BASKETBALL Middle Tennessee (5-17, 3-13) vs North Texas (13-9, 9-5), (ESPN+), 9PM, Wednesday, March 19, 2021

[MTLynn]

What is sadly in question at this point is will the damage be so severe that will MT even remain viable as a FBS G5 type school? If not, it could end up resulting in something like a return to the ovc.

Kill the MT athletic department and replace it with tsu

 

[RaiderDawg78]

In the not too distant future, M&M aka failed leaders, will be asking and pleading for support whether by attendance or financially, and they will be met with silence. Silence due to the fact that they have been running off all the fans and supporters to the point of beyond caring. The same silence they have been giving MT fans & alumni for a few years. And, covid won't be around any longer to use as an excuse or cover for their abject failure of leadership.

What is sadly in question at this point is will the damage be so severe that will MT even remain viable as a FBS G5 type school? If not, it could end up resulting in something like a return to the ovc.

We are pretending to be FBS and we have idiots in leadership roles that have a D2 mentality.

MT in FBS right now is like someone who can only dog peddling joining a 500 m freestyle race. Yeah, it’s swimming....kinda.

 

[MTsumner92]

I’ve worn blue every Friday for over 30!years today I didn’t in protest of the shape our athletics are in. I’m still all blue for life.

Agreed. They recruited the Sydney McPhee fan club instead of the MT alumni fan club. One of these days the fans will matter again.

 

[AustinLewis]

and wku will likely fire Stansbury for losing tournament championship games before MT fires McDevitt for losing seasons.

The difference in cultures in BG and the boro are that different and I absolutely despise our 'leadership' for that.

Having lived in BG for 6 years, it's my experience the general fanbases have roughly an equal level of success. However, a couple of differences between the two communities & fanbases :
1) WKU isn't scared to roll the dice on someone with a checkered past (Petrino)
2) They usually look for guys with a previous connection to BG / WKU. These folks know the culture, expectations, and what life is like in BG.
3) The high level boosters are willing to pay up for facilities.
4) Administration expects success and usually will move on from guys with mediocre records
5) IMO, the BG community at large may do a better job supporting WKU than the Boro does MT.

 

[AustinLewis]

We are pretending to be FBS and we have idiots in leadership roles that have a D2 mentality.

MT in FBS right now is like someone who can only dog peddling joining a 500 m freestyle race. Yeah, it’s swimming....kinda.

As someone who CAN'T swim, but is a solid dog paddle, this is a GREAT analogy.

If my wife swims and I dog paddle, my wife beats me every time.
If we both dog paddle, I win

So basically, MT's current leadership needs their competitors to "dog paddle" to be successful.

And, whatever, your thoughts are on Stock / McD, both have been hamstrung by a failure to upgrade facilities to match what others in conference have.

IMO, outside of a facility master plan that was announced several years ago, MT's athletic programs have lacked a vision - or it hasn't communicated to the community - of the expectations for the programs at MT

 

[MTFNBY5]

Having lived in BG for 6 years, it's my experience the general fanbases have roughly an equal level of success. However, a couple of differences between the two communities & fanbases :
1) WKU isn't scared to roll the dice on someone with a checkered past (Petrino)
2) They usually look for guys with a previous connection to BG / WKU. These folks know the culture, expectations, and what life is like in BG.
3) The high level boosters are willing to pay up for facilities.
4) Administration expects success and usually will move on from guys with mediocre records
5) IMO, the BG community at large may do a better job supporting WKU than the Boro does MT.

Your point #5 is most important. I suspect that many %$&-major programs, regardless of classification, get much better local support than MT gets in the Boro and the immediate area. I have heard it said often that Murfreesboro is a UT town (of course, UT folks think every TN city, town, and hamlet is a UT entity). Obviously the city and county is under the Nashville media umbrella.
I often wonder if there is an example of a school under similar circumstances that has been able to overcome the obstacles we face to become relevant. Is there even a program to emulate in the effort?

 

[MTLynn]

I have heard it said often that Murfreesboro is a UT town

That may have been true 30 years ago when Murfreesboro had 45,000 residents but now the population is over 145,000 and most of those new 100K moved here from other states or countries and couldn't care less about ut-k

 

[mtfblue]

Your point #5 is most important. I suspect that many %$&-major programs, regardless of classification, get much better local support than MT gets in the Boro and the immediate area. I have heard it said often that Murfreesboro is a UT town (of course, UT folks think every TN city, town, and hamlet is a UT entity). Obviously the city and county is under the Nashville media umbrella.
I often wonder if there is an example of a school under similar circumstances that has been able to overcome the obstacles we face to become relevant. Is there even a program to emulate in the effort?

