(05-21-2012 02:43 AM)theATLDawg Wrote:  Sorry guys but I have to say Louisiana Tech had alot more going for it than MT. Not to say I didn't think MT deserved it as well. We were not low on the totem pole in this decision. Things Tech has over Mt. Just to name a few. We actually pull in a much wider market with N. Louisiana than you do in Tennessee. OUr national branding is much more widely recognized than MT. Our success in football is much better than MT or at least better. OUr records may be similiar but only because we were in a much harder conference and we tend to show up for big games on TV. Our budget though smaller was not that much smaller and it was raised to 20 million for the purpose of inclusion. Facilities are even. We have big money donors and a growing relationship with the INdy Bowl. We have a history with most current CUSA team that MT doesn't. But the most glaring advantage we have over MT is in academics where at the moment there is no comparison. I hope you guys get in next time because i think you would be a good conference mate, but keep in mind Alliance commissioners spent all of three hours in Ruston. They had their mind up along time ago that UNT FIU and La Tech were in. Being in the WAC gave us exposure all over the country that being in the Belt would not have and that ended up being a real big advantage in the long run. I have to admit that I was a little surprised that ODU was picked over MT. That one kind of threw me but once again ODU is heads and shoulders a much better academic institution than MT. Remember the Presidents still make these final decisions. I however thought for sure you would fill the gap Memphis left. But I still think eventually you will get in.

Lots of opinions, little in the way of hard evidence.

I don't think anyone is buying your Ruston market>>>Middle Tennessee market theory.

According to US News, we're both "national universities", whatever that means, so your academic argument is moot.

You raised your budget to 20 mil? Congrats - you still have 7 to go to equal MT.

I'll give you:

1. National brand - I remember some tough LT teams from about 10 years ago -Ryan Moats, Troy Edwards. Maybe CUSA does too. But it ain't recent. By any measure (wins,bowls,conference competitiveness), MT has been a better program in the past 6 years.

2. Indy Bowl - I could see how that would be attractive.

3. Location - the best argument that's been advanced in this thread - other CUSA teams wanted a more Western school.

I looked it up. La Tech is slightly more selective than MT. So academics is somewhat valid but not a huge difference. I think La Tech has simply been around longer in 1A football. I can remember them getting a few nice SEC wins here and there and back when there weren't that many teams winning against the AQ teams. It has made a lasting impression. They've had a lot of success in womens bball, even more than MT. I don't think that they are a better program overall. I do think they are more recognized and bring more swagger in the eyes of others.

(05-22-2012 07:29 AM)ThreeifbyLightning Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 06:23 AM)T_Won1 Wrote:  

(05-21-2012 11:09 PM)BlueRaiderFan. Wrote:  

(05-21-2012 10:19 PM)T_Won1 Wrote:  

(05-21-2012 09:57 PM)CrushMI Wrote:  This is the biggest bunch of crap I've ever heard.....if you really think this you are nuts...CUSA basically said you are the equivalent of 2 SBC teams and 2 FCS teams (1 with no football team). You better hope USM, ECU, and Tulsa don't leave or you basically joined another SBC.

You more than likely had 1 or more CUSA Presidents (Tulane, USM) pulling strings and that was all you needed to swing the vote. It's also obvious ECU pulled a lot of weight for closer rivals.

The rest of your statement is carries about as much weight as the LT budget....

I was just letting the MTSU fans know what the man said to maybe shed some light on what they were looking for. You can watch it yourself if you don't trust what I said.

It starts at the 24:45 mark of the "Louisiana Tech Press Conference" archive from 05/04/12: http://www.latechsports.com/allaccess/

Is this the La Tech AD talking?

CUSA commissioner.

If I had to make an uneducated guess of why MTSU was not chosen (and it's really impossible to tell because who knows what goes through these people's minds), I would say it's because they are in a state with Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Memphis. Will they ever be better than 4th fiddle in the state?

In the Sun Belt the answer to your question is no. In C-USA it was maybe.

We're now the only I-A team in the state of Tennessee that's not in an AQ conference. I know that's going away, but when you look at where everyone is no we're going to remain 4th fiddle, because we are not going to be able keep up financially.

