https://www.cbssports.com/college-footba...-week/amp/

From the article:

Quote:One aspect in C-USA's favor is the $4 million exit fee. If nine schools left, that would add $36 million to help entice new members. C-USA commissioner Judy MacLeod has been frantically trying to keep her existing members together while reaching out to candidates to replace those schools that left, multiple sources told CBS Sports.

There has been contact between C-USA and McNeese State from the Southland Conference and Sam Houston of the WAC, sources told CBS Sports. Like James Madison, those are FCS schools that would require an NCAA-mandated multi-year transition process to FBS.

"She's getting calls from every aspiring FCS program," said a source from one of those schools.

The preference for C-USA is to add FBS members with schools such as independents New Mexico State, UConn and UMass also being mentioned. CBS Sports previously reported independent Liberty is in the mix for either C-USA or Sun Belt membership. Given the developments of this past week, it would likely prefer the Sun Belt at this time as the school assesses its options. That is ... unless the schools mentioned decide to remain with/join C-USA.

In terms of competition and revenue, it's basically a wash for any of the candidates in C-USA and Sun Belt, and the decision may come down to travel expenses. The 10-team Sun Belt could evolve as an East Coast league with the addition of more schools within that region. In inviting any members, C-USA still has to deal with the existence of far-flung UTEP, which is 900 miles from the nearest current member, Louisiana Tech.

I am going to believe that C-USA has at the very minimum had communications(s) with every independent FBS institution not named Notre Dame.

I am going to believe that C-USA has had communication(s) with several FCS programs (including the ones mentioned) and at least 5-to-10 others.

I am not making much of this conversation at the time being but glad that our institution(s) are being proactive and communicating both internally amongst themselves and externally with other schools, leagues.

Hypothetically... what would the general feel be for this conference?

11 members, nine of which should UTRGV add football as anticipated following the forthcoming vote would be 'all sports' members.

Arkansas - Little Rock
Lamar
Louisiana Tech
New Mexico State
Sam Houston
Stephen F Austin
Tarleton State
Texas - Arlington
Texas - El Paso
Texas - Rio Grande Valley

(10-22-2021 03:48 PM)TexasTerror Wrote:  Hypothetically... what would the general feel be for this conference?

11 members, nine of which should UTRGV add football as anticipated following the forthcoming vote would be 'all sports' members.

Arkansas - Little Rock
Lamar
Louisiana Tech
New Mexico State
Sam Houston
Stephen F Austin
Tarleton State
Texas - Arlington
Texas - El Paso
Texas - Rio Grande Valley

Looks good..in 2030, not 2023.

(10-22-2021 04:04 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(10-22-2021 03:48 PM)TexasTerror Wrote:  Hypothetically... what would the general feel be for this conference?

11 members, nine of which should UTRGV add football as anticipated following the forthcoming vote would be 'all sports' members.

Arkansas - Little Rock
Lamar
Louisiana Tech
New Mexico State
Sam Houston
Stephen F Austin
Tarleton State
Texas - Arlington
Texas - El Paso
Texas - Rio Grande Valley

Looks good..in 2030, not 2023.

Yep. Any university that has FBS aspirations and is able to move in the very short term will likely take the CUSA invite instead of hoping the lineup above comes to fruition.

According to Pete Thamel, CUSA is looking at NMSU, SHSU, and Tarleton State. Wow!

(10-22-2021 03:48 PM)TexasTerror Wrote:  Hypothetically... what would the general feel be for this conference?

11 members, nine of which should UTRGV add football as anticipated following the forthcoming vote would be 'all sports' members.

Arkansas - Little Rock
Lamar
Louisiana Tech
New Mexico State
Sam Houston
Stephen F Austin
Tarleton State
Texas - Arlington
Texas - El Paso
Texas - Rio Grande Valley

Southland, FBS Edition.

