WesternBlazer
Hall of Famer
Posts: 22,158
Joined: Jan 2008
Reputation: 90
I Root For: UAB
Location:
|
RE: Western Kentucky to Conference USA in 2014(Announcement Monday?)
Much better opportunity for rivalries in the East. MTSU, WKU, w/SMiss as a permanent crossover game. Add in restarts with ODU and Charlotte and there is a better possibility of intense rivalries. I just don't see intensity outside of that necessary to win the game vs the Texas teams from the players or the fans (as it was for Memphis, for example).
(This post was last modified: 03-31-2013 12:52 PM by WesternBlazer.)
|
|
03-31-2013 12:51 PM |
|
Rebounder2u
1st String
Posts: 1,884
Joined: Nov 2008
Reputation: 33
I Root For: Blazers
Location:
|
RE: Western Kentucky to Conference USA in 2014(Announcement Monday?)
East,west,north, south, lets play...west we have rivals...when cross over...east we have instant and some old traditional rivals....either way...we and a few others will be the teams most other teams fans want to see, and beat...see rivals.
|
|
03-31-2013 01:35 PM |
|
demiveeman
Heisman
Posts: 9,245
Joined: Nov 2007
Reputation: 165
I Root For: UAB
Location:
|
RE: Western Kentucky to Conference USA in 2014(Announcement Monday?)
Rivalries can develop anywhere.
Rivalries are better when fans can actually travel to each to the games.
UAB, Southern Miss, and MTSU should be in the same division.
|
|
03-31-2013 02:28 PM |
|
bladhmadh
All American
Posts: 4,801
Joined: May 2011
Reputation: 92
I Root For: UAB
Location:
|
RE: Western Kentucky to Conference USA in 2014(Announcement Monday?)
(03-31-2013 02:28 PM)demiveeman Wrote: Rivalries can develop anywhere.
Rivalries are better when fans can actually travel to each to the games.
UAB, Southern Miss, and MTSU should be in the same division.
Southern miss would be better off in a west division that included ULL and stAte. The difference in drive time from ULL to USM and from UAB to USM according to map sites is almost identical. ULL would bring more fans to USM than UAB. USM and La Tech have a long history and USM does not have one with MTSU. UAB needs to be with WKU UNCC and ODU
|
|
03-31-2013 05:24 PM |
|
sadolakced
Special Teams
Posts: 943
Joined: Mar 2010
Reputation: 7
I Root For: UAB
Location:
|
RE: Western Kentucky to Conference USA in 2014(Announcement Monday?)
(03-31-2013 01:38 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote: Rivals aren't built based on proximity anymore. They are built on results in competition and things that happen in games.
UTEP
|
|
03-31-2013 06:58 PM |
|
Smaug
Happnin' Dude
Posts: 61,211
Joined: Mar 2005
Reputation: 842
I Root For: Dragons
Location: The Lonely Mountain
|
RE: Western Kentucky to Conference USA in 2014(Announcement Monday?)
(03-31-2013 06:58 PM)sadolakced Wrote: (03-31-2013 01:38 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote: Rivals aren't built based on proximity anymore. They are built on results in competition and things that happen in games.
UTEP
We've had some hellacious basketball games.
|
|
03-31-2013 07:00 PM |
|
58-56
Blazer Revolutionary
Posts: 13,287
Joined: Mar 2006
Reputation: 825
I Root For: Fire Ray Watts
Location: CathedraloftheDragon
|
RE: Western Kentucky to Conference USA in 2014(Announcement Monday?)
All the conference needs to do is tell the F-U's F-you and put them in the West together. Everyone else has to fly there anyway, so there's no savings for Olympic sports or fan considerations.
|
|
03-31-2013 07:09 PM |
|
bladhmadh
All American
Posts: 4,801
Joined: May 2011
Reputation: 92
I Root For: UAB
Location:
|
RE: Western Kentucky to Conference USA in 2014(Announcement Monday?)
(03-31-2013 07:09 PM)58-56 Wrote: All the conference needs to do is tell the F-U's F-you and put them in the West together. Everyone else has to fly there anyway, so there's no savings for Olympic sports or fan considerations.
the east schools want to play in florida each year for recruiting reasons.
|
|
03-31-2013 07:25 PM |
|
BlazerGrad88
All American
Posts: 3,173
Joined: Sep 2006
Reputation: 29
I Root For: UAB
Location:
|
RE: Western Kentucky to Conference USA in 2014(Announcement Monday?)
