CUSA and Sunbelt Merger About to Happen Folks

UNTLifer · April 15, 2017

1 hour ago, shootermcgavin44 said:

Lame

Lived through it during the Big West days. Sucks. Besides the late start you get no coverage in the Sunday papers and Monday is full of Cowboys. Bad deal.

untcampbell · April 15, 2017

The younger amongst us are asking what is a Sunday paper? While I get the argument, times have changed a bit. I turn to the internet for my scores....the same concept that brings us low def "live when not buffering" images of our CUSA games.

The late night games on Saturday night are a gas. If North Texas was on late night six times a year, it wouldn't bother me a bit.

Now, paying for all of our teams to play in Hawaii or any of the MWC states? Expensive.

GMG

southsideguy · April 16, 2017

don't invite ark state just to watch the AD go ballistic again, lol. Ark St would be a good addition. Does this mean we will be playing SFA, Texas State, UTEP, UTSA, SMUT, Tulsa, ULL, LA TECH, ARK St and Lamar, Sam Houston State and Texas Southern? I guess we could play tech, OKS or Oklahoma for money. No much to be excited about but maybe it helps attendance (with the exception of SMU). We help SMUT's home attendance more than they help ours.

shootermcgavin44 · April 16, 2017

4 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

Lived through it during the Big West days. Sucks. Besides the late start you get no coverage in the Sunday papers and Monday is full of Cowboys. Bad deal.

Give me late night prime time college football over a 11 am Purdue vs Indiana football game

Lol who still gets the paper?

Monkeypox · April 16, 2017

Paper? Like what fer da terlet?

Wag Tag · April 16, 2017

Merger makes a lot of sense. West div and east div with a championship game. You would have one administrative staff so cost there could be cut by 50%! I like the C-USA name.

Arkstfan · April 16, 2017

The biggest news tied to the CUSA name directly was an 80% reduction in television rights fees, gutting by AAC and looking into FCS ranks for teams. Time to retire it if it no longer reflects it's past and becomes a regionalized league.

UNTLifer · April 16, 2017

13 hours ago, shootermcgavin44 said:

Give me late night prime time college football over a 11 am Purdue vs Indiana football game

Lol who still gets the paper?

And zero coverage on the local news.

UNTFan23 · April 16, 2017

17 hours ago, shootermcgavin44 said:

Give me late night prime time college football over a 11 am Purdue vs Indiana football game

Lol who still gets the paper?

Given how G5 conferences are getting awful TV deals plus the MWC has indicated they want less TV influence on start times, I doubt we'd be getting any substantial increase in prime time college football games just for moving to the MWC. I'd still see us getting 9:00 PM start times for some Saturday games and all weekday games played in the Pacific time zone for both football and men's basketball.

shootermcgavin44 · April 16, 2017

4 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

And zero coverage on the local news.

How is that different than now?

UNTLifer · April 16, 2017

1 hour ago, shootermcgavin44 said:

How is that different than now?

But it can change, unless you are at halftime when the local sports coverage comes on.

untjim1995 · April 17, 2017

3 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

But it can change, unless you are at halftime when the local sports coverage comes on.

It changes if you beat people that fans and media care about. At least you'd have the chance of beating ranked teams in the MWC in football and basketball. In the SBCUSA, not much chance to achieve that...but the games may start an Hour or two later if we play out west, so let's stick with the fun that is playing F_U at 6:00.

UNTLifer · April 17, 2017

1 hour ago, untjim1995 said:

so let's stick with the fun that is playing F_U at 6:00.

Kind of like playing Wyoming at 9:00pm. Nobody cares, but one game doesn't make a season.

forevereagle · April 17, 2017

On 4/15/2017 at 11:17 PM, shootermcgavin44 said:

Give me late night prime time college football over a 11 am Purdue vs Indiana football game

If it is late night, then it is not prime time...