Just as a little factoid. Last year's payout to C-USA was about $3 million per school (I haven't seen the 2011-12 numbers yet). By contrast we only received $300K from the Sun Belt. Vandy gets about a $20 million welfare check from the SEC. How are we supposed to keep up?? If anyone has any ideas let me know and I'll be happy to pass them to our adminstration. The reality is we are F'd. We have a budget that's shooting up like a rocket and no financial benefit from our conference. We wanted out of the Sun Belt not because we don't like our conference mates - all of whom are really cool folks - it's because we're getting smoked financially and we can't afford to keep doing what we're doing....at least not here.

It only takes so much money to run a football program. They can't pay the players too much or word will get out (Um, yeah, they do). How many facilities can a school add to give them the edge? I guess marketing might benefit but there is a limit to what money can do.

Y'all are looking at the wrong school. You were beat out by FIU, ODU and Charlotte, not La Tech. You need to measure yourself to what they offer to see what needs to improve / change / be enhanced.

There is a lot of talk of C-USA losing bowls, but where exactly are they going? I agree the Liberty is gone, but will likely be replaced by the Independence (not a step up by any means but still a slot). I think we'll have a shot of getting the bowl in Charlotte from the Big East. Could be some other shifting of bowl games, but I don't think we are about to go from 6 to 2.

(05-22-2012 07:36 AM)MT FAN Wrote:  

(05-21-2012 08:39 PM)Grandgreen Wrote:  MTFan
Congratulations dude you're in your dream conference with a bunch of 1AA teams and two of the Sun Belt's crappier programs. Now run a long and go play with them.

Well I am a fan of a crappy program. I would like to see the metrics that support your contention that FIU and NT are two of the crappier Belt programs. I assume that means that there are at least 6 Belt teams that you think are better on some basis. If it is all this obvious, please make your case. Couldn't be academics, so let go to sports. NT has had a bad run of football teams, but if that is your criteria how does FIU merit your rating? Overall sports championship, Middle is the king but if that it such a big deal how is NT crappy being they are almost a perennial third.

I am replying to you but I have seen some variation of this comment often on this board, and I suspect most of you realize how stupid it is. You can agrue that the Belt is as good as CUSA or better. The team you are a fan of deserved the invitation more than FIU or NT. However, to imply that NT or/and FIU have not been good Belt members and are bottom feeders in the Belt is just foolish. Any valid points that you may have are buried by the ignorance of such an evaluation.

I based my merit on recent football success, attendance and national perception.


[/quote]

I assume you are stating you are basing your crappiest remark on recent football success, football attendance and my favorite ""national perception". I am waiting on your support on any of this, in particular the national perception.

I assume you are aware that NT has beaten MTSU the last two years and has a 7-4 record against MTSU in football. Also that NT's attendance is far from the bottom of the conference in any year and was better than MTSU last year.

You can't support any of your assertions, so maybe you ought to be a little more selective with your comments.

(05-22-2012 10:34 AM)Grandgreen Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 07:36 AM)MT FAN Wrote:  

(05-21-2012 08:39 PM)Grandgreen Wrote:  MTFan
Congratulations dude you're in your dream conference with a bunch of 1AA teams and two of the Sun Belt's crappier programs. Now run a long and go play with them.

Well I am a fan of a crappy program. I would like to see the metrics that support your contention that FIU and NT are two of the crappier Belt programs. I assume that means that there are at least 6 Belt teams that you think are better on some basis. If it is all this obvious, please make your case. Couldn't be academics, so let go to sports. NT has had a bad run of football teams, but if that is your criteria how does FIU merit your rating? Overall sports championship, Middle is the king but if that it such a big deal how is NT crappy being they are almost a perennial third.

I am replying to you but I have seen some variation of this comment often on this board, and I suspect most of you realize how stupid it is. You can agrue that the Belt is as good as CUSA or better. The team you are a fan of deserved the invitation more than FIU or NT. However, to imply that NT or/and FIU have not been good Belt members and are bottom feeders in the Belt is just foolish. Any valid points that you may have are buried by the ignorance of such an evaluation.

I based my merit on recent football success, attendance and national perception.

I assume you are stating you are basing your crappiest remark on recent football success, football attendance and my favorite ""national perception". I am waiting on your support on any of this, in particular the national perception.

