With the Sunbelt announcing their own “aggressive” expansion.
Then the ULL AD talking about how The Sunbelt has more to offer than the American.

It looks like The Sunbelt didn’t get invited to the AAC party and is doubling down as being a better “P6” conference.
Statement on realignment from the @SunBelt, which describes itself “the best non-autonomy FBS conference in the country.”

The B12 hosting another round of expansion in a few years. Also likely blocks The AAC from poaching any MWC schools. Why move to the AAC when you have a chance to go P5?

All of this to say,

C-USA is about to picked to bits. The AAC missing out on The Sunbelt and MWC means they likely take 4 C-USA schools. (You get 12x the money in the AAC so everyone would say yes). The Sunbelt could get JMU, and Jacksonville State from FCS. Or 3/4 C-USA teams. IF the C-USA teams think it’s worth the multi million buyout to move back to a conference they left. I don’t see WKU, FU Twins, or UNT making that move. Maybe ODU and UTSA or LaTech would move to the Sunbelt if they miss on the AAC. UTEP might run to MWC.

But that would leave 6-8 teams in C-USA after all the expansion. The schools that are left behind from the AAC and Sunbelt.

If you think it’s a rough conference now, imagine it then.
But with no other conferences out there expanding. I guess the remaining C-USA schools would expand.

FCS Candidates:
- Eastern Kentucky
- Central Arkansas
- Missouri State
- Jacksonville State
- Abilene Christian

I like the idea of trying to poach the best HBCUs.
- Jackson State
- Florida A&M
- NC A&T
- Howard
- Southern
- Alabama State

If you look at FCS attendance numbers, HBCUs relatively dominate.
Almost all the schools I mentioned how an endowment over 100 million. Jackson State is an R2 research university.

But in a year or two, these are the questions the left behind C-USA schools will have to ask itself.

I’m not saying CUSA teams won’t jump but they won’t be making 12x the money once their deal gets renegotiated which is contractually going to happen. 2-3x is more realistic especially if the BIG12 decides to add a couple more.

So this hinges on AAC expanding with 4 teams instead of 2, got it.

(09-11-2021 09:26 AM)BKTopper Wrote:  So this hinges on AAC expanding with 4 teams instead of 2, got it.

I think he’s saying this all rolls downhill. In the last great realignment, the Sunbelt was at the bottom of the food chain. It is not clear where it ends this time, but at least the Sunbelt Commissioner is visible saying they are in the game. Pretty quiet from Judy.

(09-11-2021 09:30 AM)ESE84 Wrote:  

(09-11-2021 09:26 AM)BKTopper Wrote:  So this hinges on AAC expanding with 4 teams instead of 2, got it.

I think he’s saying this all rolls downhill. In the last great realignment, the Sunbelt was at the bottom of the food chain. It is not clear where it ends this time, but at least the Sunbelt Commissioner is visible saying they are in the game. Pretty quiet from Judy.

Exactly, thank you for summarizing.
We are the last dog to the bowl.
Wether they take 2 or 4 doesn’t matter.

(09-11-2021 09:30 AM)ESE84 Wrote:  

(09-11-2021 09:26 AM)BKTopper Wrote:  So this hinges on AAC expanding with 4 teams instead of 2, got it.

I think he’s saying this all rolls downhill. In the last great realignment, the Sunbelt was at the bottom of the food chain. It is not clear where it ends this time, but at least the Sunbelt Commissioner is visible saying they are in the game. Pretty quiet from Judy.

Yeah, I agree with that. I really really hope CUSA is just sitting tight, waiting to lose 4-6 teams.

Then Judy “retires” or something and we get some actual talent in the commish seat —somebody who kisses ESPN’s ring and figures out the bb tourney (plus a new logo and color scheme maybe, please?).

If the AAC takes at least 2 Texas schools and 2 of the mistakes we added then I would be ecstatic.

Is there potential for CUSA to be destroyed? Yes of course, but we all know about that word potential.

Let's see who the AAC takes and re-assess things from there.

(09-11-2021 09:12 AM)LaTex14 Wrote:  With the Sunbelt announcing their own “aggressive” expansion.
Then the ULL AD talking about how The Sunbelt has more to offer than the American.

It looks like The Sunbelt didn’t get invited to the AAC party and is doubling down as being a better “P6” conference.
Statement on realignment from the @SunBelt, which describes itself “the best non-autonomy FBS conference in the country.”

