(10-13-2021 10:19 PM)TxSt1992 Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 02:35 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 02:33 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 02:31 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 01:20 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Killing a conference is very hard, but I do see some plausible scenarios where it would be very hard to rebuild the CUSA shell

If AAC goes to 12 and takes 4 from CUSA - UAB, Charlotte, Rice, and Marshall
then
MWC and Sunbelt take 2 each - N Texas and UTSA to MWC and USM and ODU to the Sunbelt

That leaves the CUSA with a very odd couple mix of 6
FIU, FAU, WKU, MTSU, LA Tech, and UTEP

If that were to happen, you know MTSU and WKU would be pushing hard to join the MAC

If the MAC takes WKU and MTSU, I don't see how CUSA rebuilds, unless they become the FBS gateway conference for the 1AA schools that have been long rumored to be interested in upgrading.

If the AAC, MWC, and Sunbelt all take CUSA schools, will the conference have the ability to survive?

I don't see anyone doing a lateral move to the Sun Belt. What's much more likely is the remnants of CUSA absorb the best 7 to 9 from the Sun Belt which gives the Sun Belt members an easy way to dump the 2 basketball schools and ULM.

I don't see anyone leaving the Sun Belt for CUSA at this point. That ship has sailed

I believe that Texas State would jump, but only if none of the CUSA Texas schools leave. Which isn’t likely, but TSU would definitely jump if they remained.

I'm pretty sure the answer is no to that. It would be fun to play the Texas schools, but it would be very difficult to leave the Sunbelt and the stability it offers during these trying times.

That sounds like the argument some made that noone would leave the stable AAC for the Big 12.

(10-13-2021 05:10 PM)CoastalJuan Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 01:20 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Killing a conference is very hard, but I do see some plausible scenarios where it would be very hard to rebuild the CUSA shell

If AAC goes to 12 and takes 4 from CUSA - UAB, Charlotte, Rice, and Marshall
then
MWC and Sunbelt take 2 each - N Texas and UTSA to MWC and USM and ODU to the Sunbelt

That leaves the CUSA with a very odd couple mix of 6
FIU, FAU, WKU, MTSU, LA Tech, and UTEP

If that were to happen, you know MTSU and WKU would be pushing hard to join the MAC

If the MAC takes WKU and MTSU, I don't see how CUSA rebuilds, unless they become the FBS gateway conference for the 1AA schools that have been long rumored to be interested in upgrading.

If the AAC, MWC, and Sunbelt all take CUSA schools, will the conference have the ability to survive?

1) I feel like there are too many FCS programs with FBS aspirations for CUSA to die. Plus, that scenario has a lot of poaching. They could end up with 8-10 teams to rebuild with.

2) I'll be shocked if the SBC doesn't use this opportunity to find a way into Florida. It's ridiculous that they don't have a team there.

One of the main things I learned during this realignment cycle is that the SBC is being pretty picky on which schools they want in the conference. Typically the SBC schools want a college town atmosphere with good to great football tradition and preferably within the existing footprint to minimize travel and to hopefully build some rivalries.. This is why everyone at the SBC board is excited for Southern Miss, because they fit the description above to a T. The Florida schools are both great schools but almost the exact opposite of what we're looking for. It would he a bad idea for both parties if they were to join. MTSU and WKU would be a good fits but to many burned bridges for them to come back. The other schools in CUSA dont fit the profile and as such shouldn't be considered. JMU would be a better fit.

(10-14-2021 12:33 AM)TxSt1992 Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 05:10 PM)CoastalJuan Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 01:20 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Killing a conference is very hard, but I do see some plausible scenarios where it would be very hard to rebuild the CUSA shell

If AAC goes to 12 and takes 4 from CUSA - UAB, Charlotte, Rice, and Marshall
then
MWC and Sunbelt take 2 each - N Texas and UTSA to MWC and USM and ODU to the Sunbelt

That leaves the CUSA with a very odd couple mix of 6
FIU, FAU, WKU, MTSU, LA Tech, and UTEP

If that were to happen, you know MTSU and WKU would be pushing hard to join the MAC

If the MAC takes WKU and MTSU, I don't see how CUSA rebuilds, unless they become the FBS gateway conference for the 1AA schools that have been long rumored to be interested in upgrading.

