What fcs schools realistically would you want to join? I gotta think Kennesaw st is high and on the list. Not thrilled about this option whatsoever but facing the possibility.
If CUSA survives and adds....
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Sam Houston state has an FBS sized budget, great football, and brings Texas recruiting. They would be an ideal replacement for the Texas schools we lost, however, they are not really a regional school for most of CUSA. There will have to be East and west divisions if we are adding schools like them. They have to be the best FBS candidate in my opinion if your not considering location.
I’m not super familiar with the more local FCS teams but Kennesaw St. does have a good football program.
For me, I would want to see budgets and planned upgrades for the FCS hopefuls. Who is going to commit big bucks for the transition ?? Who already has a good football program and solid hoops ?
Missouri state might be worthwhile, but where are they located ? Very solid hoops program.
I wonder what ETSU and Chattanooga budgets look like and what they would commit for an FBS transition ?
At this point I would listen to everyone, but I would also make it clear to them that the schools who will be chosen will be largely chosen based on their commitment to FBS excellence ($$$$ commitments).
I’m not super familiar with the more local FCS teams but Kennesaw St. does have a good football program.
For me, I would want to see budgets and planned upgrades for the FCS hopefuls. Who is going to commit big bucks for the transition ?? Who already has a good football program and solid hoops ?
Missouri state might be worthwhile, but where are they located ? Very solid hoops program.
I wonder what ETSU and Chattanooga budgets look like and what they would commit for an FBS transition ?
At this point I would listen to everyone, but I would also make it clear to them that the schools who will be chosen will be largely chosen based on their commitment to FBS excellence ($$$$ commitments).
I remember when we jumped to CUSA from the SunBelt and the big reception was held at the HOF to announce it. That was the year that Northern Illinois (MAC) went 12-1 and played Fla. St. in the Orange Bowl. CM told me this move (to CUSA) would give the Blue Raiders a chance to play in New Year’s Day bowls and for the NC. Since that day, we’ve gone 1-4 in bowl games and were blown out by Navy, W.Mich., Hawaii and Appy St. It’s been 9 years now and I’m still waiting. 😂😂
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Jacksonville State is the ONLY former ovc team I do not mind stepping up. I do not want any affiliation with instate fcs programs, why give them a step up. F'em.
Missouri State is great but out on an island geographically. Sam Houston State is okay.
Missouri State is great but out on an island geographically. Sam Houston State is okay.
There's not a single FCS program, let alone a block of them, that I'm remotely interested in sharing a conference with, at least not remotely within our footprint.
But the idea of playing in the MAC does little more for me comparatively speaking beyond offering the idea of stability.
Any dwindling hope to reinvigorate this fan base is about to run out.
But the idea of playing in the MAC does little more for me comparatively speaking beyond offering the idea of stability.
Any dwindling hope to reinvigorate this fan base is about to run out.
I wonder how many people on here would have said they didn't want to be in a conference with Coastal Carolina 5 years ago. I am not saying I am in love with any of this, but we act like we are better than FCS programs. Most the programs we are discussing will pass us up in 3-5 years with the extra money and scholarships. Arguably the best G5 conference moving forward is mostly recent FCS move ups. App St 2014, Coastal 2017, Ga St 2013, Ga So 2014, Tx St 2012, USA 2012. 6/10 current Sun Belt teams have been FBS for less than 10 years and 2/4 they are adding will be the same. The Sun Belt got to a point where they could raid CUSA for teams using a bunch of "FCS" teams.
Since that is out of the way I have put together a list of potential FCS additions I think would be good. Here is who they are with their current stadium capacity which is I think important as far as being able to move up to FBS.
McNeese State 17,610
Missouri State 17,500
Southern Illinois 15,000
Jacksonville State 24,000
Sam Houston 12,593
Central Arkansas 10,000
Kennesaw State 8,300 (supposed to have expanded to 10,000)
Eastern Kentucky 20,000
Sam Houston and Kennesaw are two of my top choices, but they would have to do some stadium expansion to qualify I believe. McNeese, Jacksonville State, and Missouri State are also really high on my list if I am making these decisions. Missouri State is kind of out there, but they should still be a priority in my opinion. SIU is an interesting one for me. Not terrible geographically and kind of a bridge to Missouri State. Decent success in the past.
Since that is out of the way I have put together a list of potential FCS additions I think would be good. Here is who they are with their current stadium capacity which is I think important as far as being able to move up to FBS.
