I'm trying really hard to be optimistic... i promise you guys i am.
its not that i hate additions of UNCC, FIU, LaTech, UTSA and UNT
I hate Them & UAB, Tulane, and Rice too

We better still be working as hard as freaking possible to remain in play with any and all conference realignment options.

I still feel that a run of independence was where Terry should have led us and I'm disappointed with what we settled for instead.

I cannot wait to win CUSA in 2012 and storm the Liberty bowl and walk away with a win and a top 25 ranking! Maybe then we'll get that swagger I think we should already have.

(05-21-2012 09:31 PM)PiKappWags Wrote:  I'm trying really hard to be optimistic... i promise you guys i am.
its not that i hate additions of UNCC, FIU, LaTech, UTSA and UNT
I hate Them & UAB, Tulane, and Rice too

We better still be working as hard as freaking possible to remain in play with any and all conference realignment options.

I still feel that a run of independence was where Terry should have led us and I'm disappointed with what we settled for instead.

I cannot wait to win CUSA in 2012 and storm the Liberty bowl and walk away with a win and a top 25 ranking! Maybe then we'll get that swagger I think we should already have.

Independence in football would put is in a financial strain we couldn't get out of. And by the day the conferences without football like the CAA are getting ripped up because of not having it.

I'm trying hard to figure out why Pirate fans would be upset with the additions. What else were we going to do?

Independence is not a realistic option. We did it once, and we stopped doing it as soon as a viable option presented itself. I don't know what the contract was with HTS when were independent, but it couldn't have been much. I seriously doubt that we would have gotten a contract that paid much more than we get in CUSA if we were independent. Not to mention that with the formation of superconferences, being an independent will make scheduling difficult.

We've complained since 2003 that the geography of CUSA was killing us. The new additions have addressed that complaint. There are now three conference games that are driveable for ECU fans. ODU will turn into a great rivalry and we get to renew the hate with UNCC.

The main concern I have is that FIU, UNCC, and ODU will blow up and leave us behind because of their markets, but that's not something we can control.

I'm sure that Holland hasn't disconnected the phone in his office so if someone calls, he'll answer. But we've made the best of the situation, IMO.

we've made the best of our situation if you take independence off the table
i agree with that sentiment.

going independent however in my opinion shouldnt have been taken off the table

do you not see the realignment world around us? its constantly changing
a run of independence - when done with 100% intent of being temporary would have paid off.
it would have given us the opportunity to prove our market, our appeal etc

(05-22-2012 07:43 AM)Lethemeul Wrote:  What else were we going to do?

Yep! We had no other options at this point.

(05-22-2012 05:57 PM)PiKappWags Wrote:  we've made the best of our situation if you take independence off the table
i agree with that sentiment.

going independent however in my opinion shouldnt have been taken off the table

do you not see the realignment world around us? its constantly changing
a run of independence - when done with 100% intent of being temporary would have paid off.
it would have given us the opportunity to prove our market, our appeal etc

So we exit CUSA (pay exit fees I assume), go independent (try to fill up a 12 game schedule), work our own TV deal (which would probably be less than anything we can get in CUSA) and all of this is gonna prove our market (that we supposedly don't have) and then when realize that maybe independence wasn't the way to go, CUSA has already filled our spot with Georgia State or some other "bigger market school", and we go where..............?

?? SUNBELT ??

I think not. CUSA and the additions are probably our best (if not only) option at this point in time.

(05-22-2012 07:43 AM)Lethemeul Wrote:  The main concern I have is that FIU, UNCC, and ODU will blow up and leave us behind because of their markets, but that's not something we can control.

Of those three, I am most concerned about Charlotte.

That said, I'm glad that ECU has the opportunity to build some (hopefully) legitimate rivalries -- Charlotte and ODU -- and I'm glad Holland has worked hard to address that.

He gets an extra star if he can help land Delaware, too -- yes, I realize and understand most don't agree with that, but I believe Delaware is a great fit for the eastern half of C-USA, and since ECU supposedly has an alumni presence up that way (DC area), it could turn out to be another good rivalry for the Pirates.

(05-23-2012 09:41 AM)ecuacc4ever Wrote:  

(05-22-2012 07:43 AM)Lethemeul Wrote:  The main concern I have is that FIU, UNCC, and ODU will blow up and leave us behind because of their markets, but that's not something we can control.

He gets an extra star if he can help land Delaware, too -- yes, I realize and understand most don't agree with that, but I believe Delaware is a great fit for the eastern half of C-USA, and since ECU supposedly has an alumni presence up that way (DC area), it could turn out to be another good rivalry for the Pirates.