If the AAC, MWC, and Sunbelt all take CUSA schools, will the conference have the ability to survive?

1) I feel like there are too many FCS programs with FBS aspirations for CUSA to die. Plus, that scenario has a lot of poaching. They could end up with 8-10 teams to rebuild with.

2) I'll be shocked if the SBC doesn't use this opportunity to find a way into Florida. It's ridiculous that they don't have a team there.

One of the main things I learned during this realignment cycle is that the SBC is being pretty picky on which schools they want in the conference. Typically the SBC schools want a college town atmosphere with good to great football tradition and preferably within the existing footprint to minimize travel and to hopefully build some rivalries.. This is why everyone at the SBC board is excited for Southern Miss, because they fit the description above to a T. The Florida schools are both great schools but almost the exact opposite of what we're looking for. It would he a bad idea for both parties if they were to join. MTSU and WKU would be a good fits but to many burned bridges for them to come back. The other schools in CUSA dont fit the profile and as such shouldn't be considered. JMU would be a better fit.

MTSU or WKU won the Vic Bubas Cup every year in the Sun Belt as long as they were in the league. Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette have been in Division 1-A much longer than those two--UL-Lafayette always having been D1. They suffered then from the same thing Southern Miss does in CUSA now--being angry at those schools who basically swept into their division and conference and passed them by. They don't have any lost love for FAU, FIU, and North Texas either. It has been their sick fantasy to see those five schools want to better themselves in Conference USA. They feel the same way about Louisiana Tech too for rejecting the Slum Belch to stay in the WAC around 2005-ish.

(10-14-2021 01:54 AM)All4One Wrote:  

(10-14-2021 12:33 AM)TxSt1992 Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 05:10 PM)CoastalJuan Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 01:20 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Killing a conference is very hard, but I do see some plausible scenarios where it would be very hard to rebuild the CUSA shell

If AAC goes to 12 and takes 4 from CUSA - UAB, Charlotte, Rice, and Marshall
then
MWC and Sunbelt take 2 each - N Texas and UTSA to MWC and USM and ODU to the Sunbelt

That leaves the CUSA with a very odd couple mix of 6
FIU, FAU, WKU, MTSU, LA Tech, and UTEP

If that were to happen, you know MTSU and WKU would be pushing hard to join the MAC

If the MAC takes WKU and MTSU, I don't see how CUSA rebuilds, unless they become the FBS gateway conference for the 1AA schools that have been long rumored to be interested in upgrading.

If the AAC, MWC, and Sunbelt all take CUSA schools, will the conference have the ability to survive?

1) I feel like there are too many FCS programs with FBS aspirations for CUSA to die. Plus, that scenario has a lot of poaching. They could end up with 8-10 teams to rebuild with.

2) I'll be shocked if the SBC doesn't use this opportunity to find a way into Florida. It's ridiculous that they don't have a team there.

One of the main things I learned during this realignment cycle is that the SBC is being pretty picky on which schools they want in the conference. Typically the SBC schools want a college town atmosphere with good to great football tradition and preferably within the existing footprint to minimize travel and to hopefully build some rivalries.. This is why everyone at the SBC board is excited for Southern Miss, because they fit the description above to a T. The Florida schools are both great schools but almost the exact opposite of what we're looking for. It would he a bad idea for both parties if they were to join. MTSU and WKU would be a good fits but to many burned bridges for them to come back. The other schools in CUSA dont fit the profile and as such shouldn't be considered. JMU would be a better fit.

MTSU or WKU won the Vic Bubas Cup every year in the Sun Belt as long as they were in the league. Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette have been in Division 1-A much longer than those two--UL-Lafayette always having been D1. They suffered then from the same thing Southern Miss does in CUSA now--being angry at those schools who basically swept into their division and conference and passed them by. They don't have any lost love for FAU, FIU, and North Texas either. It has been their sick fantasy to see those five schools want to better themselves in Conference USA. They feel the same way about Louisiana Tech too for rejecting the Slum Belch to stay in the WAC around 2005-ish.

