UTSA to C-USA - CBS Sports article

UNT 90 Grad · April 30, 2012

I guess I don't get some of the logic on here, but I, like many others, am not an expert. How is playing in conference with UTSA more of an opportunity for them to recruit in DFW than it is for us to recruit in San Antonio? Especially if we have them on facilities and talent, as so many have voiced. Seems like if we consistently take care of business to the south on 35, advantage UNT.

Harry · April 30, 2012

I guess I don't get some of the logic on here, but I, like many others, am not an expert. How is playing in conference with UTSA more of an opportunity for them to recruit in DFW than it is for us to recruit in San Antonio? Especially if we have them on facilities and talent, as so many have voiced. Seems like if we consistently take care of business to the south on 35, advantage UNT.

You're exactly right. They will need years to build that program. CUSA certainly speeds up the timeline. The other thing I don't get is this will be our new conference and we want it and the member institutions to succeed. North Texas will be fine so long as we take care of North Texas.

PlummMeanGreen · April 30, 2012

Let all of CUSA, specifically those of us in Texas look at it this way:

With 4 CUSA schools in Texas we significantly better ourselves to get more media coverage because 4 beats 1. And can we of UNT ever forget

how "1" was the loneliest number we'd ever seen as in......North Texas was the "ONLY" SBC school from Texas.

Last count, CUSA will have twice as many Texas-based schools in the Lone Star State than the other 2 schools from Texas who are going to the Big East.

With 4 CUSA Texas schools I think would continue to give CUSA Commish' Banowsky a better position in which to bargain locally and

state-wide, and toward the top of the bargaining list TV execs who would advertise with CUSA and that would also help with all the

non-Texas schools, too.

GMG!.

Edited April 30, 2012 by PlummMeanGreen

forevereagle · April 30, 2012

I think this is a mistake by CUSA. Sure, on the surface it looks like UTSA brings fans, but visual evidence disagrees. The next question is how well they will travel. There is no real way to know that. My guess is that they will not bring many to Apogee. This dilutes the conference strength that was already damaged by the teams leaving. They are just gambling that UTSA is the second coming of USF.

MeanGreenTexan · April 30, 2012

I guess I don't get some of the logic on here, but I, like many others, am not an expert. How is playing in conference with UTSA more of an opportunity for them to recruit in DFW than it is for us to recruit in San Antonio? Especially if we have them on facilities and talent, as so many have voiced. Seems like if we consistently take care of business to the south on 35, advantage UNT.

It's not about UNT going down to San Antonio to recruit players and vice versa. It's about prestige in the eyes of the recruits. Current State: UNT's prestige in the SBC is greater than UTSA in FCS (or wherever they are?)

This past offseason, UNT was recruiting against the following Texas schools:

UT - Obviously, when they offer a guy UNT is after, we lose.

A&M - See UT

Tech - Being in lubbock would be the only reason a recruit would shy away from this big 12 school. Otherwise, see UT.

TCU - consistently winning and going to big bowls. UNT no longer directly competes with TCU. Now they are in the big 12, so look for them to steal a ton of Tech's recruits. When they want a guy UNT is after: see UT.

Then there is a drop off and you get to the schools that UNT directly competes with:

Houston - As weak as the Big East is currently, it's still the Big East. This puts them on a different level than UNT in the eyes of recruits and their parents. Look for More Keenan Flax scenarios (even though he didn't pan out) with Houston.

SMU - See Houston, except they are pretty much our main competitor at the moment. Again, being in the Big East, look for more Chase Walling scenarios.

UTEP - Here's where we should see improvement. Now we are on the same level as the Miners. Say goodbye to the Javia Hall scenarios! UNT should be more desirable than UTEP to most of our recruits now (unless they're from far West Texas).

Rice - Same level. With our facilities, we should be able to get any recruit we want away from them, unless they want to go to school for academics, or they're from the Houston area and want to stay close to home.

Then there was a significant drop off to the non-BCS schools. All of which UNT should beat out for recruits.

TX St. - Now moving up to FBS and the Sun Belt. They will be a stronger competitor, but they'll still be perceived as slightly lower than UNT... unless Fran gets them winning consistently. Then it would be very possible for UNT to start losing recruits to the cats.