I assume you are aware that NT has beaten MTSU the last two years and has a 7-4 record against MTSU in football. Also that NT's attendance is far from the bottom of the conference in any year and was better than MTSU last year.

You can't support any of your assertions, so maybe you ought to be a little more selective with your comments.
[/quote]

Out of curiosity, I checked regular season records for Belt team dating back to UNT ending our high school coach experiment with 5 games left in 2010. Compared UNT's record to other Belt members for the same period (2011 & last 5 regular season games in 2010). Interesting results.

12-5 Arkansas State
10-7 FIU
9-8 ULL
8-9 WKU
7-10 UNT
6-11 ULM
6-11 Troy
5-12 MT
2-11 FAU

(05-22-2012 09:05 AM)T_Won1 Wrote:  Y'all are looking at the wrong school. You were beat out by FIU, ODU and Charlotte, not La Tech. You need to measure yourself to what they offer to see what needs to improve / change / be enhanced.

Why?

(05-22-2012 11:28 AM)MG61 Wrote:  Out of curiosity, I checked regular season records for Belt team dating back to UNT ending our high school coach experiment with 5 games left in 2010. Compared UNT's record to other Belt members for the same period (2011 & last 5 regular season games in 2010). Interesting results.

12-5 Arkansas State
10-7 FIU
9-8 ULL
8-9 WKU
7-10 UNT
6-11 ULM
6-11 Troy
5-12 MT
2-11 FAU

So you think this is indicative of UNT's overall performance? Don't get me wrong, I think you guys deserve the invite as much as anyone else but it wasn't because of your football record. I don't think it hurt that much.

(05-22-2012 12:17 PM)BlueRaiderFan. Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 09:05 AM)T_Won1 Wrote:  Y'all are looking at the wrong school. You were beat out by FIU, ODU and Charlotte, not La Tech. You need to measure yourself to what they offer to see what needs to improve / change / be enhanced.

Why?

One doesn't even play football, the other is FCS, and the other is currently in your conference. They all have something that CUSA considered more attractive than MTSU. La Tech was not who you were measured against.

(05-22-2012 11:28 AM)MG61 Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 10:34 AM)Grandgreen Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 07:36 AM)MT FAN Wrote:  

(05-21-2012 08:39 PM)Grandgreen Wrote:  MTFan
Congratulations dude you're in your dream conference with a bunch of 1AA teams and two of the Sun Belt's crappier programs. Now run a long and go play with them.

Well I am a fan of a crappy program. I would like to see the metrics that support your contention that FIU and NT are two of the crappier Belt programs. I assume that means that there are at least 6 Belt teams that you think are better on some basis. If it is all this obvious, please make your case. Couldn't be academics, so let go to sports. NT has had a bad run of football teams, but if that is your criteria how does FIU merit your rating? Overall sports championship, Middle is the king but if that it such a big deal how is NT crappy being they are almost a perennial third.

I am replying to you but I have seen some variation of this comment often on this board, and I suspect most of you realize how stupid it is. You can agrue that the Belt is as good as CUSA or better. The team you are a fan of deserved the invitation more than FIU or NT. However, to imply that NT or/and FIU have not been good Belt members and are bottom feeders in the Belt is just foolish. Any valid points that you may have are buried by the ignorance of such an evaluation.

I based my merit on recent football success, attendance and national perception.

I assume you are stating you are basing your crappiest remark on recent football success, football attendance and my favorite ""national perception". I am waiting on your support on any of this, in particular the national perception.

I assume you are aware that NT has beaten MTSU the last two years and has a 7-4 record against MTSU in football. Also that NT's attendance is far from the bottom of the conference in any year and was better than MTSU last year.

You can't support any of your assertions, so maybe you ought to be a little more selective with your comments.

Out of curiosity, I checked regular season records for Belt team dating back to UNT ending our high school coach experiment with 5 games left in 2010. Compared UNT's record to other Belt members for the same period (2011 & last 5 regular season games in 2010). Interesting results.

12-5 Arkansas State
10-7 FIU
9-8 ULL
8-9 WKU
7-10 UNT
6-11 ULM
6-11 Troy
5-12 MT
2-11 FAU
[/quote]

Nice job hand picking a period of time where MT is at the bottom but we both know MT has won more Sun Belt games than any team in the conference other than Troy. NT had a decent season last year but had several crappy years before that, and dont talk to me about the early Sun Belt year because you guys were basically beating glorified 1AA schools at that point in time.

