(04-27-2022 07:24 AM)Gemofthehills Wrote:  Why would CUSA want Tx St with other options available?

That's a valid question.

IMO, Texas State leaving the Sunbelt is as much about realizing their own potential as it is about being an asset to another conference.

Schools like ODU and their Eastern compatriots don't like sharing a league with Texas schools and that conflict may play out down the road.

I also think Texas State would fit into the CUSA (or MWC) geography well.

Nevertheless, just because its mutually beneficial doesn't mean they see it that way; and it doesn't necessarily make them a more attractive candidate (long term) than some of the other options out there (as you said).

The Sunbelt built back up with fresh new blood. CUSA may be better served with an addition that is hungrier. The model is there for CUSA to follow; and Texas State isn't exactly a breath of fresh air.

(04-28-2022 01:23 AM)TroyTBoy Wrote:  

(04-27-2022 07:24 AM)Gemofthehills Wrote:  Why would CUSA want Tx St with other options available?

That's a valid question.

IMO, Texas State leaving the Sunbelt is as much about realizing their own potential as it is about being an asset to another conference.

Schools like ODU and their Eastern compatriots don't like sharing a league with Texas schools and that conflict may play out down the road.

I also think Texas State would fit into the CUSA (or MWC) geography well.

Nevertheless, just because its mutually beneficial doesn't mean they see it that way; and it doesn't necessarily make them a more attractive candidate (long term) than some of the other options out there (as you said).

The Sunbelt built back up with fresh new blood. CUSA may be better served with an addition that is hungrier. The model is there for CUSA to follow; and Texas State isn't exactly a breath of fresh air.

Still waiting for someone to explain how this would benefit us besides basketball.... Even if we made the move down the Sun Belt would probably backfill with one of La Tech, WKU, or MT which would weaken CUSA.

Still here waiting to see who the better options are from the Jax State fan?

(04-28-2022 01:23 AM)TroyTBoy Wrote:  

(04-27-2022 07:24 AM)Gemofthehills Wrote:  Why would CUSA want Tx St with other options available?

That's a valid question.

IMO, Texas State leaving the Sunbelt is as much about realizing their own potential as it is about being an asset to another conference.

I would argue Texas State has a higher ceiling competing in a league with an upward trajectory than in one with a downward one. Texas State has all the facilities, the classic college town, the budget, and the student body size to compete in the Sun Belt. What has been missing is quality coaching and AD'S. Improving coaching is what's needed, not changing leagues.

(04-28-2022 01:23 AM)TroyTBoy Wrote:  Schools like ODU and their Eastern compatriots don't like sharing a league with Texas schools and that conflict may play out down the road.

I'm going to disagree there. The eastern schools like ODU don't like sharing a league with FOUR Texas schools, one of them (UTEP) truly being in the Western United States. One Texas school is fine. What they didn't like was that the eastern division stretched from Western Kentucky to Norfolk to Miami and playing the basketball tournament next to curtains in the Cowboys' facility. This compact SBC East called by ESPN the best division in the G5 makes them VERY happy. In the SB, the East schools are happy, and the West are too.

(04-28-2022 01:23 AM)TroyTBoy Wrote:  I also think Texas State would fit into the CUSA (or MWC) geography well.

I'm going to disagree here, too. Texas State is moderately an outlier in the Sun Belt. They'd be a massive outlier in the MWC. Not as much as Hawaii, of course, but they would be way farther east from everyone else.

They don't fit into C-USA geographically as well as it may seem on the surface, either. SHSU is in-state and driving distance. That's a given. (And honestly, I think the SBC recognized TXST was relatively on its own and could have used a nearby neighbor. That's why they encouraged UTA to start football. They probably had conversations with UTSA, too, though this is just conjecture.) But SHSU being fairly close, having shared history, etc., may be the only thing for TXST that gives C-USA a geographic edge over the SBC. The SBC has the edge in geography for everything else.

