Article, Whats Next for Conf USA Football

[meangreanmick]

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/01/01/5227983/whats-next-for-c-usa-football.html

[NorthTexan95]

The cheerleader pic is the best part of the article.

[filmerj]

It's still to be determined, but programs with likely the best football fanbases in the new C-USA will be Marshall, Southern Miss, UTSA, Old Dominion, North Texas, UTEP and Louisiana Tech.

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2014/01/01/5227983/whats-next-for-c-usa-football.html#storylink=cpy

Never thought I would read this. Things have definitely been on the upswing. Hopefully our season and Bowl win will get more people to come out to Apogee.

Edited January 3, 2014 by filmerj

[MeanGreenTexan]

Remember the end of last year? North Texas was a losing team coming from the Sun Belt Conference moving to a superior conference with tougher teams. Expectations were low. This season, it seemed like just about every conference away game was the opposition's homecoming.

I think Marshall will dominate the East. I think FAU will be better and make a bowl. I think WKU steps in and is competitive immediately. MT is going to be tough again as well.

I hope Southern Miss and LA Tech are improved, and I expect the same 3 teams (NT, Rice, UTSA) in a dogfight for the West title again.

Think UNT will be anyone's HC in 2014?

[filmerj]

Remember the end of last year? North Texas was a losing team coming from the Sun Belt Conference moving to a superior conference with tougher teams. Expectations were low. This season, it seemed like just about every conference away game was the opposition's homecoming.

I think Marshall will dominate the East. I think FAU will be better and make a bowl. I think WKU steps in and is competitive immediately. MT is going to be tough again as well.

I hope Southern Miss and LA Tech are improved, and I expect the same 3 teams (NT, Rice, UTSA) in a dogfight for the West title again.

Think UNT will be anyone's HC in 2014?

I was thinking the same thing. If we are, like we were this year , this team should be fired up to knock some heads off.

Edited January 3, 2014 by filmerj

[Harry]

Good article Mick!

[Mean Green 93-98]

C-USA will definitely become smaller-time with regard to attendance with ECU leaving. I had hoped that ODU would eventually pick up some of the attendance slack left by ECU's departure. It will be a little while, though, considering their capacity is only 20k, and their planned new stadium is only 30k. North Texas should expect significantly increased attendance next year. Hopefully UTSA can stay up close to 30k, but they will not be bringing in Okie State and Houston to jack up their numbers next year.

As far as improving football strength and perception, it's important for C-USA that USM becomes a powerhouse again, and UTEP and FIU need to step up their games considerably. It doesn't matter as much in conference play, but C-USA teams will hopefully do well OOC.

[Harry]

C-USA will definitely become smaller-time with regard to attendance with ECU leaving. I had hoped that ODU would eventually pick up some of the attendance slack left by ECU's departure. It will be a little while, though, considering their capacity is only 20k, and their planned new stadium is only 30k. North Texas should expect significantly increased attendance next year. Hopefully UTSA can stay up close to 30k, but they will not be bringing in Okie State and Houston to jack up their numbers next year.

As far as improving football strength and perception, it's important for C-USA that USM becomes a powerhouse again, and UTEP and FIU need to step up their games considerably. It doesn't matter as much in conference play, but C-USA teams will hopefully do well OOC.

I really like Shawn Kugler at UTEP and expect him to do well there. FIU is a mystery -- they were so damn good in Mac's first year and then went south. I believe FIU has the location and academics to be a strong program again. I think USM will struggle as they have to compete against a lot more programs for the SEC leftovers that used to fall in their laps. UTSA will be fine and I think they will be our biggest rival game in the West. La. Tech hates their coach but I think they will eventually get things turned around there if he is given time. UAB is a mystery to me. Rice will always be a good program just because of the outstanding education they offer and their location.

[mccox2]

Interesting article. Losing ECU will initially hurt the conference but I think what is in the works is a rebuilding phase of the conference with new rivalries developing. If Rice, UTSA, and UNT stay competitive and in the hunt for a conference title within the next couple years then it could help facilitate ticket sales and marketing. If UTEP can be more competitive in the next couple years it'll make C-USA in Texas that much more interesting. I'm not saying we're going to immediately sell out stadiums but I think as fans we can help create a culture that can spark a rivalry and from there a possible tradition of competition. I know from top to bottom the conference doesn't look intimidating looking into 2014 but I think we have something special here brewing in the state of Texas. As others have pointed out, OOC scheduling is key. I like the idea of continuing to play big powerhouse conference teams from the SEC, Big 12, and Big 10 but it would be nice to play away teams like Houston, SMU (which we will play next season) and/or Texas State rather than Ohio just because fans would likely travel to those types of away games. Western Kentucky is a good addition to the conference. I can't speak for the rest of the fans of schools in the C-USA but I know we have good potential in Texas to make the best out of this opportunity and I'm proud that UNT is part of this conference.