FIU is the school with no fans so the attendance remark was reserved for them.

Perception wise over the last several years FIU and NT were a mainstay on ESPN's Bottom 10.

So, yes NT is one of the crappier Sun Belt program.

LT is known more for Women's hoops than football.

(05-22-2012 01:37 PM)CrushMI Wrote:  LT is known more for Women's hoops than football.

So is WKU.

(05-22-2012 12:32 PM)MT FAN Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 11:28 AM)MG61 Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 10:34 AM)Grandgreen Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 07:36 AM)MT FAN Wrote:  

(05-21-2012 08:39 PM)Grandgreen Wrote:  MTFan
Congratulations dude you're in your dream conference with a bunch of 1AA teams and two of the Sun Belt's crappier programs. Now run a long and go play with them.

Well I am a fan of a crappy program. I would like to see the metrics that support your contention that FIU and NT are two of the crappier Belt programs. I assume that means that there are at least 6 Belt teams that you think are better on some basis. If it is all this obvious, please make your case. Couldn't be academics, so let go to sports. NT has had a bad run of football teams, but if that is your criteria how does FIU merit your rating? Overall sports championship, Middle is the king but if that it such a big deal how is NT crappy being they are almost a perennial third.

I am replying to you but I have seen some variation of this comment often on this board, and I suspect most of you realize how stupid it is. You can agrue that the Belt is as good as CUSA or better. The team you are a fan of deserved the invitation more than FIU or NT. However, to imply that NT or/and FIU have not been good Belt members and are bottom feeders in the Belt is just foolish. Any valid points that you may have are buried by the ignorance of such an evaluation.

I based my merit on recent football success, attendance and national perception.

I assume you are stating you are basing your crappiest remark on recent football success, football attendance and my favorite ""national perception". I am waiting on your support on any of this, in particular the national perception.

I assume you are aware that NT has beaten MTSU the last two years and has a 7-4 record against MTSU in football. Also that NT's attendance is far from the bottom of the conference in any year and was better than MTSU last year.

You can't support any of your assertions, so maybe you ought to be a little more selective with your comments.

Out of curiosity, I checked regular season records for Belt team dating back to UNT ending our high school coach experiment with 5 games left in 2010. Compared UNT's record to other Belt members for the same period (2011 & last 5 regular season games in 2010). Interesting results.

12-5 Arkansas State
10-7 FIU
9-8 ULL
8-9 WKU
7-10 UNT
6-11 ULM
6-11 Troy
5-12 MT
2-11 FAU

Nice job hand picking a period of time where MT is at the bottom but we both know MT has won more Sun Belt games than any team in the conference other than Troy. NT had a decent season last year but had several crappy years before that, and dont talk to me about the early Sun Belt year because you guys were basically beating glorified 1AA schools at that point in time.

FIU is the school with no fans so the attendance remark was reserved for them.

Perception wise over the last several years FIU and NT were a mainstay on ESPN's Bottom 10.

So, yes NT is one of the crappier Sun Belt program.
[/quote]

The time I picked was since the coaching change at UNT. Can't help it if MT has sucked during that time and that UNT has beaten MT for the past 2 years. Speaking of crappy, MT has been crappier than UNT.

(05-22-2012 12:22 PM)T_Won1 Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 12:17 PM)BlueRaiderFan. Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 09:05 AM)T_Won1 Wrote:  Y'all are looking at the wrong school. You were beat out by FIU, ODU and Charlotte, not La Tech. You need to measure yourself to what they offer to see what needs to improve / change / be enhanced.

Why?

One doesn't even play football, the other is FCS, and the other is currently in your conference. They all have something that CUSA considered more attractive than MTSU. La Tech was not who you were measured against.

And yet they were deemed as attractive as La Tech. Your logic is flawed. They got accepted just as you did. A comparisson to any team that got accepted would be in order.

