Markets mattered when expansion took place because of how tv contracts were structured. The problem was the cable tv bubble burst shortly after and with it went tv contracts based largely on markets

(01-07-2021 12:13 PM)UAB Schnauzer Wrote:  Markets mattered when expansion took place because of how tv contracts were structured. The problem was the cable tv bubble burst shortly after and with it went tv contracts based largely on markets

True

The four Universities mentioned all won National Championships at lower levels and had a history of competitive college football. Not saying that new programs have to meet these requirements but it is a commonality amongst the group mentioned.

You can add Western to that nation championship at a lower level and before this season Western had the best overall football winning % in CUSA. I dont know how close #2, I believe Marshall or it might have been USM, that was 2nd to Western to over take the all time winning %

That's in over 100 years of football and in that time at least 2 former coaches (I'm thinking 3) went on to be head coaches in the NFL. Actually you can add 1 other to that list of former coaches that went on to be NFL coaches. Jim Harbaugh was an asst coach to his dad, at Western. Till the SBC moved up to BCS there was not the benefit for Western to move up from 1AA football. So Western is not just a basketball school.....we just took our time moving up.


actually its 5 former Western players or coaches that held a NFL head coach
Joe Bugel
Jim Harbaugh
Jerry Glanville
Romeo Crennel
Bobby Petrino

(01-07-2021 10:29 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  You can add Western to that nation championship at a lower level and before this season Western had the best overall football winning % in CUSA. I dont know how close #2, I believe Marshall or it might have been USM, that was 2nd to Western to over take the all time winning %

That's in over 100 years of football and in that time at least 2 former coaches (I'm thinking 3) went on to be head coaches in the NFL. Actually you can add 1 other to that list of former coaches that went on to be NFL coaches. Jim Harbaugh was an asst coach to his dad, at Western. Till the SBC moved up to BCS there was not the benefit for Western to move up from 1AA football. So Western is not just a basketball school.....we just took our time moving up.


actually its 5 former Western players or coaches that held a NFL head coach
Joe Bugel
Jim Harbaugh
Jerry Glanville
Romeo Crennel
Bobby Petrino

I did include WKU in that group for reasons stated above. We talk a lot about the poor schools and market but we often take for granted what some of these athletic programs did in the past to get here. Football means a helluva lot to these smaller programs because it was all they had for a long time. There are football schools and there are athletic programs. Once again, I am not disparaging anyone's school as we have all had past success, just harping on the trivia question mentioned.