(07-31-2023 06:57 AM)PredatorUTEP Wrote:  

(07-30-2023 10:35 PM)jones682 Wrote:  

(07-30-2023 10:13 PM)PredatorUTEP Wrote:  Lost interest in CUSA back in 2010 when Memphis, Tulsa and Houston left. Even worse now that UTSA and UNT are gone.

UTEP is destined to be in a bad conference due to its own inadequacies, so I hope utep makes its way into a western based conference with a presence in Texas. Whether that is the MWC or WAC.

The WAC is a FCS conference that is filled with teams that would give there leg to be in CUSA.

Would still prefer to be in the WAC over CUSA. It's where utep belongs. CUSA is a glorified FCS conference at this point with geography terrible for utep.

Wow, the WAC has D2 call ups. CUSA got then best teams out of the WAC-ASUN. You can't be serious.

I’m very excited for LU to be a part of CUSA and I think in short order, if not already, CUSA will be the premier G5 conference. I think arguably, the top schools in CUSA (perhaps WKU and LU based on recent D1 success) are currently better than any program in the AAC or Sunbelt. Shoot, one of the top coaches in the Sunbelt just jumped ship to a CUSA program. Ten schools gives us added flexibility not afforded the AAC and Sunbelt to take advantage of opportunities as the realignment saga continues to unfold with the MWC, AAC and ACC schools down the line and provides a greater share per school than other G5 conferences. I think the AAC’s reliance on the size of a school’s local media market as the sole consideration for membership will be their Achilles heel and although I agree with the Sunbelts decision to not follow that mode, it will be difficult for them to produce one team with an overwhelming resume for CFP because their top teams are so evenly matched. Staying independent is not in anyone’s best interest due to the current FBS scheduling climate and CFP. Not to sound over optimistic, but when you see what WKU has done recently against the other G5 programs, what Liberty has done against FBS D1 programs in the SEC, Big VII and ACC plus what SHSU has done against the JMU’s of the FCS ranks, there’s no other G5 conference that concerns me.

(07-31-2023 11:23 AM)PojoaquePosse Wrote:  

(07-31-2023 10:29 AM)3DogNight Wrote:  I was happy in the beginning as I was looking forward to competing for conference championships. But as time goes by, that enthusiasm isn’t as strong. I’m still happy, just not as much. Hopefully the start of the season will bring renewed enthusiasm. I know this board is a small sampling, but if it is any indication of the feelings of the majority of fans, CUSA has no chance of being a successful conference. There is some glimmer of optimism by some, but it’s always quickly squashed by doom and gloom. Certainly don’t need the Belters periodically on here trashing the conference, there’s enough already here to carry out that job.

Many established member fans on here have checked out or maybe they checked out a long time ago. I don’t think this conference could do anything to make them happy. If you don’t have a glimmer of hope or confidence in yourself, it’s for certain nobody else will. I don’t know, but maybe it’s because of that, many new member fans haven’t even checked in. Some of their respective teams haven’t even played their first FBS game, and they already think they’re too good for CUSA. They’re already dreaming of some other conference that will come knocking on their door.

I really do think that CUSA can be a competitive and strong conference. Call me crazy, but I really do think that the 10 schools that will be CUSA can be one of the top G5 conferences. If that will or can happen is yet to be determined. Of course the obvious main thing is to win OOC games. But even if we do that, if we’re constantly bashing ourselves and knocking each other over trying to be the next school out the door, it’s not really going to matter. If you don’t want to be happy somewhere, you’ll never be happy there. No matter what the circumstances are.

You are basing whether or not you are happy with CUSA on the posters from a message board? There are some great posters on here. There are also some that are bat-sh!t crazy. No one on these boards speaks for an entire fan base. I think you should base your CUSA feelings on how you feel, not on how others feel.