NMSU and UTEP are very far away, even if one is technically in the same state and the other in a bordering one. In fact, ULL and ULM are closer than those two and are also closer than La. Tech.

Southern Miss, Arkansas State, South Alabama, and Troy are all closer than JSU, MTSU, WKU, FIU, and Liberty. Several eastern members are closer than some of those eastern/northern C-USA schools, too.

I think you're getting thrown off by the fact that TXST would between other schools in C-USA, while in SBC, they're on the edge. Reality is that average distance for actual games TXST will play in the SBC, 75% of which in football will be in the compact West division, is shorter than the average distance in C-USA.

(04-28-2022 01:23 AM)TroyTBoy Wrote:  Nevertheless, just because its mutually beneficial doesn't mean they see it that way; and it doesn't necessarily make them a more attractive candidate (long term) than some of the other options out there (as you said).

The Sunbelt built back up with fresh new blood. CUSA may be better served with an addition that is hungrier. The model is there for CUSA to follow; and Texas State isn't exactly a breath of fresh air.

TXST does deserve criticism for falling way short in football.

Perhaps you are correct that C-USA would not want TXST if they could have them, but it's clear to me that TXST wouldn't go if given the opportunity.

I agree that C-USA may prove doubters like me wrong. The SBC surely has done that. But today would not be the time to go there for a school in a more stable, more promising league.

For the MW, maybe TXST would be willing to go there, but it's irrelevant. The MW isn't calling.

Really, TXST's league of choice would be the AAC. Four Texas schools, neighboring Tulsa, neighboring Tulane, the Naval Academy, and so on. Are you kidding me? Of course TXST would jump all over that. But that point is also irrelevant. TXST isn't even close to being on their wish list.

Conclusion: The Sun Belt is TXST's long term home, and the fit is far better than what it appears to be on the surface.

(04-28-2022 08:27 AM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  Still here waiting to see who the better options are from the Jax State fan?

Who isnt a better option?

(04-28-2022 08:45 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  They don't fit into C-USA geographically as well as it may seem on the surface, either. SHSU is in-state and driving distance. That's a given. (And honestly, I think the SBC recognized TXST was relatively on its own and could have used a nearby neighbor. That's why they encouraged UTA to start football. They probably had conversations with UTSA, too, though this is just conjecture.) But SHSU being fairly close, having shared history, etc., may be the only thing for TXST that gives C-USA a geographic edge over the SBC. The SBC has the edge in geography for everything else.

NMSU and UTEP are very far away, even if one is technically in the same state and the other in a bordering one. In fact, ULL and ULM are closer than those two and are also closer than La. Tech.

Southern Miss, Arkansas State, South Alabama, and Troy are all closer than JSU, MTSU, WKU, FIU, and Liberty. Several eastern members are closer than some of those eastern/northern C-USA schools, too.

I think you're getting thrown off by the fact that TXST would between other schools in C-USA, while in SBC, they're on the edge. Reality is that average distance for actual games TXST will play in the SBC, 75% of which in football will be in the compact West division, is shorter than the average distance in C-USA.

Agreed. I think your point goes with my opinion that overall even being an outlier in the SBC makes for better geography for us than being in CUSA where the only slight advantage is gaining a conferencemate that is 3 hours away.

There’s no better option out there.

What C-USA needs to do moving forward is to work on what it’ll have in 2023 and not worry about what other schools and conferences do or do not do.

A good start would be to promote the “Battle of I-10” and the “One Hundred Miles of Hate” in basketball. Those four schools alone have more NCAA bids than the entire 14 team Sun Belt combined. That’s a good start.

.

Over on the MWC board, the fans have commented at times that, as they see it, the view of MWC commissioner Craig "Hair" Thompson on the topic of conference expansion is almost the polar opposite of Big 12 commissioner Bowlsby's view. In their view, Bowlsby is a very pro-expansion commissioner; Thompson very anti-expansion.

It may seem likely that, if the Big-12 snaps up a MWC school such as BSU, the MWC would probably replace them. However, the AAC didn't replace UConn, and they could have kept UConn on as a FB member, but they opted not to, so it's not clear what they would do.

