C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky: Challenges ahead

Harry · May 14, 2013

RUSTON There are many challenges facing college athletic conferences, but none of them are keeping Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky awake at night.

On a recent visit to Ruston to spend time with outgoing Louisiana Tech president Dan Reneau, Banowsky said pizza during the day is the only thing interrupting his sleep.

I dont worry too much about the work. Athletics is difficult. Its challenging, but its athletics, Banowsky said in a news conference. Its not like were saving lives here, so we have to keep it in some degree of perspective. If we were trying to keep world peace, I might lose sleep. But at the end of the day, well play the game, and therell be a winner and a loser. Well go home, and then well play another game. Thats the way its always been.

The fun aside, the commish said fiscal responsibility is one of the greatest challenges universities face currently and in the immediate future. Travel expenses continue to escalate, game guarantees are rising, and coaches salaries have bucked the economic downturn of the past few years.

If I were to pick one of the big ones, that would be it. Expenses are growing at such a rate across all of athletics. Its staggering, Banowsky said. We went through what some people suggest is the worst economic period since the great depression in the last six years, and during that period, coaches salaries went up 25 percent a year. How does that happen? We have some fundamental things to deal with.

Read more: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20130512/SPORTS0203/305120029/C-USA-commissioner-Britton-Banowsky-Challenges-ahead?nclick_check=1

The Fake Lonnie Finch · May 15, 2013

RUSTON There are many challenges facing college athletic conferences, but none of them are keeping Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky awake at night.

We already knew Banowsky was asleep and not worried. How else do you trade out one entire conference for another?

PlummMeanGreen · May 15, 2013

Of course this will also go over like a lead balloon or a submarine with a screen door on this forum especially as we're on the eve of CUSA (or the old sbc) membership, but North Texas should beg the Mountain West Conference to let us in along with 2 or 3 other Texas schools as travel partners. (Anyone think UTEP or UTSA & maybe 1 or 2 other Texas schools would turn them down now the way all this is shaking out of late)? MWC membership would be a step ahead of what we have now (which ain't that bad) but some of you on this forum know exactly where I'm coming from with this. If we want to stay the same for the next 50 or so years, then we should just stay where we are.

TCU Horned Frog's football successes in the MWC catapulted them to the Big 12.

TCU's Many Conference Affiliations After Southwest Conference Imploded in 1995:

1996-2000 Western Athletic Conference

2001-2004 Conference USA

2005-2011 Mountain West Conference

Big East Conference....was a member for what seemed to be about 5 minutes...

2012-Big 12 Conference

Edited May 16, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

wardly · May 16, 2013

Before we push for the MWC,I think we might revisit our experience in the Big West. A lot of travel,wrong time zones,etc. The Western Division of CUSA is, in my opinion,where we need to be.It offers regional conference games with UTEP[who has been passed over by MWC numerous times],UTSA,Rice,and La.Tech. ,although I doubt UAB and So.Miss. share my excitement. The commissioner expressed interest in a 16 team leage,but stated they were looking at large population bases with La, Tech being as exception,which doesn't bod well for ULL or A.State.In summary,we are not TCU,we don't have their budget or fan base,so lets play the hand we have before we fold.

DeepGreen · May 16, 2013

UTEP may have been passed over by the MWC many times, but conference affiliations have certainly changed in the past few years. I fully expect UTEP is pushing for a spot in the MWC. UNT should be doing the same.

Edited May 16, 2013 by DeepGreen

VideoEagle · May 16, 2013

Rather than worry about the Mountain West, let's start to win in CUSA. Don't forget TCU's upward path started while still in the WAC with spending money of staff and some facilities, that resulted in some wins (though not instantly!) which led to CUSA and more spending, more wins, etc.

We've started the upgrading of the staff and done the upgrading of the facilities. Winning comes next, not jumping conferences.

GrandGreen · May 16, 2013

NT hasn't done anything in Belt football in almost a decade, why is CUSA now beneath NT? CUSA is not anywhere close to the conference that NT aspired to be a part of, but it is still a half step up. Sure NT doesn't want to be left again with no Texas conference opponents, and should do everything possible to elevate the program to the point of being attractive for a move up. The MWC is currently a bad fit, and has shown no interest to my knowledge of wanting to expand East. So NT's best shot is to quickly move to the top of the conference in football and men's basketball. Frankly, if you can't win in new CUSA, there is no fb division conference that you can.

