RUMOR: Southern Miss to the Sun Belt

ColoradoEagle · October 20, 2021

Per the So Miss fan podcast. Not confirmed.

RBP79 · October 20, 2021

For Judy the sky maybe falling.

wardly · October 20, 2021

22 minutes ago, RBP79 said:

For Judy the sky maybe falling.

Marshall may be going also.

keith · October 20, 2021

C-USA blew its opportunity when the news of UT and OU going to the SEC broke. At that point, everything was set in motion. C-USA should have immediately tried to woo several schools from the SBC in anticipation of the dominos that were sure to fall. No clue if C-USA would have been successful. The window of leveraging the perceived hierarchy of conference movement was still slightly open at that time...C-USA draws from SBC and SBC is the entry point for FCS schools moving up. Instead it decided to pay "consultants" to hear what everyone already knew and float an offer that reeked of desperation to the AAC that was DOA before it was ever sent. Complete fail.

Edited October 20, 2021 by keith

akriesman · October 20, 2021

I think this would be a mistake on USM's part if this is true. Same for Marshall. The Sun Belt is not an upgrade. They are indeed having more FB success right now. But, that doesn't mean it is a sign of things to come. Plus, USM would have to pay that 3m exit fee to make a lateral move at most.

CUSA needs new leadership and they will be fine IMO. But, the clock is ticking and it may be too late. The 8 remaining schools in CUSA are strong enough to compete and expand. I blame the commissioner if the conference folds, because she is the face of the conference.

Edited October 20, 2021 by akriesman

Mean Green 93-98 · October 20, 2021

If true, it's time for LaTech to swallow their ULL/ULM disdain and join them. It's a far better conference than what's left of C-USA.

Arkstfan · October 20, 2021

52 minutes ago, akriesman said:

I think this would be a mistake on USM's part if this is true. Same for Marshall. The Sun Belt is not an upgrade. They are indeed having more FB success right now. But, that doesn't mean it is a sign of things to come. Plus, USM would have to pay that 3m exit fee to make a lateral move at most.

CUSA needs new leadership and they will be fine IMO. But, the clock is ticking and it may be too late. The 8 remaining schools in CUSA are strong enough to compete and expand. I blame the commissioner if the conference folds, because she is the face of the conference.

Sun Belt has finished ahead of CUSA in four of five seasons in the CFP performance distribution. That looks rather trend like.

New Sun Belt TV deal pays $1.2 million and if you have the ESPN app on your streaming device you always know where the game is. ESPN starting in 2019 has been picking up games for Saturday linear tv. Two days ago exercised right to move TXST at UL to ESPNU on October 30.

With USM the closest CUSA to FIU is 830 miles. Closest to UTEP is Tech at 890 miles.

USM if they do join will be in a division that has South Al 100 miles, ULM 206 miles, UL 223 miles, AState 365 miles, TXST 600 miles

MeanGreenGlory · October 20, 2021

Mean Green Matt · October 20, 2021

This is actually a really good fit for USM And Marshall. The Sun Belt is way better now than when we were in it.

NorthTexan95 · October 20, 2021

2 hours ago, keith said:

C-USA blew its opportunity when the news of UT and OU going to the SEC broke.

I think they blew their opportunity years ago. The conference has been teetering for awhile and the winds of change appears to be toppling them over.

El Paso Eagle · October 20, 2021

Let's see - If the math is right. If 8 teams end up leaving CUSA (6 to AAC and 2 to SBC) that will leave 6 teams
8 teams @ $3 million each gives the 6 remaining $4 million each? They could help during the transition.