McNeese State 17,610
Missouri State 17,500
Southern Illinois 15,000
Jacksonville State 24,000
Sam Houston 12,593
Central Arkansas 10,000
Kennesaw State 8,300 (supposed to have expanded to 10,000)
Eastern Kentucky 20,000
Sam Houston and Kennesaw are two of my top choices, but they would have to do some stadium expansion to qualify I believe. McNeese, Jacksonville State, and Missouri State are also really high on my list if I am making these decisions. Missouri State is kind of out there, but they should still be a priority in my opinion. SIU is an interesting one for me. Not terrible geographically and kind of a bridge to Missouri State. Decent success in the past.
Sam Houston is not a possibility! Students voted the fee raise down. They do not have the money.
Missouri St is in Springfield Mo. Sam Houston St students just voted down a fee raise. They can’t jump up with out the money. UT will never allow the Mocs jump up unless something legal happens. We are in a bad spot and the exit fees will only get us so far. We need Memphis to get the invite to the Big 12 and then the AAC takes MT. It’s our only hope.
Someone mentioned on another thread that the increased funding was covid related and students voted no. Might be different if it was for a move to FBS and depending on the money they would get from CUSA with the buyouts we "should" get from teams leaving. Sam Houston would be a good get, but not make or break in my opinion.
And no to UTC. The UT system spoiled our law program and set foot 80 miles in our back yard. No. No. No.
That was me, they would change their tune about FBS. Also, the administration could just force it on the students (not a great look but it happens). The vote was to make up lost revenue from the covid year.
The 6 teams in the ASUN have a goal of going FBS. One AD said 2-3 years. If you ask me adding those 6 teams is probably being considered. I wonder if that happens we get Liberty as well since they are ASUN in all but football currently. Recent news is not a good look for them, so have to see how that plays out.
There's not another App or Georgia Southern out there in FCS, and the few that are even kind of close, are not remotely within our footprint.
There may or may not be another Coastal out there, but that's just a total crap shoot. I'm also not sure that Coastal has really put themselves on the map or rather that they have staying power anyhow.
Not many FCS programs are out there with enough money either. Kennesaw has a slightly larger budget than La Tech, but I've lived within ~30 minutes of Kennesaw my entire life apart from the seven years I lived in Murfreesboro and it's still a little hard for me to imagine them as FBS, let alone sharing a conference with MT. If they have any plans to expand their ~9k seat stadium, I haven't seen it.
the teams coastal had beaten this year have won a combined 3 games...so they are a flash in the pan. The belt has 2 strong teams, UL and App, after that 4 good teams Troy, Coastal, Marshall and JMU. Everyone else is bad, attendance is worse than MT's. Th new addition won't like playing on Tuesday's and Wednesday nights either.
The adds need to be close to Mississippi River as possible. Jax ST, Kennesaw, EKU, UCA, and 1 Texas school for UTEP is what is needed. If you looking at the hottest commodity, Jackson St and FAMU bot fill up their stadiums. Deion has a clause in his contract if Jackson St moves conferences he gets a raise. I'm sure Kortne Goshe would love to be in AD meetings with his old boss.
The fact that we have been conditioned to lower our expectations and are even considering the schools several have mentioned sickens me.
But fans of those schools probably say the same about us.
But fans of those schools probably say the same about us.
Something we haven't seen mentioned - does this increase the odds of a P5 breakaway?
I mean, when FBS becomes watered down to the point where you have Tarleton State and whoever - when does Texas and Alabama and Ohio State and all the big state U's just say "Screw it" and create their own football league independent of the NCAA?
I'm not saying we're better than Tarleton State or any of the other move ups. I'm not sure we are from a results perspective and we certainly have no real ambition to be great where they do (good for them), but there's something to being here first. There's only so many teams you can add before there's no real division between FCS and FBS anymore.
I mean, when FBS becomes watered down to the point where you have Tarleton State and whoever - when does Texas and Alabama and Ohio State and all the big state U's just say "Screw it" and create their own football league independent of the NCAA?
I'm not saying we're better than Tarleton State or any of the other move ups. I'm not sure we are from a results perspective and we certainly have no real ambition to be great where they do (good for them), but there's something to being here first. There's only so many teams you can add before there's no real division between FCS and FBS anymore.
There will be only 4 power conferences, Big12 is just on life support, PAC12 and BIG10 will give them the death nail soon. Big10 will take KU and ISU soon, leaving the PAC12 to take 4 and someone is left out between TCU and Baylor. The rest will of the conferences will be schedule fillers, so G6 and FCS will be the under the NCAA playoff
I would argue North Dakota State is on the same level as App State and Georgia Southern. Obviously not mentioning them due to location. You don’t bring up last year for Coastal when they beat Louisiana, App, and BYU. Not sure what they will do in the future, but a culture of winning is being built. If they keep that they will be fine. Why App State is good regardless of coach. Kennesaw could be building something like that, but it is still early. For those commenting about considering the teams mentioned there isn’t much of a choice. No MAC, SBC, or AAC invite is coming.