Harry · May 16, 2013

C-USA is a nice step up for us. I'm ready to build this and am sick of looking for the next best thing. I also don't buy into the Mountain West being a big step up. It's not, we've been down the road with Nevada, USU and those west coast games. Heck they don't even have one school in Tejas. No thanks!

MeanGreenTexan · May 16, 2013

C-USA is a nice step up for us. I'm ready to build this and am sick of looking for the next best thing. I also don't buy into the Mountain West being a big step up. It's not, we've been down the road with Nevada, USU and those west coast games. Heck they don't even have one school in Tejas. No thanks!

It seemed to work out OK for TCU though.

I don't think there's any question that MWC is a step up from the new C-USA. Maybe not if we were to keep ECU/Tulsa/Tulane, but those schools are going to be gone.

I think you're looking at it with green-tinted glasses Harry.

The MWC tv deal is bigger right? The MWC is much more stable. The MWC has a higher respect level as seen by having the BCS buster school coming from the MWC every other year.

C-USA hasn't had a BCS buster. They got close with Houston a few years ago, but that's it.

Just win.

**Edit: This was my 4000th post! Man, I love this place!

Edited May 16, 2013 by MeanGreenTexan

The Fake Lonnie Finch · May 16, 2013

Once the Big Five do their own thing, it won't matter whether we are in the C-USA or MWC - we'll both be left out. That's why I'm saying now just do what makes sense geographically.

For us, that means staying where we are. Banowsky will eventually reform the entire Sun Belt into the C-USA. Rice stayed behind. La Tech is there. UTSA, incredibly, has moved up as well. That gives us plenty of regional closeness.

Sun Belt will survive with spare parts such as New Mexico State and inviting up FCS schools like Texas State and, soon enough, Abilene Christian. ACU will play New Mexico State this year, in what is a preview of the future of the Sun Belt. ACU also has already scheduled a 2015 game with Fresno State: http://www.fbschedules.com/2013/04/fresno-state-abilene-christian-2015-football-schedule/

ACU and Tarleton are also playing a game in Frisco this season. "Ha ha ha, playing in a little soccer stadium. Bwahahahaha." Okay. I keep telling people, there are many rich ACU alumni out there and the younger ones are putting it all in for this athletic drive to bigger and better. ACU has already played at JerryWorld twice. Even though BIlly Sol Estes is dead, there are still plenty of rich church of Christers out there that will drive this thing.

Ever hear of Trammel Crow? One of his partners that got the thing off the ground in the 70s is an ACU grad, Tom Teague, who is still doing commercial real estate in Texas and across the country. Tom played football there in the late 60s/early 70s.

Ever eat at a Taco Bueno or an old Casa Bonita or Crystals? It was founded by ACU grad Bill Waugh, who later sold it and started the Burger Street franchises.

Former pro wrestler John "Bradshaw" Layfield turned investment guru played football at ACU and had family on the board of ACU for years.

I'll say it again...still sleeping on UTSA and Texas State? We will wake up with Abilene Christian all up in our recruiting grill before we know it.

C-USA or MWC, it soon won't make a difference. But, we've got to win to hold off upstart programs in our own state. Seems many of us are too busy laughing at them to understand that they are seriously putting the money where their mouths are for it.

PlummMeanGreen · May 16, 2013

It seemed to work out OK for TCU though.

I don't think there's any question that MWC is a step up from the new C-USA. Maybe not if we were to keep ECU/Tulsa/Tulane, but those schools are going to be gone.

I think you're looking at it with green-tinted glasses Harry.
The MWC tv deal is bigger right? The MWC is much more stable. The MWC has a higher respect level as seen by having the BCS buster school coming from the MWC every other year.
C-USA hasn't had a BCS buster. They got close with Houston a few years ago, but that's it.

Just win.

:thumbsu:

I am almost assured knowing the pulse of many on this forum that the very presence of Apogee Stadium is going to do it for them for a very long time no matter who we're associated with conference-wise and even (probably) no matter what our W/L records are just as long as we can all say to many in the Go5 conferences.....................