The MWC's broadcasting partners might have something to say about it, for example, when the MWC's deal comes up for renewal. Perhaps the network would do something similar to what ESPN did with the AAC, when they lost 4 schools (including UConn), they ended up expanding to 14 per the network's wishes, despite the fact that they never had any intention to do so.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

BTW, there was a poll on the mwcboard.com last September asking about possible MWC expansion teams, and the 3 schools that received the most votes were all Texas schools. 38% of the respondents voted for a University in Texas.

POLL: Which new members do you MOST EXPECT to see playing in the MWC in a decade (if any)?

UTEP: 11%
Rice or UTSA 11%
UNT 10%
N. Dak St. (FCS to FBS) 9.4%
Montana (FCS to FBS) 7%
NMSU 6.5%
SMU 6%
S. Dak St. (FCS to FBS) 6%
Montana St. (FCS to FBS) 6%
Tulsa 4%
UC Davis (FCS to FBS) 2%
N. Dakota (FCS to FBS) 2%
Gr. Canyon U. (FCS to FBS) 2%
Long Beach St. (FCS to FBS) 1.4%
U. Denver (FCS to FBS) 1.4%
Tulane, LaTech, or ULM (FCS to FBS) 1%
Other (FCS to FBS) 1.4%

None/Don't Know (FCS to FBS) 13%

https://www.mwcboard.com/index.php?/topi...de-if-any/

By State:

Arizona: 2%
California: 3.4%
Colorado: 1.4%
Dakotas: 17.4%
Louisiana: 1%
Montana: 13%
New Mexico: 6.5%
Oklahoma: 4%
Texas: 38%

Schools within or near (MT, UTEP) the MWC's current geo. footprint: 37.3%

Schools located outside the MWC's footprint (ND, SD, OK, TX): 49.4%

(04-28-2022 10:37 AM)Gemofthehills Wrote:  

(04-28-2022 08:27 AM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  Still here waiting to see who the better options are from the Jax State fan?

Who isnt a better option?

TXST is not an option, first of all. They wouldn't go to C-USA even if all Sun Belt exit fees were waived and all C-USA entrance fees were waived, and even if C-USA forked over money to entice them.TXST would have zero interest. Their reasons for joining (Texas-based Rice, UTSA, and UNT) are leaving.


For that matter, no school in the Sun Belt is an option. Exposure is superior. Quality of play is better in the all-important football. Media payouts are projected to be much better.

But let's pretend TXST was an option, and that ULM was an option. I hate to say this because they're a respected partner in my school's league, but ULM would be a worse option. Beyond that, EKU would be a worse option. There's a reason they were passed over by the Sun Belt in favor of Coastal back in 2015 (when the invitation was accepted). Stephen F. Austin would be a better basketball option, but football and budgets are far more important. TXST, as an established FBS school with more money, wins in that category. McNeese lacks in budget. I would be concerned they'd be the next ULM: a school that thrived in FCS/1-AA but, due to financial constraints, would struggle on the field.

NDSU would be a better option, but, um, they are not an option.

What schools that would *realistically* be willing to join C-USA are better options than TXST would be? UMass for football only? I would be willing to listen to that argument. I can't think of a solid argument for someone else.

(04-28-2022 01:23 AM)TroyTBoy Wrote:  

(04-27-2022 07:24 AM)Gemofthehills Wrote:  Why would CUSA want Tx St with other options available?

That's a valid question.

IMO, Texas State leaving the Sunbelt is as much about realizing their own potential as it is about being an asset to another conference.

Schools like ODU and their Eastern compatriots don't like sharing a league with Texas schools and that conflict may play out down the road.

I also think Texas State would fit into the CUSA (or MWC) geography well.

Nevertheless, just because its mutually beneficial doesn't mean they see it that way; and it doesn't necessarily make them a more attractive candidate (long term) than some of the other options out there (as you said).