What's on the MAC front? Are you guys going or? Any headway?
I personally, feel Judy's final "Fvck you", is to invite a bunch of nobodies to the CUSA and watch when the P5 decides to split and G's get screwed. The best way for this to happen is to load up with FCS. Personally, I hope WKU and MTSU goes MAC, UTEP gets back into the MTW. La. Tech I don't know, Indy maybe. FIU goes back where it should have been all along ASUN.
I personally, feel Judy's final "Fvck you", is to invite a bunch of nobodies to the CUSA and watch when the P5 decides to split and G's get screwed. The best way for this to happen is to load up with FCS. Personally, I hope WKU and MTSU goes MAC, UTEP gets back into the MTW. La. Tech I don't know, Indy maybe. FIU goes back where it should have been all along ASUN.
No smoke means no fire, I suppose. To me, it's either the MAC or let's just shut football down.
Based on the WGNS Massaro interview we will continue with what we have been doing. Nothing. Soon all be lost. We will be the Sears of the Conference USA. Out of business when it comes to sports.
Sam Houston is on the hook. NMSU is too. Just need one more to get to 8 and we get the exit fees and such. It could be Jax st or Missou St. If that's who we rock, then we upgraded bigtime and dropped a lot of deadbeats. SHSU is no.1 and the defending champ in FCS. You can't get better than that. Right now, they are the best. Charlotte, Rice, UNT, ODU and USM doesn't even come anywhere close to that level of success. Mizzou St, is another good program all around. We will see, but we are not at the end of our rope by a longshot.
This.
It doesn't matter what happens at our level. There will be many teams that think they are P5 level but will be left out of the P4.
If we are keeping UTEP, then you gotta build a western division. I think we should aim for 10 teams.
west - UTEP, NMSU, La Tech, SHSU, McNeese or Missouri state
East - MTSU, WKU, FIU, and the two best regional FCS teams (Jacksonville state would help bridge to FIU). You can also maybe get Umass for all sports and Liberty is a small possibility but unlikely. I would honestly rather keep things in the south East so would prefer taking two really good FCS programs versus adding northern FBS programs.
CUSA is going to survive. I do like Massaros idea of keeping it lean. We need 10 teams, no more. 5 East and 5 west. Focus on better established programs like NMSU, SHSU, Jacksonsville State, etc. please for the love of god don’t be entertaining projects like Tarleton State
I think SHSU is a sleeping giant and Jacksonville state might be too if they can commit some serious $$$$ for athletics. SHSU already has an FBS size budget and maybe their students will reconsider on a new vote to increase funding for FBS football. Admin can always force it through if they want anyway.
I would rather be in the Sun Belt or AAC, but we are not in the worst position ever. We are about to collect $36 million in exit fees from programs that are making lateral moves IMO. Sun Belt had a few good years and think they are all that. We will see if it lasts. I don’t think it will.
we need to get facilities built and win some championships. Now. There will be plenty more dominos to fall and if we are smart, we take this $36 million in exit fees, dig into our own checkbook, and build some really nice facilities and get better coaches.
this isn’t over but we have got to do better and fast. We have to hope that everything that has happened is a wake up call for this admin and that now they understand you have to be serious about your major athletics programs and invest $$$ in them.
west - UTEP, NMSU, La Tech, SHSU, McNeese or Missouri state
East - MTSU, WKU, FIU, and the two best regional FCS teams (Jacksonville state would help bridge to FIU). You can also maybe get Umass for all sports and Liberty is a small possibility but unlikely. I would honestly rather keep things in the south East so would prefer taking two really good FCS programs versus adding northern FBS programs.
CUSA is going to survive. I do like Massaros idea of keeping it lean. We need 10 teams, no more. 5 East and 5 west. Focus on better established programs like NMSU, SHSU, Jacksonsville State, etc. please for the love of god don’t be entertaining projects like Tarleton State
I think SHSU is a sleeping giant and Jacksonville state might be too if they can commit some serious $$$$ for athletics. SHSU already has an FBS size budget and maybe their students will reconsider on a new vote to increase funding for FBS football. Admin can always force it through if they want anyway.
