GunnerFan Wrote:Side note: It will be interesting to see what Marshall does if CUSA does indeed prove to be the step up they expect. The MAC was already catching up to them, and I wonder if the Herd might shy away from as many "Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere" type match-ups in order to secure better odds at winning.

Back in 2004, Marshall was working to set up a 8 game series with the Ohio Bobcats of the MAC. Marshall's AD demanded the series to restart in 2005 while Ohio's AD refused to remove its game at Northwestern to accommodate the Herd.

Within the last year, Ohio has had a new president, AD, and football coach come on board. A fresh slate of administration to deal with Marshall. The rumor is Ohio is moving to lighten up its schedule which includes Virginia Tech, Pitt, and Northwestern.............then with a 12th game coming their appears to be plenty of room for a Marshall series. The MAC is almost ready to sign a scheduling agreement with the Big Ten and how that will affect our future scheduling commitments is a question mark.

Marshall is still talking about an Ohio series down in Huntington and their new coach is in favor of resuming the Battle for the Bell. I think by this winter a Ohio-Marshall deal will be in place, but it all depends on what the new AD at Ohio wants to do with scheduling.

As for other MAC schools showing up on Marshall's schedule, I seriously doubt it. The Miami coaching staff trashed the coaching box at Joan Edwards stadium a few years ago after losing in the final seconds. There is a lot of bad blood between the MAC and Marshall going back many years and Marshall was the only school ever kicked out of the MAC. Their fans don't want any more to do with the MAC, save Ohio who was the only school not to vote Marshall out of the MAC back in the 60's and has always been a friendly rival.

One issue I would take notice of is....

East Carolina will try to sell football and an improving basketball program.

ECU attendence will probably look like this...." Hey, we average 42,000 people a home game in football and 6,000 a game in basketbal. We are "Virginia Tech (in football)l" given the chance to play.l"

Memphis will sell the package.... "Hey, we average 38,000 people at home in football and 15,000 a home game in basketball. We are "Louisville (meaning both sports)" given the chance to play."

They both have merits. ECU has the geography,

Memphis has the overall better program, and I imagine Louisville and Cincinnati would support Memphis over ECU...Like I said before, ECU is 5th in their own state...no one has been able to dispute this point

EvilVodka Wrote:Memphis has the overall better program, and I imagine Louisville and Cincinnati would support Memphis over ECU...Like I said before, ECU is 5th in their own state...no one has been able to dispute this point

I don't understand your point?

5th is North Carolina? In what?

I think you are suggesting (and a poor suggestion it is) that East Carolina is behind UNC, NCSU, Duke, and Wake in some poll that, interestingly enough, does not exist.

Some examples of why are argument is poor:

Wake Forest is private and has 3,000 students. ECU never has to compete with this school. The University of Richmond, Vanderbilt, Duke, Tulane, Davidson, William and Mary, Emory, etc...compete with each other for its students.

Duke is a private school, too. Where are we competing with Duke for students and athletes? Duke is going after the same student that is considering an Ivy league school or Stanford, Northwestern, Chicago, Military academies, etc....'

As for UNC and NCSU, ECU is part of the same university system. We are also part of the same system as UNC-Charlotte. Are you suggesting that these schools can't exist and be successful?

5th? For fans?

I don't see Cal-Berekley complaining that UCLA is stealing all the thunder in California.

I think you are mixing academic missions, athletics, fans, and trying to make an argument.

Muddy arguments are just that....MUD!

Jackson1011 Wrote:The trouble is GA is that there is only one school in NC, WV and Fla while 4 schools from Texas and one from Oklhahoma....the majority of CUSA schools aren't even in ECUs timezone...because of that I'm sure behind closed doors the officials of the three Eastern schools (ECU, UCF and Marshall) have made it clear that if the BE does expand again they HAVE TO get on board or risk being trapped forever in a western league


                                                           

                                                                          Jackson

FYI...Majority of the SEC isn't in University of Florida's Time Zone either.

