Top Cusa candidates for AAC 2016 Expansion

Coach Bill Lewis · May 9, 2016

Time for Cusa teams to lift their skirt and get their spray tan on with Big 12 expansion talks resurfacing.

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/sports/2016...mTfoA.dpuf

Cerebus · May 9, 2016

The most disappointing part of this expansion talk is that I have read five or six articles and NOT ONE has mentioned North Texas as a serious candidate. Given our location, budget, and alumni base we should be the a top target.

The awful hires have doomed us.

Army of Dad · May 9, 2016

15 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

The most disappointing part of this expansion talk is that I have read five or six articles and NOT ONE has mentioned North Texas as a serious candidate. Given our location, budget, and alumni base we should be the a top target.

The awful hires have doomed us.

The alumni base shouldn't be used in our favor since so few of them are active in terms of giving to or attending athletics.

I think you could also argue it isn't just the terrible coaching hires holding us back.

untjim1995 · May 9, 2016

4 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

The most disappointing part of this expansion talk is that I have read five or six articles and NOT ONE has mentioned North Texas as a serious candidate. Given our location, budget, and alumni base we should be the a top target.

The awful hires have doomed us.

Yeah, the only chance we ever have with this would be the MWC to look at us as a way to get back into DFW and to just look past our warts and see the potential for what we could bring if we ever got things going in the right direction. But they can easily look at a very real probability that they will get back into Texas with schools like TCU and Baylor in the years ahead when the big XII falls apart, as well as schools like UTEP or Rice, as well. Sadly, when you factor in UTSA being in San Antonio and playing in the Alamodome, we are probably behind 5 schools before even getting any look from the MWC. The AAC is a non-starter solely because of SMU, case closed.

I suspect that only one AAC school will get poached if the Big XII comes calling, which would be Cincy, since BYU would be the other school to move. Assuming this played out, I just don't see a CUSA team replacing them in the AAC, as they would probably go after NIU first, then Ohio next to replace Cincy. If a southern AAC member got replaced, like Memphis, Houston, UCF or USF, the replacements would depend on the market being replaced. If it were Memphis, MUTS would probably go to the AAC, If UH left, Rice would immediately be the replacement. If one of the Florida schools, Temple, or UConn got poached, I suspect that the AAC would probably look at replacing them with just the best name programs in the Eastern Time Zone to replace them Only then could I see Marshall or USM getting some possible interest, even though they provide no TV market at all.

The only possible CUSA defection I could see is if the MAC, assuming it has a TV deal that is better than the new CUSA deal, which I don't know if it does, is if Marshall decided to go back to the MAC to replace NIU or Ohio. I have no idea if Marshall or the MAC would have any interest in each other again, but that's about it. I truly doubt any AAC schools other than Cincy will get invited to the Big XII and I just don't see any CUSA components adding as much value to the AAC as NIU or Ohio would to replace them.

Cerebus · May 9, 2016

3 minutes ago, Army of Dad said:

The alumni base shouldn't be used in our favor since so few of them are active in terms of giving to or attending athletics.

I think you could also argue it isn't just the terrible coaching hires holding us back.

The alumni base is POTENTIAL, it is someones job to change potential into actual participants.

foutsrouts · May 9, 2016

5 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

The alumni base is POTENTIAL, it is someones job to change potential into actual participants.

Yes, we have fans, but sadly 90% of them are bandwagon fans. We saw that in the HOD Bowl. It's all up to Littrell & Co. at this point.

Wag Tag · May 9, 2016

6 hours ago, Coach Bill Lewis said:

Time for Cusa teams to lift their skirt and get their spray tan on with Big 12 expansion talks resurfacing.

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/sports/2016...mTfoA.dpuf

Do really think OU and Texas will hang around with adding Cincy or Memphis? Ain't going to happen! Big will crater !

foutsrouts · May 9, 2016

6 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

Do really think OU and Texas will hang around with adding Cincy or Memphis? Ain't going to happen! Big will crater !

Cincy maybe, but Memphis would make them run for the hills.

DeepGreen · May 9, 2016

Why Cincy? What do they have that beats out a Memphis, etc. Their FB stadium does not even come close to most other B12 facilities. Basketball is top, but thats about it. Neither of those schools will keep UT around the B12 for long. UT will head for the hills and make a splash move just like the aggies did.

foutsrouts · May 9, 2016

26 minutes ago, DeepGreen said:

Why Cincy? What do they have that beats out a Memphis, etc. Their FB stadium does not even come close to most other B12 facilities. Basketball is top, but thats about it. Neither of those schools will keep UT around the B12 for long. UT will head for the hills and make a splash move just like the aggies did.

Cincy is known for good academics, while Memphis is not. What does Memphis have to offer other than past basketball history, Beale Street, and Darrell Dickey? Personally, I think UT will head west at the first opportunity. Easier for them to win out there.

DeepGreen · May 9, 2016

If you read the latest news coming out of Norman, size of stadiums does matter.

oldguystudent · May 9, 2016

1 hour ago, Cerebus said:

The most disappointing part of this expansion talk is that I have read five or six articles and NOT ONE has mentioned North Texas as a serious candidate. Given our location, budget, and alumni base we should be the a top target.

The awful hires have doomed us.

In all honesty, were I any commissioner other than Karl "I have a woody for UNT" Benson, I wouldn't take us.

In all honesty, were I a member school of any conference other than one run by Karl "I'll run your programs in to the ground too!" Benson, I wouldn't take us.

Potential, potential, potential. Talk to me all about potential. But until I see some realization, it's all talk and fluff covering a 1973 Pinto with a leaky gas tank and a stripped manual transmission.

