DRC postseason column: C-USA in tough spot after disastrous bowl season

[Brett Vito]

 

[UNTLifer]

2019 the Big XII went 1-5

2018 the AAC went 2-5

2017 the PAC 12 went 1-8

It's not good but it isn't the end of the world.

[Wag Tag]

Merge with the Sun Belt? Could drastically reduce travel and create regional competition. Could also create an East West Championship game. GMG 

[RBP79]

25 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

2019 the Big XII went 1-5

2018 the AAC went 2-5

2017 the PAC 12 went 1-8

It's not good but it isn't the end of the world.

Two of those conferences are P5 with the third a strong G5. Big difference is CUSA Football has been ranked next to last and probably last this year. Some I see think conference leadership is not to blame...I beg to differ.

[El Paso Eagle]

1 minute ago, Wag Tag said:

Merge with the Sun Belt? Could drastically reduce travel and create regional competition. Could also create an East West Championship game. GMG 

Been talk of this for the past couple of years. Have to wonder is the Belt is holding back 😇

[greenminer]

32 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

Merge with the Sun Belt? Could drastically reduce travel and create regional competition. Could also create an East West Championship game. GMG 

If I were the Belt, I'd hold off and see what the next couple years have in store.  After going 4-0 against us, it doesn't appear like they're hurting for CUSA help.

[meangreenbob]

1 hour ago, RBP79 said:

Two of those conferences are P5 with the third a strong G5. Big difference is CUSA Football has been ranked next to last and probably last this year. Some I see think conference leadership is not to blame...I beg to differ.

I agree. It has everything to do with Conference Leadership. Weak leadership equals weak conference. 

Edited December 29, 2020 by meangreenbob

[untjim1995]

No matter who is the commissioner for CUSA going forward, you can’t make the teams in the conference be ones that the networks or media want to follow. That’s always gonna be CUSA’s biggest problem.

[greenminer]

1 hour ago, untjim1995 said:

No matter who is the commissioner for CUSA going forward, you can’t make the teams in the conference be ones that the networks or media want to follow. That’s always gonna be CUSA’s biggest problem.

IMO, the commissioner works hand-in-hand with the teams to improve conference brand/appeal.

One person's take can be found HERE:

Quote

4. Publicity, marketing and brand management must be your friends. The possession of a watchful eye on both the marketing and branding of your product (i.e. your conference) is critical as well. You have to protect it. Jim Delany is a great commissioner to watch and study in terms of his publicity management skills. Check out this video of him talking about the Big Ten. If a conference’s brand is soured, then the corporate partners will withdraw their support. Running championship events require corporate sponsorships plus great brands increase revenue with the general public. Aside from fundraising and brand management, a strong candidate will also have some experience dealing with television and the media as most will have their premier sports featured regularly.

 

[UNTLifer]

1 hour ago, untjim1995 said:

No matter who is the commissioner for CUSA going forward, you can’t make the teams in the conference be ones that the networks or media want to follow. That’s always gonna be CUSA’s biggest problem.

Anyone ever cared about Coastal Carolina until this year?  What about Northern Illinois years ago or Boise State prior to their success?  You make your own success.  Win and make people pay attention regardless of your conference affiliation.

[Moobs]

The worst part is that only 1 of the 4 losses to SBC were even competitive. 
 

But to be fair, it’s not like these matches were putting the best of CUSA vs the best of SBC. We had no business playing App State from the beginning. 

[PlummMeanGreen]

2 hours ago, Moobs said:

 We had no business playing App State from the beginning. 

Not this team & not this year & not for just 1 week of extra practice, but how do you tell the team they had a bowl offer & turned it down?  
 

🦅❇️🦅 GMG! 

[Side Show Joe]

C-USA has become a turd. Unfortunately, we are part of the reason why. But even so, UNT still doesn't need C-USA and the Sun Belt to realign. North Texas just needs to get serious about football and fix our issues. Marshall proved that a C-USA team can get ranked and stay ranked. They crapped their pants against Rice and blew it, but that is on them, not C-USA. 

Now, I do believe our athletic directors need to clean house at the conference head quarters. Judy has been a terrible commissioner since day one, and needs to go. 

[97and03]

If we will all our games we will be ranked and get national attention. No matter the G5 conference, we are not getting into the playoff so it doesn’t matter. 

[GrayEagle]

16 hours ago, Wag Tag said:

Merge with the Sun Belt? Could drastically reduce travel and create regional competition. Could also create an East West Championship game. GMG 

If you made that in to one league that number would be unprecedented since the old Southern Conference.  That might spread it too thin.  I would rather see two conferences.  The East, Atlantic, or whatever would consist of Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia down to Florida and the other would be Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.

The East might consist might consist of WKU, MTSU, Marshall, Old Dominion, Charlotte, App State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Florida Atlantic, FIU and also Liberty. South would then be Troy, South Alabama, UAB, Southern Miss, Arkansas State, Louisiana, La Tech, North Texas, Texas State, Rice, UTSA and UTEP.  I wouldn't want to take ULM; it has the smallest budget in the FBS and would put them and LaTech in the same small market.  

That would make two 12-team conferences which I think works best.  An alternative would be that we (West) take WKU AND MTSU but then the East would only have ten teams with only JMU offered a possible promotion.

We would still be the weakest conference but I don't think by that much.  We'd get three pretty competitive teams in Arky State, Troy and LaLa and I believe that you would see improvement in Texas State since they would have other Texas football teams for competition.

[southsideguy]

We have to right our own ship before we can worry about the rest of the CUSA.  We are part of the issue.

