I think ECU and Memphis will become unhappy with BB and CUSA very quickly.

Cat's_Claw Wrote:

99Tiger Wrote:Frankly, the departing teams got off easy with regards to the letter of the contracts and agreements.

I wouldn't say that at all. The departing schools had the choice of paying the exit fee or scheduling C-USA schools in basketball. It wasn't about letting the C-USA schools off "easy", it was about C-USA making money. I wouldn't say the departing schools got off easy because they could have just have easily paid off the exit fee and never played any C-USA schools in basketball and everyone could have gone their separate ways. People are making this out to be "C-USA helped out the departing schools, the departing schools should be thankful for this nice deal by C-USA, they're very lucky to get his deal!" That's BS. This was a business deal. C-USA and the departing schools cut a deal that made/saved everyone money. I remember an article a few months back saying that this deal allowed C-USA to keep a good part of their current basketball T.V. money. So you could easily say that C-USA was lucky to cut a deal with the departing schools. It was either make the schools pay the exit fee and take a big hit on the basketball T.V. money, or cut a deal with the departing schools and try to recoup some of the lost money.

I would counter that if the transition had gone off smoothly and without the agreement to play CUSA teams in BB, Memphis would have still played Cincy and Louisville in basketball. So you're adding one extra game per year. I would say the addition of those games is much easier than being responsible for any decline in BB revenue.

I would also add the USF is being allowed out of its conference entry fees. I would tend to think that's rather generous.

Nobody brought up the possibility that CUSA may not have been able to get its new teams from their current conferences.

Quote: I think ECU and Memphis will become unhappy with BB and CUSA very quickly.

...many fans from those schools already are...remember, Brittany got booed at the NO Bowl.

Good luck.

"Have fun in C-USA Memphis, because Louisville will not vote you in the Big East."


-- Wow....I thought Louisville and UC would want Memphis in for sure......I had no idea these kind of problems existed......well....without the support of UC and Louisville there is no way Memphis gets in the BE....some of northern BE football schools are still against Memphis too


Jackson

Memphis may be in the same boat as Marshall!

Cat's_Claw Wrote:

99Tiger Wrote:Heaven forbid someone actually looking out for the best interests of their conference...we're in CUSA now, for better or for worse, and we have to look out for our own butts.  It's not our AD's of President's job to make life easier for departing conference members to the detriment of the conference we're in.

I don't want to get into who did or did not stop this conference expansion from happening this year, but I'm curious about one thing. I keep hearing fans for the new Conference USA say that they wouldn't let the departing C-USA schools go to the Big East because it would be to the "detriment of the conference". How? And I say this from the view of the C-USA fans I've seen talk about this. To a man C-USA fans feel that C-USA football will be stronger with the departure of the three C-USA schools. They feel they'll have no problem replacing Cincinnati and South Florida football, and they feel that Marshall is more then a replacement for Louisville in football. On the basketball side I've seen C-USA fans, aside from Memphis fans, say that South Florida is no loss and that they're happy to see the "controversial" Cincinnati leave because it hurt the image of the conference and now they can concentrate on furthering the conference's academic image, whatever that means. UC has one of the highest GPAs and one of the better graduation rates in the conference over the last 5 years both in basketball AND football. Granted the basketball-only schools are leaving, but Charlotte and St. Louis were nudged out and I haven't heard one negative thing said about Marquette or Depaul. So, if all of that is true, then C-USA's only loss is Louisville basketball. And granted Louisville is a national name and a tradition rich Top 25 program, but how is losing Louisville basketball detrimental to the conference? Because that's basically what it comes down to, C-USA fans think that football has been adequently replaced and possibly upgraded, and this is all about football mind you, and C-USA fans have made it clear they're happy to see South Florida and Cincinnati basketball leave, at least for the most part when it comes to Cincinnati. And Marshall and Central Florida were ready to jump this year, and I'm pretty sure the WAC schools were ready to jump, so it's not like the departing C-USA schools would have left without C-USA allowing their new members in. C-USA feels they got stronger in football, got stronger geographically, and had minimal losses on the basketball and academic side, especially with the rise of UAB basketball and UTEP's good season last year. So how is letting the departing C-USA schools go to the Big East something that was "to the detriment of the conference"? I'm not ripping C-USA, I just think that the excuse that letting the schools leave early were to "the detriment of the conference" is a weak excuse. How is it in C-USA's best interest to keep the current conference together for another year instead of getting the new conference together and building on it?

