USM, ODU, Marshall getting an early start on the CUSA evacuation

[Arkstfan]

All three released statements that they were terminating CUSA membership effective June 30 this year.

[ntexeagle]

That is going to make scheduling very difficult this year,  It’s going to be a very interesting year,

[Magic95Fan]

Very blunt statements about their negotiations with CUSA. Here is USM's.

 

https://southernmiss.com/news/2022/2/11/general-statement-regarding-conference-realignment.aspx

[Arkstfan]

8 minutes ago, Magic95Fan said:

Very blunt statements about their negotiations with CUSA. Here is USM's.

 

https://southernmiss.com/news/2022/2/11/general-statement-regarding-conference-realignment.aspx

Yeah we were hearing they expected it to all be worked out by the start of the year, the middle of January at the very latest and that didn’t happen.

[untjim1995]

Good for them. The SBC is a much better landing place for all three of them.

[El Paso Eagle]

Legal maneuvering. Taking steps to reduce fees.

[El Paso Eagle]

Just wondering if we still play them if their on our schedule as OOC games?

 

[Texas Stranger]

The SB3 is playing their hand a little too early, IMO.  CUSA office holds the nuke button, they can kick them out immediately, if they had the bravery.  Let them try to play spring sports and see if the Sun Belt will let them play in their 2022 basketball tournament.  If you're breaking a contract unilaterally, the other party owes you nothing.

[Texas Stranger]

33 minutes ago, El Paso Eagle said:

Just wondering if we still play them if their on our schedule as OOC games?

 

We'll simply have more divisional crossover football games in 2022.

[Arkstfan]

I doubt with six wins between them, any will lose sleep over being barred from the CUSA men’s tournament and it’s no different from what JMU is facing. Sort of late to boot them off the baseball and softball schedules even if they get barred from the tournament, again same thing JMU is dealing with.

Men’s and women’s indoor track, need a few more hotel rooms than already booked to get them to Birmingham for the indoor track championship.

Women’s golf can accommodate them in Daytona. Men is at El Dorado, AR. Hotel rooms might be an issue there for the four newcomers. 

Men’s and women’s tennis in Peachtree City, GA, they can handle a few more teams no sweat.

Outdoor track in Mobile, no issue there.

Only problem for them is potentially men’s and women’s hoops, baseball and softball.

In return they land where they want to be.

Cost is not a big whoop. CUSA keeps their cut of revenue either way, and they go on the dole with the Sun Belt starting July 1, so financially a win.

CUSA may file to get specific performance, courts generally don’t like specific performance though I have no idea how Texas courts are and Texas courts are the only one where the court would have jurisdiction over all the parties.

[Wag Tag]

They are trying to negotiate a lower exit fee. Pay up punks!

[Monkeypox]

Meh. Doesn't really matter at this point, and it actually could help us in the long-run, since we're also leaving. Nothing that hasn't been done before, though.

[Mean Green 93-98]

33 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

They are trying to negotiate a lower exit fee. Pay up punks!

I assume we--as departing members--get little to nothing from whatever exit fees they pay, right?  And whatever they end up paying will serve as precedent for what we will have to pay.  It's probably in our best interest that they get a good chunk of change shaved off their exit fees.

[PlummMeanGreen]

They should leave early—wish we could. 

[Arkstfan]

59 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

They are trying to negotiate a lower exit fee. Pay up punks!

Exit fee ain’t cash from what I’ve seen posted, just the conference keeps their money so that doesn’t change just they don’t play next year and SBC is apparently not doing a buy in so instead of getting nothing next year they get 1/14th share of SBC. 

[Wag Tag]

22 minutes ago, Arkstfan said:

Exit fee ain’t cash from what I’ve seen posted, just the conference keeps their money so that doesn’t change just they don’t play next year and SBC is apparently not doing a buy in so instead of getting nothing next year they get 1/14th share of SBC. 

The exit fee is a cash out of $3m. C USA can use the $$ to try and rebuild.

[Green Otaku]

1 hour ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

I assume we--as departing members--get little to nothing from whatever exit fees they pay, right?  And whatever they end up paying will serve as precedent for what we will have to pay.  It's probably in our best interest that they get a good chunk of change shaved off their exit fees.

 

The 6 departing for the AAC will see none of that money. UNT and the others have stated they will be leaving on 2023, unlike ODU, USM, and Marshall who gave a very short notice so it shouldn't affect how much we pay when we leave. 

[RBP79]

They're just testing a weak commissioner....kind of similar to what can happen in politics....lol

Edited February 17, 2022 by Coach Andy Mac

[southsideguy]

So they leave early do we get the early buy out and we can apply to our exit fee?

[Arkstfan]

3 hours ago, Wag Tag said:

The exit fee is a cash out of $3m. C USA can use the $$ to try and rebuild.

The bylaws posted on the LaTech board don’t have a dollar figure. Just says you still owe any debts or assessments and forfeit your share of revenue if you leave with 14 month notice and if you leave early you owe additionally for any damages caused but doesn’t specify a dollar figure. 

[keith]

Putting aside exit fees and whatnot for a minute, what does this mean for football scheduling?  Are they under contract for 2022 regardless of conference affiliation?  Are they bailing on existing CUSA games and replacing them with Sun Belt games?  Are Sun Belt teams even able to accommodate them?  Seems like a lot of uncertainty to declare a unilateral early exit from the conference. 

[Arkstfan]

10 minutes ago, keith said:

Putting aside exit fees and whatnot for a minute, what does this mean for football scheduling?  Are they under contract for 2022 regardless of conference affiliation?  Are they bailing on existing CUSA games and replacing them with Sun Belt games?  Are Sun Belt teams even able to accommodate them?  Seems like a lot of uncertainty to declare a unilateral early exit from the conference. 

Sun Belt is prepared to proceed as a 14 team league because the three schools notified us in December that they had let CUSA know they intended to depart. I’m told we have schedules for 10, 11, and 14 schools (current only, current plus JMU who is announced in now, and all four newcomers).

The way I see it CUSA has two paths here.

1. Stick to their guns and run to the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Texas seeking an injunction to prevent the departure and depending on the judge they draw that might range from hummm OK I’ll issue a TRO and set it for hearing all the way to hey these people told you two months ago their intention, why did you take no steps to protect yourself by drafting alternate schedules?

Upside is it could force the teams to stay, might enhance odds of damages if judge says you can leave but gotta pay.

Downside is it could face plant and create a scramble to fix the schedule (unless of course there is already an 11 game schedule drafted). In a scramble situation schools could get shorted a game. If that happens, the east will bear the brunt losing 2 instead of 1 and that’s a shaky plan given that three of the five not leaving are in the east. If AAC6 schools get hit, then that hands them their own potential claim against CUSA for failing to deliver a reasonable schedule especially if AAC6 bears the brunt of the mess, and getting some of the withheld departure money back.

2. Complain moan, saber-rattle a lawsuit, offer arbitration or mediation to settle it all in exchange for CUSA going forward with an 11 team schedule.

Upside it protects the members

Downside harder to claim much in damages if you can make some spreadsheet entries and fix it one afternoon.

[keith]

What a mess. 

[Jonnyeagle]

Why can’t we use them leaving as a valid reason to waive paying any exit fees?  This is not the conference they promised us and not the one we signed up for.  They can take their exit fees and show it where the Sun don’t shine!

[Wag Tag]

7 hours ago, Arkstfan said:

The bylaws posted on the LaTech board don’t have a dollar figure. Just says you still owe any debts or assessments and forfeit your share of revenue if you leave with 14 month notice and if you leave early you owe additionally for any damages caused but doesn’t specify a dollar figure.