DRC column: Media days can bring out honesty in coaches. Here's what we learned about C-USA

Brett Vito · July 25, 2018

DRC: Littrell talks about UNT's potential, Louisiana Tech is deeper than ever, plus the league's coaches talk about the College Football Playoff

https://www.dentonrc.com/sports/c-usa-media-days-provided-a-few-insights-into-upcoming/article_37060624-0e56-5c66-93b2-1bd703a433d3.html

Edited July 25, 2018 by Brett Vito

Ben Gooding · July 26, 2018

Everyone has a lane and you have to stay in your lane...

Wth did I just read. I hope he doesn't coach like he drivels words.

Green Crazy · July 26, 2018

8 minutes ago, Ben Gooding said:

Everyone has a lane and you have to stay in your lane...

Wth did I just read. I hope he doesn't coach like he drivels words.

You've been around for a while. You know he doesn't.

UNTLifer · July 26, 2018

15 minutes ago, Ben Gooding said:

Everyone has a lane and you have to stay in your lane...

Wth did I just read. I hope he doesn't coach like he drivels words.

I agree. If Wilder were our coach, I would be livid. What an idiot.

Green Lantern · July 26, 2018

22 minutes ago, Ben Gooding said:

Everyone has a lane and you have to stay in your lane...

Wth did I just read. I hope he doesn't coach like he drivels words.

The CUSA coaches’ comments on the playoff access are truly disturbing. What a beta, bend over and take it, bunch they are. How can guys that are supposed to lead D1 football programs honestly be ok with the fact that at the start of the season well over 50% of the teams - and all of CUSA - at that level, literally have 0% chance to compete for a national title. Defeatist nonsense.

Wag Tag · July 26, 2018

1 hour ago, Green Lantern said:

The CUSA coaches’ comments on the playoff access are truly disturbing. What a beta, bend over and take it, bunch they are. How can guys that are supposed to lead D1 football programs honestly be ok with the fact that at the start of the season well over 50% of the teams - and all of CUSA - at that level, literally have 0% chance to compete for a national title. Defeatist nonsense.

Bucks are in the playoffs! When are we going to wake up and form a playoff system at our level? How long are we going to stay STUPID!

Greendylan · July 26, 2018

1 hour ago, Green Lantern said:

The CUSA coaches’ comments on the playoff access are truly disturbing. What a beta, bend over and take it, bunch they are. How can guys that are supposed to lead D1 football programs honestly be ok with the fact that at the start of the season well over 50% of the teams - and all of CUSA - at that level, literally have 0% chance to compete for a national title. Defeatist nonsense.

The coaches are, regarding that particular topic, not necessarily being forthright. They're being diplomatic toward P5 colleagues and deferential to P5 fan bases/future recruits so that their words won't be used against them in the future when that "dream job" opens up.

GrayEagle · July 26, 2018

I truly agree about the G-5 coaches being a bunch of wimps. What they should be doing is pushing for an eight team playoff with six P-5 and two G-5 teams. It would at least partially be redemption for the money that they took from the G-5s when the two levels were formed. They used a coalition to form an anti-trust cartel to keep from sharing as much money as they had been.

Other than the playoff drivel, I enjoyed the media day broadcasts and especially North Texas' input.

Ben Gooding · July 26, 2018

33 minutes ago, Greendylan said:

The coaches are, regarding that particular topic, not necessarily being forthright. They're being diplomatic toward P5 colleagues and deferential to P5 fan bases/future recruits so that their words won't be used against them in the future when that "dream job" opens up.

Which is some cheese dick bs.

Might as well wrinkle up college football like a piece of paper and toss it in the trash if that is the consensus. I mean what's the damn point of even moving forward with college athletics when our fair right at real D1 athletics is being relegated to a 2nd tier group by media and the NCAA for monetary gain? Our end all is a berth in the wgaf bowl vs the Akron Zips on a Tuesday night in mid December. What's the point.