You said alot Cat but let me say this, anyone would be a fool to think CUSA basketball is better off without Louisville, Cincy, Marquette, DePaul, Charlotte, and St. Louis. We can only hope that Memphis, UAB, Tulsa and UTEP can carry the load until others can step up their play. But the potential is their to be a very good basketball conference again. Eustachy at USM and Penders at Houston gives the programs a chance to be very competitive. We hope UCF can make the transition from the A-Sun smoothly without missing a beat. Rice was a whisker away from making the field of 64 this year. No it's not as good as the current league but it's not dead in the water either.

Football will be fine. Whether you like it or not the facts speak for themselves. Marshall is probably the best non-BCS conference team in college football. Ask Louisville if you don't agree. And what is the difference between USF and UCF? USF plays in a better stadium. Both have potential. USF happened to be playing better than UCF when the BE got raped. Tulsa and Cincy looks like a fair trade off to me. UTEP and Army looks like another even trade off. Future looks bright for both programs with Mike Price and UTEP and Bobby Ross at Army. Rice has been competitive and SMU.........well they are SMU. And after further review there are even positive chatter about the New CUSA from sportwriters from the national and local media. CUSA football will still have to prove it's an attractive football conference just like the New BE will have to prove themselves as well.

IMO however, if Louisville, USF and Cincy were willing to pay the exit fees then I would have been all for your guys leaving early although it would have been a nightmare for scheduling since your replacements would not have been in the league. Could we have played with 7 teams like the BE is doing this year? Probably but why do that when you don't have too? You guys are complaining about not getting out of CUSA a year early. But you're going to be BCS status after a year and IMO patience is a virtue. You've waited this long so what is the rush? I think you guys want to reap the benefits of BCS money. Well CUSA want to reap the financial benefits of having you three along for another year. Business can be a ***** sometimes.

It's time to let all of the bickering go about who stiffed who because everyone basicly feels like they got stiffed. Fact is USF, Cincy and Louisville did well for themselves and CUSA did well to survive. Business can be shrewed sometimes but if everyone got what they wanted that is all that matters.

It's time to play football and put future expansion talk to rest.

Go Blazers!

Wilkie01 Wrote:

99Tiger Wrote:Heaven forbid someone actually looking out for the best interests of their conference...we're in CUSA now, for better or for worse, and we have to look out for our own butts.  It's not our AD's of President's job to make life easier for departing conference members to the detriment of the conference we're in.

Frankly, the departing teams got off easy with regards to the letter of the contracts and agreements.

:bang: You still do not understand. We fogave you for the Great Midwest back-stabbing but not twice. The first time was on us, the second time is on you!

Good grief man, how man times does someone need to explain why Louisville chose not to join the GMW conference on its own?

oldtiger Wrote:

Wilkie01 Wrote:

99Tiger Wrote:Heaven forbid someone actually looking out for the best interests of their conference...we're in CUSA now, for better or for worse, and we have to look out for our own butts.  It's not our AD's of President's job to make life easier for departing conference members to the detriment of the conference we're in.

Frankly, the departing teams got off easy with regards to the letter of the contracts and agreements.

:bang: You still do not understand. We fogave you for the Great Midwest back-stabbing but not twice. The first time was on us, the second time is on you!

Good grief man, how man times does someone need to explain why Louisville chose not to join the GMW conference on its own?

Very true, Louisville stayed in the Metro because the Cards wanted their own little fiefdom to control.

Here's how the whole thing breaks down...

When the ACC raided the BE, they had nothing more than their own interests in mind. The teams leaving the BE for the ACC had nothing more than their own interests in mind.

When the BE sued the departing teams and the ACC, they had nothing more than their own interests in mind. When the BE raped CUSA, they had nothing more than their own interests in mind.

Then the departing CUSA teams left and negotiated different departure settlements, they had nothing more than their own interests in mind.

...and when the remaining members of CUSA played hardball and didn't kowtow to the wishes of the BE and defecting schools, they had nothing more than their own interests in mind.

College athletics is about being nice, not anymore. A conference (especially one in the middle) has to watch its own @ss at every moment because the slightest slip up can have a huge negative effect.

Louisville can call Memphis/CUSA greedy all day and Memphis/CUSA can call Lousiville greedy until they're blue in the face. It doesn't change the fact that both groups have to look out for their own interests all the time, and anyone really involved in the "business" of college athletics has to and will understand that. The rabid alumni on either side of the aisle are another story.

