So CUSA has schools in Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas (2) and New Mexico.

The MAC has schools in New York, Ohio (5), Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois and Michigan (3)

Tell me again about this massive difference in travel costs for Delaware.

A plane ride is a plane ride.

So I guess the Delaware to the Sun Belt rumors were never as serious as maybe we originally thought.

(11-27-2023 11:15 AM)army56mike Wrote:  I am confident it will be UMass by New Year. Or all three, UMass, Missouri St. and EKU by summer.

That sounds about right. UMass are probably the front runner now for the 12th spot. I'd still give SFA a chance though to add another Texas school into CUSA and provide cover if UTEP were to go elsewhere.

(11-27-2023 12:15 PM)RUScarlets Wrote:  Tremendous move for both sides. I still think the next add needs to be south though. Tarleton is likely but there are plenty of schools in the Gulf area and elsewhere.

I think UMASS UConn both need to give the MAC a favorable deal and go there. Independence is not viable.

UMass should join CUSA with Delaware. UConn should stay indy for now. The Big East is likely the best basketball home for UConn but the idea of a non-football membership in the ACC has also started to grow on me. We'll see how the next Big East media deal shakes out.

ESPN article by Pete Thamel now posted:

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/stor...ources-say

CUSA is reportedly set to add one more school from the West.

(11-27-2023 11:50 AM)CoachMaclid Wrote:  

(11-27-2023 11:42 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  Do the MAC and CUSA feel pressure to get up to at least 14, just to keep up?

I think the MAC answered this by not accepting Delaware. From reading the tea leaves, Delaware would have gone to the MAC if offered, and the MAC adding Delaware, UMass, and UConn football-only with Buffalo already there would have positioned the MAC well in both the northeast and midwest. I think the MAC just fells comfortable with their current 12.

Possibly, though bear in mind that Delaware, UMass and UConn-FB-only is 15, so a 16th would need to be added, making two of those three more plausible.

IOW, if the prospect of losing both Army and UMass as potential November games due to the Army AAC move and a UMass/UD move to the MAC on the table made November too dire for UConn to sustain independence, UConn FB-only could always gazump UD in that deal by offering 1H/1A game in both MBB and WBB.

If UConn gazumped UD in the MAC move, then UD might move on to CUSA as their Plan B ... I have not the faintest idea who with, but Tarleton State, an hour SW of Forth Worth, would not be shocking.

(11-27-2023 12:01 PM)Troy_Fan_15 Wrote:  

(11-27-2023 11:50 AM)CoachMaclid Wrote:  

(11-27-2023 11:42 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  Do the MAC and CUSA feel pressure to get up to at least 14, just to keep up?

I think the MAC answered this by not accepting Delaware. From reading the tea leaves, Delaware would have gone to the MAC if offered, and the MAC adding Delaware, UMass, and UConn football-only with Buffalo already there would have positioned the MAC well in both the northeast and midwest. I think the MAC just fells comfortable with their current 12.

I think the SBC needs to be careful not to be TOO satisfied with their current situation. Their messaging seems to be that everyone is satisfied with the current members and direction of the SBC (which just put record numbers of post-season participants in every fall sport), but the SBC needs to be actively surveying the landscape and not be protectively passive like the MAC has apparently decided to be.

That or the MAC has an expansion in the works that nobody would expect. Maybe they add Eastern Kentucky and Indiana St. or something.

Indiana St is closer to dropping football than moving to FBS. Their stadium is one of the most obsolete in scholarship FCS, off campus, and only has stands on one side. The school barely has any money -- and any money they had went to renovating the basketball arena. Enrollment has also fallen about 45% under the new president.

Indiana St nearly dropped scholarship football around the early 2010s. If you're betting on an FCS school to drop scholarship football in the next 10 years, they're a popular pick. Pure basketball school/city, declining enrollment, little money, obsolete stadium, no FB tradition, nearly dropped before.

(11-27-2023 11:22 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(11-27-2023 11:15 AM)army56mike Wrote:  

(11-27-2023 11:07 AM)ENCterrapin Wrote:  How long until CUSA announce a 12th member and who? Does UMASS have any choice? Is Missouri State ready?

I am confident it will be UMass by New Year. Or all three, UMass, Missouri St. and EKU by summer.

(11-27-2023 11:16 AM)army56mike Wrote:  

(11-27-2023 11:15 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(11-27-2023 10:41 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  Figured they would head to the MAC with UMass

This was the hope.

Nope!

Sure it was. Just have to make the best of it now. I'm sure they'll add at least one more. No good options, so that will be bad again, but maybe they can find a "least bad" 12th.

I'm not sure who that would be.

I guess if the C-USA keeps adding teams you will find a few more you can beat. But maybe not :)

(11-27-2023 12:22 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  ESPN article by Pete Thamel now posted:

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/stor...ources-say

Matt Brown of Extra Points reports CUSA is set to add one more school from the West.

This article says Delaware will be eligible for the postseason in basketball over the next 2 seasons in the CAA due to a recent bylaw change.

(11-27-2023 12:01 PM)EatEmUp11 Wrote:  Think the CAA officially changes their name to the MEAC when that Delaware State invite gets sent out?

Delaware State is one of the lowest budget schools in D1. The CAA will target a High Point or Albany or Fairfield.

(11-27-2023 12:22 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  ESPN article by Pete Thamel now posted:

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/stor...ources-say

Matt Brown of Extra Points reports CUSA is set to add one more school from the West.

