Thursday, Dec. 29 Coverage Time (CT)/Results

North Texas at Florida Atlantic ESPN+ 6 p.m.
Charlotte at Middle Tennessee ESPN+ 6 p.m.
LA Tech at UTSA CUSA.tv 7 p.m.
WKU at Rice CUSA.tv 7 p.m.
UAB at UTEP CUSA.tv 8 p.m.


Saturday, Dec. 31

UAB at UTSA CUSA.tv 12 p.m.
North Texas at FIU CUSA.tv 12 p.m.
UTEP at Rice CUSA.tv 2 p.m.
Charlotte at LA Tech CUSA.tv 2 p.m.
Middle Tennessee at WKU CUSA.tv 2 p.m.

So after thinking abou this season, I decided to rank this season up to all the others. Here goes....

1. 2009 season - 10 wins and bowl win
2. 2012 - 8-4 GaTech win, WKU win and #2 in the Belt
3. 2022 - 8-5 Miami #25 win with the bowl game win
4. 2018 - 8-6 East Champs
5. 2001 - 8-3 Vandy Win - Co SBC Champs
6. 2006 - 7-6 Co SBC champs
7. 2016 - 8-5 - Mizzou win
8. 2017 - 7-6 Bowl Win, Syracuse win
9. 2021 - 7-6 Bowl Win
10. 2013 - 8-5 - Marshall win

So I was thinking of ways to ensure we do not fall behind more as the portal/NIL are destroying college athletics and making the gap bigger between the P5 and G5. What do you think of this? We create essentially a contract with us and players we’re signing. In that contract if the player signs with us but leaves for a more lucrative NIL deal they owe us a percentage of the amount they get. Example below:

Player plays for MT for 2 years. Becomes an elite talent in CUSA and leaves for the SEC. Player gets 100k in NIL money but owes the BRAA 20k of that. That money would then go into the athletics fund to help fund facilities and other areas for our program. It would weed out some of those looking to use us as a stepping stone. If they do use us then we get some money back (similar to what happens with coaches being poached). I really think that is the innovative ideas we need.

Coverage Time (CT)

Monday, Dec. 19

Rice vs Jarvis Christian at 109-64

Wednesday, Dec. 21

Jarvis Christian at LA Tech CUSATV Noon
Murray State at Middle Tennessee ESPN+ 6 p.m.
UIW at FIU CUSATV 6 p.m.
Northern Kentucky at Florida Atlantic CUSATV 6 p.m.
North Carolina A&T at UTEP 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 22

WKU at South Carolina SEC Network 6 p.m.
Charlotte at UAB ESPN+ 6:30 p.m.
North Texas at UTSA ESPN+ 7 p.m.
UTEP vs. Kent State/New Mexico State

Conference Games in Bold

Location: Murray, KY
Enrollment: 10,998
Arena: CFSB Center (8,600)
Colors: Navy Blue & Gold Nickname: Racers
Conference: Missouri Valley
Head Coach: Steve Prohm
Record at School: 104-29 (5th Season) Record: 201-124 (11th Season)
Record at School: 104-29 (5th Season) Overall Record: 201-124 (11th Season)
2021-22 Record: 31-3, 18-0 2021-22 Finish: 1st OVC 2021-22 Postseason: NCAA Second Round
Starters R/L: 1/4 Letterwinners R/L: 1/12

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I'm sure @OliverLBaltz will be providing coverage going forward. Thought I'd post this for some discussion.

Next five games are:
- @ Charlotte (9-2)
- WKU (8-2)
- @ UTSA (6-5)
- North Texas (9-2)
- @ Rice (9-3, 0-1 in CUSA)

Will anyone pick the Blue Raiders?

Here

The December signing period is December 21-23...

Anthony Bynum had his ceremony a day early...

General Information

Location: Houston, Texas
Founded: 1927 Enrollment: 47,031
Colors: Scarlet & White Nickname: Cougars
Series: UH leads 5-3
Conference: The American
Facility: Fertitta Center
Head Coach: Ronald Hughey
Record at UH: 106-138 (8) Overall: Same
2021-22 Record: 18-16 2022 Postseason: WNIT Round 3
Starters Ret./Lost: 4/1 Letterwinners R/L: 10/6

Location: Houston, Texas
Founded: 1912
Enrollment: 8,212
Colors: Blue & Gray Nickname: Owls
Series: MTSU leads 8-4
Conference: C-USA
Facility: Tudor Fieldhouse
Head Coach: Lindsay Edmonds
Record at Rice: 14-13 (1) Overall: Same
2021-22 Record: 14-13 2022 Postseason: None
Starters Ret./Lost: 5/0 Letterwinners R/L: 9/2

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Maybe we won't be bottom. We'll, at least not for long.