The Sunbelt built back up with fresh new blood. CUSA may be better served with an addition that is hungrier. The model is there for CUSA to follow; and Texas State isn't exactly a breath of fresh air.

ODU fans don't mind Texas schools, we joined a league with them. We mind having the entirety of conference decisions being made around those schools and being given the shaft on scheduling as much as possible. ODU played UTEP 4 times in 8 years in C-USA, the furthest possible opponent from us, and had to play in El Paso for 3 of those games. Yeah, we got tired of that.

(04-28-2022 10:37 AM)Gemofthehills Wrote:  

(04-28-2022 08:27 AM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  Still here waiting to see who the better options are from the Jax State fan?

Who isnt a better option?

Hahahahahahaha. Please name ONE

(04-28-2022 11:21 AM)Blue_Trombone Wrote:  

(04-28-2022 10:37 AM)Gemofthehills Wrote:  

(04-28-2022 08:27 AM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  Still here waiting to see who the better options are from the Jax State fan?

Who isnt a better option?

Hahahahahahaha. Please name ONE

Exactly my thoughts. Name them. Name all the potential CUSA schools that are better than Texas State.

Milwaukee: That's good perspective about the MW and its fans. Well done.

UTEPDallas Wrote:There’s no better option out there.

What C-USA needs to do moving forward is to work on what it’ll have in 2023 and not worry about what other schools and conferences do or do not do.

A good start would be to promote the “Battle of I-10” and the “One Hundred Miles of Hate” in basketball. Those four schools alone have more NCAA bids than the entire 14 team Sun Belt combined. That’s a good start.

This.

I just want to make it clear I don't want to a poster who just bashes C-USA, especially when they've been hit hard. I think it's nonsense to say Sun Belt teams should refuse to play C-USA teams going forward, as folks have Saif on the Sun Belt board.. I think that would be dumb. After all, C-USA won the last game vs. App State. By three touchdowns. I tip my cap to WKU.

Quickly, just from my POV as an App guy, App is already scheduled to play Liberty in coming seasons. App will certainly play C-USA in future bowl games. I would love for App to play WKU to seek revenge. La. Tech would be fun because, believe it or not, the dislike of LT is not limited to the Louisiana schools. Their AD'S comments in May 2020 struck a nerve for the entire conference.

Honestly, I do expect C-USA to struggle. I'd be shocked if, at least in the first few years, they're not the worst performing FBS conference. However, I do not expect it to be Sun Belt-early-2000's bad. It'll compete. It'll win some games vs. the other G5's. Occasionally it'll garner some P5 wins. The Sun Belt still has to win the games in front of them. So I am absolutely not writing the conference off for good.

Furthermore, I will say Liberty has all the potential in the world. WKU and La. Tech are proven winners. As annoying as some JSU posters are, I think JSU is ready for FBS. I'm on the fence about MTSU. They seem like a perpetual 5-7 to 7-5 team. Never bottom of the barrell, never great. UTEP, honestly, needs more than one good season to convince me they won't go back to losing. FIU I have little faith in until they start making real investment. It almost seems lazy, as though they think their Miami location alone, with nothing more, will carry them to greatness. NMSU has no track record of winning. Finally, SHSU has a long way to go financially and fan support wise to have a chance to compete in FBS, regardless of their spring 2021 FCS National title.

C-USA, first and foremost, has GOT to get its multimedia deals fixed. They cannot succeed if they continue with the confusing cusa.tv/ESPN+/Stadium/Facebook/CBSSN/Fox?/BeIn/ NFLN thing. They've got to get with a widely distributed format, get on easy-to-find TV, and streamline the process. Otherwise, yes, they're going to be the equivalent of 2000's era Sun Belt.

Secondly, they've got to consider new leadership. They have to assess what went wrong that made schools not only leave for the AAC, but also for a league that it was once head and shoulders above. These things do not happen by accident. There has to be some lessons learned.