That's a very valid point. Personally I don't bear any ill will against any of those schools, but, from the little I know, there's plenty of animosity on both sides to the point that these CUSA schools don't want to come back and the SBC schools don't want them back. Its a tiring point to bring up time and again, but people on this very thread and keep insisting that the SBC will take four CUSA teams while the reality is that the Sunbelt can't and won't take more than two. Personally, if we go to 14 I'd rather dip into FCS and get Missouri State and JMU as both schools fit the profile as laid out in my original post better than most CUSA schools. Both schools would instantlybe competitive for the Bubba's Cup if not outright win it, have decent facilities (MSU needs to upgrade stadium, but otherwise doing great). Many people here would rather not go the FCS route, but the reality is that the Sunbelt's key to its recent success has been in acquiring great FCS schools. Apps State, Georgia Southern and Coastal Carolina have only been FBS schools 5-8 years, just babies really but already paying off for the Sunbelt.

(10-13-2021 04:00 PM)AuzGrams Wrote:  Nah, no need to kill the conference. It’s already been weakened as is as the new AAC is basically the old C-USA.

If anything they need to rebrand C-USA to something else or steal back the Southwestern Conference name.

They gotta find a way to make C-USA into a Southwest conference and Sun Belt into a Southeast conference.

The only way to make these G5 leagues more relevant is by creating more regional rivalries and putting more emphasis on conference play.

Considering most of not all the remaining CUSA teams will be located in the Southeast and mid Atlantic, Southwest Conference wouldn’t make a whole mess of sense. I say resurrect the Metro name.

(10-14-2021 12:33 AM)TxSt1992 Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 05:10 PM)CoastalJuan Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 01:20 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Killing a conference is very hard, but I do see some plausible scenarios where it would be very hard to rebuild the CUSA shell

If AAC goes to 12 and takes 4 from CUSA - UAB, Charlotte, Rice, and Marshall
then
MWC and Sunbelt take 2 each - N Texas and UTSA to MWC and USM and ODU to the Sunbelt

That leaves the CUSA with a very odd couple mix of 6
FIU, FAU, WKU, MTSU, LA Tech, and UTEP

If that were to happen, you know MTSU and WKU would be pushing hard to join the MAC

If the MAC takes WKU and MTSU, I don't see how CUSA rebuilds, unless they become the FBS gateway conference for the 1AA schools that have been long rumored to be interested in upgrading.

If the AAC, MWC, and Sunbelt all take CUSA schools, will the conference have the ability to survive?

1) I feel like there are too many FCS programs with FBS aspirations for CUSA to die. Plus, that scenario has a lot of poaching. They could end up with 8-10 teams to rebuild with.

2) I'll be shocked if the SBC doesn't use this opportunity to find a way into Florida. It's ridiculous that they don't have a team there.

One of the main things I learned during this realignment cycle is that the SBC is being pretty picky on which schools they want in the conference. Typically the SBC schools want a college town atmosphere with good to great football tradition and preferably within the existing footprint to minimize travel and to hopefully build some rivalries.. This is why everyone at the SBC board is excited for Southern Miss, because they fit the description above to a T. The Florida schools are both great schools but almost the exact opposite of what we're looking for. It would he a bad idea for both parties if they were to join. MTSU and WKU would be a good fits but to many burned bridges for them to come back. The other schools in CUSA dont fit the profile and as such shouldn't be considered. JMU would be a better fit.

Hashed and re-hashed but no we did not burn any bridges. I do hope we stay in CUSA though.

(10-14-2021 06:34 AM)BKTopper Wrote:  

(10-14-2021 12:33 AM)TxSt1992 Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 05:10 PM)CoastalJuan Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 01:20 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Killing a conference is very hard, but I do see some plausible scenarios where it would be very hard to rebuild the CUSA shell

If AAC goes to 12 and takes 4 from CUSA - UAB, Charlotte, Rice, and Marshall
then
MWC and Sunbelt take 2 each - N Texas and UTSA to MWC and USM and ODU to the Sunbelt

That leaves the CUSA with a very odd couple mix of 6
FIU, FAU, WKU, MTSU, LA Tech, and UTEP

If that were to happen, you know MTSU and WKU would be pushing hard to join the MAC

If the MAC takes WKU and MTSU, I don't see how CUSA rebuilds, unless they become the FBS gateway conference for the 1AA schools that have been long rumored to be interested in upgrading.