I am going on how I feel. The constant negativity by many (not all) sucks the air out of the room. There seems to be no unity whatsoever. Maybe you see that as a positive thing, I don’t. Maybe the constant need by some to voice their desire to leave or voice how much they hate being here is uplifting and encouraging to you and gives you confidence in the success of this conference. It doesn’t me. Please note that I never said that this board speaks for all the fan bases. I said if it DID the conference was in trouble. Going forward we shall find out the answer to that question.

(07-31-2023 12:15 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  Everybody is entitled to their own opinion but---

A Utep poster wanting to go to the WAC?

A Liberty poster wanting to be Indy?

I don't understand these two views at all. SMH.

Those were very strange comments and I definitely raised my eyebrows. You know what is also strange? A poster on this board telling NMSU posters to stop posting on the WAC board and post more here...then going on to said WAC board and posting themselves.

(07-31-2023 01:25 PM)PojoaquePosse Wrote:  

(07-31-2023 12:15 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  Everybody is entitled to their own opinion but---

A Utep poster wanting to go to the WAC?

A Liberty poster wanting to be Indy?

I don't understand these two views at all. SMH.

Those were very strange comments and I definitely raised my eyebrows. You know what is also strange? A poster on this board telling NMSU posters to stop posting on the WAC board and post more here...then going on to said WAC board and posting themselves.

You can usually tell which LU fans have paid attention to future schedules, Olympic sports, & ACC policies based on whether they wish we had held out with Independence or not. Those who have paid attention to those are glad we got into a conference. Those who still pine for independence generally have missed something.

If we were still at the height of Independents getting games with anyone they wanted, & if the ASUN was a 2 bid league, then of course that would be great, but that's not the world we're in anymore.

(07-31-2023 01:18 PM)3DogNight Wrote:  

(07-31-2023 11:23 AM)PojoaquePosse Wrote:  

(07-31-2023 10:29 AM)3DogNight Wrote:  I was happy in the beginning as I was looking forward to competing for conference championships. But as time goes by, that enthusiasm isn’t as strong. I’m still happy, just not as much. Hopefully the start of the season will bring renewed enthusiasm. I know this board is a small sampling, but if it is any indication of the feelings of the majority of fans, CUSA has no chance of being a successful conference. There is some glimmer of optimism by some, but it’s always quickly squashed by doom and gloom. Certainly don’t need the Belters periodically on here trashing the conference, there’s enough already here to carry out that job.

Many established member fans on here have checked out or maybe they checked out a long time ago. I don’t think this conference could do anything to make them happy. If you don’t have a glimmer of hope or confidence in yourself, it’s for certain nobody else will. I don’t know, but maybe it’s because of that, many new member fans haven’t even checked in. Some of their respective teams haven’t even played their first FBS game, and they already think they’re too good for CUSA. They’re already dreaming of some other conference that will come knocking on their door.

I really do think that CUSA can be a competitive and strong conference. Call me crazy, but I really do think that the 10 schools that will be CUSA can be one of the top G5 conferences. If that will or can happen is yet to be determined. Of course the obvious main thing is to win OOC games. But even if we do that, if we’re constantly bashing ourselves and knocking each other over trying to be the next school out the door, it’s not really going to matter. If you don’t want to be happy somewhere, you’ll never be happy there. No matter what the circumstances are.

You are basing whether or not you are happy with CUSA on the posters from a message board? There are some great posters on here. There are also some that are bat-sh!t crazy. No one on these boards speaks for an entire fan base. I think you should base your CUSA feelings on how you feel, not on how others feel.

I am going on how I feel. The constant negativity by many (not all) sucks the air out of the room. There seems to be no unity whatsoever. Maybe you see that as a positive thing, I don’t. Maybe the constant need by some to voice their desire to leave or voice how much they hate being here is uplifting and encouraging to you and gives you confidence in the success of this conference. It doesn’t me. Please note that I never said that this board speaks for all the fan bases. I said if it DID the conference was in trouble. Going forward we shall find out the answer to that question.

It's just a message board. It doesn't matter how much displeasure or complaining there is. Nothing anyone says on here is going to affect their team, conference, commissioner, etc. We are just mindless fans posting opinions (although some think they are posting facts).

