If we got to add schools to survive let’s
Add the best basketball schools as well.
Here are the 2022 season’s ratings.

https://kenpom.com/

This season’s ratings for all Div 1 schools

Our remaining CUSA schools

LaTech. 88
WKU. 90
UTEP. 154
MTSU. 272
FIU. 309

Prospective Schools
New Mex. St. 109
Jacksonville St. 136
Chattanooga. 156
Abilene Christian. 173
Sam Houston St. 196

CUSA East

WKU
FIU
JSU
CHATT
MTSU

CUSA. West

LaTech
UTEP
NMST
Abilene
Sam Houston

SFA is 138 and has been better than that the past few years.

Hearing now JSU has indicated they are not interested. Appears to be a desire to be more a westward conference.

Not sure but this mean WKU and MTSU are on the move?

(10-25-2021 08:53 AM)Gemofthehills Wrote:  Hearing now JSU has indicated they are not interested. Appears to be a desire to be more a westward conference.

Not sure but this mean WKU and MTSU are on the move?

Nah, I don’t think Jacksonville State is the make or break school for them.
We have Chattanooga or EKU closer.

I have a been a big fan of adding more western schools because Alabama / Georgia already have so many G5’s.
I want to stay out of the south east if possible.

Missouri State (if interested), Illinois State,
NDSU, SDSU.

In Texas,
I like SFA and ACU because they love basketball.
Tarleton State and Sam Houston seem like more long term football adds.

(10-25-2021 08:34 AM)Hilltop75 Wrote:  If we got to add schools to survive let’s
Add the best basketball schools as well.
Here are the 2022 season’s ratings.

https://kenpom.com/

This season’s ratings for all Div 1 schools

Our remaining CUSA schools

LaTech. 88
WKU. 90
UTEP. 154
MTSU. 272
FIU. 309

Prospective Schools
New Mex. St. 109
Jacksonville St. 136
Chattanooga. 156
Abilene Christian. 173
Sam Houston St. 196

CUSA East

WKU
FIU
JSU
CHATT
MTSU

CUSA. West

LaTech
UTEP
NMST
Abilene
Sam Houston

I love the idea of having good hoops.

That’s why I want Missouri State to be interested.

They are preseason like 66 or something crazy.
Missouri Valley loves basketball.

If WKU, MTSU, and LaTech are all going to remain in the conference then Missouri State should be our top priority. They are a nice gap bridge between us and in a severely under represented state in FBS.

(10-25-2021 08:34 AM)Hilltop75 Wrote:  If we got to add schools to survive let’s
Add the best basketball schools as well.
Here are the 2022 season’s ratings.

I agree wholeheartedly but I wouldn't use a single year ranking system. Those numbers won't show the value a school gives to basketball....i.e. a weak league, a bad hire, injuries, etc...all of which can skew the overall strength of a program by misrepresenting their basketball potential.

I'd compare long term history, recent as well...

For example:
Are they a consistent winner in basketball?
How do they normally place in their current league?
Basketball attendance
Basketball facility

These will tell you how much value the school places on basketball.

(10-25-2021 08:53 AM)Gemofthehills Wrote:  Hearing now JSU has indicated they are not interested. Appears to be a desire to be more a westward conference.

Not sure but this mean WKU and MTSU are on the move?

That is odd. What other FBS Conference could
JSU go to. I thought the goal of the Asun football
Schools was to go FBS football

Well the only thing west of CUSA is the WAC
And they are still FCS hoping to upgrade to FBS
But that will be harmed if CUSA takes 2 WAC
Teams

(10-25-2021 08:58 AM)LaTex14 Wrote:  

(10-25-2021 08:53 AM)Gemofthehills Wrote:  Hearing now JSU has indicated they are not interested. Appears to be a desire to be more a westward conference.

Not sure but this mean WKU and MTSU are on the move?

Nah, I don’t think Jacksonville State is the make or break school for them.
We have Chattanooga or EKU closer.

I have a been a big fan of adding more western schools because Alabama / Georgia already have so many G5’s.
I want to stay out of the south east if possible.

Missouri State (if interested), Illinois State,
NDSU, SDSU.

In Texas,
I like SFA and ACU because they love basketball.
Tarleton State and Sam Houston seem like more long term football adds.

Not saying JSU is make or break, I dont believe we are. Just passing along rumors.