The B12 hosting another round of expansion in a few years. Also likely blocks The AAC from poaching any MWC schools. Why move to the AAC when you have a chance to go P5?

All of this to say,

C-USA is about to picked to bits. The AAC missing out on The Sunbelt and MWC means they likely take 4 C-USA schools. (You get 12x the money in the AAC so everyone would say yes). The Sunbelt could get JMU, and Jacksonville State from FCS. Or 3/4 C-USA teams. IF the C-USA teams think it’s worth the multi million buyout to move back to a conference they left. I don’t see WKU, FU Twins, or UNT making that move. Maybe ODU and UTSA or LaTech would move to the Sunbelt if they miss on the AAC. UTEP might run to MWC.

But that would leave 6-8 teams in C-USA after all the expansion. The schools that are left behind from the AAC and Sunbelt.

If you think it’s a rough conference now, imagine it then.
But with no other conferences out there expanding. I guess the remaining C-USA schools would expand.

FCS Candidates:
- Eastern Kentucky
- Central Arkansas
- Missouri State
- Jacksonville State
- Abilene Christian

I like the idea of trying to poach the best HBCUs.
- Jackson State
- Florida A&M
- NC A&T
- Howard
- Southern
- Alabama State

If you look at FCS attendance numbers, HBCUs relatively dominate.
Almost all the schools I mentioned how an endowment over 100 million. Jackson State is an R2 research university.

But in a year or two, these are the questions the left behind C-USA schools will have to ask itself.

Didn't FAMU already attempt to jump to FBS, unsuccessfully? I think they were burned by the experience.

If USM finds itself in a league with FCS callups instead of extraordinary gentlemen let's pack it up, donate all football remnants to charity and grab the euthanasia.

The other possibility is to take the USA in C-USA literally.

Add the strongest FCS schools:
- Montana
- NDSU
- SDSU
- NDU? Or Montana St?

Then some schools in between for travel.
So:
- Missouri State
- Illinois State?
- Central Arkansas?
- Drake?
- UNI?

It makes you more competitive than the MAC right off the bat, but man that’s some traveling. And C-USA becomes a hockey conference. Texas to North Dakota. Lol

(09-11-2021 11:44 AM)LaTex14 Wrote:  The other possibility is to take the USA in C-USA literally.

Add the strongest FCS schools:
- Montana
- NDSU
- SDSU
- NDU? Or Montana St?

Then some schools in between for travel.
So:
- Missouri State
- Illinois State?
- Central Arkansas?
- Drake?
- UNI?

It makes you more competitive than the MAC right off the bat, but man that’s some traveling. And C-USA becomes a hockey conference. Texas to North Dakota. Lol

Do any of those schools actually want to move up to FBS?

(09-11-2021 11:49 AM)goliath74 Wrote:  

(09-11-2021 11:44 AM)LaTex14 Wrote:  The other possibility is to take the USA in C-USA literally.

Add the strongest FCS schools:
- Montana
- NDSU
- SDSU
- NDU? Or Montana St?

Then some schools in between for travel.
So:
- Missouri State
- Illinois State?
- Central Arkansas?
- Drake?
- UNI?

It makes you more competitive than the MAC right off the bat, but man that’s some traveling. And C-USA becomes a hockey conference. Texas to North Dakota. Lol

Do any of those schools actually want to move up to FBS?

https://footballscoop.com/news/could-nor...-expansion
NDSU AD has been making some noise about it recently. You get them and let their AD convince the others.
You can have C-USA North and South division.

I think adding large supported HBCU’s or reaching up into the US for the best schools would be the move. Instead of adding Eastern Kentucky and other middle of the pack FCS schools.
When you’re at the bottom of the totem pole. Like C-USA is this cycle. You gotta go extreme.

(09-11-2021 11:52 AM)LaTex14 Wrote:  

(09-11-2021 11:49 AM)goliath74 Wrote:  

(09-11-2021 11:44 AM)LaTex14 Wrote:  The other possibility is to take the USA in C-USA literally.

Add the strongest FCS schools:
- Montana
- NDSU
- SDSU
- NDU? Or Montana St?

Then some schools in between for travel.
So:
- Missouri State
- Illinois State?
- Central Arkansas?
- Drake?
- UNI?

