CUSA might have a much better chance of success if they wave the white flag on FBS, at least for a few years. It could aid with independent scheduling, creating an association of sorts with independents like UMass and UConn.

But they do remain armed with one of the 32 automatic bids to March Madness. They can ATTEMPT to create, almost from scratch, a solid hoops conference. They can start with UTA and Little Rock, offer Murray State, and reach out to schools across the South to kind of create essentially a new conference.

....


This is the best I can come up with. They gotta try something.

(10-23-2021 10:20 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  This is the best I can come up with. They gotta try something.

It's really not a bad idea. Maybe even convince a few solid hoops schools to take football FBS for the sake of being in a best-of basketball conference.

I know current CUSA bylaws don't allow for football only schools, but they should seriously consider NDSU and SDSU for football. Some of the teams they're looking at have potential, but aren't ready for FBS just yet. The Dakota schools would give them an instant shot in the arm while others grew into FBS.

Adding NMSU, SHSU, Tarleton State, McNeese, and Jacksonville State as full members with NDSU and SDSU for football only would be about as good as they could hope for.

(10-23-2021 10:25 AM)Pounce FTW Wrote:  

(10-23-2021 10:20 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  This is the best I can come up with. They gotta try something.

It's really not a bad idea. Maybe even convince a few solid hoops schools to take football FBS for the sake of being in a best-of basketball conference.

Thanks. There is a two year grace period for FBS leagues if they fall below the minimum required 8 members. Perhaps they could try to get whoever's they can with a list like like this (emphasis on the word "try"):

FIU all sports
WKU all sports (unless they're MAC bound)
MTSU all sports (also unless MAC bound)
La. Tech
UTEP
NMSU

SHSU eventually all sports including FB
Stephen F Austin eventually all sports including FB
McNeese State, same as above
NCA&T
Jackson State
Florida A&M

FGCU all but football
Murray State all but football
UTA all but football
Little Rock all but football

UConn FB only
UMass FB only
NDSU FB only
SDSU FB only

Liberty all but football, with an open invitation to join in FB (just like the Notre Dame ACC deal).

Even in the best case scenario, C-USA has just gotten the 2012 WAC treatment.

I hope this post doesn't make me look like DavidSt.

McNeese recent made a statement about FBS, so not a huge surprise
Tarleton, while I know very little about them, would be similiar to USAs transition. USA went from zero to FBS with a two year transition period. Really no FCS play at all.

(10-23-2021 10:20 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  CUSA might have a much better chance of success if they wave the white flag on FBS, at least for a few years. It could aid with independent scheduling, creating an association of sorts with independents like UMass and UConn.

But they do remain armed with one of the 32 automatic bids to March Madness. They can ATTEMPT to create, almost from scratch, a solid hoops conference. They can start with UTA and Little Rock, offer Murray State, and reach out to schools across the South to kind of create essentially a new conference.

....


This is the best I can come up with. They gotta try something.

NMSU, UTEP, La Tech, & WKU are the core of a solid basketball league. If you added Missouri State and 1 more all sports member where basketball is a big sport at their school. W/ FIU & MTSU you now have 8 football members. Maybe look to add 4 olympic sports only members and have 12 teams be really good at bball. Might could push the idea then of a 2 bid league. (UTA, Little Rock, +2)

You could then still sponsor football, everyone would get 5 ooc games instead of 4 and you still have access to post-season play.

I think I'm very much in the minority in wanting CUSA to live on as an FBS league. I just want them weakened badly.

I've said before, I don't want Georgia Southern to drop football. I want them to be there for App to beat. Same with the Sun Belt vs. CUSA.

(10-23-2021 09:44 AM)Bobcat87 Wrote:  

(10-23-2021 03:50 AM)FrankyP Wrote:  

(10-22-2021 06:58 PM)Troy_Fan_15 Wrote:  McNeese, MoSt, SFA, Lamar, ACU, UCA, and Jax State seem like better choices than Tarleton State at the present. I know Tarleton State has pretty nice facilities. I know this isn't much but they beat NMSU this spring.