Cerebus · May 9, 2016

Just now, oldguystudent said:

In all honesty, were I any commissioner other than Karl "I have a woody for UNT" Benson, I wouldn't take us.

In all honesty, were I a member school of any conference other than one run by Karl "I'll run your programs in to the ground too!" Benson, I wouldn't take us.

Potential, potential, potential. Talk to me all about potential. But until I see some realization, it's all talk and fluff covering a 1973 Pinto with a leaky gas tank and a stripped manual transmission.

You are making my point exactly. If we had been largely successful the past 15 years, we would be a great choice for expansion. We have largely fallen on our faces since Dickey was fired.

Aldo · May 9, 2016

2 minutes ago, DeepGreen said:

If you read the latest news coming out of Norman, size of stadiums does matter.

It's not the size of the stadium, but how good your fans' wave is...

Ben Gooding · May 9, 2016

13 minutes ago, Aldo said:

It's not the size of the stadium, but how good your fans' wave is...

I think that's just what people say who have smaller stadiums.

MeanGreenTexan · May 9, 2016

28 minutes ago, Aldo said:

It's not the size of the stadium, but how good your fans' wave is...

You know what they always say: big parking lots = a big stadium.

Travis · May 9, 2016

47 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

You are making my point exactly. If we had been largely successful the past 15 years, we would be a great choice for expansion. We have largely fallen on our faces since Dickey was fired.

Dickey wasn't going to take us to the next level though. I have no problem with his firing.. i have a problem with our hiring..

HoustonEagle · May 9, 2016

19 hours ago, foutsrouts said:

Yes, we have fans, but sadly 90% of them are bandwagon fans. We saw that in the HOD Bowl. It's all up to Littrell & Co. at this point.

Can you really blame them? What has there really been to be proud of in the last ten years? 100 years? Hell, if anything the HOD bowl showed just how much our alumni would love to be relevant even if that means a bowl game against another perennial loser that was also showing some signs of life. The thing is we don't just lose at North Texas we lose big. On the score board, on the stat sheets, and in the win-loss column we lose big. I am amazed we have fans at all. I would love to see what 5-10 years of above average sports would do to bring in the fans. Crazy that seems like a pipe dream.

Edited May 10, 2016 by HoustonEagle

untjim1995 · May 9, 2016

1 hour ago, Wag Tag said:

Do really think OU and Texas will hang around with adding Cincy or Memphis? Ain't going to happen! Big will crater !

They will until the Big XII's GOR runs out...besides, Cincny is a great academic school, has a very solid basketball program, and its location would help WVU have a travel partner, as well as the conference gaining a foothold in a talent-rich state in Ohio, where Cincy is easily the 2nd school to tOSU.

Cincy and BYU might be the only chances that the league could stay together long enough to see the ACC schools fall apart before the Big XII does...

Harry · May 9, 2016

2 hours ago, Cerebus said:

The most disappointing part of this expansion talk is that I have read five or six articles and NOT ONE has mentioned North Texas as a serious candidate. Given our location, budget, and alumni base we should be the a top target.

The awful hires have doomed us.

TP's in response to possible Big 12 expansion:

C-USA was a big step up in competition. It will naturally take time for us to adjust to that.

We are not interested in AAC as we believe C-USA to have more upside.

On a side note, is it just me or did we go from a fairly well known and often quoted CUSA commish to a very quiet, rarely heard of one?

untjim1995 · May 9, 2016

6 minutes ago, Harry said:

TP's in response to possible Big 12 expansion:

C-USA was a big step up in competition. It will naturally take time for us to adjust to that.

We are not interested in AAC as we believe C-USA to have more upside.

On a side note, is it just me or did we go from a fairly well known and often quoted CUSA commish to a very quiet, rarely heard of one?

Out of curiosity, why do "we" feel that CUSA has more upside than the AAC? UH just beat FSU in a BCS bowl. UConn's womens goes undefeated just about every year. They get multiple bids every year to the Mens Tournament. Three years ago, UCF beat Baylor in a BCS Bowl Game and UConn's mens team won the NCAA Title in hoops.

Maybe I'm missing it, but I don't see where CUSA will have that same upside...

Aldo · May 9, 2016

Just now, untjim1995 said:

Out of curiosity, why do "we" feel that CUSA has more upside than the AAC?

Easier to win? In theory, at least.

MGNation92 · May 9, 2016

I agree with @untjim1995.

In no way, shape, or form does C-USA have more upside.

AAC has more money, better bowls, better schools, better programs, and is widely considered the best G5. The only G5 that would ever be considered in the national championship conversation

Wag Tag · May 9, 2016

2 hours ago, foutsrouts said:

Cincy maybe, but Memphis would make them run for the hills.

Maybe BYU but who else? They add anybody from the American and the Big 12 will become the Big 9 in a heartbeat. UT,OU,OSU gone!

untjim1995 · May 9, 2016

1 minute ago, Wag Tag said:

Maybe BYU but who else? They add anybody from the American and the Big 12 will become the Big 9 in a heartbeat. UT,OU,OSU gone!

OSU's only hope is that the Pac takes the Texoma Four. OU already got sent packing when they went to the Pac with OSU and said they were interested in joining their league, only to hear the Pac Leadership that they were interested in OU with UT, not without them and certainly not with OSU as the add-on.

T. Boone's cash can only carry itself so far...OSU, KSU, ISU, and Tech have the same problem--big brother(s) that make them worthless unless big brother's coattails can get them into the party. Right now, the Pac is the only place that looks like they would take Tech and/or OSU if it go them UT and OU. The only other possible way I could see OSU going out west is if UT goes independent, the Pac still wants to expand to the CST to get to 16 and they invited some combo of KU, KSU, OU, OSU, Tech and UH, but even that seems incredibly remote as a possibility.