I think CUSA is hunkered down in their foxhole waiting for whatever is going on with the ACC / B12 / BE to happen or not. I think we will eventually wind up in an 18 team conference, but the membership thereof is beyond my guess. I have no problem with Delaware, HappyAppy or anybody else not located west of the Mississippi.

As weird as it is to say, right now CUSA seems to be the safest place to be. Depending on what happens, we may wind up being the soft landing for a few schools.

The Big East is going to implode. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. Will the basketball schools replace the departing schools or will they try to patch up the leaky boat one more time before sending it full steam into its inevitable watery grave? Sooner or later BE football won't be worth saving to them and they'll bail, and then the Big East dies and the remaining schools will be looking for a new home.

it's hard for me to understand how people think independence is a viable option. it's also hard for me to understand how people think we'll dominate CUSA or should dominate CUSA when we've only won the football championship twice in fifteen years.

(05-23-2012 05:02 PM)blunderbuss Wrote:  it's hard for me to understand how people think independence is a viable option. it's also hard for me to understand how people think we'll dominate CUSA or should dominate CUSA when we've only won the football championship twice in fifteen years.

Technically 4x since we won the Liberty Bowl Alliance back to back in the mid to late 90s. Very few teams have won it back to back as well.


Our struggles will be moving up the baseball and basketball ladders.

The operative question, can Ruff put it together in 2012 - if not, ECU will be CUSA bound for eternity ... unless of course there is an implosion of the BEast or the ACC, not that ECU would go to either conference, it would just make CUSA more viable.

Just to illustrate how unfortunate/unlucky/unprepared (however you choose to see it) at the time of the 2 realignments...

This is ECU football's wins per year with markers of new coaches and the two major CFB realignments.

(05-24-2012 08:06 PM)TheEastisPurple Wrote:  Just to illustrate how unfortunate/unlucky/unprepared (however you choose to see it) at the time of the 2 realignments...

This is ECU football's wins per year with markers of new coaches and the two major CFB realignments.

Now do that for Memphis.

Well we all know Memphis wasn't taken for football. Basketball is their marquee sport and fits right in with the BE. Our marquee sport was at a low at the time of both realignments and we don't have much in the way of basketball nor do we have an inflated market number to hang our hat on.

Only schools that I will miss are UCF in all around sports because it was an easy drive for me and I actually enjoyed beating those guys. Houston I will miss for Football, Memphis just in Basketball and as far as SMU goes ??? Could really care less they are leaving.
As far as what we added ?? FIU will definitely replace UCF and is in a better position today then when UCF joined. LaTech brings much stronger Football then Memphis and solid Basketall and Baseball. UNT, UTSA, Charlotte and ODU will be a bit of a mystery but sign me up for a road trip to San Antonio. Charlotte and ODU will eventually be nice games for ECU.

End of the day there is no reason that the new CUSA can't have 2-3 teams flirting with Top 25 in Football. Southern Miss is Southern Miss so they will continue to win and hired a very solid coach IMO. Tulsa will keep doing their thing. ECU and Marshall need to step it up. We both have 3 Top 25 finishes 1 of which was Top 10 but have both fallen on hard times. I think Doc Holliday is a recruiting machine and the product on the field will change. I certainly think ECU better start winning again this year and we need 7+ win seasons to be the norm from here on out with Ruff. He wins a CUSA Championship this year or next and he will go a long ways towards rebuilding the fanbase confidence in him. I do not think that CUSA East will be a cake walk like some ECU fans think. We are not going to all of a sudden start dominating the new CUSA. The East will have very solid Southern Miss, Marshall and FIU. Go look at FIU's recruiting class last year. They signed 17 3 stars to our 12 and most of theirs are sticking while we are losing some of our class. If FIU can keep their coach and start winning they will have very solid South Florida talent flocking to the school. LaTech will be no push over in the West for Tulsa. They barely lost by a couple points last year to our two eventual CUSA Championship game teams Southern Miss and Houston, both of which curb stomped us last year.

CUSA is certainly not some dream league for most of us but it is what it is and minus more chaos in the expansion we are probably here for a while. Would love to see us in the mix with Big East left overs and solid MWC teams but don't know if that will happen.

(05-25-2012 05:40 AM)ShoreBuc Wrote:  Only schools that I will miss are UCF in all around sports because it was an easy drive for me and I actually enjoyed beating those guys. Houston I will miss for Football, Memphis just in Basketball and as far as SMU goes ??? Could really care less they are leaving.
As far as what we added ?? FIU will definitely replace UCF and is in a better position today then when UCF joined. LaTech brings much stronger Football then Memphis and solid Basketall and Baseball. UNT, UTSA, Charlotte and ODU will be a bit of a mystery but sign me up for a road trip to San Antonio. Charlotte and ODU will eventually be nice games for ECU.