I wouldn't be surprised if Louisville holds that against Memphis...the two schools have had a long history together, but its not necessarily a history marked with the two schools acting in the best interests of each other. I guess we'll see what happens in a few years, won't we?

Louisville and Free Shoes U blocked the Metro from becoming an all-sports conference.
Memphis AND Cincy bolted for the GMC, leaving Louisville behind.
All three schools joined again in CUSA.
Louisville forced CUSA to increase football scheduling through court action.
Louisville was almost kicked out of CUSA for being stubborn in regards to expansion efforts.
The saga goes on. Neither school really has any moral high ground.

What a bunch of garbage.

It wouldn't surprise me in the least if Louisville hasn''t already lobbied AGAINST Memphis getting into the Big East, nor would it surprise me if they lobby against Memphis if the Big East decided to expand.

It's this kind of animosity that makes a really good rivalry. I don't care about being in the same conference as Louisville. I just want to beat the ever living crap out of them when we play. I don't expect any favors or brotherhood from UL and they shouldn't expect any from Memphis. There is a very high level of hate on both sides. As it should be.

Wilkie:

Change 'trust' to 'beat', and I'd have to say yes.

Wilkie01 Wrote:Two or three bowl eligible football teams and four NCAA basketball bids.

get real, the only one that is probably lost is the Ft. Worth Bowl

You got the hate between Louisville and Memphis right! :mad: :mad: :mad:

Wilkie01 Wrote::D I think Memphis would probally be a good choice for the 9th football team.

But can you trust them?

:mad: After all they were the driving force behind making Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida, having to stay one more year in CUSA!

And they think Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida will support their membership in the New Big East. I think they burned to many bridges!

That's my two cents worth.

You can only trust yourself. If Big 10, SEC or ACC came calling UL today, TJ will jump in a heartbeat. So would UC, Pitt, SU, etc. Memphs is no diff from ECU....we will jump.

It's not a matter of trust, it's a matter of what can you bring to the table.

Look at the old SWC, why did it folded? Why was only 4 schools asked to join the Big 8? Big 8 took what they thought was the 4 best schools at that time.

After the near callup from ACC, can SU be trusted? What about WVU? They want to be in the SEC and they are starting to pimp themselves. Of course, UL, while at Metro and GMW, pimped themselves for years trying to invite themselves to the ACC, Big 10 and SEC.

It not a matter of trust.....it's what you can do for yourself, not what can you do for your conf.

uofmlimbo Wrote:Of course, UL, while at Metro and GMW, pimped themselves for years trying to invite themselves to the ACC, Big 10 and SEC.

Louisville was never in the GMW.

EnterSandman Wrote:

uofmlimbo Wrote:Of course, UL, while at Metro and GMW, pimped themselves for years trying to invite themselves to the ACC, Big 10 and SEC.

Louisville was never in the GMW.

True. But the relevant point was made when it comes to trust as it relates to UL's ambition. If anyone in the BE thinks that UL sees this conference as their final home, they would be mistaken.

tigers1985 Wrote:

EnterSandman Wrote:

uofmlimbo Wrote:Of course, UL, while at Metro and GMW, pimped themselves for years trying to invite themselves to the ACC, Big 10 and SEC.

Louisville was never in the GMW.

True. But the relevant point was made when it comes to trust as it relates to UL's ambition. If anyone in the BE thinks that UL sees this conference as their final home, they would be mistaken.

I think Louisville will be quite happy in the Big East.

now normally i read these kind of posts with a grain of salt cause i know most of this is all in fun...but as i read this all i see is a bunch of UL and UC people basicly saying HA HA Memphis we got in the Big East and we're not gonna let you in...this whole post is childish...ya'll are bitching about stuff from 30 years ago...and you know what...our schools hate each other...thats the way it is...but when it comes down to it all this post is doing is trying to rub our faces in the fact that UL and UC got into a BCS conference before we did...way to go...but that means what to us???...C-USA is a good conference...good football in Memphis, Southern Miss, Marshall, Houston, Tulsa with UTEP and UCF hiring big name coaches in Price and O'Leary...in basketball C-USA has Memphis, Tulsa, UAB, UTEP and A LOT of potential...i can't wait to see what Eustachy does at Southen Miss...they will be real good...and UCF is a real wild card...they could be real good...don't worry about little ole Memphis...if we don't get in the Big East...we'll make it just fine.

Go Tigers!!!
Drew