Not sure who you are measuring distance from but distance from JSU to TX or LA is closer than either of the others. Also closer to FIU but not MTSU or WKU. Us and Chattanooga distance would not be an issue as we are close to each other.

UTC and EKU would be good adds. UTC going FBS would make our recruiting more difficult and set us back further.

(10-25-2021 08:59 AM)LaTex14 Wrote:  

(10-25-2021 08:34 AM)Hilltop75 Wrote:  If we got to add schools to survive let’s
Add the best basketball schools as well.
Here are the 2022 season’s ratings.

https://kenpom.com/

This season’s ratings for all Div 1 schools

Our remaining CUSA schools

LaTech. 88
WKU. 90
UTEP. 154
MTSU. 272
FIU. 309

Prospective Schools
New Mex. St. 109
Jacksonville St. 136
Chattanooga. 156
Abilene Christian. 173
Sam Houston St. 196

CUSA East

WKU
FIU
JSU
CHATT
MTSU

CUSA. West

LaTech
UTEP
NMST
Abilene
Sam Houston

I love the idea of having good hoops.

That’s why I want Missouri State to be interested.

They are preseason like 66 or something crazy.
Missouri Valley loves basketball.

Totally agree. I would love Missouri State
But getting them out of the MVC may be tough.

(10-25-2021 09:05 AM)WKUApollo Wrote:  

(10-25-2021 08:34 AM)Hilltop75 Wrote:  If we got to add schools to survive let’s
Add the best basketball schools as well.
Here are the 2022 season’s ratings.

I agree wholeheartedly but I wouldn't use a single year ranking system. Those numbers won't show the value a school gives to basketball....i.e. a weak league, a bad hire, injuries, etc...all of which can skew the overall strength of a program by misrepresenting their basketball potential.

I'd compare long term history, recent as well...

For example:
Are they a consistent winner in basketball?
How do they normally place in their current league?
Basketball attendance
Basketball facility

These will tell you how much value the school places on basketball.

For sure, did an average attendance deep dive.

Missouri State - 5,150
Illinois State - 5,154
Southern Illinois - 4,472

UNI - 3,774
Stephen F Austin - 3,582
Chattanooga - 3,117
SDSU - 2,715
EKU - 2,489
NDSU - 2,231
Jacksonville State - 2,146

Abilene Christian - 1,259
SHST - 1,138
Tarleton - 1,103

Tarleton has the worst basketball arena.
SHST, UTC, EKU kinda have “old school” arenas. That don’t look awful but not nice.

Everyone else looked good.
But man I’d love to steal some MVC schools. Those top schools have great attendance.

(10-25-2021 09:17 AM)LaTex14 Wrote:  

(10-25-2021 09:05 AM)WKUApollo Wrote:  

(10-25-2021 08:34 AM)Hilltop75 Wrote:  If we got to add schools to survive let’s
Add the best basketball schools as well.
Here are the 2022 season’s ratings.

I agree wholeheartedly but I wouldn't use a single year ranking system. Those numbers won't show the value a school gives to basketball....i.e. a weak league, a bad hire, injuries, etc...all of which can skew the overall strength of a program by misrepresenting their basketball potential.

I'd compare long term history, recent as well...

For example:
Are they a consistent winner in basketball?
How do they normally place in their current league?
Basketball attendance
Basketball facility

These will tell you how much value the school places on basketball.

For sure, did an average attendance deep dive.

Missouri State - 5,150
Illinois State - 5,154
Southern Illinois - 4,472

UNI - 3,774
Stephen F Austin - 3,582
Chattanooga - 3,117
SDSU - 2,715
EKU - 2,489
NDSU - 2,231
Jacksonville State - 2,146

Abilene Christian - 1,259
SHST - 1,138
Tarleton - 1,103

Tarleton has the worst basketball arena.
SHST, UTC, EKU kinda have “old school” arenas. That don’t look awful but not nice.

Everyone else looked good.
But man I’d love to steal some MVC schools. Those top schools have great attendance.

JSUs arena is old on the outside, too. The Pete has been renovate twice in recent times. Was redone then hit by a tornado so redone. Capacity isnt large but it does give us some atmosphere with our avg crowd. Crowds have been growing with our improvements in basketball.