Texas State has finished above .500 in FBS football exactly once. It's been one of the worst run programs in the country over the last decade. I think they ought to strive for being a garden-variety below-average G5 program before trying to swing for a better conference.

(04-28-2022 12:39 PM)MattBrownEP Wrote:  Texas State has finished above .500 in FBS football exactly once. It's been one of the worst run programs in the country over the last decade. I think they ought to strive for being a garden-variety below-average G5 program before trying to swing for a better conference.

San Marcos is between Austin and San Antonio and it has a party school reputation. Facilities are nice and there’s thousands of HS recruits in a 100 mile radius. There’s much to like about Texas State if you’re the WAC, Sun Belt and C-USA in the last decade. The problem with Texas State is the MWC won’t consider them unless they become a TCU type program when they were in the WAC and C-USA and the geography can be easily ignored.

Hey now we are at least garden variety below average lol. We were 4-8 not 2-10. But yes, I agree Matt

(04-28-2022 12:39 PM)MattBrownEP Wrote:  Texas State has finished above .500 in FBS football exactly once. It's been one of the worst run programs in the country over the last decade. I think they ought to strive for being a garden-variety below-average G5 program before trying to swing for a better conference.

Leadership is the problem, and it is crushing them. They have everything else it takes to be a force in the G5.

(04-28-2022 11:55 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  Milwaukee: That's good perspective about the MW and its fans. Well done.

UTEPDallas Wrote:There’s no better option out there.

What C-USA needs to do moving forward is to work on what it’ll have in 2023 and not worry about what other schools and conferences do or do not do.

A good start would be to promote the “Battle of I-10” and the “One Hundred Miles of Hate” in basketball. Those four schools alone have more NCAA bids than the entire 14 team Sun Belt combined. That’s a good start.

This.

I just want to make it clear I don't want to a poster who just bashes C-USA, especially when they've been hit hard. I think it's nonsense to say Sun Belt teams should refuse to play C-USA teams going forward, as folks have Saif on the Sun Belt board.. I think that would be dumb. After all, C-USA won the last game vs. App State. By three touchdowns. I tip my cap to WKU.

Quickly, just from my POV as an App guy, App is already scheduled to play Liberty in coming seasons. App will certainly play C-USA in future bowl games. I would love for App to play WKU to seek revenge. La. Tech would be fun because, believe it or not, the dislike of LT is not limited to the Louisiana schools. Their AD'S comments in May 2020 struck a nerve for the entire conference.

Honestly, I do expect C-USA to struggle. I'd be shocked if, at least in the first few years, they're not the worst performing FBS conference. However, I do not expect it to be Sun Belt-early-2000's bad. It'll compete. It'll win some games vs. the other G5's. Occasionally it'll garner some P5 wins. The Sun Belt still has to win the games in front of them. So I am absolutely not writing the conference off for good.

Furthermore, I will say Liberty has all the potential in the world. WKU and La. Tech are proven winners. As annoying as some JSU posters are, I think JSU is ready for FBS. I'm on the fence about MTSU. They seem like a perpetual 5-7 to 7-5 team. Never bottom of the barrell, never great. UTEP, honestly, needs more than one good season to convince me they won't go back to losing. FIU I have little faith in until they start making real investment. It almost seems lazy, as though they think their Miami location alone, with nothing more, will carry them to greatness. NMSU has no track record of winning. Finally, SHSU has a long way to go financially and fan support wise to have a chance to compete in FBS, regardless of their spring 2021 FCS National title.

C-USA, first and foremost, has GOT to get its multimedia deals fixed. They cannot succeed if they continue with the confusing cusa.tv/ESPN+/Stadium/Facebook/CBSSN/Fox?/BeIn/ NFLN thing. They've got to get with a widely distributed format, get on easy-to-find TV, and streamline the process. Otherwise, yes, they're going to be the equivalent of 2000's era Sun Belt.

Secondly, they've got to consider new leadership. They have to assess what went wrong that made schools not only leave for the AAC, but also for a league that it was once head and shoulders above. These things do not happen by accident. There has to be some lessons learned.