"OUR STADIUM IS BETTER THAN YOUR STADIUM----NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH.............NAH ." :zoro:

After all (and as predicted by some on this forum) hasn't the student passed referendum (and student fees which funded to a great extent) Apogee Stadium already bought more time in Denton for some on the UNT payroll, ie, the Mean Green Retirement gang that 99% of all other NCAA FBS level programs would not have given half the time (now going into decades) as ours have been given?

For those of us who were at the grand opening of the fabulous Super Pit in the Fall of 1972 and with our school's brief run of success with 2 coaches, ie, Bill Blakely and Johnny Jones must we at UNT continue to give so much creedance or credit to facilities being our panacea instead of the more preferred winning seasons? Many of us now in our 60's and up can tell you who are younger how not one time did the Super Pit have winning seasons on its own or because of its mere presence.....................................neither will Apogee Stadium. I read some of our older alums on this forum express with dismay how disappointed they are that we have not recruited better with Apogee Stadium. This (no doubt) beautiful venue in Denton which is such an ominous, imposing presence on the rolling Texas prairie that TxDot says about 100,000 commuters drive by it per day on both Texas interstates.

Bottom Line? The bottom line for NCAA FBS level success still remains with qualified & proven athletic staff professionals because they are the ones who make athletic programs work................not facilities. Don't we who are proud alums of UNT know that better than anyone? Louisiana Tech and its Joe Ailleet Stadium ( a vintage 1960'esque football stadium) had a football team ranked in a Top 25 poll last Fall for 2 or so weeks.........along with their basketball program, too. And North Texas? All we can do is still talk about how some time way back in time we did have a football team that was ranked in some NCAA D1 "Top 20" poll and no one I know can remember the last time our varsity basketball program was ranked in a similar poll if ever. And still one more time...... La Tech did it with both their men's revenue programs last Fall. What are they doing right in Ruston? What are we doing wrong in Denton?

If our alma mater's athletic department is being so pro-active at every phase that an NCAA D1 athletic program can be so pro-active (as has been advertised by those on our staff and a few on this forum who roll with just about anything our staff tells them)...........then why in the hell are we still sucking hind teat and have been most of us Older Phart Alum's lifetimes?

Just hide....watch.............and see...........because of its predictability.................but SMU, UH, UTEP and UTSA will one day be in the Mountain West Conference while some of our alums will keep preaching "let's build SBC 2.0 no matter our W/L record." From all accounts those other 4 Texas-based schools (like TCU) are "full charge ahead" and appear to be positioning themselves for better athletic neighborhoods and futures while North Texas will continue to tread water no matter if we're in the Southland, the Big West, the SBC and now the new SBC 2.0 but................at least we will have mighty fine facilities to do all that treading. "Have another brat', Joe!"

STILL.....with the right round pegs in all the right round holes (instead of our school continually trying to force square pegs into round holes)............North Texas can actually still awake from our long, lengthy slumber but this time wake up to a much larger constituency than Hayden Fry would have ever dreamed of having back in the 70's which will mean much larger numbers at the turnstiles. All that turnstiles part is a mathamatical certainty and only extreme poor management and the worlds worst P.R. could prevent it. Shall we all hold our breath with that one?

If our 200,000 plus alums in the DFW also ever think again that our program wants to even become exclusive (instead of just more status quo) then that coupled with annual winning seasons (with a few La Tech'esque Top 25 wins) would mean the Apogee Stadium expansion project would begin sooner than later. Problem for some of us is that "later" is no longer our long time ally.

GMG!

Edited May 16, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

untjim1995 · May 17, 2013

I think the biggest difference between the MWC and CUSA, from a national viewpoint, is that you have some teams in there that are very well respected and well regarded. Boise State will not get left out of an AQ system with the Big 5--they will get absorbed. I suspect that other schools in the MWC will get included, too. To me, the better comparison is between the MWC and the AAC. CUSA is to be compared to the MAC and SBC. These teams in non-AQ leagues still have a chance to be included with the AQs when the future schism occurs:

BYU, Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, UNLV, Nevada, Houston, Cincinnati, USF, UCF, ECU, and UConn

All 12 of those schools won't make it obviously, but I think they have a better chance of making the cut because of their size and their TV markets, plus their history of being good to great in the money sports.