And I agree that this message board is not as fun as other boards that I frequent. It is certainly not as much fun as the old WAC board. There are just too many people that are unhappy and complain (plus the aforementioned crazy people).

As for me? I'm thrilled to be in CUSA. I could care less if others feel the same.

Definitely excited about it. Big step up in competition. Hopefully the team gets ready for it.

Of note: not every vote being cast is by CUSA fans.

As of now, actual CUSA fans vote is 17/17 yes, 14/18 no.

(07-31-2023 01:51 PM)Keswick_Crusaders_Forever51 Wrote:  Of note: not every vote being cast is by CUSA fans.

As of now, actual CUSA fans vote is 17/17 yes, 14/18 no.

I noticed the Belt fans voting “no”, too.

I have enjoyed the last twenty years with WKU fans. I did notice a WKU fan getting on to a UTEP fan and a Liberty fan about not being happy, when the results show WKU fans are almost unanimously not happy as well…

(07-31-2023 02:00 PM)UNT15 Wrote:  

(07-31-2023 01:51 PM)Keswick_Crusaders_Forever51 Wrote:  Of note: not every vote being cast is by CUSA fans.

As of now, actual CUSA fans vote is 17/17 yes, 14/18 no.

I noticed the Belt fans voting “no”, too.

I have enjoyed the last twenty years with WKU fans. I did notice a WKU fan getting on to a UTEP fan and a Liberty fan about not being happy, when the results show WKU fans are almost unanimously not happy as well…

If there's any fanbase whose no votes make the most sense, it's WKU, so I get it.

I'm OK based on the number of schools in CUSA now but would rather stayed at nine. I believe the potential is there to have a larger top half and a smaller bottom in football. This conference will need one to three teams to win 3 OOC games and run through the conference and a few eye opener wins over the next 3 seasons. Do that and that gets you press while the new schools moving up are building....

but this isn't 2018 any more where it might take 3 years to see a team build up depth and talent. You can go from potential to the top of a conference quickly with the right QB and a few good skill players. Transfer portal gives you that shot.

The key to winning in the G5 is coaching and QB play and if you make a mistake on those you going to be average or below. Lot easier finding players that are good at playing defense and then its a question of coach and coming together as a team.

But as a program you are only as good as your next hire at head coach and your next QB. That is what it starts with and allows you to move ahead a lot quicker. Of course you need more pieces to make that jump from 7 to 9 wins every season when you have both of those to 10 to 12 win season.

Very few G5 school stay at the top of their conference over 3 years because at that point you are hunting for a new coach. The key for becoming a very good program and not a one or two hit wonder is getting your next hire and next qb correct. To be honest it helps more when you have a core group doing that than a different school popping out every year.

My vote shows as No but I meant to vote Yes.

Not sure what the heck happened there, but I'm unable to change it, unless there's some secret you old guys know that I'm just not privy to.

There are four conferences I would've been happy with for Jax State:

1) OK, the SEC is probably not happening. But if I close my eyes tight and really really squint to the point of blindness, I can see it almost being just a phone call away. Almost.

2) The American. It's one of the highest profile G5 conferences. Even post-realignment, it's (still) the head of the class when it comes to payouts and competitiveness. But as Gem said a few posts back, realistically, Jax State isn't much of a fit. So while I would be happy there, as with the SEC, it ain't happening.

3(TIE) The Sun Belt and CUSA. I believe the two conferences are closer in football (now) than many people think. We'll have a better idea of where they stack up after this season, since forecasting how good JSU and SHSU will be won't just be a blind guess. I think most of the traditionally "awful" teams in CUSA will be much improved this season, and the top of the conference is equivalent to the top of the Belt. CUSA is much better in basketball. The SBC is much better in baseball. Despite its nearly 2,000-mile span, I think CUSA is a good regional fit for Jax State, only because we'll have Middle and Kennesaw right in our back yard, and WKU not too far away. That said, the Belt does offer a far more historical rival in troy state, as well as some other nearby (and familiar) schools in Ga State and Ga Southern. And while we have no history with either school, a good chunk of our fan base is also convenient to Southern Miss and South, so points for that. I would've been happy with either. I'm happy to be in CUSA.