UTSA - Previously, there was no reason a student would willingly chose UTSA over UNT unless it was for guaranteed playing time, or they are from SA or South Texas and wanted to stay closer to home. Now that they are in the SAME CONFERENCE as UNT, they INSTANTLY become a peer institution and like all of you dreamers are citing over and over, San Antonio is such a cool city! Why wouldn't a recruit want to go there? Not just the ones from S.A. or South Texas anymore, we're talking from all over the state!

SFA,SHSU,etc... - They're still FCS, so any recruit we want (as long as we're not competing with other FBS schools) we should be able to pry away.

All of you guys saying that "If UNT takes care of business, then it wont matter..." need to understand that these other schools are going to be trying to take care of business as well.

Eagle1855 · April 30, 2012

The other thing to remember is that there is enough Division 1 talent in Texas alone to elevate all (now) 12 Texas schools to Top 25 status, year in and year out.

A ton of these recruits just end up in Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Louisiana et al.

So take care of business. There's plenty of Texas talent to go around; they just haven't always had a reason to stay.

Daddy Dumpsalot · April 30, 2012

Personally, I am very disappointed with this move. This makes the CUSA even more watered down. It's a step up from the belt for us (as I have said), but its beginning to look a lot like not much of a step. In other words, I feel like we will be in the same place we are in now, in a few years. I was hoping that we would be content in a new conference for a while, but now I hope that our AD, Prez, and BOR will continue to look at other options once we are in the CUSA.

I would much rather see NMSU instead of UTSA, even though it doesn't make much sense having UTEP and NMSU (or maybe it does).

Harry · April 30, 2012

I would much rather see NMSU instead of UTSA, even though it doesn't make much sense having UTEP and NMSU (or maybe it does).

Have you ever driven to a game in Las Cruces? Evan and I drove to the "Miracle in the Desert" game and believe me... it's a long, long way. Like the folks at NMSU and wish them well but have no interest in being in a conference with them...

Our fans will travel to San Antonio in good numbers and we have a good amount of alums there who are already excited.

Daddy Dumpsalot · April 30, 2012

Have you ever driven to a game in Las Cruces? Evan and I drove to the "Miracle in the Desert" game and believe me... it's a long, long way. Like the folks at NMSU and wish them well but have no interest in being in a conference with them...
Our fans will travel to San Antonio in good numbers and we have a good amount of alums there who are already excited.

I hear a lot about adding new opponents based on what would it be like to travel to those games, but I think there is so much more. I understand that NMSU is no powerhouse, but is adding a school that just got a football team last year really a good move? That's something the Belt would do. It's a little embarrassing that we are in a conference with a school that just got a football team, and I can't even imagine what that embarrassment would look like should we lose to them.

So you all can take your away game experiences, but I'll take a stronger conference reputation.

Green Mean · April 30, 2012

Have you ever driven to a game in Las Cruces? Evan and I drove to the "Miracle in the Desert" game and believe me... it's a long, long way. Like the folks at NMSU and wish them well but have no interest in being in a conference with them...
Our fans will travel to San Antonio in good numbers and we have a good amount of alums there who are already excited.

The only thing that has always confused me is if the commute/drive is really that far why don't fans just fly? That is what I do if I don't want to drive anywhere. I have no idea if Las Cruces has a big airpor but you can always fly to El Paso and rent a car to drive up to LC. I've just never understood that thought process...and with traveling games fans have 2 years to plan a trip and if you book in advance I am sure you can get very good deals in airfare when booking in that kind of advance and flying Southwest or something. I think the fans traveling to games isn't as a big a issue as many seem to make it because the way I see it is if you want to travel to see your team play then you will go regardless of where it usually is.

PlummMeanGreen · April 30, 2012

One of the best percs as far as North Texas will be concerned is how all our various alumnus groups and organizations in Houston, El Paso and San Antonio will have dramatically increased numbers from those 2 cities getting involved.

GMG!

Edited April 30, 2012 by PlummMeanGreen

The Fake Lonnie Finch · April 30, 2012

But, the buildings on campus there look so Southwestern. I love the NMSU campus. It's authentic. I want a hunk of foil-wrapped tamales when I am there. I am ready to take a job there. Does anyone know if there are any openings?