As TFLF has accurately posted many times, we were just too late tot he game. We built a fine stadium in Denton--it was just built about 20 years too late. The i-aa fiasco for 12 freaking years was the ultimate punch to the gut. We have gotten up off the mat, but we are still very wobbly and the decision of the judges has pretty much been made. The only chance you have at this point is to basically have a few seasons that are BCS Bowl worthy, like Boise State did, not like Northern Illinois or Hawaii did. started immediately. There is just no way our program is anywhere near that level. You have to beat everyone on the schedule and barely lose by less than a TD at Georgia to even have a prayer of a BCS bid.

The brightspot in all of this is that this schism will force these conferences in a new FCS to be more regionalized, for cost purposes. If we end up in a conference with other regional teams, that would still create interest in UNT games, even if it was at a lower level, just because the names would be more familiar. Plus, I think the FCS playoff system is miles better than the bowl system, so you would have some added interest on that front, too. If you have SMU, RIce, Tulsa, Tulane, ULM, ULL, La Tech, Arky State, UTSA, Texas State, UNT, and UTEP, it would be a nicer setup in a conference than we have ever had. Even if a team like SMU just quit, you could add NMSU. It may not be what many here want to read, but the reality is that this scenario is 100x more likely to play out than us getting included in an AQ system that will tighten up its ranks very soon.

Edited May 17, 2013 by untjim1995

GrandGreen · May 17, 2013

I think the biggest difference between the MWC and CUSA, from a national viewpoint, is that you have some teams in there that are very well respected and well regarded. Boise State will not get left out of an AQ system with the Big 5--they will get absorbed. I suspect that other schools in the MWC will get included, too. To me, the better comparison is between the MWC and the AAC. CUSA is to be compared to the MAC and SBC. These teams in non-AQ leagues still have a chance to be included with the AQs when the future schism occurs:

BYU, Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, UNLV, Nevada, Houston, Cincinnati, USF, UCF, ECU, and UConn

All 12 of those schools won't make it obviously, but I think they have a better chance of making the cut because of their size and their TV markets, plus their history of being good to great in the money sports.

As TFLF has accurately posted many times, we were just too late tot he game. We built a fine stadium in Denton--it was just built about 20 years too late. The i-aa fiasco for 12 freaking years was the ultimate punch to the gut. We have gotten up off the mat, but we are still very wobbly and the decision of the judges has pretty much been made. The only chance you have at this point is to basically have a few seasons that are BCS Bowl worthy, like Boise State did, not like Northern Illinois or Hawaii did. started immediately. There is just no way our program is anywhere near that level. You have to beat everyone on the schedule and barely lose by less than a TD at Georgia to even have a prayer of a BCS bid.

The brightspot in all of this is that this schism will force these conferences in a new FCS to be more regionalized, for cost purposes. If we end up in a conference with other regional teams, that would still create interest in UNT games, even if it was at a lower level, just because the names would be more familiar. Plus, I think the FCS playoff system is miles better than the bowl system, so you would have some added interest on that front, too. If you have SMU, RIce, Tulsa, Tulane, ULM, ULL, La Tech, Arky State, UTSA, Texas State, UNT, and UTEP, it would be a nicer setup in a conference than we have ever had. Even if a team like SMU just quit, you could add NMSU. It may not be what many here want to read, but the reality is that this scenario is 100x more likely to play out than us getting included in an AQ system that will tighten up its ranks very soon.

The Southland was a very regional conference, but because it was a lower division created little interest. A split would do great harm to every school not included, it would be 1aa all over again.

Edited May 17, 2013 by GrandGreen

untjim1995 · May 17, 2013

The Southland included schools like McNeese State, Nicholls State, SHSU, SFA, Northwestern State, and Northeast Louisiana and Southwest Texas State. Not a fan in the Metroplex cared a bit about those podunk schools, especially in Denton. The SWC was still running very strong, as was the Big Eight, at that time.

