(04-30-2012 05:56 AM)hawghiggs Wrote:  Marshall should have stayed in the MAC. They have never had any business being in CUSA. As for ECU. They should switch to the SunBelt. That is just to great of a distance to have any real rivalries. GSU,and MTSU could easily become good rivals for ECU.

Explain this brilliant statement Marshall should have stayed in the MAC

(04-30-2012 10:42 AM)goherd17 Wrote:  

(04-30-2012 05:56 AM)hawghiggs Wrote:  Marshall should have stayed in the MAC. They have never had any business being in CUSA. As for ECU. They should switch to the SunBelt. That is just to great of a distance to have any real rivalries. GSU,and MTSU could easily become good rivals for ECU.

Explain this brilliant statement Marshall should have stayed in the MAC

What has Marshall ever gained from being in CUSA? Other than additional travel cost. Marshalls best season were all in the MAC. The MAC offered Marshall a greater opportunity to be a successful program. It also allowed for greater travel support in a more regional conference. CUSA has been a huge failure for Marshall. And now outside of ECU every other program is about 800 miles away.

I'd be upset too if I were ECU and Marshall. Actually this might turn out for the better, I've been seeing indirect hints (and a few direct ones) that something bigger may be in the works for Middle. I'd be ecstatic if it actually happens.

(04-30-2012 04:53 PM)mtsufan561 Wrote:  I'd be upset too if I were ECU and Marshall. Actually this might turn out for the better, I've been seeing indirect hints (and a few direct ones) that something bigger may be in the works for Middle. I'd be ecstatic if it actually happens.

Memphis ain't letting you guys into the Big East.

Does anyone really want to be in the Big East anymore???

We were already in the Big East when it was called C-USA circa 2001.

BEast. Belt, C-USA, MAC... I don't care where we end up now as long as Marshall and Southern Miss are with us.

Assuming UNT gets the invite to CUSA (hasn't happened yet), I'd like to say that I'll miss the Sun Belt a lot. I've grown to know, love, and hate your teams and your fans. Seriously, I wish the conference and the teams the best of luck. The Sun Belt will survive and grow stronger. One thing I recommend to Benson, change the conference name.

Oh, I'm really going to miss those games in Lafayette. Damn good tailgating down there and the fans are friendly. And they share great food!!!

(04-30-2012 06:36 PM)Green Menace Wrote:  Assuming UNT gets the invite to CUSA (hasn't happened yet), I'd like to say that I'll miss the Sun Belt a lot. I've grown to know, love, and hate your teams and your fans. Seriously, I wish the conference and the teams the best of luck. The Sun Belt will survive and grow stronger. One thing I recommend to Benson, change the conference name.

Oh, I'm really going to miss those games in Lafayette. Damn good tailgating down there and the fans are friendly. And they share great food!!!

This time it makes perfect sense for you to go so I don't begrudge it a bit. They are adding you because of some foolish market calculation but they stumbled onto an acorn accidentally and got a good conference member.

Good luck. I will be rooting for you...especially against LaTech.

(04-30-2012 07:25 PM)ark30inf Wrote:  

(04-30-2012 06:36 PM)Green Menace Wrote:  Assuming UNT gets the invite to CUSA (hasn't happened yet), I'd like to say that I'll miss the Sun Belt a lot. I've grown to know, love, and hate your teams and your fans. Seriously, I wish the conference and the teams the best of luck. The Sun Belt will survive and grow stronger. One thing I recommend to Benson, change the conference name.

Oh, I'm really going to miss those games in Lafayette. Damn good tailgating down there and the fans are friendly. And they share great food!!!

This time it makes perfect sense for you to go so I don't begrudge it a bit....

Good luck. I will be rooting for you...especially against LaTech.

I agree with these sentiments.

One other thing- I hope we don't hear UNT or FIU fans belittling the Sun Belt, calling it names that we all have grown use to hearing by other conference fans. I seriously don't think this will happen.

(04-30-2012 04:35 PM)hawghiggs Wrote:  

(04-30-2012 10:42 AM)goherd17 Wrote:  

(04-30-2012 05:56 AM)hawghiggs Wrote:  Marshall should have stayed in the MAC. They have never had any business being in CUSA. As for ECU. They should switch to the SunBelt. That is just to great of a distance to have any real rivalries. GSU,and MTSU could easily become good rivals for ECU.

Explain this brilliant statement Marshall should have stayed in the MAC

What has Marshall ever gained from being in CUSA? Other than additional travel cost. Marshalls best season were all in the MAC. The MAC offered Marshall a greater opportunity to be a successful program. It also allowed for greater travel support in a more regional conference. CUSA has been a huge failure for Marshall. And now outside of ECU every other program is about 800 miles away.

CUSA has not been a massive failure for Marshall. While we were in the MAC, we received something like $38,000 a year in TV revenue because we had unequal revenue sharing with the rest of the league. Conference USA has the best television deal of any of the non-AQ conferences, had great academic institutions like Rice, Tulane, Tulsa, and formerly SMU, and has brought us together with schools with similar levels of fan support and relevance.

I would honestly rather be associated with the Sun Belt than the MAC. The Belt is growing and striving to be a better conference. The MAC is completely mired in mediocrity. But, my personal favorite option right now would be for ECU, USM, UAB, and Tulane to split off and form a new eastern conference with rising FCS schools and possibly WKU and MTSU.