It's no biggie. Like th man says, fly into El Paso ("The Pass") and drive over.

Hunter Green · April 30, 2012

I don't care for this move. I don't care that much for San Antonio and it is crazy to add them as they are just starting out. I would have preferred MUTS or Wky, as they have very styrong overall athletic programs.
I guess I understand it, but I just don't buy the San Antonio market argument. It isn't that significant nationally. Maybe if there is an Alamo Bowl tie-in that is going to come with this move it makes better sense.
IMO, the last thing we want is another Texas D1 program recruiting against us in our own conference. At least if they were in the Belt or a dying WAC we would have a better conference affiliation as an extra advantage.

They recruit against us anyway.

Hunter Green · April 30, 2012

UTSA notwithstanding, you're telling me that Tulsa, Rice, UTEP are not improvements over LA Monroe, MTSU and FAU? And they're all driveable? Dude, seriously, we just went 6-37 against a bunch of Pop Warner teams. We can't be Alabama just yet. This is a great stepping stone.

I couldn't agree more. It's a no-brainer.

The Fake Lonnie Finch · April 30, 2012

Now, looky here, it case you are not already conviced of the NMSU goodness:

Right there on their campus is The Chile Pepper Institute. How many other campuses in North America can you say that about? Zero. The answer is, zero.

How can you be from Texas and not appreciate the main ingredient in everything from our breakfast cereals to dessert? And, right there at NMSU, they are studying ways to make the chile peppers more spicy, tasty, bold, and enticing.

Harvest that chile pepper, mamacita, harvest like the wind!

The Fake Lonnie Finch · April 30, 2012

And, here's another thing...Miss New Mexico USA 2011 is a NMSU grad:

Are you prejudiced against bleach-blonde latinas or some thing, huerco?

TIgreen01 · April 30, 2012

If we aren't thrilled by UTSA getting into CUSA, I cannot imagine what the folks at Tulsa, Rice, and Tulane think. Seems like Tulsa has been grumbling, recently, about looking out west to the MWC. It's not likely, but should CUSA water the pool down enough, how soon before the current members start looking to jump off the ship?

casual fan · April 30, 2012

I posted this 25 February 2012

WOW! Let's recap .....and look at the facts.

1. Playing UTSA & TS would drag us down to their level. UTSA home games averaged 35,521 last year. With a 4-6 record they still drew 32,369 their last home game against something called Minot State. They have HOME games lined up with Arizona, Arizona State, Virginia, Kansas State, Rice, Houston, Baylor, and Oklahoma State. The Alamodome holds 65,000.

2. Playing them would let them compete with us for Texas recruits. According to Rivals we signed 5 three star recruits this year while TS signed 11 three star recruits. What could they have done if they had played us?

3. We don't need their help to fill our stadium. I watched Steve Ramsey play when we were NTSU. I also sat under the overhang with a few other people and looked at a nearly empty NEW stadium as we routed MT the last game of this past season. We don't have to go to Egypt to find De Nile.

I hope we can get into the new USA/alliance conference. We really need it. It would be OK if some other Texas schools come along for the ride. But the truth is I would not be totally shocked if UTSA gets picked over us because of their potential and location.

Now that the unthinkable has happened and UTSA is in CUSA

What does it tell a perspective conference to see a half empty stadium? Playing to a packed house every game speaks volumes.

We need to consistently win games, fill the stadium, and build excitement. Bad early road losses to SEC teams kills that from the get go. We need home and home games with local FBS teams that we can beat. Build a record. Fill the stadium. Go to a bowl. Get fans excited. Getting blown out early by LSU costs us in the long run.

I would love to hear an argument one day on ESPN about UNT's great record and soft schedule.

UNTLifer · April 30, 2012

I posted this 25 February 2012
WOW! Let's recap .....and look at the facts.
1. Playing UTSA & TS would drag us down to their level. UTSA home games averaged 35,521 last year. With a 4-6 record they still drew 32,369 their last home game against something called Minot State. They have HOME games lined up with Arizona, Arizona State, Virginia, Kansas State, Rice, Houston, Baylor, and Oklahoma State. The Alamodome holds 65,000.