(05-22-2012 02:12 PM)BlueRaiderFan. Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 12:22 PM)T_Won1 Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 12:17 PM)BlueRaiderFan. Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 09:05 AM)T_Won1 Wrote:  Y'all are looking at the wrong school. You were beat out by FIU, ODU and Charlotte, not La Tech. You need to measure yourself to what they offer to see what needs to improve / change / be enhanced.

Why?

One doesn't even play football, the other is FCS, and the other is currently in your conference. They all have something that CUSA considered more attractive than MTSU. La Tech was not who you were measured against.

And yet they were deemed as attractive as La Tech. Your logic is flawed. They got accepted just as you did. A comparisson to any team that got accepted would be in order.

I'm not seeing your logic. If Tech had been passed over, it would have clearly been because of markets. But MTSU has a decent market and there is nothing you can do about market anyway. I'm just trying to figure this out with you. I really think it was because ECU pushed for UNCC and ODU over MTSU because they are closer.

If you are saying MTSU should have been chosen over Tech because of market, then I see your point. But I think Tech was a good fit with the Western teams and MTSU wasn't.

(05-22-2012 12:32 PM)MT FAN Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 11:28 AM)MG61 Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 10:34 AM)Grandgreen Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 07:36 AM)MT FAN Wrote:  

(05-21-2012 08:39 PM)Grandgreen Wrote:  MTFan
Congratulations dude you're in your dream conference with a bunch of 1AA teams and two of the Sun Belt's crappier programs. Now run a long and go play with them.

Well I am a fan of a crappy program. I would like to see the metrics that support your contention that FIU and NT are two of the crappier Belt programs. I assume that means that there are at least 6 Belt teams that you think are better on some basis. If it is all this obvious, please make your case. Couldn't be academics, so let go to sports. NT has had a bad run of football teams, but if that is your criteria how does FIU merit your rating? Overall sports championship, Middle is the king but if that it such a big deal how is NT crappy being they are almost a perennial third.

I am replying to you but I have seen some variation of this comment often on this board, and I suspect most of you realize how stupid it is. You can agrue that the Belt is as good as CUSA or better. The team you are a fan of deserved the invitation more than FIU or NT. However, to imply that NT or/and FIU have not been good Belt members and are bottom feeders in the Belt is just foolish. Any valid points that you may have are buried by the ignorance of such an evaluation.

I based my merit on recent football success, attendance and national perception.

I assume you are stating you are basing your crappiest remark on recent football success, football attendance and my favorite ""national perception". I am waiting on your support on any of this, in particular the national perception.

I assume you are aware that NT has beaten MTSU the last two years and has a 7-4 record against MTSU in football. Also that NT's attendance is far from the bottom of the conference in any year and was better than MTSU last year.

You can't support any of your assertions, so maybe you ought to be a little more selective with your comments.

Out of curiosity, I checked regular season records for Belt team dating back to UNT ending our high school coach experiment with 5 games left in 2010. Compared UNT's record to other Belt members for the same period (2011 & last 5 regular season games in 2010). Interesting results.

12-5 Arkansas State
10-7 FIU
9-8 ULL
8-9 WKU
7-10 UNT
6-11 ULM
6-11 Troy
5-12 MT
2-11 FAU

Nice job hand picking a period of time where MT is at the bottom but we both know MT has won more Sun Belt games than any team in the conference other than Troy. NT had a decent season last year but had several crappy years before that, and dont talk to me about the early Sun Belt year because you guys were basically beating glorified 1AA schools at that point in time.

FIU is the school with no fans so the attendance remark was reserved for them.

Perception wise over the last several years FIU and NT were a mainstay on ESPN's Bottom 10.

So, yes NT is one of the crappier Sun Belt program.
[/quote]

Old news and ignorant comment. 2011 average attendance:

FIU 18,410
MTSU 18,406

Perception wise is that FIU's coach was offered, and he rejected, 2 offers from then AQ teams in Pitt and Rutgers to stay at FIU.

Reality wise is that FIU has had the second best overall win-loss record in the SBC over the last 2 years at 15-11, with ASU second at 14-11, and the Cajuns 3rd with a 12-13 record. Also, in conference ASU has a 12-4 in conference record, with FIU 2nd at 11-5. Meanwhile, MTSU has a 6-10 overal record over the last 2 seasons with a 8-17 in conference record.