The Sun Belt had a good thing going with 10 teams. They’re now very C-USAesque in expanding to 14. I don’t see an scenario where the Sun Belt champion is undefeated or with one loss moving forward. I just don’t. There’s too much parity for that to happen. It’ll just be like C-USA 2.0 which your new friends Marshall and Southern Miss know a thing or two.

Liberty will be the East Coast version of Boise State. Schedule a G5 and two mid level P5s in OOC and add a buy game to any weak G5 or FCS. Then run C-USA like Boise State ran the WAC and you suddenly have a top 25 ranking and get in the conversation for a NY6 bowl bid. Unlike Boise, they have the money to make it happen. Frankly, that’s what the conference needs, a program that separates from the rest and get in the media and national conversation. Then you need two decent programs, Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky offer that. Middle Tennessee, UTEP, NMSU and FIU can capitalize while Jax State and SHSU transition to a FBS roster and be 6-6 or 7-5. So the expectation should be 4-5 teams in the postseason.

Basketball should be interesting to watch. It’ll be head and shoulders above the MAC and Sun Belt and hopefully the one bid curse will be broken which has been that way since the 2005-06 season.

But at the end of the day, only time will tell who’s right and who’s wrong.

(04-28-2022 01:29 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  

(04-28-2022 11:55 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  Milwaukee: That's good perspective about the MW and its fans. Well done.

UTEPDallas Wrote:There’s no better option out there.

What C-USA needs to do moving forward is to work on what it’ll have in 2023 and not worry about what other schools and conferences do or do not do.

A good start would be to promote the “Battle of I-10” and the “One Hundred Miles of Hate” in basketball. Those four schools alone have more NCAA bids than the entire 14 team Sun Belt combined. That’s a good start.

This.

I just want to make it clear I don't want to a poster who just bashes C-USA, especially when they've been hit hard. I think it's nonsense to say Sun Belt teams should refuse to play C-USA teams going forward, as folks have Saif on the Sun Belt board.. I think that would be dumb. After all, C-USA won the last game vs. App State. By three touchdowns. I tip my cap to WKU.

Quickly, just from my POV as an App guy, App is already scheduled to play Liberty in coming seasons. App will certainly play C-USA in future bowl games. I would love for App to play WKU to seek revenge. La. Tech would be fun because, believe it or not, the dislike of LT is not limited to the Louisiana schools. Their AD'S comments in May 2020 struck a nerve for the entire conference.

Honestly, I do expect C-USA to struggle. I'd be shocked if, at least in the first few years, they're not the worst performing FBS conference. However, I do not expect it to be Sun Belt-early-2000's bad. It'll compete. It'll win some games vs. the other G5's. Occasionally it'll garner some P5 wins. The Sun Belt still has to win the games in front of them. So I am absolutely not writing the conference off for good.

Furthermore, I will say Liberty has all the potential in the world. WKU and La. Tech are proven winners. As annoying as some JSU posters are, I think JSU is ready for FBS. I'm on the fence about MTSU. They seem like a perpetual 5-7 to 7-5 team. Never bottom of the barrell, never great. UTEP, honestly, needs more than one good season to convince me they won't go back to losing. FIU I have little faith in until they start making real investment. It almost seems lazy, as though they think their Miami location alone, with nothing more, will carry them to greatness. NMSU has no track record of winning. Finally, SHSU has a long way to go financially and fan support wise to have a chance to compete in FBS, regardless of their spring 2021 FCS National title.

C-USA, first and foremost, has GOT to get its multimedia deals fixed. They cannot succeed if they continue with the confusing cusa.tv/ESPN+/Stadium/Facebook/CBSSN/Fox?/BeIn/ NFLN thing. They've got to get with a widely distributed format, get on easy-to-find TV, and streamline the process. Otherwise, yes, they're going to be the equivalent of 2000's era Sun Belt.