Tarleton State official making eye-catching comments

Losing NMSU would be bad news for the WAC. They’re kind of like our bridge to East and West.

(10-22-2021 09:20 PM)TexasTerror Wrote:  Tarleton State official making eye-catching comments

https://tarletonsports.com/news/2021/10/...onths.aspx

Were going expand the stadium to 20k over the next 18 months

Tarleton to CUSA makes a lot of sense. Out of all the new WAC schools, they have been very vocal about FBS. Mario Moccia told me as much.

This is very telling actually. With Tarleton's desire to go FBS, I think they will go to C-USA if the opportunity arises rather than waiting and hoping that the WAC goes FBS in the future. I do not think the UTAH schools have the desire or potential for FBS and the other Texas schools seem to want FCS more. The eastern teams in C=USA can go to the MAC or independent and C-USA can build a true Middle America type conference. IF Tarleton along with SHSU and McNeese join think about this footprint.

Tarleton
SHSU
UTEP
NMSU
LA TECH
MCNESSE

Lose Directional hillibillly Community Colleges of MTSU & WKU and add in the 4 Dakotas along with Montana and Idaho. A beautiful 12 team N-S league with TV Appeal.

Based on what I could find online Tarleton State's athletics budget is only about $11 million. Not sure how they can afford to be an FBS program without increasing that by a minimum of 50%... ideally to move up it should be at least double that amount.

Currently the only FBS school with an athletics budget less than $20 million is Louisiana-Monroe which gets by on about $18 million. The schools with the next smallest budgets are Northern Illinois at $22 million and Louisiana Tech at $23 million.

For comparison Sam Houston State's current athletics budget is around $21 million. SFA and Lamar are at around $19 million. McNeese State is at only $13 million.

New Mexico State and UTEP are at $29 million and $32 million respectively. And three FCS schools that have been in the conversation as FBS move-up candidates for some time -- James Madison, Delaware and Missouri State -- are at $58 million, $48 million and $28 million respectively.

(10-23-2021 02:33 AM)Spolovilo4EVER Wrote:  This is very telling actually. With Tarleton's desire to go FBS, I think they will go to C-USA if the opportunity arises rather than waiting and hoping that the WAC goes FBS in the future. I do not think the UTAH schools have the desire or potential for FBS and the other Texas schools seem to want FCS more. The eastern teams in C=USA can go to the MAC or independent and C-USA can build a true Middle America type conference. IF Tarleton along with SHSU and McNeese join think about this footprint.

Tarleton
SHSU
UTEP
NMSU
LA TECH
MCNESSE

Lose Directional hillibillly Community Colleges of MTSU & WKU and add in the 4 Dakotas along with Montana and Idaho. A beautiful 12 team N-S league with TV Appeal.

Hillbilly community colleges? Okay. Meanwhile, on every other sports forum outside of this one, and in sports media broadcasting circles, beatwriters, journalists, and news anchors across the country are trying to figure out what in the hell is a Tarleton State and where exactly is it?

(10-23-2021 02:34 AM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  Tarleton's athletics budget is only a little over $11 million. Not sure how they can afford to be an FBS program without increasing that by a minimum of 50%... ideally to move up it should be at least double that amount.

Tarleton is a PUF institution as a member of the Texas A&M system since 1917. The school dates back to the late 1800's. It will all be dependent on how much backing we get from the "Mother Ship" (Texas A&M) If they give the OK, which I am sure they will, then it is a done deal. A&M desperately wants one of its "system" schools to go FBS to compete with UT FBS systems schools (UTEP and UTSA) and you have no idea of the egos of the UT and A&M system..money is NO object!!!! couple of 100 million for this thing to happen....pfff chump change..do it!!!!!

The students voted overwhelmingly ( 90+%) to not only increase, but max out ( per state law) student athletic fees per student hour to move up to D1. The goal was always to go FBS and the sooner the better. And the students as well as the admin are adamantly for going FBS. The school has been aggressively expanding not only in student population, but in facilities and the academic arena as well. It is a
selective" university with an acceptance rate of 56% meaning it is a competitive school to get into, not a commuter school that is like a community college.