It makes you more competitive than the MAC right off the bat, but man that’s some traveling. And C-USA becomes a hockey conference. Texas to North Dakota. Lol

Do any of those schools actually want to move up to FBS?

https://footballscoop.com/news/could-nor...-expansion
NDSU AD has been making some noise about it recently. You get them and let their AD convince the others.
You can have C-USA North and South division.

I think adding large supported HBCU’s or reaching up into the US for the best schools would be the move. Instead of adding Eastern Kentucky and other middle of the pack FCS schools.
When you’re at the bottom of the totem pole. Like C-USA is this cycle. You gotta go extreme.

Well, if they want it, I want it.

(09-11-2021 11:49 AM)goliath74 Wrote:  

(09-11-2021 11:44 AM)LaTex14 Wrote:  The other possibility is to take the USA in C-USA literally.

Add the strongest FCS schools:
- Montana
- NDSU
- SDSU
- NDU? Or Montana St?

Then some schools in between for travel.
So:
- Missouri State
- Illinois State?
- Central Arkansas?
- Drake?
- UNI?

It makes you more competitive than the MAC right off the bat, but man that’s some traveling. And C-USA becomes a hockey conference. Texas to North Dakota. Lol

Do any of those schools actually want to move up to FBS?

NDSU wants to. Most NDSU fans are bored with FCS. We haven't had a chance to play FBS talent since beating #13 Iowa in 2016. There has been a LOT of clamoring on our fan board for a move to FBS. Our AD recently said something to the effect that NDSU is well-position if an FBS opportunity materializes. That's the closest thing to saying we want FBS that I've ever heard NDSU administration utter. But it is progress. Invite us, please. Even if for football only. We'll be forever grateful to the CUSA that they delivered us from the dumpster that is FCS.

By the way, our fans travel really well. And Fargo's airport is a mile from campus. Easy airport to get in an out of. Lots of direct flights each day to Chicago, Dallas, Orlando, Minneapolis, and Denver.

(09-11-2021 11:44 AM)LaTex14 Wrote:  The other possibility is to take the USA in C-USA literally.

Add the strongest FCS schools:
- Montana
- NDSU
- SDSU
- NDU? Or Montana St?

Then some schools in between for travel.
So:
- Missouri State
- Illinois State?
- Central Arkansas?
- Drake?
- UNI?

It makes you more competitive than the MAC right off the bat, but man that’s some traveling. And C-USA becomes a hockey conference. Texas to North Dakota. Lol

Missouri State would, if the opportunity presented itself. The school is not happy with the direction the Valley has gone over the past few rounds of expansion.

AAC adds 4, and it is seriously looking like UAB, Rice, Marshall, and Old Dominion could be those four.

Sun Belt likely to land Southern Miss.

AD at Colorado State-Fort Collins seems to think Texas expansion for the MWC is likely down the road even if new members take a pay cut in revenue. That's good news for North Texas and UTSA.

Sun Belt wants 12? Probably going to be James Madison.

What's that leave?
1. UTEP
2. Louisiana Tech
3. Florida International
4. Florida Atlantic
5. Charlotte
6. Middle Tennessee
7. Western Kentucky

Then what? Add Liberty? Would they accept? Better hope so! If the MAC revisits expansion, all-sports Liberty and all-sports UMass could be on the table to get to 14.

Then who? New Mexico State all-sports? Better hope they would be willing to leave the WAC.

ESPN could go so far to push the Sun Belt to finish off CUSA by adding 2 of FAU, FIU, Charlotte, or Western Kentucky.

If that happens everyone that is left would likely be 1-A Independents for the long-term or until 1-A becomes unaffordable.

The hope is that the Big XII adds four more to go to 16 and that the AAC and Mountain West will backfill.

And so it begins. The death of Conference USA football is upon us.

Adding the Dakota schools and Montana would be a strong add.

(10-25-2021 01:45 PM)hburg Wrote:  Adding the Dakota schools and Montana would be a strong add.

Montana is waiting for a Mountain West or Power 5 invitation. Neither will happen in the current environment, but if there is an upper Autonomy Conference break-way from the G5 and lower Autonmy schools, then there may be more room for leagues like the Big Sky and Missouri Valley to want to be part of that new subdivision instead of the current FCS. What that new subdivision would require could be anything and likely more manageable then what it is now with upper Autonomy schools making all the decisions for the FBS.