Latest Report - UTSA Now Just Behind UNT & FIU

[MeanGreen61]

First and most likely scenario would be that the Alliance conference decides on expansion of at least 20 teams. UTSA has rocketed up the charts, passing more established programs and would fall in line behind North Texas and Florida International. UTSA sits in third, with Louisiana Tech being the fourth program to receive invites if the number is 20.

http://www.insiderunnersports.com/football/articles/another-mwcc-usa-update

[rjmunthe]

Sucks to be Tech. I'll laugh my ass off if UTSA gets the nod. Years of being scumbags caught up to Tech, finally.

[NT03]

Has anyone been on the FIU campus ? How is it

[rjmunthe]

Has anyone been on the FIU campus ? How is it

I don't know but I don't understand how FIU can get into the CUSA with that stadium.

[All About UNT]

Has anyone been on the FIU campus ? How is it

I have...the campus is very modern and VERY good looking. The fact remains that their stadium is an erector set with VERY little in the way of amenities for either high level donors, club level or even Media setup. The basketball stadium is even worse. They are getting by on recent football success, student enrollment and market area.

[Harry]

I have...the campus is very modern and VERY good looking. The fact remains that their stadium is an erector set with VERY little in the way of amenities for either high level donors, club level or even Media setup. The basketball stadium is even worse. They are getting by on recent football success, student enrollment and market area.

Also would add their academics are very impressive, they have a medical school and engineering school that are highly thought of. Miami is just a fantastic destination city...I know our crew that visited were quite impressed with it and would like to go back.

[UNTcrazy727]

Let's be honest, the only reason UNT, FIU and UTSA are in the top three is their location. Miami, DFW, and San Antonio offer a lot more than the cities of the other schools trying to get in.

[rjmunthe]

Let's be honest, the only reason UNT, FIU and UTSA are in the top three is their location. Miami, DFW, and San Antonio offer a lot more than the cities of the other schools trying to get in.

Agreed. However, even if we were in Ruston, we'd probably have a good shot due to our basketball team and our new stadium.

[Comet7745]

Let's be honest, the only reason UNT, FIU and UTSA are in the top three is their location. Miami, DFW, and San Antonio offer a lot more than the cities of the other schools trying to get in.

And all three have healthy student populations which means all three programs have quite the potential to grow into something like Louisville did in the early 2000s if it could string multiple winning seasons.

[JulesFIU07]

I don't know but I don't understand how FIU can get into the CUSA with that stadium.

We are working on improving that. The stadium is being enclosed this year, and there are plans for a second series of skyboxes, press facilities, and a second deck of seating.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Let's be honest, the only reason UNT, FIU and UTSA are in the top three is their location. Miami, DFW, and San Antonio offer a lot more than the cities of the other schools trying to get in.

Still a conference with Miami, San Antonio and the DFW Metroplex is better than a conference without those 3 metropolitan areas.

Fleas, anyone? A large number of fleas were put in a can & then a lid was put on the can. The fleas in the can were persistant and started jumping non-stop finally coming to a point to where they consistently jumped close to where the lid was. The lid was then removed from the can but the fleas kept jumping but stopping at the same place where the lid had been.

Little did the fleas know that with just a little more effort all could have jumped a gnat's whisker higher completely out of the can but.......they were content with the comfort zone they had created for themselves and were not about to jump out of the can into new horizons that would more than beat the can they had been in for quite awhile.

With almost 7 million in the DFW Metroplex, all North Texas has to do is jump just a bit higher (as in promote/market/promote/market/promote/market) to get out of the can we've been so accustomed in order to get our 31,000 fans on a consistent basis and then begin our Apogee Stadium expansion plans.

GMG!

Edited April 13, 2012 by PlummMeanGreen

[All About UNT]

Still a conference with Miami, San Antonio and the DFW Metroplex is better than a conference without those 3 metropolitan areas.

Fleas, anyone? A large number of fleas were put in a can & then a lid was put on the can. The fleas in the can were persistant and started jumping non-stop finally coming to a point to where they consistently jumped close to where the lid was. The lid was then removed from the can but the fleas kept jumping but stopping at the same place where the lid had been.

Little did the fleas know that with just a little more effort all could have jumped a gnat's whisker higher completely out of the can but.......they were content with the comfort zone they had created for themselves and were not about to jump out of the can into new horizons that would more than beat the can they had been in for quite awhile.

With almost 7 million in the DFW Metroplex, all North Texas has to do is jump just a bit higher (as in promote/market/promote/market/promote/market) to get out of the can we've been so accustomed in order to get our 31,000 fans on a consistent basis and then begin our Apogee Stadium expansion plans.

GMG!

Not sure I like being called a flea

[Runner]

From the SAEN.