LMFAO. Anytime mcneese state is one of your better options you know you’ve died and gone to hell.

Well laturd, you’ve finally gotten that ‘separation’ you’ve always wanted.

At least McNeese is an established FCS with some pretty good history behind it, but Tarleton? That’s bottom of the barrel scraping . .

. . and really, if The Belt suggested picking up Tarleton, 99.9% of you would be losing your freaking minds.

Oh, sorry if I wasn’t clear. If we were in a conf that lost a bunch of schools, and our BEST options included the likes of tarleton and/or mcneese I would immediately cease giving any kind of support for our football program.

But I guess you’d have to be a long-time G5 fan from Louisiana to fully appreciate the incredible karma that has slapped laturd right upside their head. For many years all we’ve heard from that school and its fans is how superior they were to all the rest of us. Delusional, yes, but it is what we had to put up with.

Now their best choice, actually their only choice, is to move up the absolute worst G5 program in the state so that they might survive.

This is beyond irony and the ultimate dream.

(10-23-2021 10:54 AM)Gemofthehills Wrote:  McNeese recent made a statement about FBS, so not a huge surprise
Tarleton, while I know very little about them, would be similiar to USAs transition. USA went from zero to FBS with a two year transition period. Really no FCS play at all.

Tarleton has a pretty strong football history as a D-II. They are transitioning from D-II to FBS fairly quickly so it will be interesting to watch how it works out for them. They have money and in a good recruiting area so the potential is there. As we at ULM know all too well, the transition takes solid planning so we'll see.

Dodd is reporting NMSU officials are going to discuss CUSA after they get back from Hawaii

https://twitter.com/dennisdoddcbs/status...01571?s=21

(10-23-2021 09:42 AM)Bobcat87 Wrote:  

(10-23-2021 01:47 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  I am pretty familiar with Tarleton. I have like 7 cousins that went there and I almost went there myself. The school has grown a lot since I've toured the campus but they still have a long long ways to go and would be a massive reach for CUSA. Even though their facilities have been "upgraded" they're still subpar for a D1 program. Maybe that will change in the near future though. I really do love the school but the thought of them being FBS just doesn't seem right to me.

It’s not about whether it “seems right” or not. . . . it’s are they ready? And honestly a DII program currently transitioning to FCS is not ready to step into an FBS conference and compete. And it’s not like coosa doesn’t have other options.

But talk about a “Oh how the mighty have Fallen” narrative . . . It wasn’t too long ago that the Mighty Coosa was Looking down it’s nose at not only the Sun Belt, but the very idea of having to backfill from the ranks of the FCS . . . and now they’re on their knees hoping that the likes of a DII Transitioning program can be part of their salvation . . . It is laugh out loud funny.

So you're agreeing that it doesn't "seem right" because they're nowhere near ready lol

(10-23-2021 11:17 AM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  Dodd is reporting NMSU officials are going to discuss CUSA after they get back from Hawaii

https://twitter.com/dennisdoddcbs/status...01571?s=21

Smart move by CUSA

(10-23-2021 11:28 AM)SouthJags2012 Wrote:  

(10-23-2021 11:17 AM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  Dodd is reporting NMSU officials are going to discuss CUSA after they get back from Hawaii

https://twitter.com/dennisdoddcbs/status...01571?s=21

Smart move by CUSA

C-USA should be bending over backwards to get NMSU. Obviously.

But NMSU would have to weigh its decision carefully. Short term, they get a much needed FBS conference. Long term, they have to ask: In ten years, which will be more likely to still be around? The WAC or CUSA?

Not the easiest choice.