Was it in Matt's newsletter? I don't see anything from his Twitter.

(11-27-2023 12:22 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  ESPN article by Pete Thamel now posted:

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/stor...ources-say

Matt Brown of Extra Points reports CUSA is set to add one more school from the West.

Good reporting by Thamel.

Quote:As for basketball, Delaware would be eligible for the postseason in both 2023-24 and 2024-25 after a recent bylaw change in the CAA.

By the way, CUSA is in the first year of a 5 year media deal with ESPN and CBSSports that pays $800k per school.

Making it much more difficult to consolidate to a G4. With OSU/WSU, they were at 64 G5 schools (not counting UConn & UMass).

(11-27-2023 12:22 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  ESPN article by Pete Thamel now posted:

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/stor...ources-say

Matt Brown of Extra Points reports CUSA is set to add one more school from the West.

Almost 100% Tarleton State

(11-27-2023 12:28 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  

(11-27-2023 11:22 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(11-27-2023 11:15 AM)army56mike Wrote:  

(11-27-2023 11:07 AM)ENCterrapin Wrote:  How long until CUSA announce a 12th member and who? Does UMASS have any choice? Is Missouri State ready?

I am confident it will be UMass by New Year. Or all three, UMass, Missouri St. and EKU by summer.

(11-27-2023 11:16 AM)army56mike Wrote:  

(11-27-2023 11:15 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(11-27-2023 10:41 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  Figured they would head to the MAC with UMass

This was the hope.

Nope!

Sure it was. Just have to make the best of it now. I'm sure they'll add at least one more. No good options, so that will be bad again, but maybe they can find a "least bad" 12th.

I'm not sure who that would be.

I guess if the C-USA keeps adding teams you will find a few more you can beat. But maybe not :)

We beat most of the schools in the previous version of CUSA. What'd that get us?


We're not in a great place to be complaining. But I remain convinced that making things worse for ourselves is not the way to make things better for ourselves.

(11-27-2023 12:32 PM)bullet Wrote:  Making it much more difficult to consolidate to a G4. With OSU/WSU, they were at 64 G5 schools (not counting UConn & UMass).

The other four G5 conferences had their chance.

MWC and either SB or AAC just had to take a couple more schools they weren't interested in. I don't blame them for not doing so, but I wish that they had.

Fans of 5 or 6 of the schools who are our new conference mates probably don't feel the same way. So, good for them I guess.

(11-27-2023 12:25 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  

(11-27-2023 12:01 PM)Troy_Fan_15 Wrote:  

(11-27-2023 11:50 AM)CoachMaclid Wrote:  

(11-27-2023 11:42 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  Do the MAC and CUSA feel pressure to get up to at least 14, just to keep up?

I think the MAC answered this by not accepting Delaware. From reading the tea leaves, Delaware would have gone to the MAC if offered, and the MAC adding Delaware, UMass, and UConn football-only with Buffalo already there would have positioned the MAC well in both the northeast and midwest. I think the MAC just fells comfortable with their current 12.

I think the SBC needs to be careful not to be TOO satisfied with their current situation. Their messaging seems to be that everyone is satisfied with the current members and direction of the SBC (which just put record numbers of post-season participants in every fall sport), but the SBC needs to be actively surveying the landscape and not be protectively passive like the MAC has apparently decided to be.

That or the MAC has an expansion in the works that nobody would expect. Maybe they add Eastern Kentucky and Indiana St. or something.

Indiana St is closer to dropping football than moving to FBS. Their stadium is one of the most obsolete in scholarship FCS, off campus, and only has stands on one side. The school barely has any money -- and any money they had went to renovating the basketball arena. Enrollment has also fallen about 45% under the new president.

Indiana St nearly dropped scholarship football around the early 2010s. If you're betting on an FCS school to drop scholarship football in the next 10 years, they're a popular pick. Pure basketball school/city, declining enrollment, little money, obsolete stadium, no FB tradition, nearly dropped before.

Yeah I don't expect ISU to end up in the MAC. I chose them as just a way of making a point but do appreciate the knowledge of their situation a bit more so thanks for that.

Maybe the MAC is just happy at 12.

(11-27-2023 12:32 PM)bullet Wrote:  Making it much more difficult to consolidate to a G4. With OSU/WSU, they were at 64 G5 schools (not counting UConn & UMass).

The AAC, MW, MAC, and Sun Belt had the perfect opportunity to consolidate, but they didn't take it.

(11-27-2023 12:34 PM)Turtle Power 98 Wrote:  

(11-27-2023 12:22 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  ESPN article by Pete Thamel now posted:

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/stor...ources-say

Matt Brown of Extra Points reports CUSA is set to add one more school from the West.

Almost 100% Tarleton State

12 is better than 11. But we don't really gain much from going to divisions with this group of teams. You'd hate to split a rivalry, so would they do like the SEC and have E-W divisions but with an exception? JSU? FIU?

Wouldn't have great groupings for pods either. And Tarrleton/Del doesn't really give you good partners compared to what we had at 10. But some of those are fairly arbitrary, too. So just permanent "rivals" and then a rotation?

I'm curious about the scheduling plan here.

(11-27-2023 12:06 PM)DFW HOYA Wrote:  A Del State move sends MEAC football into receivership.

A Duquesne move sends NEC football into crisis.

A Fordham move sends Patriot League football into panic.

Funny, I know a lot of A-10 fans who've been rooting for a Fordham all sports to the Patriot move for quite some time!