Tarleton is also aggressively scheduling in all sports to get ready for FBS. ( Just look at the mens Basketball schedule this year and last year..first year in FCS...to get an idea of what I am saying here) Yes they will have to increase the travel cost to go FBS as expected, but that is really not an issue.

(10-23-2021 03:00 AM)All4One Wrote:  

(10-23-2021 02:33 AM)Spolovilo4EVER Wrote:  This is very telling actually. With Tarleton's desire to go FBS, I think they will go to C-USA if the opportunity arises rather than waiting and hoping that the WAC goes FBS in the future. I do not think the UTAH schools have the desire or potential for FBS and the other Texas schools seem to want FCS more. The eastern teams in C=USA can go to the MAC or independent and C-USA can build a true Middle America type conference. IF Tarleton along with SHSU and McNeese join think about this footprint.

Tarleton
SHSU
UTEP
NMSU
LA TECH
MCNESSE

Lose Directional hillibillly Community Colleges of MTSU & WKU and add in the 4 Dakotas along with Montana and Idaho. A beautiful 12 team N-S league with TV Appeal.

Hillbilly community colleges? Okay. Meanwhile, on every other sports forum outside of this one, and in sports media broadcasting circles, beatwriters, journalists, and news anchors across the country are trying to figure out what in the hell is a Tarleton State and where exactly is it?

Google acceptance rate for Tarleton, WKU and MTSU... you are nothing more than a glorified communtiy college. You have a 97% acceptance rate, that = community college. Forest Gump could get into WKU and MTSU. How in the hell do you think the MAC would want you I do not know, but I hope they do take you because we do not want you!

(10-23-2021 03:05 AM)Spolovilo4EVER Wrote:  

(10-23-2021 03:00 AM)All4One Wrote:  

(10-23-2021 02:33 AM)Spolovilo4EVER Wrote:  This is very telling actually. With Tarleton's desire to go FBS, I think they will go to C-USA if the opportunity arises rather than waiting and hoping that the WAC goes FBS in the future. I do not think the UTAH schools have the desire or potential for FBS and the other Texas schools seem to want FCS more. The eastern teams in C=USA can go to the MAC or independent and C-USA can build a true Middle America type conference. IF Tarleton along with SHSU and McNeese join think about this footprint.

Tarleton
SHSU
UTEP
NMSU
LA TECH
MCNESSE

Lose Directional hillibillly Community Colleges of MTSU & WKU and add in the 4 Dakotas along with Montana and Idaho. A beautiful 12 team N-S league with TV Appeal.

Hillbilly community colleges? Okay. Meanwhile, on every other sports forum outside of this one, and in sports media broadcasting circles, beatwriters, journalists, and news anchors across the country are trying to figure out what in the hell is a Tarleton State and where exactly is it?

Google acceptance rate for Tarleton, WKU and MTSU... you are nothing more than a glorified communtiy college. You have a 97% acceptance rate, that = community college. Forest Gump could get into WKU and MTSU. How in the hell do you think the MAC would want you I do not know, but I hope they do take you because we do not want you!

First off, neither of those schools are "mine."

Secondly, the acceptance rate is irrelevant to brand in this case.

More people actually know those schools because they've beaten nationally-ranked Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament. They have beaten schools like Georgia Tech in football, who would make Tarleton look like Cumberland College.

I'd say if Judy thinks the little podunk school from Stephensomewhere, TX is so valuable, then she can take you guys and UTEP, and all the REAL 1-A schools east of Texas will continue in FBS without that that glorified 1-AA conference posturing as an FBS league.

Although, I'd much rather the league keep UTEP and add actual 1-A teams like New Mexico State that can add value to Conference USA.

Having fun yet?