(09-18-2012 03:14 PM)CollegeCard Wrote: (09-18-2012 12:41 PM)TOGC Wrote: (09-17-2012 03:05 PM)CliftonAve Wrote: I don't think you Memphis fans fully appreciate how much UC has grown in the past 7-8 years.
I don't think you Cincinnati fans fully appreciate how much potential for growth Memphis will have when we have access to the same benefits that you've enjoyed for the last 7-8 years.
Try winning at the Big East level with CUSA level resources. It's a whole lot tougher.
It is tougher, but plenty of schools such as UofL, Boise, TCU, and Utah (also Houston to a slightly lesser extent in 2011) won at the "BCS level" while in a lower level league. Others such as USM have not had the highest level of success but have been very consistent.
Memphis was a rarely a top team in CUSA and the bowls were nearly non-existent outside of the DeAngelo era. That's in the past though. We hope, and it appears, that the commitment to football is finally there with the move to the Big East.
However, let's not act like CUSA alone is a valid excuse for no football commitment. UofL disproved that theory. UC had somewhat shown it on the field but more so they were improving campus facilities wise while still in CUSA. Later UCF did and more recently Memphis and Houston finally displayed a commitment with improvements to the program.
During the last Big East conference expansion, Memphis had a better football program than both Cincinnati and USF. We were told that we were excluded due to geographic reasons (too far west). We still own the series record against Cincinnati and were 2-2 against USF when they were a member of CUSA.
The excuse of "commitment" cannot be held against Memphis any longer. In the last five years, Memphis has:
1. built a brand new football only weight room
2. built new locker rooms
3. built brand new practice fields with new turf and improved drainage
4. built new team meeting rooms
5. built new recruiting rooms
6. built a new tailgating area around the stadium
7. built the tenth largest video board in the country for the stadium
8. repainted the stadium and improved the concessions
9. resurfaced the stadium with brand new turf
10. hired the OC from TCU as head coach
11. hired a new athletic director
12. started a fundraising campaign for a new indoor practice facility
13. planned new improvements to the stadium press box
There is not one single thing that the players use or see that hasn't been upgraded within the last five years. Even the Cincinnati administration who were in town for the last Liberty Bowl commented on how remarkable our facilities are (and they've improved since then).
Now, you combine that with the financial windfall of playing in the Big East (vs playing in CUSA) and all of a sudden the path to success gets a whole lot easier than it was before. You can talk all you want about BSU, TCU, and Utah winning without resources but they are the exception to the rule.
Most schools that consistently win are able to do it because they have more money. Louisville has the largest budget in the Big East, so it's no surprise that they do well. Memphis had the biggest budget in CUSA and we did well in everything except football. With the increased commitment from the administration, the boosters, the fans, and the new conference, Memphis should be able to not only compete but succeed as a member of the Big East.
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My doormat can beat your doormat- Memphis/Duke game thread