Secondly, they've got to consider new leadership. They have to assess what went wrong that made schools not only leave for the AAC, but also for a league that it was once head and shoulders above. These things do not happen by accident. There has to be some lessons learned.

The Sun Belt had a good thing going with 10 teams. They’re now very C-USAesque in expanding to 14. I don’t see an scenario where the Sun Belt champion is undefeated or with one loss moving forward. I just don’t. There’s too much parity for that to happen. It’ll just be like C-USA 2.0 which your new friends Marshall and Southern Miss know a thing or two.

Liberty will be the East Coast version of Boise State. Schedule a G5 and two mid level P5s in OOC and add a buy game to any weak G5 or FCS. Then run C-USA like Boise State ran the WAC and you suddenly have a top 25 ranking and get in the conversation for a NY6 bowl bid. Unlike Boise, they have the money to make it happen. Frankly, that’s what the conference needs, a program that separates from the rest and get in the media and national conversation. Then you need two decent programs, Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky offer that. Middle Tennessee, UTEP, NMSU and FIU can capitalize while Jax State and SHSU transition to a FBS roster and be 6-6 or 7-5. So the expectation should be 4-5 teams in the postseason.

Basketball should be interesting to watch. It’ll be head and shoulders above the MAC and Sun Belt and hopefully the one bid curse will be broken which has been that way since the 2005-06 season.

But at the end of the day, only time will tell who’s right and who’s wrong.

I suppose this means you're putting a lot of faith in Marshall and I guess JMU, then. ODU went 6-7 and has only made two bowl games ever, and USM is struggling and has been for a while. So Marshall and JMU are the big difference makers.

A team from the Belt has to get over the hump and go undefeated, including bowl games. That has yet to happen.

But there have been multiple one-loss teams recently.

2021: Louisiana, 13-1
2020: Coastal didn't lose till the bowl game, Louisiana lost only to Coastal.
2019: App State, 13-1

There also have been more to win in the double digits, just in the past three years: 2021 App State, 2021 Coastal, and 2019 Louisiana.

I would also point to the AAC. There has been parity in that league. Cincinnati, UCF, Houston, and Memphis have all gone to the NY6 with zero or one loss. Four different schools. There's been parity, yet also true standput teams capable of crashing the NY6. I see no reason why that cannot happen in the Belt.

I do agree with you about Liberty. They are going to be a force, for sure.

(04-28-2022 03:51 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  

(04-28-2022 01:29 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  

(04-28-2022 11:55 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  Milwaukee: That's good perspective about the MW and its fans. Well done.

UTEPDallas Wrote:There’s no better option out there.

What C-USA needs to do moving forward is to work on what it’ll have in 2023 and not worry about what other schools and conferences do or do not do.

A good start would be to promote the “Battle of I-10” and the “One Hundred Miles of Hate” in basketball. Those four schools alone have more NCAA bids than the entire 14 team Sun Belt combined. That’s a good start.

This.

I just want to make it clear I don't want to a poster who just bashes C-USA, especially when they've been hit hard. I think it's nonsense to say Sun Belt teams should refuse to play C-USA teams going forward, as folks have Saif on the Sun Belt board.. I think that would be dumb. After all, C-USA won the last game vs. App State. By three touchdowns. I tip my cap to WKU.

Quickly, just from my POV as an App guy, App is already scheduled to play Liberty in coming seasons. App will certainly play C-USA in future bowl games. I would love for App to play WKU to seek revenge. La. Tech would be fun because, believe it or not, the dislike of LT is not limited to the Louisiana schools. Their AD'S comments in May 2020 struck a nerve for the entire conference.

Honestly, I do expect C-USA to struggle. I'd be shocked if, at least in the first few years, they're not the worst performing FBS conference. However, I do not expect it to be Sun Belt-early-2000's bad. It'll compete. It'll win some games vs. the other G5's. Occasionally it'll garner some P5 wins. The Sun Belt still has to win the games in front of them. So I am absolutely not writing the conference off for good.