I believe a conference must have 8 football members. They would need to add 2 fast. I would add NMSU (travel partner with UTEP to offset the trip) and Liberty. Both are already FBS and you would be back to 8. If you want to grow from their you could add FCS teams that want to move up or you could look to UMass and UConn but I they would probably want to keep their BB separate so I don't think it would be worth it. If Army wanted to join a conference they would have.

shaft · October 20, 2021

Sure in 2023. The remaining CUSA schools are going to hang out and collect the $18M in exit fees. After that, they will look at an alliance/merger with the SBC. It does not make sense of a school like Southern Miss to pay CUSA exits fees, SBC entrance fees, and not collect the ACC 6's exit fees.

keith · October 20, 2021

2 minutes ago, NorthTexan95 said:

I think they blew their opportunity years ago. The conference has been teetering for awhile and the winds of change appears to be toppling them over.

Fair enough...I amend my opening sentence to read, "...blew what little opportunity it had remaining..." Just a colossal failure by C-USA's front office, leadership and vision. Almost like there wasn't any awareness of what was going on around them. The conference still has a sliver of hope, but it's fading quickly.

Got5onIt · October 20, 2021

CUSA is going the way of the WAC. Abysmal leadership shows front and center now….

greeneagle1 · October 20, 2021

What happens to UTEP, FIU, MTSU, WKU, ODU, and La Tech now?

Mountain West didnt want UTEP. I think MTSU and WKU should reach out to the MAC and see if they will take them. La Tech can pursue MAC or Sun Belt opportunities. I don't think FIU, WKU, or MTSU go to the Sun Belt because the bad blood of them leaving and the schools each own perception that they left for greener pastures.

So at a minimum, ODU, FIU, and UTEP are in no mans land. They can wait for the WAC to be ready for FBS, but only UTEP is close enough to that region. ODU and FIU might need to go independent and try to finesse UMass/Liberty to form a small alliance for scheduling.

Last option is CUSA tries to appeal to the remaining 6 schools and add UMass, Liberty, and some FCS schools. That would easily be the weakest conference at the FBS level.

shaft · October 20, 2021

5 minutes ago, greeneagle1 said:

What happens to UTEP, FIU, MTSU, WKU, ODU, and La Tech now?

The collect their $18M in exit fees. There is no rush to do anything different before 2023.

meangreen11 · October 20, 2021

Just saw this come across the wire

Mean Green 93-98 · October 20, 2021

19 minutes ago, NorthTexan95 said:

I think they blew their opportunity years ago.

By and large, they blew it back in 2013 when they chose TV markets as the end-all be-all of who they would invite. Curiously, this appears to be what the American Conference is doing now.

MeanGreenTexan · October 20, 2021

4 minutes ago, greeneagle1 said:

What happens to UTEP, FIU, MTSU, WKU, ODU, and La Tech now?

Mountain West didnt want UTEP. I think MTSU and WKU should reach out to the MAC and see if they will take them. La Tech can pursue MAC or Sun Belt opportunities. I don't think FIU, WKU, or MTSU go to the Sun Belt because the bad blood of them leaving and the schools each own perception that they left for greener pastures.

So at a minimum, ODU, FIU, and UTEP are in no mans land. They can wait for the WAC to be ready for FBS, but only UTEP is close enough to that region. ODU and FIU might need to go independent and try to finesse UMass/Liberty to form a small alliance for scheduling.

Last option is CUSA tries to appeal to the remaining 6 schools and add UMass, Liberty, and some FCS schools. That would easily be the weakest conference at the FBS level.

If I'm UTEP, FIU and LATech, I'm sweating bullets right now.
C-USA is going to implode. Especially if SMU/Memphis leave AAC, and the next 2 from C-USA (WKU & ODU?) are up next.

Marshall should be able to ask MAC to return (again). WKU could ask MAC as well, they'd be a nice add. So Miss fits right in with the SBC, as does MT (Blue Raiders gonna have to swallow their pride & go back).

UTEP & FIU are too far out and hardly bring anything to the table for them to be invited to any conference.
LATech needs to put their anymosity/superiority complex with ULM behind them before they get left in the cold too, because I doubt SBC kicks out ULM to bring them on. They'd be a great add to the SBC if they'd accept it.

greeneagle1 · October 20, 2021

17 minutes ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

By and large, they blew it back in 2013 when they chose TV markets as the end-all be-all of who they would invite. Curiously, this appears to be what the American Conference is doing now.