UAB, UCF, are the 1st 2 to come to mind.

 

[crposton]

I have seen the date of March 24 in more than one location. What is the significance of that date? Buyout goes down?

 

[MTLynn]

UAB, UCF, are the 1st 2 to come to mind.

UNT as well

 

[AustinLewis]

I have seen the date of March 24 in more than one location. What is the significance of that date? Buyout goes down?

Under the terms of the original contract, buyout reduces by 50% on March 24

 

[MTFNBY5]

UNT as well

Of the three schools mentioned UNT is the most similar to MT: Exurban county next to a metropolitan area, no media to speak of, and extensive competition from both colleges and pro sports.

UCF's and UAB's situations are not comparable to MT's IMHO. First, both of these schools have professional schools. UCF had a comprehensive engineering school and both have medical schools.
UAB has no pro competition and is the most prominent university in B'ham. Yes, there are two "power" schools in the state with huge followings but the last time I looked at the Sun. edition of the Birmingham News after a FB Sat. UAB got comparable coverage to AU and UA.
UCF does have competition from the Magic and a ML soccer team but is an hour and a half away from the NFL and the three in-state "power" schools are even further away. I don't know but as the pre-eminent college team in Orlando I feel sure they get good media coverage from the numerous media outlets in the city. As an aside UCF claims 70,000 students.

When I look for a school in similar circumstances I am looking at location, size of school and offerings, endowment and alumni loyalty, media coverage, and competition for the eyes of potential fans. Really hard to find many schools comparable to MT trying to compete at the highest level of college athletics.

 

[BRaiderDave]

"Really hard to find many schools comparable to MT trying to compete at the highest level of college athletics."

I can't think of any school other than UNT that is comparable to MT in all of the areas you mention.

 

[mtfblue]

Of the three schools mentioned UNT is the most similar to MT: Exurban county next to a metropolitan area, no media to speak of, and extensive competition from both colleges and pro sports.

UCF's and UAB's situations are not comparable to MT's IMHO. First, both of these schools have professional schools. UCF had a comprehensive engineering school and both have medical schools.
UAB has no pro competition and is the most prominent university in B'ham. Yes, there are two "power" schools in the state with huge followings but the last time I looked at the Sun. edition of the Birmingham News after a FB Sat. UAB got comparable coverage to AU and UA.
UCF does have competition from the Magic and a ML soccer team but is an hour and a half away from the NFL and the three in-state "power" schools are even further away. I don't know but as the pre-eminent college team in Orlando I feel sure they get good media coverage from the numerous media outlets in the city. As an aside UCF claims 70,000 students.

When I look for a school in similar circumstances I am looking at location, size of school and offerings, endowment and alumni loyalty, media coverage, and competition for the eyes of potential fans. Really hard to find many schools comparable to MT trying to compete at the highest level of college athletics.

UCF moved from from FCS and built what they had today and the same as USF. Orlando is a Gator and Seminole city. UCF drew 18k before they made the commitment to be great and hired O'Leary and started paying big boy salaries. It's all and how you want to look at the situation. MT has made the commitment to just be mediocre and not demand excellence.

 

[RaiderDawg78]

Of the three schools mentioned UNT is the most similar to MT: Exurban county next to a metropolitan area, no media to speak of, and extensive competition from both colleges and pro sports.

UCF's and UAB's situations are not comparable to MT's IMHO. First, both of these schools have professional schools. UCF had a comprehensive engineering school and both have medical schools.
UAB has no pro competition and is the most prominent university in B'ham. Yes, there are two "power" schools in the state with huge followings but the last time I looked at the Sun. edition of the Birmingham News after a FB Sat. UAB got comparable coverage to AU and UA.
UCF does have competition from the Magic and a ML soccer team but is an hour and a half away from the NFL and the three in-state "power" schools are even further away. I don't know but as the pre-eminent college team in Orlando I feel sure they get good media coverage from the numerous media outlets in the city. As an aside UCF claims 70,000 students.

When I look for a school in similar circumstances I am looking at location, size of school and offerings, endowment and alumni loyalty, media coverage, and competition for the eyes of potential fans. Really hard to find many schools comparable to MT trying to compete at the highest level of college athletics.

We seem to be closer to Kennesaw State than the schools in our own conference.

 

[mtfblue]

We seem to be closer to Kennesaw State than the schools in our own conference.

Kennesaw is passing MT by.

 

[MTTim]

Kennesaw is passing MT by.

Let's all hope Nashville State doesn't start any sports programs.