If the AAC, MWC, and Sunbelt all take CUSA schools, will the conference have the ability to survive?

1) I feel like there are too many FCS programs with FBS aspirations for CUSA to die. Plus, that scenario has a lot of poaching. They could end up with 8-10 teams to rebuild with.

2) I'll be shocked if the SBC doesn't use this opportunity to find a way into Florida. It's ridiculous that they don't have a team there.

One of the main things I learned during this realignment cycle is that the SBC is being pretty picky on which schools they want in the conference. Typically the SBC schools want a college town atmosphere with good to great football tradition and preferably within the existing footprint to minimize travel and to hopefully build some rivalries.. This is why everyone at the SBC board is excited for Southern Miss, because they fit the description above to a T. The Florida schools are both great schools but almost the exact opposite of what we're looking for. It would he a bad idea for both parties if they were to join. MTSU and WKU would be a good fits but to many burned bridges for them to come back. The other schools in CUSA dont fit the profile and as such shouldn't be considered. JMU would be a better fit.

Hashed and re-hashed but no we did not burn any bridges. I do hope we stay in CUSA though.

Not deliberately. There may be perceived burned bridges by the original football members of the Belt, but there was nothing WKU did to warrant it. They went to CUSA to better themselves just like everyone else.

(10-13-2021 10:21 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  C-USA dying will involve three things happening:
1. The MW takes UNT and UTSA
2. The AAC takes at least 4 C-USA schools
3. The Sun Belt takes 4 C-USA schools

If C-USA gets down to 4 or fewer schools, I think it's done.

The difference between the WAC last time and CUSA this time is all the backfill options:

EKU
JaxSt
UMass
UConn
NDSU
MoSt
Liberty
JMU
NMSU

There’s a combination of the 4 stranded CUSA schools and some of the 9 potential adds that makes sense geographically and from an all-sports perspective.

(10-14-2021 06:42 AM)BKTopper Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 10:21 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  C-USA dying will involve three things happening:
1. The MW takes UNT and UTSA
2. The AAC takes at least 4 C-USA schools
3. The Sun Belt takes 4 C-USA schools

If C-USA gets down to 4 or fewer schools, I think it's done.

The difference between the WAC last time and CUSA this time is all the backfill options:

EKU
JaxSt
UMass
UConn
NDSU
MoSt
Liberty
JMU
NMSU

There’s a combination of the 4 stranded CUSA schools and some of the 9 potential adds that makes sense geographically and from an all-sports perspective.

I would add South Dakota State to that list, as well.

(10-13-2021 11:02 PM)All4One Wrote:  Maybe the topic title should be changed.

"What CUSA death fantasy makes you hard?"

That's the vibe I'm getting with some of these ridiculous suggestions.

They certainly get a hard on for inviting schools that provide no value to the AAC.

(10-14-2021 06:31 AM)BKTopper Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 04:00 PM)AuzGrams Wrote:  Nah, no need to kill the conference. It’s already been weakened as is as the new AAC is basically the old C-USA.

If anything they need to rebrand C-USA to something else or steal back the Southwestern Conference name.

They gotta find a way to make C-USA into a Southwest conference and Sun Belt into a Southeast conference.

The only way to make these G5 leagues more relevant is by creating more regional rivalries and putting more emphasis on conference play.

Considering most of not all the remaining CUSA teams will be located in the Southeast and mid Atlantic, Southwest Conference wouldn’t make a whole mess of sense. I say resurrect the Metro name.

Yeah because they’re the Sun Belt and C-USA are just a hodgepodge of schools and don’t have nearly as much regional influence as it used to.

(10-14-2021 06:48 AM)All4One Wrote:  

(10-14-2021 06:42 AM)BKTopper Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 10:21 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  C-USA dying will involve three things happening:
1. The MW takes UNT and UTSA
2. The AAC takes at least 4 C-USA schools
3. The Sun Belt takes 4 C-USA schools

If C-USA gets down to 4 or fewer schools, I think it's done.