[GrandGreen]

1 hour ago, Side Show Joe said:

C-USA has become a turd. Unfortunately, we are part of the reason why. But even so, UNT still doesn't need C-USA and the Sun Belt to realign. North Texas just needs to get serious about football and fix our issues. Marshall proved that a C-USA team can get ranked and stay ranked. They crapped their pants against Rice and blew it, but that is on them, not C-USA. 

Now, I do believe our athletic directors need to clean house at the conference head quarters. Judy has been a terrible commissioner since day one, and needs to go. 

It is easy to blame the commissioner of a down conference.  However, she has nothing to do with the winning of oc football games.   She in this case, just tries to sell the merits of the conference.  Frankly, in football; she does not have much to tout. 

I thought it was a very bad decision to give her the job because of lack of experience.  Could someone else do better?  Sure if you find the right person, but that won't be easy.  

Again, what makes her a terrible commissioner?

 

[UNTLifer]

17 hours ago, RBP79 said:

Two of those conferences are P5 with the third a strong G5. Big difference is CUSA Football has been ranked next to last and probably last this year. Some I see think conference leadership is not to blame...I beg to differ.

 The point I was making is that it doesn't matter.  It is a story during bowl season, but nobody cares next year.  I had to look those records up to even know what conference had the worst bowl record.  I remember individual team's performances but I rarely even care what conference they are affiliated with unless it is the SEC.  I wish failure on the SEC.

[meanJewGreen]

AAC is what it is because Cincy, Navy, Houston made their own success

MW is what it is bc of SDSU, Fresno, Boise were beating big names (though Boise started in the WAC)

Sun Belt has Appy, Coastal, Rajun Cajuns ranked at some point this season.

 

Let's clean up our own mess first. Heck let's win an NCAA tournament game in one sport. 

 

 

[NorthTexasSportsNetwork]

2 hours ago, GrayEagle said:

If you made that in to one league that number would be unprecedented since the old Southern Conference.  That might spread it too thin.  I would rather see two conferences.  The East, Atlantic, or whatever would consist of Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia down to Florida and the other would be Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.

The East might consist might consist of WKU, MTSU, Marshall, Old Dominion, Charlotte, App State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Florida Atlantic, FIU and also Liberty. South would then be Troy, South Alabama, UAB, Southern Miss, Arkansas State, Louisiana, La Tech, North Texas, Texas State, Rice, UTSA and UTEP.  I wouldn't want to take ULM; it has the smallest budget in the FBS and would put them and LaTech in the same small market.  

That would make two 12-team conferences which I think works best.  An alternative would be that we (West) take WKU AND MTSU but then the East would only have ten teams with only JMU offered a possible promotion.

We would still be the weakest conference but I don't think by that much.  We'd get three pretty competitive teams in Arky State, Troy and LaLa and I believe that you would see improvement in Texas State since they would have other Texas football teams for competition.

UTEP needs to be placed in the MW or drop to FCS. 
I think making the SBC a more south predominant conference, and the CUSA a more eastern predominant conference would make more sense. Geographically but common sense I doubt would be used.

[Side Show Joe]

2 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

It is easy to blame the commissioner of a down conference.  However, she has nothing to do with the winning of oc football games.   She in this case, just tries to sell the merits of the conference.  Frankly, in football; she does not have much to tout. 

I thought it was a very bad decision to give her the job because of lack of experience.  Could someone else do better?  Sure if you find the right person, but that won't be easy.  

Again, what makes her a terrible commissioner?

 

Every aspect of this conference has regressed since she took over as the commissioner... media money, bowl ties, television exposure, stability, accountability, ....

Judy just smiles and attempts to pump sunshine. She is obviously content to collect her check and say whatever she is told to say, instead of honestly admit the problems within our conference. Does she have the pull to enact measures to correct our issues? No, that is the job of our presidents. But, she could attempt to sway them into action, or at least stand for something positive. No, she is just content to continue propping herself up behind the wheel of our sinking ship. And, that makes her useless. 

[RBP79]

Why would SBC want anything to do with CUSA other than beating them. They have the upper hand now...perhaps in the future the tables will turn.

[El Paso Eagle]

1 hour ago, RBP79 said:

Why would SBC want anything to do with CUSA other than beating them. They have the upper hand now...perhaps in the future the tables will turn.

Tables will most likely turn, but bottom line all of the schools in the Sun Belt and CUSA need to look at how they can save money. Regionalize and reduce travel expenses. There is no need for the two conferences to be spread out; especially outside FB and BB. No team in either conference is too good for any other team. There is also not a team(s) that the leagues cannot survive without. It’s hard to believe that any team in either conference would not leave in a heartbeat if there was an opening in the AAC, probably the MWC for most of the “western” teams.

[GrayEagle]

Obviously we have to win to make a contribution to a successful conference and I believe that we will.  But, the other teams in the conference have to be successful as well and all/most of the better CUSA teams are floundering.  As I see it, the conference needs to reduce travel expenses or reorganize with the best (teams, markets, attendance, facilities, etc. in the same league similar to  what the AAC did to some of us and make a new conference with the better teams from CUSA and the SBC.  

My choices for the new conference would be Marshall, Appalachian State, Troy, Florida Atlantic, UAB, Southern Miss, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Rice, North Texas, UTSA and Arkansas State.  The first six would be the East Division and the latter six the West.  All have 30,000 seat stadiums, 20,000+ average attendance.  Most have been in the FBS for at least 20 years, are in decent size markets, and have good facilities.  Most are or have been competitive and I believe will be again.  Since eight would be from the current CUSA we might be able to retain that name.  If not, choose something classy like the National Athletic Conference.

PS:  Also a new commissioner.

 

Edited December 30, 2020 by GrayEagle

[RBP79]

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/conference-usa/2020/12/31/22206936/conference-usa-hit-rock-bottom-in-2020-cusa-sun-belt-coaching-hires-realignment-tv-contract