Southern Miss and UAB will join C-USA West

TheColonyEagle · November 5, 2013

As CUSA stands right now today.....it has a better name than The Sunbelt. Talent on the field? I still say the sunbelt on field product is just as good if not better. But the stigma of that name will NEVER go away. That's why we had to get out of there.

Now looking at what CUSA is becoming....

We just need to keep winning and keep filling up that stadium. From a regional standpoint, CUSA is one of the best things that has happened to us. But to keep this program moving forward we have to start looking for an exit strategy from sunbelt 2.0 in a few years.

BillySee58 · November 5, 2013

I certainly look at it this way, but hey, at least they can look at it as a chance to dominate their division for the next several years and hold their breath that the MAC or AAC comes calling.

They used to be MAC back in the Pennington to Moss and Byron Leftwich days. Anyone know or remember why they left in the first place.

Mean Green 93-98 · November 5, 2013

They used to be MAC back in the Pennington to Moss and Byron Leftwich days. Anyone know or remember why they left in the first place.

C-USA was a much more attractive conference at the time. It also gave them recruiting inroads to places further south. Their distaste for the MAC hasn't changed. If you think Marshall is going back to the MAC, think about LaTech's attitude toward the Sun Belt . . . it's the exact same. They will only go back if C-USA dissolves and there are absolutely no other options.

HoustonEagle · November 5, 2013

Really, one year and we are calling this a terrible conference and declaring that it is time to leave? Let's let the paint dry and see what we have in a couple of years.

Plus, you make it sound so easy. We should just give them a call and they will let us in. A one year bowl streak after a nine year drought? SOLD! Sign here.

I knew I would catch some heat for saying that so let me just be clear. I am very happy we made the move. I am happy as can be about our success this year. With that said if you want to move up the ranks of college football you have to take advantage of your successes or opportunity will pass you right by. Teams are cyclical in nature. Even with good coaches in place you will have good and bad years. That is assuming your good coaches don't leave for greener pastures on a path paved in gold. (I think we are helped there by Mac and Skladany being older)

Everyone has to admit that when you had dreams of making it to CUSA it was to play SMU, Tulsa, Houston, Rice, Tulane, ECU, UCF and Memphis.

Almost all of those teams were lost sadly. Still our current situation is better than where we were in regards to prestige and that is important. My point is only this...... any success you have must be built upon. (something that never happened under Dickey). We need to pull in better recruits and always be looking to improve our conference situation. This is not the end game.

Eastwood Eagle · November 5, 2013

What? Need to emphasize that we will play the University of Alabama _birmingham each year. It's all in the marketing and our AD rocks at marketing, or so i've been told.

Might want to use a smaller, much smaller font.

forevereagle · November 5, 2013

I knew I would catch some heat for saying that so let me just be clear. I am very happy we made the move. I am happy as can be about our success this year. With that said if you want to move up the ranks of college football you have to take advantage of your successes or opportunity will pass you right by. Teams are cyclical in nature. Even with good coaches in place you will have good and bad years. That is assuming your good coaches don't leave for greener pastures on a path paved in gold. (I think we are helped there by Mac and Skladany being older)

Everyone has to admit that when you had dreams of making it to CUSA it was to play SMU, Tulsa, Houston, Rice, Tulane, ECU, UCF and Memphis.

Almost all of those teams were lost sadly. Still our current situation is better than where we were in regards to prestige and that is important. My point is only this...... any success you have must be built upon. (something that never happened under Dickey). We need to pull in better recruits and always be looking to improve our conference situation. This is not the end game.

We need to focus on building the team through better recruiting, building the program through improvement of facilities in all sports, and let the conference chips fall where they may. MWC is not currently motivated to expand and the AAC is not looking at expansion at the moment. Just keep getting better and wait it out. If the conferences at the top do nothing, there is not likely to be any opportunity. We are in a good spot, let's not worry about the college football landscape now that we are in a better spot.

Green Mean · November 5, 2013

Are UAB still planning on building a new stadjum? I remember them having quite a few hurdles with that a few years ago.

Cerebus · November 5, 2013

Are UAB still planning on building a new stadjum? I remember them having quite a few hurdles with that a few years ago.

They are still trying to receive permission from the state education board, but it is controlled by people from the U of Alabama, and they are continually blocking it.

Harry · November 5, 2013

They are still trying to receive permission from the state education board, but it is controlled by people from the U of Alabama, and they are continually blocking it.

I don't get why Alabama is so concerned about UAB? Even with a new stadium they won't touch them in terms of history etc. I guess I don't understand why they are so concerned about keeping that program down and realistically how long can they continue to do it.