I would rather be in the Sun Belt or AAC, but we are not in the worst position ever. We are about to collect $36 million in exit fees from programs that are making lateral moves IMO. Sun Belt had a few good years and think they are all that. We will see if it lasts. I don’t think it will.
we need to get facilities built and win some championships. Now. There will be plenty more dominos to fall and if we are smart, we take this $36 million in exit fees, dig into our own checkbook, and build some really nice facilities and get better coaches.
this isn’t over but we have got to do better and fast. We have to hope that everything that has happened is a wake up call for this admin and that now they understand you have to be serious about your major athletics programs and invest $$$ in them.
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Sure it's quite possible C-USA survives by pulling in some amalgamation of rabble. For me, the point continues to be, does it really matter with the same miserably failed leadership? With some real leadership, we might have a direction and message of we are going to smoke the sunbelt. With the 3Ms, it's likely more of just being blown about like a tumbleweed. That's not leadership.
I can say I agree with a lot of that and could see it working for several years till the next wave.
The issue is, there are only going to be so many more waves. Once the P5 become P4 and split off, that'll be it. Everyone left will scramble and settle and it'll be done. I really think that.
What worries me is as many have said, our admin. Do we really trust that CM has a vision to use the exit fees and get competitive? I don't think McPhee told him winning doesn't matter, but as someone else said, I do think he told CM it is a bonus, secondary.
We could navigate through this with a revamped CUSA and be ok, but it will take major foresight and planning which I don't trust our admin to do.
That's why I'm in the boat of either go MAC which is stable and under ESPN who is running this, or drop to FCS and stay regional. Get our act together, save money till a new admin takes over, which realistically will be this decade, and be ready for that final big wave.
I think Massaro is banking on the exit fees coming MT’s way and using it to build facilities or improve the program somehow. Then in 5 years try to make a push to get in a different conference. The big conferences are going to break away when they see McNeese State and some other lower level schools competing. When the break away happens, that could spawn another round of conference transitions and I think that is what Massaro is hoping for as his chance.
So - if MT gets some money from the exit fees and uses that to buyout Stockstill and get a better coach, but it means we are in CUSA with a bunch of scrub teams, are you happy? We would finally have Stock out of the way. Or would you rather keep Stock and go to the MAC?
So - if MT gets some money from the exit fees and uses that to buyout Stockstill and get a better coach, but it means we are in CUSA with a bunch of scrub teams, are you happy? We would finally have Stock out of the way. Or would you rather keep Stock and go to the MAC?
If that is what CM is doing, awesome. I would support that plan.
But being Debbie Downer, if Stock is bought out or even retires, do we trust CM to find a qualified replacement that can be successful to our standards and not those of McPhee?
Or will that not happen until not only Stock is gone, but CM and McPhee are as well?
Stock's got to go no matter what. Until that happens, my interest in MT Football is limited to just passing through here once or twice a week. The SEC could call, and i'm still not coming to a game until he's gone. It's kind of personal at this point - he might be a nice guy, but I really don't like him and what he's done to our program. I don't ever hate a bad coach who tries hard - failure is human. But a coach who loses because they lack effort pi$$es me off.
But there's no indications that Massaro/McPhee are unhappy with the lack of competitiveness of the football program, so the idea of getting this windfall to get us out of the contract trap were in seems like wishful thinking. Remember, we're here by design. They'll probably get that cash, re-pave the tennis court, and add a couple of easily attainable incentives to everyone's contract, and pat each other on the back.
I could live with some FCS move ups, if it's the right ones. We need programs that have established football programs with actual live breathing fans. I could live with SHSU. I could live with Mizzou State.
No more "We need a program in X state, so random JUCO sounding U with no fans sounds great!" Not some University PR firm with a powerpoint about eyeballs and TV sets in X market. That's how we got into this predicament.
SHSU ain't rabble. That program is as good or way better than any of the teams leaving. They are about BACK TO BACK NATIONAL CHAMPS. No.1 right now. Mizzou state's b ball is better than anyone here and their FB team is ranked in FBS. That ain't rabble. Those 2 teams are competitive upgrades ready to go now. Bro the CUSA teams leaving except 2 have been straight upo turds. UTSA is winning THIS YEAR. What did they do from 13 til now? What other sports have they contributed in? UAB and Marshall are the 2 best complete programs leaving. Everyone else are sporadic crap fests. We were the weakest conference BECAUSE OF THEM. Them leaving is the best thing that could happen. We would have nev er even had the chance to get better with htem. Now we do. Get Mizzou st and SHSU and we are better. Those 2 teams can tangle with anyone in the belt right now. ODU and USM sure as hell can't. LT, MT, WKU, SHSU, M st., FIU with a new coach, NMSU, and UTEP is not bad at all considering all of the turd birds we had dragging us down. Now that's gotta happen and may not. I have zero faith in Judy but if that does, we are way better off than we were with enough money to get to a proven state.