Salsa_Verde · July 26, 2018

It sounded more like the coaches didn’t want to trash a system that they might be apart of and or benefit from in the future. That being said I care more about what the athletic directors and school presidents are doing to get a seat at the “CFP table”.....which from what it looks like, not much.

Coach Andy Mac · July 26, 2018

They just want to get paid.

TheColonyEagle · July 26, 2018

“I think this place can be a monster,”

“Why can’t this one be the next one that climbs that ladder, that you can compete for championships here and continue to rise, not just as a football program, but overall as an athletic program?”

-Seth Littrell

https://theathletic.com/429378/2018/07/12/how-seth-littrell-brought-a-winning-brand-of-football-to-north-texas/

Edited July 26, 2018 by TheColonyEagle

TheColonyEagle · July 26, 2018

Thankfully, Littrell doesn’t seem like the guy that is satisfied with his program “staying in its lane”

more like the guy that will walk up to the biggest guy on the playground and punch him in the face.

Glad he’s on our side.

And if I’m a P5 AD. I’m not considering someone with some of those coaches’ attitudes for a future “dream job.”

What a bunch of ...........

MeanGreenTexan · July 26, 2018

14 hours ago, Wag Tag said:

Bucks are in the playoffs! When are we going to wake up and form a playoff system at our level? How long are we going to stay STUPID!

“Our level”? Like deliberately create a “playoff” at a second-tier level?

What can you tell me about AAA baseball playoffs/G-league playoffs/D-1AA playoffs? Virtually nothing I bet, because they don’t really matter when you’re talking about what “playoffs” were designed to determine: Who’s THE BEST?

If there will never be an opportunity for a seat at the table for at least 1 G5 school to play in a playoff with P5 schools to determine THE BEST, then we shouldn’t be sinking millions of dollars into NT football.

Green Lantern · July 26, 2018

31 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

“Our level”? Like deliberately create a “playoff” at a second-tier level?

What can you tell me about AAA baseball playoffs/G-league playoffs/D-1AA playoffs? Virtually nothing I bet, because they don’t really matter when you’re talking about what “playoffs” were designed to determine: Who’s THE BEST?

If there will never be an opportunity for a seat at the table for at least 1 G5 school to play in a playoff with P5 schools to determine THE BEST, then we shouldn’t be sinking millions of dollars into NT football.

Completely agree.

I get what a couple of the posters are pointing out about coaches not wanting to "rock the boat" or torpedo their chances at upward career trajectory by verbally trashing the current system. The point is that when presented with an opportunity in the media to address the UCF situation last year and make a case for increased playoff access (more teams- 8 to 16 - with a path for non power conference teams to make it), they should take that opportunity to address it and promote our programs in a professional way. Don't "meh" it, or side step the issue. Never throw out the we should "Stay in our lane" idiocy. You can articulately and eloquently make a case for increased access without stooping to trashing the current system (though it does deserve to be trashed). If you can't as a coach of one of these programs, you probably don't need to be leading one.

An additional point that I'll throw out is that several coaches in CUSA (including Seth) are very well compensated for their current jobs. They, and Littrell definitely does this well, should be looking for every opportunity to increase the viability of their respective programs and CUSA as a whole. I personally don't care about coaches future job prospects. While employed and well compensated by the institution they're currently working for, I expect for them to run through a wall advocating for the program's best interest. Several of those quotes from the other CUSA coaches definitely didn't do that. UNT, whether we like it or not, is associated with those other programs. At the end of the day, all I want is the best situation for UNT. Period.

D1 NCAA football has the worst, most inequitable way to determine a champion of any major sport by a mile. I don't understand how any fan of a program like North Texas can be ok with status quo.

untjim1995 · July 26, 2018

2 hours ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

“Our level”? Like deliberately create a “playoff” at a second-tier level?

What can you tell me about AAA baseball playoffs/G-league playoffs/D-1AA playoffs? Virtually nothing I bet, because they don’t really matter when you’re talking about what “playoffs” were designed to determine: Who’s THE BEST?

