still going on, or with the potential to still go on.
If something should happen and ECU and USM get yanked...which is a possibility....then it would be a real mess for CUSA.
Lots of things could happen then....some schools could start looking at MWC. The Texas grouping could start looking at ditching and forming a new SWC-type league. Marshall could finally give it up and make a MAC move. Who knows.
Just saying that there are still slots open in the upper tiers that could really throw a wrench into things.
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05-06-2012 12:55 PM |
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BkGold
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RE: MT still in the hunt for CUSA
(05-04-2012 11:13 PM)Burn the Horse Wrote: Yall DO realize that Conference USA isn't going to hang on to all their bowls and the TV contract that has held them above us now, right?
So..the bowls and TV contracts go to? Based on your sources?
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05-08-2012 07:18 AM |
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OwlFamily
FLORIDA ATLANTICS DEFENDER OF THE FAITH
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RE: MT still in the hunt for CUSA
The only issue I now have with staying in the SBC is the fact that FIU is in CUSA.
CUSA is now more attractive to me because FIU is in it which gives FAU its rival back and a travel partner. I felt the same way when UCF was there.
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05-08-2012 07:29 AM |
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arkstfan
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RE: MT still in the hunt for CUSA
(05-08-2012 07:18 AM)BkGold Wrote: (05-04-2012 11:13 PM)Burn the Horse Wrote: Yall DO realize that Conference USA isn't going to hang on to all their bowls and the TV contract that has held them above us now, right?
So..the bowls and TV contracts go to? Based on your sources?
Remember, SEC and ACC can now legally contract two more bowls because of their additions. If the Big XII expands they will be able to add one or two more bowls depending on who they add.
Liberty is almost certainly going to be SEC-Big East
Beef O'Brady is likely to be Big East-ACC or Big East - SEC
Armed Forces is already locked into the military academies through 2017 and SEC and ACC are looking for slots.
TicketCity and Military only came open to CUSA because Big XII was forced to drop one contract after being raided, they split the drop between the two games and CUSA picked up the dropped years.
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05-08-2012 09:35 AM |
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