The difference between the WAC last time and CUSA this time is all the backfill options:

EKU
JaxSt
UMass
UConn
NDSU
MoSt
Liberty
JMU
NMSU

There’s a combination of the 4 stranded CUSA schools and some of the 9 potential adds that makes sense geographically and from an all-sports perspective.

I would add South Dakota State to that list, as well.

The Dakota schools are just too far in tiny population states that do nothing for conference recruiting. UConn and UMass would only join as football only members, and they also do nothing for recruiting.

Jacksonville St, Missouri St, and EKU would be good calls..Kennesaw St, who I have not seen mentioned, has an excellent FCS track record, 40k students, and is located in the fertile metro Atlanta/Georgia recruiting grounds.

(10-14-2021 12:33 AM)TxSt1992 Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 05:10 PM)CoastalJuan Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 01:20 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Killing a conference is very hard, but I do see some plausible scenarios where it would be very hard to rebuild the CUSA shell

If AAC goes to 12 and takes 4 from CUSA - UAB, Charlotte, Rice, and Marshall
then
MWC and Sunbelt take 2 each - N Texas and UTSA to MWC and USM and ODU to the Sunbelt

That leaves the CUSA with a very odd couple mix of 6
FIU, FAU, WKU, MTSU, LA Tech, and UTEP

If that were to happen, you know MTSU and WKU would be pushing hard to join the MAC

If the MAC takes WKU and MTSU, I don't see how CUSA rebuilds, unless they become the FBS gateway conference for the 1AA schools that have been long rumored to be interested in upgrading.

If the AAC, MWC, and Sunbelt all take CUSA schools, will the conference have the ability to survive?

1) I feel like there are too many FCS programs with FBS aspirations for CUSA to die. Plus, that scenario has a lot of poaching. They could end up with 8-10 teams to rebuild with.

2) I'll be shocked if the SBC doesn't use this opportunity to find a way into Florida. It's ridiculous that they don't have a team there.

One of the main things I learned during this realignment cycle is that the SBC is being pretty picky on which schools they want in the conference. Typically the SBC schools want a college town atmosphere with good to great football tradition and preferably within the existing footprint to minimize travel and to hopefully build some rivalries.. This is why everyone at the SBC board is excited for Southern Miss, because they fit the description above to a T. The Florida schools are both great schools but almost the exact opposite of what we're looking for. It would he a bad idea for both parties if they were to join. MTSU and WKU would be a good fits but to many burned bridges for them to come back. The other schools in CUSA dont fit the profile and as such shouldn't be considered. JMU would be a better fit.

That's tough to surmise at this point with the SBC not on the clock yet. Any potential CUSA/SBC add is frozen until the AAC moves.

It's like watching the NFL draft, and saying that you're surprised (past tense) who the #25 pick was when we're only on the #10 pick.

Here are the options that I see with FCS plus 2 D2 schools that I have seen that want a bigger option to go higher.

Jacksonville State
North Alabama
Central Arkansas
Long Beach State
Delaware
Florida A&M
North Florida
Kennesaw State
Illinois State
Northern Iowa
Eastern Kentucky
Austin Peay State
McNeese State
Jackson State
Missouri State
Towson
Stony Brook
North Carolina A&T
North Dakota State
Dayton Ohio
Youngstown State
Central Oklahoma
South Dakota State
Chattanooga
Tennessee State
Abilene Christian
Lamar
Sam Houston State
SFAU
Tarleton State
UTRGV
West Texas A&M
Dixie State
Southern Utah
James Madison

Long Beach State does have eyes for the MWC, but need to add football first.
North Florida have been on SBC's radar for awhile. NFU could add football and play at the FCS level like South Alabama did. They can play in the pro football stadium until they get their own stadium.
Dayton wants to upgrade from the A10, and being blocked? They will take an FBS conference, and play as a bodybag team until they improve.
Central Oklahoma and West Texas A&M have plans for their stadiiums to be expanded to 20,000. I picked those 2 because you do not be a D2 school if you have stadiums that big.
The four HBCUs can all move up as one.

(10-13-2021 01:36 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 01:34 PM)All4One Wrote:  New Mexico State and Liberty are not FCS.