(07-31-2023 02:13 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  I'm OK based on the number of schools in CUSA now but would rather stayed at nine. I believe the potential is there to have a larger top half and a smaller bottom in football. This conference will need one to three teams to win 3 OOC games and run through the conference and a few eye opener wins over the next 3 seasons. Do that and that gets you press while the new schools moving up are building....

but this isn't 2018 any more where it might take 3 years to see a team build up depth and talent. You can go from potential to the top of a conference quickly with the right QB and a few good skill players. Transfer portal gives you that shot.

The key to winning in the G5 is coaching and QB play and if you make a mistake on those you going to be average or below. Lot easier finding players that are good at playing defense and then its a question of coach and coming together as a team.

But as a program you are only as good as your next hire at head coach and your next QB. That is what it starts with and allows you to move ahead a lot quicker. Of course you need more pieces to make that jump from 7 to 9 wins every season when you have both of those to 10 to 12 win season.

Very few G5 school stay at the top of their conference over 3 years because at that point you are hunting for a new coach. The key for becoming a very good program and not a one or two hit wonder is getting your next hire and next qb correct. To be honest it helps more when you have a core group doing that than a different school popping out every year.

While 9 (or even 10) members is good on paper, that is a precarious position to be in with all the conference shuffling. I think CUSA needs to get to 12 in order to weather any defections due to conference movement.

(07-30-2023 09:43 PM)freshtop Wrote:  Not really. I don't know that I would be estatic about any other G5 situation either.

I think if we were in the AAC we would be one of the teams left behind again if/when the remaining top teams there find exit paths. I feel like they have a lot of turmoil ahead between now and when the ACC gets picked apart.

I very much like the SBC in football and baseball, but basketball will forever be an afterthought there. That is fine for them, but not a great situation for WKU.

MWC is too far West and has a lot of potential volatility ahead.

The MAC is super stable, but perhaps a bit too complacent.

CUSA is fine. I am not thrilled about the potential of FCS adds outnumbering the established FBS programs (not there yet but the potential is there). Still not in love with the leadership of the league. Geography is meh but could be worse.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This pretty much sums up my thoughts as well.

Depending on how the next round of realignment ends up, I may personally be back on the MAC train again.

I for one am very happy to be for Southern Miss to be out of CUSA, so that counts as a yes right?

Very happy to be a part of a conference where the commissioner and half of our conference mates don't hate us and want us gone.

I will say this, your message board has gone through a heck of a change over the last few years. This board is a shell of its former self, in regards to post volume and number of interesting topics to read.

(07-31-2023 01:25 PM)PojoaquePosse Wrote:  

(07-31-2023 12:15 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  Everybody is entitled to their own opinion but---

A Utep poster wanting to go to the WAC?

A Liberty poster wanting to be Indy?

I don't understand these two views at all. SMH.

Those were very strange comments and I definitely raised my eyebrows. You know what is also strange? A poster on this board telling NMSU posters to stop posting on the WAC board and post more here...then going on to said WAC board and posting themselves.

I can understand a Liberty fan preferring independence as they were that for several years and had some success. I don’t understand UTEP wanting in the WAC. It is an FCS league so they’d either have to drop down or go Indy. That was a disaster for NMSU and I doubt they’d do any better.

I get travel sucks for UTEP but they do now have a conference rival closer than any of the rest of us. Would they rather be FIU?

(07-31-2023 03:01 PM)whupemall Wrote:  My vote shows as No but I meant to vote Yes.

Not sure what the heck happened there, but I'm unable to change it, unless there's some secret you old guys know that I'm just not privy to.

There are four conferences I would've been happy with for Jax State:

1) OK, the SEC is probably not happening. But if I close my eyes tight and really really squint to the point of blindness, I can see it almost being just a phone call away. Almost.