Watching the Boca Bowl. These guys are big and fast on defense.

Following up the discussion in the Deion and Colorado thread that really deserves its' own thread. There have been some recent hints of talks stirring in the West of another possible wave of realignment developing in the coming months. I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise that the current College Football season is almost over, and playoff expansion plans have been finalized. If there is another wave brewing, where would that leave MT?

If, and I admit that is a pretty big if, the next wave of conference moves is drawing nigh, I wouldn't be surprised to see MT leapfrogged again. Now this is more speculation and somewhat rumor oriented, but there was some talk in recent months around the internet that some of the power FCS programs in North and Northwest were repeatedly offered and rejected FBS conference membership. From my understanding, it kind of sounded something akin to JMU. Top of FCS waiting for the right time and the best fit for conference affiliation when they do make the leap. Sort of how JMU almost instantly leapfrogged MT in on-field performance and better conference fit.

Again, if any of this stuff with Tim Brando pans out to be true, big moves out west just might trigger another pretty big wave in college football conference membership and realignment. Some of those FCS powers up on the Northern Plains and out in the Northwest just might find a pretty decent fit in a FBS conference if they so choose to make the leap. I can only hope at this point that MT isn't left holding the bag in the worst conference no one wants to be in as many other programs land in pretty decent fits.

About the last shred of hope for MT, and it's a stretch, is the announcement by McPhee of the new facilities right after being passed over this last time and rejecting the MAC. I have nothing to back this up. Actually, I lack confidence in M&M, but what if McPhee did realize there was a problem in the athletic dept that he had overlooked? Is it possible he stepped in right after he realized MT was about to be left holding the bag or worse? Did McPhee get on the phone to find out had MT announced the new facilities, some other decent conferences might have or likely will offer in the next wave? This would explain McPhee's reticence at a long-term-locked-in deal with the MAC. Then quickly, McPhee announces the new major upgrade to MT's athletic dept facilities.

This speculation of McPhee getting on the phone to other Presidents or Conference Commissioners would be consistent with his involvement in years past in college athletics on both a regional and national level. My point is that it's fairly obvious that he would have the contacts to call if he were so inclined. Any of those discussions he might have engaged would have necessarily been confidential and off the record. This would further explain why McPhee has remained silent and offered fans and alumni little on the future of MT athletics and conference affiliation. This would also explain why he rejected an offer to the MAC that almost seemed tailored made by national sports media (ahem ESPN) to usher MT and WKU into the MAC for a somewhat regional fit for long-term programs happy with mild-to-moderate success in football on Tues night and somewhat ok basketball. With MT and WKU left out of The American offers, the MAC would suddenly appear to be a pretty appealing destination compared to the dregs of C-USA and the Frankenstein media rights deal Judy has in place. This also might explain why Judy has almost seemed desperate to continue to add new members to C-USA as exemplified in reaching for Kennesaw St. Might it have been suggested to her that MT and WKU just might be bolting in the next wave?

I acknowledge that is pretty wild speculation on my part. Perhaps it is what the kids are calling "copium." At least that is what I think that means when you are in a losing position with little to no hope. Put another way, I may well be grasping at straws. It would explain a lot though. While there are hints in the sports media by a credible source in Tim Brando that talks are picking up behind the scenes, I think most would admit that another wave of conference realignment is not an if but a matter of when. Lastly, MT and WKU were picked up on the 2nd wave for C-USA after being left out of the wave a year or two earlier.

Anybody else hearing any rumblings? Will MT leadership leave MT holding the bag, or just might the newly announced upgrade to facilities make a difference for MT in the next wave?

That was quick. Looks like Dearmon will be looking for a new gig too...

Good for FIU and CUSA

“The football team's NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) score for the spring was an impressive 992 with MacIntyre at the helm, season ticket sales nearly doubled, and single-game ticket sales improved 40 percent. Student attendance at FIU football games was at its highest in over a decade with an opening-game student crowd of over 4,000.”

According to Bleacher Report, excerpt:

No. 14: Middle Tennessee Beats Miami for the 3rd Time in Program History

This was probably the first sign we had that Miami would struggle in Mario Cristobal's first season. The Canes were 2-1 entering this game at home and ranked No. 25.

They were 25.5-point favorites but struggled significantly against the Blue Raiders. MTSU had a 24-10 lead at halftime and won 45-31.

The Blue Raiders defense forced three turnovers, including two interceptions of Tyler Van Dyke. According to the Associated Press, Middle Tennessee was 0-20 versus Top 25 opponents and had been outscored by 585 points.

Perhaps the most impressive fact about this win is that the Blue Raiders improved to 3-0 all-time against Miami. They won the teams' first two meetings in 1931 and 1932. The Canes never led in any of the matchups.