(01-01-2013 03:31 PM)DaSaintFan Wrote:  

Quote:If the market theory is wrong then C-USA is just as screwed since they followed it to the letter as well.

Uhm.. are you sure? They added growth schools w/markets AND recruiting grounds. Again, I wasn't a fan of the F_U addons, but Marshall, UAB, and USM all go after the Florida recruitment area.

UTSA = Growth School +Market
ODU = Growth school + Market (not sure on recruitment grounds)UNT = Growth School + FL Recruitment Grounds (Market I'm not so sure of)
FAU/FIU = Recruitment Grounds + Markets
MTSU = Performance Based + TN Recruitment area
La Tech = Performance based + LA recruitment area

(not saying you're right or wrong, Bj... it just looks like you're seeing it from the myopic "markets only" stance)

Trust me Tidewater Virginia is one of the better recruiting areas in the country. Tons and tons of FBS talent here.It would take all evening to name the most recent pro and college stars to come out of this area.

(01-01-2013 03:31 PM)DaSaintFan Wrote:  

Quote:If the market theory is wrong then C-USA is just as screwed since they followed it to the letter as well.

Uhm.. are you sure? They added growth schools w/markets AND recruiting grounds. Again, I wasn't a fan of the F_U addons, but Marshall, UAB, and USM all go after the Florida recruitment area.

UTSA = Growth School +Market
ODU = Growth school + Market (not sure on recruitment grounds)
UNT = Growth School + FL Recruitment Grounds (Market I'm not so sure of)
FAU/FIU = Recruitment Grounds + Markets
MTSU = Performance Based + TN Recruitment area
La Tech = Performance based + LA recruitment area

(not saying you're right or wrong, Bj... it just looks like you're seeing it from the myopic "markets only" stance)

Pretty sure I can say nearly the same thing about the Big East additions as well, just that the Big East added more established schools in markets.

Except that the Big east has always stated in interviews and comments their intentions were for the TV markets, and not for the recruitment grounds.

The Big East rarely ever recruited into Texas (to my recollection) heavily. All of a sudden Texas recruitment grounds were needed? No, they said it was for the dallas/houston/etc. TV markets.

Again, to me Markets are POINTLESS in determining Conference alignment. You need common purposes (the ACC = Higher academic requirements), BIG10 = AAU's, SEC = Southern flagship type schools, etc.) The Big East never really determined what their common purpose was. The reasons for bringing in each school seemed to change the requirements.

C-USA higher-ups never really said what their 'criteria' were (except for the F_U's). (and fans just made the assumptions that markets were involved (or as I believe, recruitment grounds, or "low floor/high ceilings", etc.))

(01-01-2013 06:25 PM)DaSaintFan Wrote:  Except that the Big east has always stated in interviews and comments their intentions were for the TV markets, and not for the recruitment grounds.

The Big East rarely ever recruited into Texas (to my recollection) heavily. All of a sudden Texas recruitment grounds were needed? No, they said it was for the dallas/houston/etc. TV markets.

Again, to me Markets are POINTLESS in determining Conference alignment. You need common purposes (the ACC = Higher academic requirements), BIG10 = AAU's, SEC = Southern flagship type schools, etc.) The Big East never really determined what their common purpose was. The reasons for bringing in each school seemed to change the requirements.

C-USA higher-ups never really said what their 'criteria' were (except for the F_U's). (and fans just made the assumptions that markets were involved (or as I believe, recruitment grounds, or "low floor/high ceilings", etc.))

If the Big East has no common purpose then what exactly is C-USA's? The leagues have basically done the exact same things throughout history of realignment. The Big East has been more up front about markets and their perceived importance, but C-USA's addition list makes it clear they thought markets were more important than on the field performance.

Do you mean the current batch? Common purpose.. Keep open fertile and current recruiting grounds (Tx, fl, carolina, midsouth (TN, LA))) to the current membership, while making sure the schools coming in from those areas have at least the potential to be a good school. (again, that's probably the one reason why I don't think Tulane will be missed. You'd get good New Orleans students, but you can get those same students with La Tech.). ODU was the exception to this rule, but that's simply because it was a GREAT area that was seen by the C-USA PTB as currently "untapped".

Having good markets in there doesn't hurt, but it's not the end-all/be-all.

Let's not forget, it was the Ex-Metro conference.. then when teams left, they changed over to schools originally with at least one good sport in "all sports" categories. Then it became the "proving ground" for up-and-comers that weren't getting the chance elsewhere (USF, ECU)... (Before the Sun Belt took that 'label' for FCS start-ups moving up).