I'm just not confident they leave their current setup for an all sports mismash no one really wants to be apart of

It seems like NMSU would want to join. At the moment, they are in the same FB recruiting bind as UMass and UConn. And, after all, it's not like the WAC+FB-Independent door is going to be locked behind them if they make the move.

I am skeptical of scenarios that have the Sunbelt wanting to expand to 14 FB members, when it will certainly dilute their conference distribution ...

... and especially when that is on top of "coincidentally" wanting exactly the members most likely to put CUSA in a bind and not, for example, making another play for JMU with the twin argument "last seats for the FBS bus leaving now" and "we aren't the same far flung conference with NMSU and Idaho in it that you turned down before".

I'm not sure why everyone is saying the Sunbelt needs to add schools in Florida.... We have had schools in Florida. We have UCF, USF, FAU, and FIU. Those schools are far away from other schools to bring traveling visitor fans to other campuses. South Alabama and Troy are not from panhandle of Florida. Adding Southern Miss could create some rivalries with South Alabama, Troy, Louisana, and ULM. Not sure who the other school would be be for certain, but Marshall would be good for the east coast schools.

(10-14-2021 03:20 PM)kevinwmsn Wrote:  I'm not sure why everyone is saying the Sunbelt needs to add schools in Florida.... We have had schools in Florida. We have UCF, USF, FAU, and FIU. Those schools are far away from other schools to bring traveling visitor fans to other campuses. South Alabama and Troy are not from panhandle of Florida. Adding Southern Miss could create some rivalries with South Alabama, Troy, Louisana, and ULM. Not sure who the other school would be be for certain, but Marshall would be good for the east coast schools.

I think the idea would be that your team travelling to Florida regularly would help you recruit that state, not that a bunch of FIU fans would show up at South Alabama.

(10-14-2021 10:17 AM)DavidSt Wrote:  Here are the options that I see with FCS plus 2 D2 schools that I have seen that want a bigger option to go higher.

Jacksonville State
North Alabama
Central Arkansas
Long Beach State
Delaware
Florida A&M
North Florida
Kennesaw State
Illinois State
Northern Iowa
Eastern Kentucky
Austin Peay State
McNeese State
Jackson State
Missouri State
Towson
Stony Brook
North Carolina A&T
North Dakota State
Dayton Ohio
Youngstown State
Central Oklahoma
South Dakota State
Chattanooga
Tennessee State
Abilene Christian
Lamar
Sam Houston State
SFAU
Tarleton State
UTRGV
West Texas A&M
Dixie State
Southern Utah
James Madison

Long Beach State does have eyes for the MWC, but need to add football first.
North Florida have been on SBC's radar for awhile. NFU could add football and play at the FCS level like South Alabama did. They can play in the pro football stadium until they get their own stadium.
Dayton wants to upgrade from the A10, and being blocked? They will take an FBS conference, and play as a bodybag team until they improve.
Central Oklahoma and West Texas A&M have plans for their stadiiums to be expanded to 20,000. I picked those 2 because you do not be a D2 school if you have stadiums that big.
The four HBCUs can all move up as one.

I will hear of no proposals that don't include the Long Island University Sharks. Trying to sign up for an online class for an excuse to get some of that sweet sweet gear.

I mean...dude.

(10-14-2021 01:54 AM)All4One Wrote:  

(10-14-2021 12:33 AM)TxSt1992 Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 05:10 PM)CoastalJuan Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 01:20 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Killing a conference is very hard, but I do see some plausible scenarios where it would be very hard to rebuild the CUSA shell

If AAC goes to 12 and takes 4 from CUSA - UAB, Charlotte, Rice, and Marshall
then
MWC and Sunbelt take 2 each - N Texas and UTSA to MWC and USM and ODU to the Sunbelt

That leaves the CUSA with a very odd couple mix of 6
FIU, FAU, WKU, MTSU, LA Tech, and UTEP

If that were to happen, you know MTSU and WKU would be pushing hard to join the MAC

If the MAC takes WKU and MTSU, I don't see how CUSA rebuilds, unless they become the FBS gateway conference for the 1AA schools that have been long rumored to be interested in upgrading.

If the AAC, MWC, and Sunbelt all take CUSA schools, will the conference have the ability to survive?