If there will never be an opportunity for a seat at the table for at least 1 G5 school to play in a playoff with P5 schools to determine THE BEST, then we shouldn’t be sinking millions of dollars into NT football.

I do feel very sorry for all G5 players, coaches, and fans. It is literally the only setup in the world of team sports in this country where you are guaranteed to not have any chance to be crowned a national champion. And it ain't changing ever. The Power Schools own the NCAA, they own the networks, and the own the legislatures across the country. The money and power is not getting divvied out any further anytime soon. See the Big XII deciding to just take more money from their media networks and to stay at 10 teams over even adding in two G5 programs that the networks and other power conferences don't value at all.

Ben Gooding · July 26, 2018

4 hours ago, untjim1995 said:

I do feel very sorry for all G5 players, coaches, and fans. It is literally the only setup in the world of team sports in this country where you are guaranteed to not have any chance to be crowned a national champion. And it ain't changing ever. The Power Schools own the NCAA, they own the networks, and the own the legislatures across the country. The money and power is not getting divvied out any further anytime soon. See the Big XII deciding to just take more money from their media networks and to stay at 10 teams over even adding in two G5 programs that the networks and other power conferences don't value at all.

There is truth and value in everything you said. But until I see it not work, there is no way 68 "G5" university's couldn't band together and flex their muscles. Truth be told 30+ "P5" university's would join us in the flex. Bow our necks, put our foot down and call BS on the pigeon holing the NCAA and the money hungry top 30 programs have done to the rest of college athletics. Until I see it not work, I roll my eyes at every weak back pos that concedes...AD, Prez, coach, fan, mascot, water boy, etc...pos. And if you're not bringing it to the forefront, you're conceding to what currently is and you're a pos. This is the attitude you have. Otherwise in 10 years, a movement of God is what it would take for us to be on TV again.

Greendylan · July 27, 2018

13 hours ago, Ben Gooding said:

There is truth and value in everything you said. But until I see it not work, there is no way 68 "G5" university's couldn't band together and flex their muscles. Truth be told 30+ "P5" university's would join us in the flex. Bow our necks, put our foot down and call BS on the pigeon holing the NCAA and the money hungry top 30 programs have done to the rest of college athletics. Until I see it not work, I roll my eyes at every weak back pos that concedes...AD, Prez, coach, fan, mascot, water boy, etc...pos. And if you're not bringing it to the forefront, you're conceding to what currently is and you're a pos. This is the attitude you have. Otherwise in 10 years, a movement of God is what it would take for us to be on TV again.

That's the key to this: a coalition of ALL the FBS football programs that have only a negligible shot at a national title in any given year--or probably about 70-75% of FBS teams overall. The playoff system makes money, and in a few years it will almost certainly expand to 8 teams, especially given that the vast majority of all teams (not just G5) feel left out. G5 conferences need to negotiate between now and 2026 to ensure that they get at least 1 guaranteed spot at the table--which I think they'll get. But, that all depends on what kinds of deals can be hashed out between now and then with the non-power-broker P5s, which, once again, is most teams.

Ultimately, I think a 1-8 playoff matchup featuring say Alabama/Clemson vs. Central Florida would be desirable for all parties. If a number 1-ranked team has to play an additional playoff round before making it to the championship (which they'll at some point begrudgingly have to agree to), I'm sure they would prefer that to be against a perceived "lesser" program. In some ways it actually serves as an ideal compromise. As far as broadcast revenue, that creates a potential "December Madness" situation that might be more appealing to viewers than watching a 2-loss SEC squad get blasted by Alabama for the 2nd or 3rd time in a season.

Creating a 2nd-tier playoff of G5 teams, as some have suggested, would only solidify 2nd-tier status for those conferences and would effectively eliminate any chance of ever guaranteeing a "real" playoff bid. If we think recruiting against P5s is hard now, it would be virtually impossible if we self-relegate to a lower divisional level.