Cajuns1252
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RE: An attempt to reshuffle C-USA and the Sun Belt
(04-08-2020 05:00 PM)Side Show Joe Wrote: (04-08-2020 11:02 AM)quo vadis Wrote: (04-08-2020 10:01 AM)Side Show Joe Wrote: (04-08-2020 09:13 AM)quo vadis Wrote: (04-07-2020 06:46 PM)Side Show Joe Wrote: I'll go ahead and bold the most important part of this post. I guess you didn't read the whole thing.
I'd much rather North Texas travel to Florida every year and play teams that go bowling. We want to conference with the best competition we can. Geography is secondary to quality.
By the way North Texas is a larger university. We are the 5th largest university in Texas with an enrollment of 39,454. Texas State is close, but currently not larger. They have an enrollment of 38,848. Plus, North Texas is a Carnegie Tier 1 research university. Texas State is not.
I would say the bolded part is least important. Sure, a few programs win (Ohio State) or lose (Vandy) all the time, but for most schools wins and losses will come and go, are no basis to make conference decisions on. That's certainly true of FAU and FIU.
We are going to have to agree to disagree. In my opinion, Texas State does nothing for North Texas. UTSA is located 50 miles from Texas State, and UTSA is in San Antonio. I know UTSA hasn't done much, but I don't think Texas State has their potential either, so there is no need to overlap in that region. But, if UTSA was a small private school, I'd probably feel differently.
Like I stated, North Texas needs to focus on conferencing with the best programs we can, not looking for cheap local bus games no one will care about. We are building facilities, improving recruiting, improving our OOC scheduling, and growing our budget. Those things are not being done just so we can move to a regional conference no one will care about.
North Texas can only do what we can do. I'm sure we would jump at an AAC invitation, but that is beyond our control. So, we will make the best of being in C-USA and build our athletic programs. No whining, and not excuses.
I appreciate your POV, no problem with disagreeing to agree (LOL).
FWIW though, I just looked at FAU's football record the past 5 years. Sure, they have two 11-3 seasons. But they also have two 3-9 seasons, with a 5-7 in there too. Not exactly a juggernaut on the field. FIU also has 3 losing seasons in the last 5, and their best record during that time is 9-4. These are not world-beaters. FAU is barely above .500 for those years, FIU is below .500.
I agree with the idea of partnering with the best schools you can, I just don't think that necessarily means traveling far afield (the Ivy Leagus is a regional conference), and as I don't see any real quality difference between the SB and CUSA schools, so in that case, geography does IMO matter.
I also think you underestimate Texas State. Potential? They are growing by leaps and bounds. Unlike UTSA and UNT, they aren't in a big metro footprint, but that is actually working to their advantage. Their location is kind of epicenter among Austin, San Antonio, and even Houston, allowing them to draw from all of those places. They are close enough for kids located in the Austin or San Antonio area to commute if they want, but far enough for them to "get away from home" if they want that experience too.
Anyway. Cheers!
Thanks.
Yes, FAU/FIU have some weak seasons in the last five years, but their most recent seasons have them trending up. And, I think that will continue under Taggart and Davis.
Overall, sure their isn't much difference between C-USA and the Sun Belt. But, when you look at each division, the Sun Belt West's footprint just has too much baggage. The teams in C-USA West have no need or desire to conference with ULM, or basketball only UT-A & A- Little Rock. In my opinion, there are just not enough quality regional programs within a "bus league" distance, to make up for what we already enjoy in C-USA. And, I believe being too regional would hurt recruiting and national relevance. Given C-USA's media deal (or lack there of), we can't afford to lose more ground in that regard. The overall strength of a program's football still trumps everything in my book.
I don't view Texas State's location as a positive at all. They are located between Austin and San Antonio, and both cities have large public universities already playing in the FBS, with more success than Texas State. Texas State will always be playing second fiddle to both in those cities.
I thank you for your thoughtful opinion, but I still feel it is in UNT's best interest to help stabilize C-USA until a better configuration can be attained.
Yea man, I completely agree with this from a sunbelt point we have baggage (sunbelt west) and like you said C-USA West also has baggage and you can that much baggage in one conference together. You’d see schools like UNT, LaTech, UL, Arkansas State, Southern Miss get tired of it go independent and it would all fall apart....plain and simple and small geographic footprint is just as bad as one too big.
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