2) The American. It's one of the highest profile G5 conferences. Even post-realignment, it's (still) the head of the class when it comes to payouts and competitiveness. But as Gem said a few posts back, realistically, Jax State isn't much of a fit. So while I would be happy there, as with the SEC, it ain't happening.

3(TIE) The Sun Belt and CUSA. I believe the two conferences are closer in football (now) than many people think. We'll have a better idea of where they stack up after this season, since forecasting how good JSU and SHSU will be won't just be a blind guess. I think most of the traditionally "awful" teams in CUSA will be much improved this season, and the top of the conference is equivalent to the top of the Belt. CUSA is much better in basketball. The SBC is much better in baseball. Despite its nearly 2,000-mile span, I think CUSA is a good regional fit for Jax State, only because we'll have Middle and Kennesaw right in our back yard, and WKU not too far away. That said, the Belt does offer a far more historical rival in troy state, as well as some other nearby (and familiar) schools in Ga State and Ga Southern. And while we have no history with either school, a good chunk of our fan base is also convenient to Southern Miss and South, so points for that. I would've been happy with either. I'm happy to be in CUSA.

That rivalry is pretty new.

(07-31-2023 03:55 PM)PolymerEagle Wrote:  I for one am very happy to be for Southern Miss to be out of CUSA, so that counts as a yes right?

Very happy to be a part of a conference where the commissioner and half of our conference mates don't hate us and want us gone.

I will say this, your message board has gone through a heck of a change over the last few years. This board is a shell of its former self, in regards to post volume and number of interesting topics to read.

Can you go back to the SBC board and stop bringing negative energy over here. If you are so happy, then why are you over here? I am happy that KSU left the ASUN but I don't go to there board posting that I am so happy we left.

(07-31-2023 12:37 PM)jones682 Wrote:  

(07-31-2023 06:57 AM)PredatorUTEP Wrote:  

(07-30-2023 10:35 PM)jones682 Wrote:  

(07-30-2023 10:13 PM)PredatorUTEP Wrote:  Lost interest in CUSA back in 2010 when Memphis, Tulsa and Houston left. Even worse now that UTSA and UNT are gone.

UTEP is destined to be in a bad conference due to its own inadequacies, so I hope utep makes its way into a western based conference with a presence in Texas. Whether that is the MWC or WAC.

The WAC is a FCS conference that is filled with teams that would give there leg to be in CUSA.

Would still prefer to be in the WAC over CUSA. It's where utep belongs. CUSA is a glorified FCS conference at this point with geography terrible for utep.

Wow, the WAC has D2 call ups. CUSA got then best teams out of the WAC-ASUN. You can't be serious.

FCS is where utep belongs. Only a matter of time before it's a reality.

(07-31-2023 04:22 PM)jones682 Wrote:  

(07-31-2023 03:01 PM)whupemall Wrote:  That said, the Belt does offer a far more historical rival in troy state, as well as some other nearby (and familiar) schools in Ga State and Ga Southern. And while we have no history with either school, a good chunk of our fan base is also convenient to Southern Miss and South, so points for that. I would've been happy with either. I'm happy to be in CUSA.

That rivalry is pretty new.

I didn't call Ga State and Ga Southern a rivalry for JSU. I said they're nearby and familiar schools, which they are.

Ga State was just beginning to catch fire when they made their transition, so it's basically just a fading ember.

We've only played Ga Southern a handful of times, and we nearly always caught the Eagles when we were on a downswing. None of those games was close, except the first one. Ironically, we were still a D-II program then, and scared the bejeezus out of them, with the Eagles escaping at home 10-0. But alas, no rivalry.

However, the Jax State/troy state rivalry, while it's been on hold for a couple decades, is very much alive, and in its day squashed Kennesaw like so many grapes.

The key is, if we can get the trojans on the nonconference schedule, we don't NEED to be conference mates to continue the rivalry. Same can be said for UAB.

CUSA is fine.