[southsideguy]

Remember the end of last year? North Texas was a losing team coming from the Sun Belt Conference moving to a superior conference with tougher teams. Expectations were low. This season, it seemed like just about every conference away game was the opposition's homecoming.

I think Marshall will dominate the East. I think FAU will be better and make a bowl. I think WKU steps in and is competitive immediately. MT is going to be tough again as well.

I hope Southern Miss and LA Tech are improved, and I expect the same 3 teams (NT, Rice, UTSA) in a dogfight for the West title again.

Think UNT will be anyone's HC in 2014?

That were ok scheduling us for HC until they found they were taking Carrie to HC.

[Proud North Texan]

UNT will dominate C-USA

Go Mean Green

[outoftown]

I really like Shawn Kugler at UTEP and expect him to do well there. FIU is a mystery -- they were so damn good in Mac's first year and then went south. I believe FIU has the location and academics to be a strong program again. I think USM will struggle as they have to compete against a lot more programs for the SEC leftovers that used to fall in their laps. UTSA will be fine and I think they will be our biggest rival game in the West. La. Tech hates their coach but I think they will eventually get things turned around there if he is given time. UAB is a mystery to me. Rice will always be a good program just because of the outstanding education they offer and their location.

Looking into my crystal ball and not always agreeing. Here some courageous predictions:

I really don't like Shawn Kugler at UTEP... apart from having the same kind of preferred football, there are no smilarities to coach Mac, and I see UTEP having a long time before being good again. I fear that was a bad homer hire. The bad noises already started in training camp. And starting the freshman in Denton... bad signs all around.

FIU is also not going anywhere under this coach, or more probably under this AD. USM seems to show some slight growth, but it is too early to judge whether Monken will get there, after all most of the season was entierly forgettable. The team was pretty young this season though. But before the last game of the season I kinda thought they had 2 coaches in a row that had lost their team.

UTSA willl be fine, maybe more so than we'd like. La Tech has reason to hate their coach. he is not as awful as he looked this season, but he sure promisses several years of middling results, something Bulldog fans are just not accustomed to anymore. Next season will be an uptick for them though. UAB is one year away from starting another rebuild. Rice will have a down year next year and then come back decently. The new coach of FAU is a total wild card, he gets a good starting point though. The coach of WKU is not a wildcard, he's an asshole who can coach and recruit, but he will not stay. ODU looks surprisingly far along and will win a few games right off the bat. For the good news: Marshall looks rock solid. With a few decent OOC wins next season they may find themselves ranked.

All in all, I am not so sure C-USA is about to solve much of it's on field woes.

[GrayEagle]

Improving teams is a must but I don't see that as a great problem. Marshall, Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee and Florida Atlantic in the East should all be around or above the .500 mark. FIU still has to find their way and Old Dominion, even in a transition year, should find a few wins. In the West I look for North Texas to win 6-7 games, and UTSA to also be over .500. One of the two should win the division. Louisiana Tech should also be at, or near, having a winning season. Southern Miss should begin its road back with three or four victories. UTEP and UAB have to improve defense to pick up more than a win or two.

I worry a lot about attendance. With East Carolina gone the conference will suffer attendance-wise. UTEP would usually be the choice as attendance leader but they need to be either improved or entertaining to draw more than the mid to upper 20s. UTSA will likely draw the most as they will have a good team. Marshall usually draws rather well, weather permitting, and they will have another good team. Southern Miss, North Texas, Old Dominion should draw in the twenties but none of the others did last year or will this year. Tech and Middle might with good teams and good weather.

Conferences are often judged by their attendance and we could come in only ahead of the MAC. Rice can have a well-attended game hosting AQ teams but does poorly in conference play. The two Floridas have never drawn well. WKU peaks out around 18,000. UAB might draw better at their basketball games than at football games. We look bad as a conference against the American and Mountain West. Unless we get some truly outstanding teams that would make fandom forget attendance this conference may become an afterthought. We won't be getting TV at largely empty stadiums.

Edited January 4, 2014 by GrayEagle

[Ben Gooding]

I will be 100% realistic and honest. There is absolutely ZERO reason that North Texas can't be a staple in the CUSA championship game on an annual basis. They should consistently own the West or at least be in very good contention to win it every year. No excuses.

[outoftown]

Conferences are often judged by their attendance and we could come in only ahead of the MAC. Rice can have a well-attended game hosting AQ teams but does poorly in conference play. The two Floridas have never drawn well. WKU peaks out around 18,000. UAB might draw better at their basketball games than at football games. We look bad as a conference against the American and Mountain West. Unless we get some truly outstanding teams that would make fandom forget attendance this conference may become an afterthought. We won't be getting TV at largely empty stadiums.

I would hope we'd also come in ahead of the sun belt