Not sure WKU, MTSU, Old Dominion, or La Tech were part of a Big Markets plan. Charlotte didnt even have FBS football prior to this. UTSA had 2 seasons under their belt. The only established teams that moved up were UNT, FAU, and I guess FIU.

Mean Green Matt · October 20, 2021

37 minutes ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

By and large, they blew it back in 2013 when they chose TV markets as the end-all be-all of who they would invite. Curiously, this appears to be what the American Conference is doing now.

I think you could make a good argument the teams chosen by the AAC bring more than just TV markets.

Mean Green Matt · October 20, 2021

30 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

If I'm UTEP, FIU and LATech, I'm sweating bullets right now.
C-USA is going to implode. Especially if SMU/Memphis leave AAC, and the next 2 from C-USA (WKU & ODU?) are up next.

Marshall should be able to ask MAC to return (again). WKU could ask MAC as well, they'd be a nice add. So Miss fits right in with the SBC, as does MT (Blue Raiders gonna have to swallow their pride & go back).

UTEP & FIU are too far out and hardly bring anything to the table for them to be invited to any conference.
LATech needs to put their anymosity/superiority complex with ULM behind them before they get left in the cold too, because I doubt SBC kicks out ULM to bring them on. They'd be a great add to the SBC if they'd accept it.

I’ll preface this with I think Memphis might leave the AAC. But it’s no guarantee. I don’t think SMU is going to have any serious takers until their own people take them seriously. Interestingly, we have the same problem. In any event, if those teams leave I would, my first choice would be staying at 12. My second choice would be adding Liberty (hate their politics all you want but they throw big boy money at their athletic program) and then look at all of the teams in CUSA and SBC and see who is least offensive.

untjim1995 · October 20, 2021

9 minutes ago, Mean Green Matt said:

I’ll preface this with I think Memphis might leave the AAC. But it’s no guarantee. I don’t think SMU is going to have any serious takers until their own people take them seriously. Interestingly, we have the same problem. In any event, if those teams leave I would, my first choice would be staying at 12. My second choice would be adding Liberty (hate their politics all you want but they throw big boy money at their athletic program) and then look at all of the teams in CUSA and SBC and see who is least offensive.

I think Aresco went to 14 teams because he knows Memphis and SMU are going to find new homes. That would still give the AAC 12 teams with clearly delineated divisions of 6 teams:

Western Division Eastern Division

Tulsa, UNT, UTSA, Rice, Tulane, and UAB Temple, Charlotte, ECU, FAU, USF, and Navy

Mean Green Matt · October 20, 2021

Just now, untjim1995 said:

I think Aresco went to 14 teams because he knows Memphis and SMU are going to find new homes. That would still give the AAC 12 teams with clearly delineated divisions of 6 teams:

Western Division Eastern Division

Tulsa, UNT, UTSA, Rice, Tulane, and UAB Temple, Charlotte, ECU, FAU, USF, and Navy

Where are their new homes? The Big 12 very well may just stay at 12. The more they add the more they dilute the revenue share. Maybe the ACC, but that will probably require a couple of defectors from the ACC first.

Mean Green 93-98 · October 20, 2021

37 minutes ago, greeneagle1 said:

Not sure WKU, MTSU, Old Dominion, or La Tech were part of a Big Markets plan. Charlotte didnt even have FBS football prior to this. UTSA had 2 seasons under their belt. The only established teams that moved up were UNT, FAU, and I guess FIU.

MTSU--Nashville market, WKU just outside but MTSU's travel partner. Both of those also brought something else to the table. But ODU (Tidewater, VA area a top 50 market), Charlotte, and UTSA are prime examples--they brought TV markets and not much else. Now you see the American Conference picking Charlotte and FAU over LaTech, the primary reason obviously being TV markets. It's too bad the SEC never learned at the Britt Banowsky school of conference affiliation.

Edited October 20, 2021 by Mean Green 93-98