From all accounts, when FIU went to MTSU to play football last season, there were less than 5,000 people there, with an official reported attendance of 10,227. Please, we all know that while FIU and FAU have attendance issues, in part due to how young the programs and the universities are (MTSU had been playing football for 61 years before FIU even opened its doors in 1972) other programs in the Belt, while having a larger fan base...and generations of fans to draw from....are not exactly setting the world on fire. Just be knowledgable and fair in your comments.

(05-22-2012 12:32 PM)MT FAN Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 11:28 AM)MG61 Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 10:34 AM)Grandgreen Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 07:36 AM)MT FAN Wrote:  

(05-21-2012 08:39 PM)Grandgreen Wrote:  MTFan
Congratulations dude you're in your dream conference with a bunch of 1AA teams and two of the Sun Belt's crappier programs. Now run a long and go play with them.

Well I am a fan of a crappy program. I would like to see the metrics that support your contention that FIU and NT are two of the crappier Belt programs. I assume that means that there are at least 6 Belt teams that you think are better on some basis. If it is all this obvious, please make your case. Couldn't be academics, so let go to sports. NT has had a bad run of football teams, but if that is your criteria how does FIU merit your rating? Overall sports championship, Middle is the king but if that it such a big deal how is NT crappy being they are almost a perennial third.

I am replying to you but I have seen some variation of this comment often on this board, and I suspect most of you realize how stupid it is. You can agrue that the Belt is as good as CUSA or better. The team you are a fan of deserved the invitation more than FIU or NT. However, to imply that NT or/and FIU have not been good Belt members and are bottom feeders in the Belt is just foolish. Any valid points that you may have are buried by the ignorance of such an evaluation.

I based my merit on recent football success, attendance and national perception.

I assume you are stating you are basing your crappiest remark on recent football success, football attendance and my favorite ""national perception". I am waiting on your support on any of this, in particular the national perception.

I assume you are aware that NT has beaten MTSU the last two years and has a 7-4 record against MTSU in football. Also that NT's attendance is far from the bottom of the conference in any year and was better than MTSU last year.

You can't support any of your assertions, so maybe you ought to be a little more selective with your comments.

Out of curiosity, I checked regular season records for Belt team dating back to UNT ending our high school coach experiment with 5 games left in 2010. Compared UNT's record to other Belt members for the same period (2011 & last 5 regular season games in 2010). Interesting results.

12-5 Arkansas State
10-7 FIU
9-8 ULL
8-9 WKU
7-10 UNT
6-11 ULM
6-11 Troy
5-12 MT
2-11 FAU

Nice job hand picking a period of time where MT is at the bottom but we both know MT has won more Sun Belt games than any team in the conference other than Troy. NT had a decent season last year but had several crappy years before that, and dont talk to me about the early Sun Belt year because you guys were basically beating glorified 1AA schools at that point in time.

FIU is the school with no fans so the attendance remark was reserved for them.

Perception wise over the last several years FIU and NT were a mainstay on ESPN's Bottom 10.

So, yes NT is one of the crappier Sun Belt program.
[/quote]

Last two years:

Conference
MT 6-10
UNT 7-9

All Games
MT 8-17
UNT 8-16

Head to head
UNT 2 MT 0

And you say UNT sucks ?

(05-22-2012 02:17 PM)T_Won1 Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 02:12 PM)BlueRaiderFan. Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 12:22 PM)T_Won1 Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 12:17 PM)BlueRaiderFan. Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 09:05 AM)T_Won1 Wrote:  Y'all are looking at the wrong school. You were beat out by FIU, ODU and Charlotte, not La Tech. You need to measure yourself to what they offer to see what needs to improve / change / be enhanced.

Why?

One doesn't even play football, the other is FCS, and the other is currently in your conference. They all have something that CUSA considered more attractive than MTSU. La Tech was not who you were measured against.

And yet they were deemed as attractive as La Tech. Your logic is flawed. They got accepted just as you did. A comparisson to any team that got accepted would be in order.

I'm not seeing your logic. If Tech had been passed over, it would have clearly been because of markets. But MTSU has a decent market and there is nothing you can do about market anyway. I'm just trying to figure this out with you. I really think it was because ECU pushed for UNCC and ODU over MTSU because they are closer.