The schools that recently joined the WAC did so with plans to eventually become FBS. The key word there is eventually. You guys seem awfully certain that anyone you invite from there will accept. I'm not so sure that's the case.

And, I know the title of the thread is to add basketball schools....the only leagues that do that don't play football.

(10-25-2021 09:43 AM)BirdofParadise Wrote:  The schools that recently joined the WAC did so with plans to eventually become FBS. The key word there is eventually. You guys seem awfully certain that anyone you invite from there will accept. I'm not so sure that's the case.

And, I know the title of the thread is to add basketball schools....the only leagues that do that don't play football.

I'm pretty sure no one expects every one of these school names being batted around to be invited. At this point, it's just picking names of schools that "might" be an option to talk to. And for what it's worth, invites typically don't go out unless you know they will accept...and that involves a lot of conversation and planning beforehand between the conference and potential school.

Hell, I'm not even sure NMSU will be interested, nor any of these schools listed...except maybe Tarleton State...lol....Of course they're ready to join the SEC or the Ivy League so they may not want to be CUSA anyway.

CUSA football is on life support, add whoever you can to get just enough to keep it alive. Then add good basketball teams as that is now the strength and appeal of the conference. WKU, MTSU, LaTech and UTEP (and FIU) is the core of a STRONG basketball league. Id go after Belmont, Murray State, FGCU and NMSU. That would be a tough and fun conference that could get two bids.

(10-25-2021 09:05 AM)WKUApollo Wrote:  

(10-25-2021 08:34 AM)Hilltop75 Wrote:  If we got to add schools to survive let’s
Add the best basketball schools as well.
Here are the 2022 season’s ratings.

I agree wholeheartedly but I wouldn't use a single year ranking system. Those numbers won't show the value a school gives to basketball....i.e. a weak league, a bad hire, injuries, etc...all of which can skew the overall strength of a program by misrepresenting their basketball potential.

I'd compare long term history, recent as well...

For example:
Are they a consistent winner in basketball?
How do they normally place in their current league?
Basketball attendance
Basketball facility

These will tell you how much value the school places on basketball.

Agreed. I'd prefer to look at maybe a 5 year average at least.

If CUSA were to add NMSU would anyone be for or against Grand Canyon University as a non-fb school? They do have that for-profit label they’ve been trying to shake. So they get a lot of flak like Liberty for that and the religious angle. But they have good sports programs and an incredible game day atmosphere and fan support. But is Phoenix too far west? Curious to what you guys think.

(10-25-2021 09:58 AM)YesCubanB Wrote:  If CUSA were to add NMSU would anyone be for or against Grand Canyon University as a non-fb school? They do have that for-profit label they’ve been trying to shake. So they get a lot of flak like Liberty for that and the religious angle. But they have good sports programs and an incredible game day atmosphere and fan support. But is Phoenix too far west? Curious to what you guys think.

Had the same thought, but if you wont take Liberty which has even stronger athletics, I cant imagine GCU being considered for all the same reasons as LU. Arent GCU and ORU basically Liberty only in the west?

(10-25-2021 09:56 AM)monarx Wrote:  CUSA football is on life support, add whoever you can to get just enough to keep it alive. Then add good basketball teams as that is now the strength and appeal of the conference. WKU, MTSU, LaTech and UTEP (and FIU) is the core of a STRONG basketball league. Id go after Belmont, Murray State, FGCU and NMSU. That would be a tough and fun conference that could get two bids.

I agree we have a strong core to build around. If, as we've heard, there are numerous schools that have reached out, we can be a little selective to make sure we don't get a total dud just because of geography. Hopefully we come out of this solid and possibly better than we were. Although WKU was the 14th member of the current CUSA admitted, I've never been in favor of a G5 being that large. 10 is a great number. If we can add 2 or 3 programs that have demonstrated some basketball prowess and 2 or 3 with some potential in football, we would have a good core of 7 or 8 strong in basketball and 7 or 8 strong in football. It'd be awesome if we added 5 that were strong in both but that's very unlikely. I'd settle for 2 strong in both sports.

Build back relevance through basketball. Add Liberty, NMSU, and Missouri St and keep it at 8 teams for a few years. Hope MTSU gets their heads out of the sand and fires their coach. UTEP has all the tools to be a basketball front runner.

WKU
LT
MTSU
FIU
UTEP
NMSU
Liberty
Mo State