Different Time Zone's haven't hurt the SEC or the Big 10.

KL

3601 Wrote:Ok, so over the next four years y'all play WVA, Va Tech, UNC and NCSU 11 times.  I really don't consider Duke or Wake very good.  Anyway, y'all play those 4 teams 11 times in the next 4 years.  Is it really a good thing if y'all go 3-8 or 4-7 against those 4?  Does that really help build a program?  Maybe it does.  I'm not sure.

You forgot Virginia as well twice in the next 4 years.

As far as Duke and Wake they are just on our schdule this year. We dropped Wake in 2006, and both were on our schedule before Terry Holland got here and are not games he arranged. Holland is obviously getting away from playing teams like that , if you look at the ones he put together. I agree though I don’t think either Duke or Wake are all that “great

EvilVodka Wrote:Memphis has the overall better program, and I imagine Louisville and Cincinnati would support Memphis over ECU...Like I said before, ECU is 5th in their own state...no one has been able to dispute this point

What are you a cincy fan??

EvilVodka Wrote:Memphis has the overall better program, and I imagine Louisville and Cincinnati would support Memphis over ECU...Like I said before, ECU is 5th in their own state...no one has been able to dispute this point

Agreed,do you know what this argument is for?????? ECU has got nothing on us right now and it's not even close.

EvilVodka Wrote:Memphis has the overall better program, and I imagine Louisville and Cincinnati would support Memphis over ECU...Like I said before, ECU is 5th in their own state...no one has been able to dispute this point

I'd put Charlotte over them,even with no football team.That would make them #6 :laugh:

Football is what is driving the bus in all these expansions and it isn't like the Big East is hurting for more basketball. We have had top 25 finishes and type football seasons several times in the last 10-15 years with out a major conference or BCS behind us, so potetial wise I think most would say we have a program that can get back to that level and maybe exceed it with a BCS tag. We have a little better location, and our academics are ranked a tier higher than Memphis. Just a few things I would add.

My question is would you have felt you were ahead two years ago when you hadn't went to a bowl in 30 years??? That is how quickly things can turn, but I would guess the people making the choices are looking towards the future with a lot of emphasis on the larger past. I would say today you guys are a little ahead but who knows in 2010 when it looks like it will all go down. Personally I would like to see us both get in myself.

Me too.

tigerderek Wrote:

EvilVodka Wrote:Memphis has the overall better program, and I imagine Louisville and Cincinnati would support Memphis over ECU...Like I said before, ECU is 5th in their own state...no one has been able to dispute this point

I'd put Charlotte over them,even with no football team.That would make them #6 :laugh:

UNC-Charlotte isn't even a research institution for your information. If you are in a city like they are and can't even field a d2 football team you are minor league IMO.

I agree,just messing with you. :laugh:

chess Wrote:Memphis will sell the package.... "Hey, we average 38,000 people at home in football and 15,000 a home game in basketball. We are "Louisville (meaning both sports)" given the chance to play."

Actually, we've led C-USA in football attendance the last two seasons averaging over 41,000 both seasons. This year we should top 45,000.

Just thought I'd break the streak of CUSA posters...not even sure what we're arguing about. hehe
Long story short, both stratigies are valid. However, I would side with the Memphis strategy because the Big East could use a good BCS ranking, and regardless of the schedule, a 10-1 Memphis will finish with a higher ranking than a 8-3 ECU.
I also believe that Louisville and Cincinnati and would vote for Memphis...the only thing really stopping it is the quarrel going between Memphis and Louisville. If the hatchet can be buried and Memphis can work together with the Big East schools, I think they could find themselves in 5 years from now.

This thread is back on track, lets keep it there. (C-USA fans debate your issue on you board, not here.)

EnterSandman <span style='color:red'>BigEastbbs Mod</span>

EnterSandman Wrote:This thread is back track, lets keep it there. (C-USA fans debate your issue on you board, not here.)

EnterSandman <span style='color:red'>BigEastbbs Mod</span>

Sorry for contributing to that getting out of hand.