If you are saying MTSU should have been chosen over Tech because of market, then I see your point. But I think Tech was a good fit with the Western teams and MTSU wasn't.

I'm just saying that a look at a school that does have football at the BCS level would be in order over looking at the others. MT has more in common with La Tech than the other schools, at least to me. We have successful women's bball, similar football programs, etc. , much more in common in terms of location. You guys have us slightly on academics, but our market is at least as good and our overall sports progam is at least as good. I don't know enough about the other schools that got in to say how they compare but I do at least occasionally watch a La Tech football, baseball or basketball game on TV...it's rare but it does happen.

(05-22-2012 12:32 PM)MT FAN Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 11:28 AM)MG61 Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 10:34 AM)Grandgreen Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 07:36 AM)MT FAN Wrote:  

(05-21-2012 08:39 PM)Grandgreen Wrote:  MTFan
Congratulations dude you're in your dream conference with a bunch of 1AA teams and two of the Sun Belt's crappier programs. Now run a long and go play with them.

Well I am a fan of a crappy program. I would like to see the metrics that support your contention that FIU and NT are two of the crappier Belt programs. I assume that means that there are at least 6 Belt teams that you think are better on some basis. If it is all this obvious, please make your case. Couldn't be academics, so let go to sports. NT has had a bad run of football teams, but if that is your criteria how does FIU merit your rating? Overall sports championship, Middle is the king but if that it such a big deal how is NT crappy being they are almost a perennial third.

I am replying to you but I have seen some variation of this comment often on this board, and I suspect most of you realize how stupid it is. You can agrue that the Belt is as good as CUSA or better. The team you are a fan of deserved the invitation more than FIU or NT. However, to imply that NT or/and FIU have not been good Belt members and are bottom feeders in the Belt is just foolish. Any valid points that you may have are buried by the ignorance of such an evaluation.

I based my merit on recent football success, attendance and national perception.

I assume you are stating you are basing your crappiest remark on recent football success, football attendance and my favorite ""national perception". I am waiting on your support on any of this, in particular the national perception.

I assume you are aware that NT has beaten MTSU the last two years and has a 7-4 record against MTSU in football. Also that NT's attendance is far from the bottom of the conference in any year and was better than MTSU last year.

You can't support any of your assertions, so maybe you ought to be a little more selective with your comments.

Out of curiosity, I checked regular season records for Belt team dating back to UNT ending our high school coach experiment with 5 games left in 2010. Compared UNT's record to other Belt members for the same period (2011 & last 5 regular season games in 2010). Interesting results.

12-5 Arkansas State
10-7 FIU
9-8 ULL
8-9 WKU
7-10 UNT
6-11 ULM
6-11 Troy
5-12 MT
2-11 FAU

Nice job hand picking a period of time where MT is at the bottom but we both know MT has won more Sun Belt games than any team in the conference other than Troy. NT had a decent season last year but had several crappy years before that, and dont talk to me about the early Sun Belt year because you guys were basically beating glorified 1AA schools at that point in time.

FIU is the school with no fans so the attendance remark was reserved for them.

Perception wise over the last several years FIU and NT were a mainstay on ESPN's Bottom 10.

So, yes NT is one of the crappier Sun Belt program.
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I didn't pick any period, you did when you said recent football which NT has been admittedly horrible. I can tell that logic is not your strong suit. Your original statement was about crappy programs and I asked based on what. Which apparently is beyond your level, because you answered with nonsense. In addition to recent football you cited attendance and national perception. Recent football although a very narrow view to rate an overall program crappy might serve your purpose when discussing NT but doesn't work at all with FIU. Likewise, attendance doesn't work with NT and may or may not with FIU.

Than your national perception point is complete bs. I hate to break it to you, on a national basis there are no Belt teams that are anymore than occasionally noticed. By the way you do know, I hope that the Bottom Ten ranking you cited is done by one person and it is meant to be humorous.

When I made the first post in this thread, I actually didn't think anyone would try to defend such a foolish statement. I was obviously wrong. There is no reasonable rationale to support your point, not even in your very limited evaluation methodology.

FYI, there are no crappy programs in the Belt, some or more successful than others and some have really had to compete with very limited resources. Calling any program crappy is juvenile and demonstrates a lack of understanding about college athletics.