If you are forced out of FBS, a conference setup like I posted above is light years ahead of the Southland Conference. The 1-aa Southland Conference, while playing at Fouts, and being led by Dennis Parker straight out of Marshall High School is the low point for this university's football program. We were playing those schools mentioned, while our colleagues in the Metroplex and across the state were enjoying Division 1-a football. Today, unlike 30 years ago, many of those SWC schools and other close regional teams that were all i-a at the time and never even dreamed of playing UNT at Fouts, are now in a situation where they are going to get left out, too. Look, it sucks to be a have not--we have always been that. But those other schools, except ULM or Texas State, have any idea what i-aa was like in this area of the world during the 80s and 90s. This have-not status is really going to suck for them--just like it did for us in 1982. But they won't have to play against teams that literally no one had heard of before unless you had a family member attend one of those schools. If we have to find the silver lining on a dark cloud of reclassification, it should be that we will play teams that people in Denton have heard of before and only dreamed of being in a conference with for decades.

The Top 70 or 80 schools may just get all of the attention and the rest of us won't get anything of any major note when that reclassification occurs. Wait, come to think of it, that's exactly how it is today. I just think that a new level of FCS that includes the bottom 40 schools at FBS and the top 40 schools of FCS now would still be able to garner some attention from fans today. Playing Western Kentucky now doesn't bring much in attendance to Apogee, but I doubt it would be much different if we play them as a FCS team again. The people who want to watch UNT play and win will still show up and the people who want to watch Texas, A&M, OU, Tech, Notre Dame, etc...play during our games will still do the same as well. Those teams have the fans that we won't ever have--they have had a 50 to a 100 year start on us. It is what it is--we aren't going to be able to gain inclusion into the AQ class with the ways are stacked against us, both from our own choosing (past and present) and because of the other schools that are near us that have protected their turf so strongly against us. If we hadn't let the first 1-aa catch us, or at least got out of it as soon as possible, we would not necessarily be considered a have-not. But that's water under the bridge now. We just have to accept that the reality for our university is as an outsider in the realm of big time college athletics. And with the way things are going in college athletics, being an outsider today is an even bigger group than it was back in 1981 when the i-aa net caught us and took so long to get out of.

NM Green · May 17, 2013

The following excerpt appeared in a letter from Jim Livengood who is retiring as AD from UNLV. I and all fans get a weekly update from him regarding happenings inside UNLV Athletics having been a season ticket holder in bball and attended many football games. The middle part about fans having to be creative and fight stuck out to me, because that is where UNT is right now. I loved how he put the pressure on the fans to do their part to keep UNLV relevant in the ever changing landscape. This is no time to retreat. The Mean Green Nation AD, coaches and organizations must balls to the wall it to cement our place on the Texas and national scene. I plan to work harder in what I can do at my level and that includes season tickets and Mean Green support at home and away games, recruiting fans, contributing my thoughts. I hope everyone intensifies what they can do in 2013.

"It is no secret that UNLV is at a crucial time in its existence. With the ever-changing landscape of college athletics at the national level, UNLV and this community must come together to make a decision about the future of Rebel Athletics. Is it enough to simply survive? Or do we want to thrive? If I know the Rebel faithful like I think I know the Rebel faithful, they will demand that survival is just not enough. It will take courage, creativity and passion to position the Rebels to be among the fortunate ones as college athletics continues to redefine itself nationally. If we do not fight and do all that we can to be among the fortunate ones, future generations of UNLV fans will forever hold us accountable - and rightfully so. I will be there to support UNLV, the interim AD, the new AD and, most importantly, Rebel Nation in this effort. We must do all we can to assure that every day remains a GREAT day to be a Rebel."

GMG

GrandGreen · May 17, 2013

The Southland included schools like McNeese State, Nicholls State, SHSU, SFA, Northwestern State, and Northeast Louisiana and Southwest Texas State. Not a fan in the Metroplex cared a bit about those podunk schools, especially in Denton. The SWC was still running very strong, as was the Big Eight, at that time.

If you are forced out of FBS, a conference setup like I posted above is light years ahead of the Southland Conference. The 1-aa Southland Conference, while playing at Fouts, and being led by Dennis Parker straight out of Marshall High School is the low point for this university's football program. We were playing those schools mentioned, while our colleagues in the Metroplex and across the state were enjoying Division 1-a football. Today, unlike 30 years ago, many of those SWC schools and other close regional teams that were all i-a at the time and never even dreamed of playing UNT at Fouts, are now in a situation where they are going to get left out, too. Look, it sucks to be a have not--we have always been that. But those other schools, except ULM or Texas State, have any idea what i-aa was like in this area of the world during the 80s and 90s. This have-not status is really going to suck for them--just like it did for us in 1982. But they won't have to play against teams that literally no one had heard of before unless you had a family member attend one of those schools. If we have to find the silver lining on a dark cloud of reclassification, it should be that we will play teams that people in Denton have heard of before and only dreamed of being in a conference with for decades.

