Move from C-USA not as beneficial as believed

Harry · July 9, 2013

The main goal of college athletics' Realign-mageddon, which mercifully came to a halt this past year following a lengthy reign of terror, was improving image.

Sure, it had to do with increased revenue streams, better access to bigger bowls, greater exposure and a bunch of other stuff, but image essentially was everything. Improve your image and everything else follows. How does a college athletic program improve its image?

One way is to move to a cooler neighborhood.

So a bunch of teams with a chance to move did. Big 12 teams jumped to the SEC. Big East teams hopped to the Big 12 and the ACC. An ACC team even moved to the Big Ten.

And a horde of Conference USA teams began an exodus to the Conference Formerly Known as the Big East, the American Athletic Conference.

The University of Central Florida, Houston, Memphis and Southern Methodist went this year. Tulsa, East Carolina and Tulane leave next year. Their idea was that in pairing with the erstwhile Big East football schools they would earn the image boost they craved and felt they couldn't achieve in Conference USA.

Now it's a tiny, tiny example of an athletic conference's public image, but when the Maxwell Award watch list came out Monday, the American's teams scanned it and saw just a trio of C-USA players among the names. Surely they breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed in the satisfaction of their two names on that same list.

Wait, what?

Read more: http://www.dailymail.com/Sports/201307080160

Harry · July 9, 2013

I really like this article, because in truth - when the Big East basketball schools pulled the Judas and split - the best move for teams like SMU, Houston etc would have been to stick with C-USA and try to build a league which had helped them build their programs. Instead, they decided to start on their own and CREATE a league which they hoped would give them a success story to provide to their fanbases and alumni.

The only factor that I can see which made sense for staying in the AAC would be the fact that the SMU's, Houstons of the world would get that one year of BCS access...nevermind that Louisville should by all accounts run away with the bid this season with the team they have back. If Houston or SMU lands that BCS spot I think the move will have paid off. If the only outcome is that these teams can tell recruits that they are a "BCS" program because of their one year cup of coffee then I think I will throw up.

LongJim · July 9, 2013

I pretty much agree. I don't see how a big east move is beneficial for those teams. Terrible move, if you ask me.

mdmeangreen · July 9, 2013

Good article, love the honest assessment. North Texas has truly benefited from the move regardless, primarily the fact our new conference mates for the most part are either TX based schools- UTEP; Rice; UTSA- or are well established schools people in general are familiar with- Southern Miss; Marshall.

CUSA needs to keep improving, our schools have a lot of upside.

untjim1995 · July 9, 2013

Let's just be glad they made the move--or else we are still in the SBC. If we thought the old SBC was bad, imagine one without MUTS, F_Us, or Western Kentucky. Talk about being the low conference on the totem pole.

PlummMeanGreen · July 9, 2013

Good article, love the honest assessment. North Texas has truly benefited from the move regardless, primarily the fact our new conference mates for the most part are either TX based schools- UTEP; Rice; UTSA- or are well established schools people in general are familiar with- Southern Miss; Marshall.

CUSA needs to keep improving, our schools have a lot of upside.

I still say the best thing that came out of this for North Texas was losing the connection with the "Sun Belt" and then, of course, the fact that we are in a conference that has a school from Houston, Texas, in it. (Go Owls)! That alone is bigger than I think any of us realize at this time.

UNT just has to cash in on all the positive benefits being in this conference will continue to produce. If we do the "ho hum--business as usual" thing all over again then we are what most would call being...sunk........................ but I just do not see that happening this time around. We seem to have more on campus who know that it is shake and bake time for North Texas MG football along with our other varsity sports--no more excuses because those could be met with a very loud but most noticeable silence from here on out.

GMG!

Edited July 9, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

untjim1995 · July 9, 2013

I still say the best thing that came out of this for North Texas was losing the connection with the "Sun Belt" and then, of course, the fact that we are in a conference that has a school from Houston, Texas, in it. (Go Owls)! That alone is bigger than I think any of us realize at this time.

UNT just has to cash in on all the positive benefits being in this conference will continue to produce. If we do the "ho hum--business as usual" thing all over again then we are what most would call being...sunk........................ but I just do not see that happening this time around. We seem to have more on campus who know that it is shake and bake time for North Texas MG football along with our other varsity sports--no more excuses because those could be met with a very loud but most noticeable silence from here on out.

GMG!

I'm not so sure about your last paragraph--I still don''t believe that this school's BOR or administration believe its shake-and-bake time for its athletic teams. I think they believe that they did what they had to do to keep a football team, which was build a new stadium and get us into a new conference with in-state teams. I think they are more than content with these accomplishments, looking at them as the mountaintop of athletic expenditures. RV getting an extension when none of the money sports are winning--thanks, Benford--and some of his hires have been the worst in each of the money sports we have endured in our school's history, which is really saying something. Winning doesn't matter here, cost does. So until that changes, I won't buy into anyone at UNT being ready for shake-and-bake success or else type of expectations when it comes to athletics. Other schools within the university, certainly, but not athletics. Until proven otehrwise, I don't see how anyone can argue that point.