End of the day there is no reason that the new CUSA can't have 2-3 teams flirting with Top 25 in Football. Southern Miss is Southern Miss so they will continue to win and hired a very solid coach IMO. Tulsa will keep doing their thing. ECU and Marshall need to step it up. We both have 3 Top 25 finishes 1 of which was Top 10 but have both fallen on hard times. I think Doc Holliday is a recruiting machine and the product on the field will change. I certainly think ECU better start winning again this year and we need 7+ win seasons to be the norm from here on out with Ruff. He wins a CUSA Championship this year or next and he will go a long ways towards rebuilding the fanbase confidence in him. I do not think that CUSA East will be a cake walk like some ECU fans think. We are not going to all of a sudden start dominating the new CUSA. The East will have very solid Southern Miss, Marshall and FIU. Go look at FIU's recruiting class last year. They signed 17 3 stars to our 12 and most of theirs are sticking while we are losing some of our class. If FIU can keep their coach and start winning they will have very solid South Florida talent flocking to the school. LaTech will be no push over in the West for Tulsa. They barely lost by a couple points last year to our two eventual CUSA Championship game teams Southern Miss and Houston, both of which curb stomped us last year.

CUSA is certainly not some dream league for most of us but it is what it is and minus more chaos in the expansion we are probably here for a while. Would love to see us in the mix with Big East left overs and solid MWC teams but don't know if that will happen.

Yep. We could've been in the WAC when all this crazy realignment mess started again. We've got some stability now, so it's time to turn on the football switch and drive the sword into the belly of the beast. Ruffin needs to win and win now. This team is a big mystery at this point. No positions are locked by anybody it appears. But anything less than 7 or 8 wins and a bowl is IMO the beginning of the end for RUFF.

(05-25-2012 11:35 AM)ECUPirated Wrote:  Yep. We could've been in the WAC when all this crazy realignment mess started again. We've got some stability now, so it's time to turn on the football switch and drive the sword into the belly of the beast. Ruffin needs to win and win now. This team is a big mystery at this point. No positions are locked by anybody it appears. But anything less than 7 or 8 wins and a bowl is IMO the beginning of the end for RUFF.

Hate to flip the subject too much, but I just wanted to agree with this. 7-8 wins, and Ruff is good for a couple more years. 5-6 and I think he gets to stay but he will have to change staff. Less than that and I think we're coach shopping in December.

I really want Ruff to succeed, but I don't think we can afford to wait for him to figure it out if he struggles this year.

(05-25-2012 12:25 PM)Lethemeul Wrote:  

(05-25-2012 11:35 AM)ECUPirated Wrote:  Yep. We could've been in the WAC when all this crazy realignment mess started again. We've got some stability now, so it's time to turn on the football switch and drive the sword into the belly of the beast. Ruffin needs to win and win now. This team is a big mystery at this point. No positions are locked by anybody it appears. But anything less than 7 or 8 wins and a bowl is IMO the beginning of the end for RUFF.

Hate to flip the subject too much, but I just wanted to agree with this. 7-8 wins, and Ruff is good for a couple more years. 5-6 and I think he gets to stay but he will have to change staff. Less than that and I think we're coach shopping in December.

I really want Ruff to succeed, but I don't think we can afford to wait for him to figure it out if he struggles this year.

I think you echo the feelings of most Pirate fans.

I might mention, I did not attend ECU, but my money did - son and daughter graduated there. And, we have had season tickets for many years. So, I am a "guest" fan, I guess.

Like i said in my original post - I'm trying very hard to be optimistic and only share these reservations with you folks here. I'll be doing all I can from the stands to help the Pirates win.

That graph is amazing.
It was time for Logan to go for several reasons but John Thompson was a complete disaster. Holtz probably couldn't have won but 7 games in 2010 had he stayed... but Ruff second year was a dissappointment. I expect big things in 2012. We need to make waves.

But since I started this thread - I'll return to my point. We could have scheduled UNCC, FIU, ODU, La Tech as an Independent. Am I the only one that thinks our brand and following is a huge selling point for the current CUSA in their media negotiations? Am I the only one that thinks we could have garnered a independent deal worth more money than our cut from CUSA? We're not Texas by any means but I'm just biased enough to think that we are at least worth as much alone as we are bundled with the other members in CUSA.

You'll likely not be able to convince me we couldn't have benefited more by rallying behind a temporary stint on independence. You definatley won't be able to convince me that we'd be worse off. But it doesn't really matter: I lack the resources to be a significant booster and I will always continue to support the program.