FAU stays in Belt

Quote:After failing to receive an invitation to join another conference Florida Atlantic will remain in the Sun Belt Conference, President Mary Jane Saunders told Owl Access on Friday.

hmmmm.....sounds like Alliance has extended invites to others???

What's the source on this and um...LOL...

Surely this is a bogus report, why would you make a statement that basically amounts to "after no one else wanted us, we've decided to stay where we are."

That was a really odd statement.

(03-24-2012 07:08 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  That was a really odd statement.

Nobody asked us to leave so we're staying where we are.

It was an interview with the new President Mary Jane Saunders.

I will agree it was a odd way to phrase it. Perhaps FIUFan was right and the firing of Angelos did have something to do with it. Perhaps she felt he didnt do enough to make FAU attractive enough.

I'm fine with wherever FAU lands or stays. The 'Belt has been good to us.

Ouch...I'm sure many FAU fans are not happy today, but this is good for the Sun Belt. I'm glad the Belt has not rushed to add new members. It looks like the conference may not lose very many teams, and probably won't have to replace as many as some were thinking we would.

(03-24-2012 09:05 AM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  Ouch...I'm sure many FAU fans are not happy today, but this is good for the Sun Belt. I'm glad the Belt has not rushed to add new members. It looks like the conference may not lose very many teams, and probably won't have to replace as many as some were thinking we would.

What a crappy statement. We can still do fine "at the Sun Belt level". We will stay because we have to.

(03-24-2012 09:03 AM)OwlFamily Wrote:  It was an interview with the new President Mary Jane Saunders.

I will agree it was a odd way to phrase it. Perhaps FIUFan was right and the firing of Angelos did have something to do with it. Perhaps she felt he didnt do enough to make FAU attractive enough.

I'm fine with wherever FAU lands or stays. The 'Belt has been good to us.

I agree with you, Owlfamily, in your thoughts about the possible reasons on the timing of this firing (and with FIUFan too), and with your thought about staying at the 'Belt or not. The SBC has been good to all of us as well.

Here's the link to the story: http://www.fauowlaccess.com/articles/183...-belt.aspx

(03-24-2012 09:28 AM)FIUFanatic Wrote:  

(03-24-2012 09:03 AM)OwlFamily Wrote:  It was an interview with the new President Mary Jane Saunders.
I will agree it was a odd way to phrase it. Perhaps FIUFan was right and the firing of Angelos did have something to do with it. Perhaps she felt he didnt do enough to make FAU attractive enough.
I'm fine with wherever FAU lands or stays. The 'Belt has been good to us.

I agree with you, Owlfamily, in your thoughts about the possible reasons on the timing of this firing (and with FIUFan too), and with your thought about staying at the 'Belt or not. The SBC has been good to all of us as well.
Here's the link to the story: http://www.fauowlaccess.com/articles/183...-belt.aspx

I agree Owlfamily, it's probably time for some soul searching over there. However, from great loss can come great acheivement just depends on the leadership over there.

I'm not real convinced about the current leadership though. Your president speaks in cliches, that's great as a politician (it helps keep you in your job) but real leadership speaks with an edge. It cuts through the bullsh!t, not piles it on. Howard is and was a great man because he gave it to you straight. You need to find someone like that because right now the FAU ship has some real systemic issues it needs to overcome. And you need to answer the age old question....who are we?

(03-24-2012 01:02 AM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  What's the source on this and um...LOL...

Surely this is a bogus report, why would you make a statement that basically amounts to "after no one else wanted us, we've decided to stay where we are."

Translation by average looking girl: "Omgaaaa! I totallly didn't get asked to go to the dance with the guy I wanted to go with! So I guess it's okay if I go with you. Forget him I'm to good for him anyway!"

Don't see that their moving to the mega-Walmart conference, spread out as poorly as they are would be any upgrade except maybe in TV revenue right now.

