CUSA Rating: Year 1

[Green Otaku]

With the year winding down and nothing left (thankfully) but the bowl game how would you guys rate the expectations for CUSA vs. our reality?

Topics:

TV Coverage?


Is having regional rivals the boon we thought it would be?

CUSA organization vs. SBC. Scheduling, refs, overall way that CUSA runs things.

Perception, no one knew anything about the SBC. Are we getting treated like a real program now that we are in CUSA?



Are we getting any recruiting advantages yet?




Feel free to add in your own question or topic you feel is important.

And finally a poll to see how the general public feels about our move.

[Mean Green 93-98]

TV Coverage?
Better. We had far more TV coverage than previously. And much better broadcasts, to boot.

Is having regional rivals the boon we thought it would be?

If by "boon" anyone thought "bringing lots of visiting fans," then no. But overall, I think there is far more interest in our C-USA opponents than in our Belt opponents.

CUSA organization vs. SBC. Scheduling, refs, overall way that CUSA runs things.

I like Banowksy better as commish than Wright Waters, and a whole lot better than Karl Benson. Scheduling is great. The officiating is every bit as terrible as it was in the Belt, maybe worse.

Perception, no one knew anything about the SBC. Are we getting treated like a real program now that we are in CUSA?

Real program? Probably not. But it's definitely a step up in perception, even if the Belt has played better ball the past few years.

Are we getting any recruiting advantages yet?

I've heard recruits mention C-USA as a motivating factor, and it unquestionably helps put some separation between us and ULM, etc. that we didn't have before. So yes.

[UNTexas]

We are in a bowl. Nuff said.

[Stan R]

Most fun I've had in any season I've ever witnessed (since 1995). Love the matchups with texas teams and LaTech/USM. Awesome all the way around.

AND WE AIN'T EVEN DONE YET!

[oldguystudent]

I don't know. The CUSA logo on the field at Apogee is a little monochrome and not very well defined.

[Army of Dad]

I don't know. The CUSA logo on the field at Apogee is a little monochrome and not very well defined.

Looks like it is starting to fade some too.

Although, maybe that opens up an opportunity to repaint it.

[Grant.UNT]

the Halloween night game got us an entire night of highlights on Fox Sports 1. Literally, no other games had finished and they ran NT highlights for 2 hours. It was only because we are in CUSA. I didn't have to stream crappy internet feeds to watch the games. I say the coverage alone was worth the move and a huge boost.

[outoftown]

It is simple. There are 2 C.USA bowl eligible teams out of 8 staying home, there are 5 out of 7 eligible sun belt teams staying home. nough said

[meaniegreenie]

I chose "Yes" only because "Hell Yeah!!!" wasn't an option!

[Cerebus]

It is simple. There are 2 C.USA bowl eligible teams out of 8 staying home, there are 5 out of 7 eligible sun belt teams staying home. nough said

The only bowl eligible CUSA team staying home this year is 6-6 FAU.

[GrandGreen]

There is not one 6-6 team going bowling from any non-BCS conference, so give the Belt a little slack.

There is no doubt that CUSA is significantly better in terms of media packages, bowls and most important perception. However, I think you can make a case that the Belt's football competition was just as good or better. The Belt did not have the huge gap between the top and bottom that CUSA had, and the Belt had fewer really bad teams.

The distance between the two conferences will grow with time, because of the advantages CUSA has. The Belt really has no chance when any team in it would jump at an offer from CUSA.

As far as NT, there is no question it was a good move. It is far from the CUSA, NT thought they were getting into; but it still is a big deal for the program.

[DirtySavage]

I like the national recognition of more CUSA teams than we had is the Belt. Lends more credibility to our own value. Even if it's only name recognition, perception is too often reality.

[TheColonyEagle]

I don't think there's any doubt the product on the field in the Sunbelt is just as good if not better than the product on the field in CUSA.

The media coverage, bowl options and perception (the MOST important thing to a program today) is better in CUSA......for now.