(10-23-2021 01:47 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  I am pretty familiar with Tarleton. I have like 7 cousins that went there and I almost went there myself. The school has grown a lot since I've toured the campus but they still have a long long ways to go and would be a massive reach for CUSA. Even though their facilities have been "upgraded" they're still subpar for a D1 program. Maybe that will change in the near future though. I really do love the school but the thought of them being FBS just doesn't seem right to me.

I also am familiar with Tarleton as my brother graduated there. He ran track for the Texans and several years ago was voted into the Tarleton sports hall of fame. The school is on a beautiful campus and it's athletics have come a long way, especially in recent years. Tarleton built a new stadium with a 16,000 capacity in 2017 and is expanding it to 20,000+ in time for the 2023 season. They are a surprise add to C-USA for those who don't know the school, but I think time will prove they are a good addition to a C-USA that currently is on it's heels.

https://tarletonsports.com/sports/2009/8...aspx?id=71

I think CUSA will survive. The exit fees they will get are substantial and would help get new teams in

Is it coincidence that Tarleton drops a news story that they are expanding the stadium to 20k on the same day as Thamels post?

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

Tarleton is not the same place it was 10 years ago. A&M is pumping tons of money into the campus. My understanding is that They want 25k students by 2030.

That said it is only a couple years removed from D2 and much of the campus/facilities reflects that of a teenager growing through a growth spurt.

I suspect Tarleton thought they had a few more years to "grow" before the WAC FBS came back. However, this wasn't the case and they have to decide between a "sure thing FBS invite" or "maybe someday if others decide to move up"

(10-23-2021 12:26 PM)ODU AGGIE Wrote:  

(10-23-2021 01:47 AM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  I am pretty familiar with Tarleton. I have like 7 cousins that went there and I almost went there myself. The school has grown a lot since I've toured the campus but they still have a long long ways to go and would be a massive reach for CUSA. Even though their facilities have been "upgraded" they're still subpar for a D1 program. Maybe that will change in the near future though. I really do love the school but the thought of them being FBS just doesn't seem right to me.

I also am familiar with Tarleton as my brother graduated there. He ran track for the Texans and several years ago was voted into the Tarleton sports hall of fame. The school is on a beautiful campus and it's athletics have come a long way, especially in recent years. Tarleton built a new stadium with a 16,000 capacity in 2017 and is expanding it to 20,000+ in time for the 2023 season. They are a surprise add to C-USA for those who don't know the school, but I think time will prove they are a good addition to a C-USA that currently is on it's heels.

https://tarletonsports.com/sports/2009/8...aspx?id=71

Ehh I wouldn't call it beautiful but thats just my opinion. Its come a long way though!

Also they didn't build a new stadium, they just redid the "visitor" side and it was more recently than 2017, but thats just me picking nits. Regardless they now have an ok FCS venue and terrible basketball and baseball facilities. Still a long long way to go. They're not added yet either, but apparently it's not out of the reaalm of possibilities.

(10-22-2021 08:55 PM)TroyGuy88 Wrote:  SMHSU and NMSU make sense from a western stand point, however geographically they should be looking east towards AL and GA at Jacksonville State and Kennesaw State.

Not to mention if they are eyeing D-II schools West Florida would be a better option than Tarlton State if they are already going after SMHSU and FAU split. Makes more sense geographically since FIU is still in the mix.

But Judy really likes living in DFW and doesn’t like to travel.

Definitely in the Sun Belt’s best interest for CUSA to fold. A G4 rather than a G5 means each conference gets a bigger slice of the CFP payout pie. I’m rooting for the WKU/MT to the MAC rumors to be true. Best LT, UTEP, and FIU can hope for is Memphis/SMU going to the Big 12. 2/3 will backfill the AAC. I don’t see a way for CUSA to get enough FCS schools to move up at the same time for it to survive. It’s a long shot. The leftovers just need to find a conference for Olympic sports and go indy in football.

All the talk of adding NDSU and SDSU to go with UTEP and FIU. You guys do realize that the problem with the last version of CUSA was size and not enough revenue. Now you want bigger and less revenue. It’ll never work.