(03-24-2012 09:05 AM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  Ouch...I'm sure many FAU fans are not happy today, but this is good for the Sun Belt. I'm glad the Belt has not rushed to add new members. It looks like the conference may not lose very many teams, and probably won't have to replace as many as some were thinking we would.

Why would FAU fans not be happy?

(03-24-2012 12:25 PM)GoApps70 Wrote:  Don't see that their moving to the mega-Walmart conference, spread out as poorly as they are would be any upgrade except maybe in TV revenue right now.

mega-Walmart conference?? Is that the same one you were pimping Appy State for recently?

Quote:Do what you feel best, but App State should be included in the new Alliance conference to help build an even better conference.

CUSA board

Why the change of heart? Or are you just kissing as many conference butts as possible hoping to increase the chance of ANY FBS invite?

Oops....Pimping should not be allowed.....

Maybe it means that FAU was not in this time around and that only two schools have been invited and informally accepted.
FIU? North Texas?

Uh, something tells me that's not what she said, but rather the author's interpretation.

I don't think there is any consensus to add anyone. Remember there are people talking but that doesn't mean they have the votes. It hasn't been that long ago that Commissioner Benson put forward a 12 team plan for the WAC but could not get the votes.

What we know is that ECU's president and AD have said they are signing the paperwork to say they are interested but made it painfully clear that ECU is not married to this idea and are signing on because they want to be at the table discussing it.

I've run through this before but C-USA and MWC were both facing renegotiation of their existing contracts downward. Their solution is to dissolve and break the contracts ahead of that and expect that they will double their money (my question is double the downgraded figure or double the existing figure, I suspect the former rather than the latter is the true expectation).

You are talking about a group of 16-24 schools in most sports competing for a sole auto berth rather than 20 to 24 competing for two in two different leagues. You have vows to have a four team conference championship playoff not contemplated or permitted under NCAA rules without giving up a regular season game.

The folks at ECU made it very clear in their most recent interview that there is nothing firm on the table regarding TV contracts.

These people aren't inviting anyone to join them until such time they know what they are getting and what they are giving up and what sort of dollars a new member brings. If you don't know how much your group is worth, you certainly cannot calculate the value of a new member.

Right now the BCS is looking at models for 2014 and beyond. It might be a model that is just a four team playoff and only those in get any money of any consequence. It might be something much bigger involving more money and maybe enough money that having two leagues makes more sense than having one league.

FAU hasn't been invited and I bet no one else has either and it is neither a given that anyone will be invited nor that the deal will be concluded.

(03-24-2012 04:52 PM)HERD-it-wuz-DJ Wrote:  Maybe it means that FAU was not in this time around and that only two schools have been invited and informally accepted.
FIU? North Texas?

I really don't believe anyone has been invited so far, but I do believe FIU is as close of a lock as anyone at this point

(03-24-2012 03:39 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(03-24-2012 09:05 AM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  Ouch...I'm sure many FAU fans are not happy today, but this is good for the Sun Belt. I'm glad the Belt has not rushed to add new members. It looks like the conference may not lose very many teams, and probably won't have to replace as many as some were thinking we would.

Why would FAU fans not be happy?

Because, dispite the belief of some on the board, a move to the alliance would be in the best interest of FAU. The Sun Belt is a great home, but the alliance would have offered FAU more money and national exposure.

I think it is obvious FAU and many of their fans wanted an invitation.

(03-24-2012 04:52 PM)HERD-it-wuz-DJ Wrote:  Maybe it means that FAU was not in this time around and that only two schools have been invited and informally accepted.
FIU? North Texas?

I don't know if this news means the alliance won't expand to 24. I think it means that they didn't see an added value in inviting both FIU and FAU, when the two are so close to each other. It appears FIU will get the nod, if or when the alliance chooses a Florida program. They could still desire 24, and have other Sun Belt programs in mind.

If this news is a sign the alliance won't expand to 24 right now, I think it is probably very bad news for LA Tech. The Boca Raton market though close to Miami, is still dramatically larger than any of the combination of media markets LA Tech might want to claim.