PlummMeanGreen · July 9, 2013

I won't buy into anyone at UNT being ready for shake-and-bake success or else type of expectations when it comes to athletics. Other schools within the university, certainly, but not athletics. Until proven otherwise, I don't see how anyone can argue that point.

We all have to hope above hope that at some strategic point a new leaf will be turned. They have to know from our history that even at Fouts Field there were many bright spots and some pretty darn good football teams to inhabit that dilapidated ol' lady. Now we have the widely acclaimed Apogee Stadium to hopefully change many more of the right people', ie,the BOR's attitudes compared to when we were across the interstate at the old place. Yet at Fouts, who would ever take us serious about a future at the NCAA FBS level? Not even CUSA took us serious in 2004 when they crossed us off their expansion list supposedly because of our existing on-campus football venue.

I am not going to point-counterpoint everything posted on this board...the proof is still in the pudding, but until we get a better taste of that pudding (more winning) all we can do here is speculate (which I suppose is still the main purpose for these forums anyhow)?

We all know our past, we have to hope that decisions are being made now to give us that better future I think most all of us want. Winning will change so many attitudes on this board....it has changed my own in the past. And at my age now, I am too old to be a sour puss' because what good has that done in the past?

GMG!

Edited July 9, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

GL2Greatness · July 9, 2013

this thread and many others like it represents why north Texas has such a difficult time ever "turning the corner" or hitting that "strategic moment" when it all "happens" and why so often so many north Texas fans are left so disappointed and let down

because there is a belief that other teams have not taken a long term outlook on their program or they have not taken a long hard look at the options available to them and they have instead just make a hastily planned and poorly thought out jump based on some hoped for short term gain of some type

and that is also combined with the idea that other programs just had some single moment where it "happened" and that single moment will "happen" for north Texas or that other programs make a move they feel will benefit them and then sit back on their ass and say "we have arrived" and that is that lets put it on cruise control

all of which is the thinking mainly of GMG types and NOT the thinking of the fans of most other programs or administrations (even if that is or is not the thinking of the north Texas administration)

over and over......we are out of the Big West here it comes!!!!

new stadium look out the giant is awake!!!!

finally a coach with D1-A experience here come the wins and recruits!!!!

student fee passed it is on now!!!

we won a bowl game against Cincy look out rankings services we are back!!!!

we beat Baylor.....finally respect in Texas!!!!!

we beat SMU......finally respect in the metromess!!!!!

on and on and on ever looking for the point when it "happens" and ever talking down those that make move after move after move and pretending that they are getting lucky or that if north Texas had just done that (north Texas didn't) the results would have been exponentially bigger VS those that actually did it and the results they got from doing that....ever more excuses when single events don't pan out into WE ARE BACK!!!!.....ever more threads trying to console each other that some other team has finally made the single move that is going to cause their program to fall apart completely and they might even drop down to D1-AA (like north Texas did) or perhaps that will be so unpalatable for them they will just drop football entirely...even though those programs have a bigger budget, get conference invites that north Texas dreams of getting and those programs have had much more recent success than north Texas......this is finally the wrong move....DOOOOMMMM!!!!!!.....DONE FOR!!!!!...IT'S OVER MAN!!!!!....again completely ignoring the fact that those programs have been making move after move after move and investing, trying things, raising their budget, actually having some slight success on the field, recruiting better and at least having various options available to them before they become the default "we just have to take them I guess" decision after all the others have been picked over

UH, Baylor, SMU, TCU, UTSA, Texas State and on and on are not just sitting back waiting for that single turning point or telling themselves they have finally made the move that signifies they have "arrived" or that it is just a given that success is now eminent and even if/when some of them have success they keep right on investing just like the programs they hope to keep up with and compete with year in and year out and their fans don't just accept that any one single move means that the heavy lifting and hard work is done they take it that now means the lifting only gets heavier and the work only gets harder because those you are hoping to go against are working that much harder and have that much more resources to work with.....while north Texas fans just toss out wild expectations and talk about "we are back!" and tell each other to keep an eye out for everyone else they are about to pass by broken down on the side of the road and looking to give up entirely once the sleeping giant is awake.......while those programs just keep on making moves, investing, working harder and trying to keep building for the future while the sleeping giant stays in a coma

there is never going to be a strategic moment barring someone doing a TBone like $250 million dollar dump on north Texas athletics and even then one can look at places that have had that dump and see that the hard work continues, success is not guaranteed, and long term plans still need to be worked to keep moving up and on instead of telling everyone that will listen that now it is all here look out sleeping giant is awake