DeepGreen · April 17, 2017

On 4/16/2017 at 10:35 AM, Arkstfan said:

The biggest news tied to the CUSA name directly was an 80% reduction in television rights fees, gutting by AAC and looking into FCS ranks for teams. Time to retire it if it no longer reflects it's past and becomes a regionalized league.

On this I agree. Once Tulsa and Tulane left CUSA, we were doomed as a viable conference in the eyes of the college sports world. And replacements like FIU, FAU, and yes, UNT (except for the HOD bowl) have not taken up the torch. And I'm not talking just football here. All sports.

UNTLifer · April 17, 2017

Tulsa maybe, but Tulane is horrendous but with lots of money.

shootermcgavin44 · April 17, 2017

7 hours ago, forevereagle said:

If it is late night, then it is not prime time...

Ok, fair enough. However a Tuesday game at midnight vs Wyoming >>>>>>>>>> any game ,any time ,any day vs. Monroe

greenminer · April 18, 2017

6 hours ago, shootermcgavin44 said:

Ok, fair enough. However a Tuesday game at midnight vs Wyoming >>>>>>>>>> any game ,any time ,any day vs. Monroe

Completely disagree.

And, you've clearly not factored in the road-trip value here or you simply don't care at all about road trips.

VideoEagle · April 18, 2017

6 hours ago, greenminer said:

Completely disagree.

And, you've clearly not factored in the road-trip value here or you simply don't care at all about road trips.

You are correct! I'm guessing he's never taken fan busses to Monroe with a stop at the boats in Shreveport!

Arkstfan · April 18, 2017

17 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

Tulsa maybe, but Tulane is horrendous but with lots of money.

But university presidents control realignment and Tulane with AAU status is a plum to them compared to Tulsa which is seen as much further down the line.

wardly · April 18, 2017

I am curious how "Arkstfan " would realign CUSA and SBC into two regional conferences.He seems to have a good vision into both G5 programs.

untjim1995 · April 18, 2017

@MeanGreenTexan this thread is my proof of the fact that the fan base doesn't want to go out west again, even though the MWC is a much better league and did help TCU vault upward rather significantly. It's a moot point, since the MWC doesn't want us, either. But this fan base likes to travel to games easily and as long as they get SMU on the schedule, they are very content with that.

Im with you, but the reality is that it's not gonna happen.

MeanGreenMailbox aka TFLF · April 18, 2017

On 4/15/2017 at 6:56 PM, untcampbell said:

The younger amongst us are asking what is a Sunday paper? While I get the argument, times have changed a bit. I turn to the internet for my scores....the same concept that brings us low def "live when not buffering" images of our CUSA games.

The late night games on Saturday night are a gas. If North Texas was on late night six times a year, it wouldn't bother me a bit.

Now, paying for all of our teams to play in Hawaii or any of the MWC states? Expensive.

GMG

Agree, if it is the right teams. Big West, as Lifer noted, was bad. MWC would at least have some competitive schools that people have heard of.

Wonder if we could do like BYU and split our football from the rest of our sports as far as conferences go. I'd be able to live with football and the basketball programs being MWC, and the rest something more local.

Whatever happens, we and the rest of the "have-nots" will likely look more regionally in the future. If not for all, surely for the non-revenue sports.

Schools like DBU and Oral Roberts mix levels as well. DBU and ORU both in DI baseball. ORU's basketball is also DI.

(Asterisk: speaking of baseball, what the hell has become of Rice's once proud baseball program, languishing now at the bottom of the C-USA standings? Crazy.)

Big 12 Wrestling has schools in the "regular" Big 12 plus Air Force, Colorado, and a few others whose football programs are FCS.

The thing is, I think the future is get where you are competitive and get where your fans - and the families of the players - can see them; and, again, especially with non-revenue.

UNTFan23 · April 18, 2017

On 4/15/2017 at 6:56 PM, untcampbell said:

The younger amongst us are asking what is a Sunday paper? While I get the argument, times have changed a bit. I turn to the internet for my scores....the same concept that brings us low def "live when not buffering" images of our CUSA games.