The Top 70 or 80 schools may just get all of the attention and the rest of us won't get anything of any major note when that reclassification occurs. Wait, come to think of it, that's exactly how it is today. I just think that a new level of FCS that includes the bottom 40 schools at FBS and the top 40 schools of FCS now would still be able to garner some attention from fans today. Playing Western Kentucky now doesn't bring much in attendance to Apogee, but I doubt it would be much different if we play them as a FCS team again. The people who want to watch UNT play and win will still show up and the people who want to watch Texas, A&M, OU, Tech, Notre Dame, etc...play during our games will still do the same as well. Those teams have the fans that we won't ever have--they have had a 50 to a 100 year start on us. It is what it is--we aren't going to be able to gain inclusion into the AQ class with the ways are stacked against us, both from our own choosing (past and present) and because of the other schools that are near us that have protected their turf so strongly against us. If we hadn't let the first 1-aa catch us, or at least got out of it as soon as possible, we would not necessarily be considered a have-not. But that's water under the bridge now. We just have to accept that the reality for our university is as an outsider in the realm of big time college athletics. And with the way things are going in college athletics, being an outsider today is an even bigger group than it was back in 1981 when the i-aa net caught us and took so long to get out of.

Not sure what your point is? The Southland was definitely a regional conference with as you pointed out a lot of Texas and Louisiana teams. I don't follow at all why you think a lower division craved out of the bottom of the FB division would be any different than one craved out Division 1 decades ago.

It would be exactly the same and have the same issues. The problem even if the tossed out teams maintained the same budgets (which is doubtful), they are officially designated as not playing in major college football. Whatever level of support a team had, would substantially drop.

You can argue and I guess you are that nothing would be different than today. But perception is reality in college sports, the second class programs would be labeled second class. The mind set of the administration at the time of the forced drop to 1aa was much the same as what you are foreseeing. Anyone that was a fan at that times knows what that did to the program; being in even the fringe of the highest classification is much better than not being in at all.

DallasGreen · May 19, 2013

The following excerpt appeared in a letter from Jim Livengood who is retiring as AD from UNLV. I and all fans get a weekly update from him regarding happenings inside UNLV Athletics having been a season ticket holder in bball and attended many football games. The middle part about fans having to be creative and fight stuck out to me, because that is where UNT is right now. I loved how he put the pressure on the fans to do their part to keep UNLV relevant in the ever changing landscape. This is no time to retreat. The Mean Green Nation AD, coaches and organizations must balls to the wall it to cement our place on the Texas and national scene. I plan to work harder in what I can do at my level and that includes season tickets and Mean Green support at home and away games, recruiting fans, contributing my thoughts. I hope everyone intensifies what they can do in 2013.
The key thought in the UNLV statement above is that the community and the school must come together to determine the future of athletics. Denton has never supported NT norTWU for that matter. He'll they do not even support their local high schools. The great hope is the fast growing metroplex sweeps up Denton soon and transforms it. I only hopeNT can survive that long. That is why we must win now and can not afford a 4 or 5 year rebuilding experience.

"It is no secret that UNLV is at a crucial time in its existence. With the ever-changing landscape of college athletics at the national level, UNLV and this community must come together to make a decision about the future of Rebel Athletics. Is it enough to simply survive? Or do we want to thrive? If I know the Rebel faithful like I think I know the Rebel faithful, they will demand that survival is just not enough. It will take courage, creativity and passion to position the Rebels to be among the fortunate ones as college athletics continues to redefine itself nationally. If we do not fight and do all that we can to be among the fortunate ones, future generations of UNLV fans will forever hold us accountable - and rightfully so. I will be there to support UNLV, the interim AD, the new AD and, most importantly, Rebel Nation in this effort. We must do all we can to assure that every day remains a GREAT day to be a Rebel."

GMG

Edited May 19, 2013 by DallasGreen