Since the perceived value of something free is typically close to zero, let's see how many of those "fans" stick around when they start trying to charge for those tickets.

casual fan · April 30, 2012

My point was if we don't take care our business other schools will pass us by. We just need to be smarter about how we do it.

UNT needs to do whats best for UNT....and that is win games and fill the stadium. If we do this it will be us passing other schools and not vise versa.

untjim1995 · April 30, 2012

I think UTSA making it in is a big surprise, but I also think it speaks to the reality of just how much TV ratings matter here. San Antonio has a lot of Longhorns, Aggies, and Red Raiders, just like Dallas/Ft. Worth and Houston. But the biggest difference is that DFW and Houston have a combined 5 FBS schools in the counties that encompass their metro areas. San Antonio has zero--until now. They are actually in the town, too. San Antonio is a town that really likes to support their events, as well. The San Antonio media just made their city a ton of cash, too. We can poo-poo those attendance figures, but folks much higher up the food chain than this board are absolutely blown away at that average, and to be honest, I am too. If UTA started football up again in a few years and played games at Jerry World, who here thinks that they would get 35k in average attendance playing that same schedule? There's no way and it speaks to the number of options available for sports fans in the Metroplex versus San Antonio. And if they get the Alamo Bowl to add CUSA into their rotation as a bowl participant, that is icing on the cake.

To me, I don't care if UTSA is in CUSA or not. I just want to make sure we are. Conference games against UTSA, UTEP, Rice, Tulsa, La Tech, Tulane, Southern Miss, East Carolina, and Marshall can be sold to UNT students, alums, and casual Metroplex fans to invest their time and money into coming out to Apogee to see a game. Plus, having even a few more thousand people show up for your conference games should help with OOC scheduling, meaning that this ridiculous SEC OOC schedule we play now so as to pay our bills, can mercifully end. It has been proven rather convincingly that games against ULL, ULM, FAU, MUTS, Arky State, Troy, and Western Kentucky don't draw enough people out to the stadium. And I don't think it is all that hard to imagine what a home game against South Alabama or Georgia State will look like, attendance-wise, either.

MeanGreenWithEnvy · April 30, 2012

North Texas officials need to also work on a viable plan of gettting 31,000 fans out for each game out of a metro population center of almost 7,000,000 citizens and hire the right additional ancillary staff who can and will make this happen. Our UNT constituency coupled with the the DFW Metroplex population numbers should make this more than do-able.

THIS! THIS! SO MUCH OF THIS! We've got the stadium. The product on the field is moving in the right direction. We've got the coach. Now we need to get butts in seats. Hell, if I can come up with three or four decent-sounding do-able ideas while laying on my couch, we ought to be able to hire one or two people who can do the idea-dreaming and making it happen full time!

shaft · May 1, 2012

Pssst. UTSA haters,

We we're already competing against UTSA for recruits. Pretending they don't exist on the internet hasn't kept Larry Coker and crew off the recruits campus.

Hiding from your competition and failure to embrace your weaknesses is a bad strategy in life and in football recruiting. We have to accept that we are in Texas the most heavily recruited state in the nation.

Got5onIt · May 1, 2012

Pssst. UTSA haters,

We we're already competing against UTSA for recruits. Pretending they don't exist on the internet hasn't kept Larry Coker and crew off the recruits campus.

Hiding from your competition and failure to embrace your weaknesses is a bad strategy in life and in football recruiting. We have to accept that we are in Texas the most heavily recruited state in the nation.

NT will a take a quick lead in W's when the head to head starts......

Eagle1855 · May 1, 2012

THIS! THIS! SO MUCH OF THIS! We've got the stadium. The product on the field is moving in the right direction. We've got the coach. Now we need to get butts in seats. Hell, if I can come up with three or four decent-sounding do-able ideas while laying on my couch, we ought to be able to hire one or two people who can do the idea-dreaming and making it happen full time!

I'll tell you how to do it... and it won't cost you a thing. Ready?

Play teams people a) have heard of and b ) get some national attention. We just did that with this conference move.

The most important thing, however, is to win. And to win often. That's it. The people will follow.

Now let's win the Belt on the way out.

Edited May 1, 2012 by Eagle1855