The late night games on Saturday night are a gas. If North Texas was on late night six times a year, it wouldn't bother me a bit.

Now, paying for all of our teams to play in Hawaii or any of the MWC states? Expensive.

GMG

Hawai'i is a football only member. Depending on how the conference is structured, you may only have to fly the football team to Hawai'i once every four years. Still not cheap to send all sports to California, Idaho, and Wyoming.

Arkstfan · April 18, 2017

6 hours ago, wardly said:

I am curious how "Arkstfan " would realign CUSA and SBC into two regional conferences.He seems to have a good vision into both G5 programs.

Posted earlier and the gremlins apparently ate it.

I don't get wound up wanting make neat little lists.

Yes it makes sense that Marshall, ODU, Charlotte, App, Ga State, Ga Southern, FIU, and FAU be in some sort of grouping. It makes sense for UTEP, Rice, UTSA, TXST, UNT to be in a grouping as well (maybe toss the Cajuns in there because they are so close to Rice).

But the big in-between? It doesn't have to group perfectly east and west. WKU is west of UAB but they are East in CUSA to keep them with MTSU. The mid-point of the 24 FBS schools in Sun Belt and CUSA is in Alabama. If you were driving from Birmingham to Hattiesburg you'd pass near it about 1/3rd of the way on the trip, SE of Tuscaloosa. Even if you ignore super outlier UTEP, the mid-point of the remaining 23 is SW of Tuscaloosa. Put UALR and UTA in the mix and the mid-point moves just a bit to between Meridian and Columbus, Mississippi just over the Alabama line.

The natural line is USA and UAB in the western group and MTSU/WKU in the eastern but just barely. I think you have seven schools that could flex east or west without it being too messy.

Long way around of saying, let the presidents and AD's sit down and iron it out.

NOW THERE IS ANOTHER OPTION

While I like the idea of consolidating into one league it isn't practical without some serious NCAA rule changes.

So the next best thing.

This will absolutely not suit the people who like dropping pins on maps. Call it a hack or a kludge, this is where I'd start. I'd be more than happy to sit down with them in some meeting room (preferably some place warm during the winter) and explain it in exchange for airfare and a paid for suite.

Remain two independent conferences with the existing line-ups and take advantage of the NCAA rule book.

Step one. Consolidate the two league offices. Put it in DFW because it's handy to the Big XII and Southland or put it Birmingham because it's handy to the SEC or put it in NOLA because they apparently gave the Sun Belt a sweet deal on offices at the Superdome. Doesn't matter. Both conferences hire the same commissioner and support staff negotiate bowls, championships, media rights, and sponsorships.

Step two. FOOTBALL. The NCAA rules require the teams playing in a divisional championship to play everyone in their division one time. Period. Stop. So CUSA teams would play everyone in their division one time for a total of 6 conference games Sun Belt would play four. Only divisional games count in the standings in my plan. Next you work out a slate of 8 games, that means if you are CUSA West you play two games vs Sun Belt West for a total of 8 games. If you are in the Sun Belt West you play four Sun Belt West games and either 2 or 3 CUSA West teams and either 2 or 1 Sun Belt East. Winner of CUSA East meets winner of CUSA West the winner is CUSA champ. Same deal in Sun Belt.

Step three. BASKETBALL. The NCAA requires teams to play 14 conference games to have an auto bid. So CUSA teams will play 12 games within the division, two games against the other division and Sun Belt will play 10 divisional games and four crossover against the other division. The remaining four slots will either SBC East vs CUSA East and CUSA West vs. Sun Belt West or added crossover within the conference as the math may be.

Step four. Change the bylaws. First change is any school can switch between CUSA and Sun Belt without an entry or departure fee (which is silly since most revenue will be pooled already) upon a majority vote of the members. So if UAB makes the decision they want to be with USA and Troy, they can switch. If UAB shifts then TXST probably switches as well. As time goes on things will mostly start evolving into somewhat sensible alignments.