CUSA's perception is down this year. Will be down even more next year and will be at Sunbelt level within 2-3 years.

I know some don't want to hear this, but if UNT is going to get and stay relevant in the big picture of college football.....we are going to have to start looking elsewhere on a few years. Of course we have to keep winning....but if we do, we have to start looking to upgrade.

[meangreenthirteen]

I don't think there's any doubt the product on the field in the Sunbelt is just as good if not better than the product on the field in CUSA.

The media coverage, bowl options and perception (the MOST important thing to a program today) is better in CUSA......for now.

CUSA's perception is down this year. Will be down even more next year and will be at Sunbelt level within 2-3 years.

I know some don't want to hear this, but if UNT is going to get and stay relevant in the big picture of college football.....we are going to have to start looking elsewhere on a few years. Of course we have to keep winning....but if we do, we have to start looking to upgrade.

I disagree. I think we'll see programs start to rise to the top of the conference (ours included) that will help bolster the overall appearance of CUSA. Just gotta do better in OOC play.

[ColoradoEagle]

CUSA's perception is down this year. Will be down even more next year and will be at Sunbelt level within 2-3 years.

Maybe to people who really follow college football. For your average fan, CUSA is still more well known and respected than the Sun Belt and that won't change.

[Ben Gooding]

I chose yes because it is an obvious upgrade from the Belt. However, I don't think the administration or us as fans need to just settle and be content with CUSA. It is an upgrade, but we are located in a very large metropolitan area with great facilities, improving campus, fantastic coaching staff, quality education, fertile recruiting grounds, large enrollment etc. Why should we settle for CUSA. I say ride it out in CUSA for 4-6 years and see what else we can get ourselves into. The direction college football is going CUSA is going to get completely left in the dust eventually. TCU went from relatively unknown to a power conference. SMU got the death penalty not that long ago and are now in the American. Why not North Texas?

[Mean Green 93-98]

Maybe to people who really follow college football. For your average fan, CUSA is still more well known and respected than the Sun Belt and that won't change.

And the people who really follow college football know that C-USA can cherry pick any team it wants from the Belt at any time, so the perception advantage remains for C-USA.

[Mean Green 93-98]

I chose yes because it is an obvious upgrade from the Belt. However, I don't think the administration or us as fans need to just settle and be content with CUSA. It is an upgrade, but we are located in a very large metropolitan area with great facilities, improving campus, fantastic coaching staff, quality education, fertile recruiting grounds, large enrollment etc. Why should we settle for CUSA. I say ride it out in CUSA for 4-6 years and see what else we can get ourselves into. The direction college football is going CUSA is going to get completely left in the dust eventually. TCU went from relatively unknown to a power conference. SMU got the death penalty not that long ago and are now in the American. Why not North Texas?

Absolutely. C-USA--especially this incarnation of C-USA--should not be the end-all be-all for UNT.

[TIgreen01]

I think anyone that says that CUSA will be at or below the Sun Belt in terms of perception isn't really understanding what either conference will look like in 2-3 years. The Sun Belt will continue to be the lowest ranked conference as it keeps adding FCS converts and full on startups and losing it's best teams to CUSA. CUSA will not be what it was before we joined it and the teams may end up being very similar to what the Sun Belt was when we were a part of that conference....but understand that that will STILL be a step up from what the Sun Belt is fast becoming.

[golfingomez]

With the year winding down and nothing left (thankfully) but the bowl game how would you guys rate the expectations for CUSA vs. our reality?

Topics:

TV Coverage? 82%

Is having regional rivals the boon we thought it would be? 3 Stars

CUSA organization vs. SBC. Scheduling, refs, overall way that CUSA runs things. Yes

Perception, no one knew anything about the SBC. Are we getting treated like a real program now that we are in CUSA? 2 thumbs up

Are we getting any recruiting advantages yet? Ask again later

Feel free to add in your own question or topic you feel is important.

And finally a poll to see how the general public feels about our move.