MySA.com Sez CUSA Barely Lukewarm On UTSA

[MeanGreen61]

A couple of weeks ago I opined that the Roadrunners, thanks to their success at the Alamodome box office and location in a major, untapped market, would have to be a strong candidate. Especially after a UTSA source told me it was on CUSA’s “short list.”

Well, as I reported in last week’s column, that short list actually turns out to be pretty long, according to an athletic director in the CUSA. At least 10 schools, in fact, from at least three different leagues.

Then came another source, who told me over the weekend that UTSA has been actively lobbying CUSA for an invitation, but that interest has been lukewarm at best.

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http://blog.mysanantonio.com/utsa/2011/11/another-domino-falls/

[PlummMeanGreen]

Anyone who can't admire what UTSA has done in one season at the turnstiles of which Denton and Denton County has never done is hiding their heads in the sand but.......let the Road Runners have a series of losing seasons and between the 4'th and 5'th losing season in a row then get back and check their attendance box scores. After 7 losing seasons we're still hovering over 20,000 per home game so how great is all this going to be when we start winning and beating a few somebodys?

UTSA is still located (like TSU-SM) in the long, long shadow of UT-Austin and that is almost tantamout to how the Cowboys have been to SMU, TCU and UNT for decades. TCU has found the winning formula and that is winning and beating a few somebody's which got them ranked. SMU? I think their fans will have no more interest in Big East opponents just as their emtpy stadium indicated a lack of real interest in most of their CUSA opponents, too. SMU and a couple of others bad attendance during their SWC days and forever depending on large public university traveling fans coming to Dallas to pad attendance numbers was a prime reason the Southwest Conference broke up in the first place. Frank Broyles of Arkansas listed that toward the top of his list before he took the Hogs out and into the SEC.

North Texas has 28,000 undergraduates and a large Denton County base from which to draw fans once Dan McCarney gets our Mean Green ship truly launched along with a solid, well planned across the board position by position recruiting program he is putting in place. Still say it but too many DB's, RB's and WR's recruits with so few linemen during the 5 year Dodge era has left its mark on us even at the SBC level. Good news is this can change rather quickly if we hit on some key good recruits and maybe still mix in a healthy number of JUCO's without going overboard with too many from that group.

Best news is the Apogee Experience on Game Day in the Mean Green Village strategically located between those 2 Texas interstates and our Game Days being more fun than should be allowed by law!

North Texas really does have something very special with this new football stadium of ours that even our visitors are most all in full agreement of its uniqueness and being special, too.

I defer to the 2 gent's statements below in my signature box.

Edited November 4, 2011 by PlummMeanGreen

[UNTflyer]

Anyone who can't admire what UTSA has done in one season at the turnstiles of which Denton and Denton County has never done is hiding their heads in the sand but.......[/quote]

Sorry, but I don't. There is nothing in SA sports-wise except the Spurs. The attendance at UTSA is not due to love for the team, but rather a lack of options for local residents and curiosity about something new. They started the season at 56k. Their last home game was about 25k and I expect it to keep dropping.

[EdwardRRooney]

People here talk about UTSA and TX St like Smu talks about us. I don't get it.

[EdwardRRooney]

Not that anything in this thread was necessarily that bad....just saying.

[TIgreen01]

10 schools?

Obvious/known ones:

1-UNT

2-LaTech

3-UTSA

~~~ guessing:

4-TX St

5-WKU

6-MTSU

7-Ohio

8-Ark St

9-FAU

10-FIU

Honestly, I can't believe that every single school in the Sun Belt isn't trying and the list is much longer....

[EdwardRRooney]

I don't know why but la tech just seems like it fits.

[herdfan1rh]

On the Marshall board we put together a list of eight that we think are options. In no particular order....

Temple, Ohio, MTSU, FAU, LaTech, North Texas, Toledo, Appalachian State (they are planning on going DI in two years).

Again, nothing official, just a list some of us came up with.

[akriesman]

I don't know why but la tech just seems like it fits.

One reason is that both La Tech and UNT were reported to be on CUSA's short list the last time they expanded. If CUSA was expanding again with SMU already on board, then I would not like our chances. But, SMU is gone and CUSA is going to continue to want the DFW market.

The last time CUSA expanded, I definately thought La Tech had an advantage over us. But, SMU is gone, leaving the hole in the DFW market. And, we have better facilities, a new stadium, an athletic budge that has probably doubled since then (I believe). This time, I really like our chances.

Edited November 4, 2011 by akriesman