1) I feel like there are too many FCS programs with FBS aspirations for CUSA to die. Plus, that scenario has a lot of poaching. They could end up with 8-10 teams to rebuild with.

2) I'll be shocked if the SBC doesn't use this opportunity to find a way into Florida. It's ridiculous that they don't have a team there.

One of the main things I learned during this realignment cycle is that the SBC is being pretty picky on which schools they want in the conference. Typically the SBC schools want a college town atmosphere with good to great football tradition and preferably within the existing footprint to minimize travel and to hopefully build some rivalries.. This is why everyone at the SBC board is excited for Southern Miss, because they fit the description above to a T. The Florida schools are both great schools but almost the exact opposite of what we're looking for. It would he a bad idea for both parties if they were to join. MTSU and WKU would be a good fits but to many burned bridges for them to come back. The other schools in CUSA dont fit the profile and as such shouldn't be considered. JMU would be a better fit.

MTSU or WKU won the Vic Bubas Cup every year in the Sun Belt as long as they were in the league. Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette have been in Division 1-A much longer than those two--UL-Lafayette always having been D1. They suffered then from the same thing Southern Miss does in CUSA now--being angry at those schools who basically swept into their division and conference and passed them by. They don't have any lost love for FAU, FIU, and North Texas either. It has been their sick fantasy to see those five schools want to better themselves in Conference USA. They feel the same way about Louisiana Tech too for rejecting the Slum Belch to stay in the WAC around 2005-ish.

This might be the most asinine thing I've read today

(10-14-2021 03:45 PM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  

(10-14-2021 01:54 AM)All4One Wrote:  

(10-14-2021 12:33 AM)TxSt1992 Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 05:10 PM)CoastalJuan Wrote:  

(10-13-2021 01:20 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Killing a conference is very hard, but I do see some plausible scenarios where it would be very hard to rebuild the CUSA shell

If AAC goes to 12 and takes 4 from CUSA - UAB, Charlotte, Rice, and Marshall
then
MWC and Sunbelt take 2 each - N Texas and UTSA to MWC and USM and ODU to the Sunbelt

That leaves the CUSA with a very odd couple mix of 6
FIU, FAU, WKU, MTSU, LA Tech, and UTEP

If that were to happen, you know MTSU and WKU would be pushing hard to join the MAC

If the MAC takes WKU and MTSU, I don't see how CUSA rebuilds, unless they become the FBS gateway conference for the 1AA schools that have been long rumored to be interested in upgrading.

If the AAC, MWC, and Sunbelt all take CUSA schools, will the conference have the ability to survive?

1) I feel like there are too many FCS programs with FBS aspirations for CUSA to die. Plus, that scenario has a lot of poaching. They could end up with 8-10 teams to rebuild with.

2) I'll be shocked if the SBC doesn't use this opportunity to find a way into Florida. It's ridiculous that they don't have a team there.

One of the main things I learned during this realignment cycle is that the SBC is being pretty picky on which schools they want in the conference. Typically the SBC schools want a college town atmosphere with good to great football tradition and preferably within the existing footprint to minimize travel and to hopefully build some rivalries.. This is why everyone at the SBC board is excited for Southern Miss, because they fit the description above to a T. The Florida schools are both great schools but almost the exact opposite of what we're looking for. It would he a bad idea for both parties if they were to join. MTSU and WKU would be a good fits but to many burned bridges for them to come back. The other schools in CUSA dont fit the profile and as such shouldn't be considered. JMU would be a better fit.

MTSU or WKU won the Vic Bubas Cup every year in the Sun Belt as long as they were in the league. Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette have been in Division 1-A much longer than those two--UL-Lafayette always having been D1. They suffered then from the same thing Southern Miss does in CUSA now--being angry at those schools who basically swept into their division and conference and passed them by. They don't have any lost love for FAU, FIU, and North Texas either. It has been their sick fantasy to see those five schools want to better themselves in Conference USA. They feel the same way about Louisiana Tech too for rejecting the Slum Belch to stay in the WAC around 2005-ish.

This might be the most asinine thing I've read today

Sure, Arkansas State fan. People can tell every time one of you guys comment that you hope those schools fail.