(03-31-2013 01:38 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote: Rivals aren't built based on proximity anymore. They are built on results in competition and things that happen in games.
Well, sort of. Rivalries among the players can develop that way but not necessarily among the fans, which is a pretty important component of any rivalry. I can't recall the last time I talked smack around the water cooler with a UTEP fan.
|
|
03-31-2013 09:00 PM |
|
the_blazerman
Legend
Posts: 30,397
Joined: Nov 2004
Reputation: 95
I Root For: UAB
Location:
|
RE: Western Kentucky to Conference USA in 2014(Announcement Monday?)
Wouldn't you need to talk in Spanish?
|
|
03-31-2013 09:25 PM |
|
demiveeman
Heisman
Posts: 9,245
Joined: Nov 2007
Reputation: 165
I Root For: UAB
Location:
|
RE: Western Kentucky to Conference USA in 2014(Announcement Monday?)
(03-31-2013 07:00 PM)Smaug Wrote: (03-31-2013 06:58 PM)sadolakced Wrote: (03-31-2013 01:38 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote: Rivals aren't built based on proximity anymore. They are built on results in competition and things that happen in games.
UTEP
We've had some hellacious basketball games.
Absolutely. And they were fantastic. But how many games did you get to see live in UTEP's arena? How many UTEP fans made the trip to the Bartow games?
|
|
03-31-2013 11:31 PM |
|
demiveeman
Heisman
Posts: 9,245
Joined: Nov 2007
Reputation: 165
I Root For: UAB
Location:
|
RE: Western Kentucky to Conference USA in 2014(Announcement Monday?)
(03-31-2013 11:33 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote: (03-31-2013 11:31 PM)demiveeman Wrote: (03-31-2013 07:00 PM)Smaug Wrote: (03-31-2013 06:58 PM)sadolakced Wrote: (03-31-2013 01:38 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote: Rivals aren't built based on proximity anymore. They are built on results in competition and things that happen in games.
UTEP
We've had some hellacious basketball games.
Absolutely. And they were fantastic. But how many games did you get to see live in UTEP's arena? How many UTEP fans made the trip to the Bartow games?
It's not like anything has changed. How many games did the average Blazer fan see live in any opponents arena.
The "average" Blazer fan didn't see games in Bartow Arena this year.
|
|
04-01-2013 12:11 AM |
|
GreenMississippi
Heisman
Posts: 7,694
Joined: Nov 2005
Reputation: 109
I Root For: UAB / VCU
Location: Dallas, TX
|
RE: Western Kentucky to Conference USA in 2014(Announcement Monday?)
This is a repost from C*USA Main board, but I half agree with 58-56.
Football (and Basketball?) East
Marshall - ODU - Charlotte - MTSU% - F_U - UAB* - USM^
Football (and Basketball?) West
UTEP* - UTSA - UNT - Rice - WKU% - La Tech^ - F_U
*,^,% and _ indicate permanent rivals (doesn't matter which F_U goes where). The other 3 can mix-match however they want. This maximizes Florida and Texas exposure for both divisions (with 4 teams in Texas the East is guaranteed to play in Texas 2/3rds of the seasons). The F_U western school becomes something of a UTEP-like outpost, but Miami airport is equipped for that, and the distance isn't a huge change.
Miami to Ruston: 881 mi
Miami to Houston: 965 mi
Miami to Huntington: 883 mi
Miami to Norfolk: 799 mi
UTEP is a challenge, but it isn't much different than putting UAB and USM in the west.
Miami to El Paso: 1640 mi
Birmingham to El Paso: 1151 mi
Hattiesburg to El Paso: 1012 mi
It's about 500 to 600 more miles for F_U, and WKU also gets the shaft that UAB/USM gets, but in the end it might be cheaper flying Southwest Airlines to major Texas metropolitans anyways.
East
Marshall - ODU - Charlotte - MTSU - WKU - FAU - FIU
West
UAB - USM - La Tech - Rice - UNT - UTSA - UTEP
This is a tighter driving trip for everyone except USM and UAB. I would argue for a 3 pod system for the Olympic sports using affiliate members where possible.
West
Rice - UNT - UTSA - UTEP - 2 Affiliate Members (Dallas Baptist, Colorado College,etc)
Central
La Tech - USM - UAB - MTSU - WKU
East
Marshall - ODU - Charlotte - FAU - FIU
Remember, not all schools field teams for all sports (ex: Baseball, Soccer), and we have a lot of other affiliates (I.E. half the SEC in some sports), so in each sport this will change.
|
|
04-01-2013 09:06 AM |
|