Furthermore, I will say Liberty has all the potential in the world. WKU and La. Tech are proven winners. As annoying as some JSU posters are, I think JSU is ready for FBS. I'm on the fence about MTSU. They seem like a perpetual 5-7 to 7-5 team. Never bottom of the barrell, never great. UTEP, honestly, needs more than one good season to convince me they won't go back to losing. FIU I have little faith in until they start making real investment. It almost seems lazy, as though they think their Miami location alone, with nothing more, will carry them to greatness. NMSU has no track record of winning. Finally, SHSU has a long way to go financially and fan support wise to have a chance to compete in FBS, regardless of their spring 2021 FCS National title.

C-USA, first and foremost, has GOT to get its multimedia deals fixed. They cannot succeed if they continue with the confusing cusa.tv/ESPN+/Stadium/Facebook/CBSSN/Fox?/BeIn/ NFLN thing. They've got to get with a widely distributed format, get on easy-to-find TV, and streamline the process. Otherwise, yes, they're going to be the equivalent of 2000's era Sun Belt.

Secondly, they've got to consider new leadership. They have to assess what went wrong that made schools not only leave for the AAC, but also for a league that it was once head and shoulders above. These things do not happen by accident. There has to be some lessons learned.

The Sun Belt had a good thing going with 10 teams. They’re now very C-USAesque in expanding to 14. I don’t see an scenario where the Sun Belt champion is undefeated or with one loss moving forward. I just don’t. There’s too much parity for that to happen. It’ll just be like C-USA 2.0 which your new friends Marshall and Southern Miss know a thing or two.

Liberty will be the East Coast version of Boise State. Schedule a G5 and two mid level P5s in OOC and add a buy game to any weak G5 or FCS. Then run C-USA like Boise State ran the WAC and you suddenly have a top 25 ranking and get in the conversation for a NY6 bowl bid. Unlike Boise, they have the money to make it happen. Frankly, that’s what the conference needs, a program that separates from the rest and get in the media and national conversation. Then you need two decent programs, Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky offer that. Middle Tennessee, UTEP, NMSU and FIU can capitalize while Jax State and SHSU transition to a FBS roster and be 6-6 or 7-5. So the expectation should be 4-5 teams in the postseason.

Basketball should be interesting to watch. It’ll be head and shoulders above the MAC and Sun Belt and hopefully the one bid curse will be broken which has been that way since the 2005-06 season.

But at the end of the day, only time will tell who’s right and who’s wrong.

I suppose this means you're putting a lot of faith in Marshall and I guess JMU, then. ODU went 6-7 and has only made two bowl games ever, and USM is struggling and has been for a while. So Marshall and JMU are the big difference makers.

A team from the Belt has to get over the hump and go undefeated, including bowl games. That has yet to happen.

But there have been multiple one-loss teams recently.

2021: Louisiana, 13-1
2020: Coastal didn't lose till the bowl game, Louisiana lost only to Coastal.
2019: App State, 13-1

There also have been more to win in the double digits, just in the past three years: 2021 App State, 2021 Coastal, and 2019 Louisiana.

I would also point to the AAC. There has been parity in that league. Cincinnati, UCF, Houston, and Memphis have all gone to the NY6 with zero or one loss. Four different schools. There's been parity, yet also true standput teams capable of crashing the NY6. I see no reason why that cannot happen in the Belt.

I do agree with you about Liberty. They are going to be a force, for sure.

Remind me again, how many schools did the Sun Belt have between 2019 and 2021? They had a good thing going on at ten. Anything over twelve schools are too many at the G5 level. How do I know this? The WAC-16 and C-USA 3.0 experiments taught me so.

The thing is the Sun Belt has to much parity. Yes, I do have faith in Marshall and Old Dominion to put up a fight especially Marshall. Although I believe Marshall’s best days are long gone since the MAC days, they’re capable of winning 7 to 9 games on any given year. I could be wrong but I’ll be shocked if the Sun Belt champion goes undefeated in their new set up. Like I wrote in previously, only time will tell if I’m right or wrong.