My link

[GrayEagle]

We are working on improving that. The stadium is being enclosed this year, and there are plans for a second series of skyboxes, press facilities, and a second deck of seating.

Maybe that's a condition for being accepted. It should be embarrassing to admit a school with a stadium that seats 23,500 and has no press box. Imagine ESPN or FOX broadcasting from the end zone.

However, facilities (both football and basketball) and the newness of the program (still has a poor winning percentage overall) are the main detriments. They do have good size, academics and a CUSA budget. And, unless their their football team drops drastically this year they should be competitive. Miami is a large market that is off the beaten path but not that expensive to travel to. My other gripes are their basketball program is poor and they have a half-dozen campuses scattered around town.

[JulesFIU07]

Maybe that's a condition for being accepted. It should be embarrassing to admit a school with a stadium that seats 23,500 and has no press box. Imagine ESPN or FOX broadcasting from the end zone.

However, facilities (both football and basketball) and the newness of the program (still has a poor winning percentage overall) are the main detriments. They do have good size, academics and a CUSA budget. And, unless their their football team drops drastically this year they should be competitive. Miami is a large market that is off the beaten path but not that expensive to travel to. My other gripes are their basketball program is poor and they have a half-dozen campuses scattered around town.

The half-dozen campuses scattered around town is FAU, not FIU. We have a few smaller offices around town, one in the financial district specifically geared towards the MBA program, and one in South Beach specifically geared towards the music program (a stone's throw from the New World Symphony). We only have two true campuses, the main one and the Biscayne Bay Campus.

Once again, the football stadium and basketball arena are both being further enhanced, the remaining facilities are more than adequate, so that isn't a big detriment. The football team's record historically could be held against it, but recent success both on and off the field points to a continued upward trajectory, which I am sure is what C-USA is thinking. That combined with the Miami market is what would drive C-USA's decision making. Basketball, as bad as it has been, is clearly a tertiary aspect of this conference expansion.

[JulesFIU07]

And all three have healthy student populations which means all three programs have quite the potential to grow into something like Louisville did in the early 2000s if it could string multiple winning seasons.

Clearly they feel that by adding schools in major metro areas with large student bodies that the potential for a large, built in fan base exist.

[NorthTexan95]

The thought that UTSA could be second and could move out west opens up some possibilities. If they only expand to 20 teams then it could also give some slight hope for the WAC.

Currently, there are eight teams going to be in CUSA: Southern Miss, Marshall, East Carolina, UAB, Tulsa, Rice, UTEP, and Tulane. There will also be eight teams in the MWC: Wyoming, Air Force, Colorado State, UNLV, New Mexico, Nevada, Fresno State, and Hawaii.

That leaves a total of four openings. UNT and FIU appear to be almost locks according to all the latest rumors which leaves two spots open. FIU has to go to CUSA. UNT could go to the MWC but I think would prefer to be in CUSA. This leaves two spots open - most likely in the MWC.

If UTSA is the third choice. I'm not sure how much I buy into that but let's assume it's true. Could UTEP flip to the MWC? I keep hearing different rumors about their preference. However, UTEP and UTSA would fill up the MWC (while also giving UTEP a Texas team in their division) and open one spot in the east for a LT, MTSU, or someone else.

So how can this save the WAC? The WAC would be left with Utah State, San Jose State, New Mexico State, Idaho State, and Texas State. They would need one more team to have the minimum of six teams. They would have to find at least one ... if not more ... teams to move up and fill the conference. You've gotta think they could find one team to fill the void.

Leaving the WAC in place would help the MWC by having ready teams available when they are ready to expand to 12 teams (24 teams in the Alliance). It also gives time for the WAC to try to get more teams to move up to replace someone like Utah State who would then be a shoo-in for the MWC.

So I've just spent too much time typing all of this up there is one more important note. While it appears from all the latest rumors that UNT and FIU are locks ... if UTSA is indeed the third team on the list and is flexible to move east or west ... and if the conference is looking at stoping at 20 teams ... then Utah State has to be included in the competition for that fourth spot.

[GreenMachine]

If UTSA does make it, I hope they realize hard and often the huge difference in Div 1 and 2 ball (or whatever they call it now). They talk a lot of smack for only playing 1 year of football and from what I've read on their sites, they think they are going to be winning conference championships soon. A good ass-whipping every week should tone that down a bit.

[NorthTexan95]

If UTSA does make it, I hope they realize hard and often the huge difference in Div 1 and 2 ball (or whatever they call it now). They talk a lot of smack for only playing 1 year of football and from what I've read on their sites, they think they are going to be winning conference championships soon. A good ass-whipping every week should tone that down a bit.

I don't think they'll go 0-12 but they'll be at the bottom of the conference for awhile. Then we'll see how that attendence holds up.