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FOOTBALL More conference re- alignment?

Rumor mill from AAC.

Vetting UAB, Georgia State, Charlotte, Marshall, App St and UTSA as replacements for their 3 defections.
 
MidTennMtneer said:
Marshall would jump on that in a heartbeat.
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Everyone one of those would. Bigger fish conferences eat the littler fish in conference re-alignment.

Who do we want? Appy State if left out would be good. Louisiana and Arkansas State would be good pick ups.

The big mistake of the last rounds of re-alignment were going after markets and not programs and brands. A team in a big market that doesn't actually draw in the market is useless. A team like Appy that is a known commodity is far more valuable than the Boone NC market.

Or maybe one of these conference commish's has some real cojones, and moves towards a total re-org of the G5 along geographic lines that would benefit everyone.
 
I read an article today about Coastal Carolina...in freaking Myrtle Beach....

Mentioned their attitude and this from the President, Michael Benson.

Benson is a vocal supporter of athletics, and was hired in October amid a football frenzy.
“All the attention it brought to our university is impossible to deny,” he said. “It’s an incontrovertible fact that we have our largest and best prepared [via test score] freshman class in our history. I can’t say enough about what happened.”
Applications at the school rose 9 percent from 2020 to 2021 and first-year enrollment increased by 22 percent. (While enrollment numbers were inherently down in 2020 because of the pandemic, there was a 9 percent enrollment increase compared to 2019.)

See. That is what I wish our administration would get. Our job is to bring in students and teach them. Winning brings in the students. Which brings in money. It is a really simple concept.
 
RaiderDoug said:
Everyone one of those would. Bigger fish conferences eat the littler fish in conference re-alignment.

Who do we want? Appy State if left out would be good. Louisiana and Arkansas State would be good pick ups.

The big mistake of the last rounds of re-alignment were going after markets and not programs and brands. A team in a big market that doesn't actually draw in the market is useless. A team like Appy that is a known commodity is far more valuable than the Boone NC market.

Or maybe one of these conference commish's has some real cojones, and moves towards a total re-org of the G5 along geographic lines that would benefit everyone.
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Our picks wouldn't come from the Sunbelt. CUSA is the worst conference in FBS. We would pick from FCS.
 
Sommy said:
The most frustrating thing is the huge potential this program has/had and it was completely squandered.

Nearby large city with an NFL team
Large enrollment and alumni
Centrally located and easy access in and out of Nashville
No real competition in the college football market in the area. You could argue Vandy, but it's still Vandy.
Lots of talented players in the area. Not so much TN, but surrounding states

I could keep going, but we are in a much better position than a Troy, Appy State, etc. BUT - we lost the opportunity to advance the profile of sports here over the past 10-15 years. It was on a silver platter for us and the Administration and coaches couldn't execute. Unfortunately the ship has sailed I'm afraid. We are stuck at this level.
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IMHO "those in the know" could say some of the arguments you list are actually negatives and others are not relevant.
As for those who want back in the Belt, is there one sport other than FB that C-USA isn't equal to or better than at the present time? (as primarily a men's BkB fan that's tremendously important to me)
And while I would like a more regional conference I just can't imagine a G5 (or G4) conference for MT which wouldn't have a team or two with whom I personally really wouldn't want to be affiliated.
 
Losing both UAB and Marshall would hurt. If that happens the only real hope is a Realignment of the Leftovers like the article posted sometime this week.
 
Predarat said:
Losing both UAB and Marshall would hurt. If that happens the only real hope is a Realignment of the Leftovers like the article posted sometime this week.
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Marshall seems as good as gone. I feel like the Florida schools will get a look as well. It's a shame FIU doesn't have better athletics because they have the university/numbers to be a major athletics powerhouse. They are one of the largest universities in the country with major professional programs located in Miami freakin' Florida. They made a major mistake firing Cristobal.

I don't know a lot about UTSA in terms of their facilities, enrollment, etc. They seem more like a johnny come lately school to me with a few good years in football and that's about it.

If I were the American I would be considering Marshall, FIU, Appy St, Coastal, Liberty, and maybe ULL.

I feel like Marshall is a given, so that leaves two more spots. UAB doesn't intrigue me at all if I'm the American, they are mediocre in all sports but football which they just had to bring back from the dead after killing the program. I don't like that.

I really would go FIU. They also bring the AAC that Florida market back that they lost with UCF leaving.

You then need one more team. Coastal, Liberty, ULL, or Appy St. ? They're all about the same I feel. Liberty probably has the biggest budget and potential following/media.

Marshall, Liberty, FIU.
 
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sWiley said:
Marshall seems as good as gone. I feel like the Florida schools will get a look as well. It's a shame FIU doesn't have better athletics because they have the university/numbers to be a major athletics powerhouse. They are one of the largest universities in the country with major professional programs located in Miami freakin' Florida. They made a major mistake firing Cristobal.

I don't know a lot about UTSA in terms of their facilities, enrollment, etc. They seem more like a johnny come lately school to me with a few good years in football and that's about it.

If I were the American I would be considering Marshall, FIU, Appy St, Coastal, Liberty, and maybe ULL.

I feel like Marshall is a given, so that leaves two more spots. UAB doesn't intrigue me at all if I'm the American, they are mediocre in all sports but football which they just had to bring back from the dead after killing the program. I don't like that.

I really would go FIU. They also bring the AAC that Florida market back that they lost with UCF leaving.

You then need one more team. Coastal, Liberty, ULL, or Appy St. ? They're all about the same I feel. Liberty probably has the biggest budget and potential following/media.

Marshall, Liberty, FIU.
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Marshall, FAU and NT
 
mtfblue said:
no wants to deal with Liberty's politics, that's why they are pushing the ASUN forward with FBS
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I disagree. If that stuff actually mattered BYU would not be going to the B12. If Liberty’s stadium was double the size & they had been around longer, their politics would be an after thought. It’s all about money.
 
Brew_Raider said:
I disagree. If that stuff actually mattered BYU would not be going to the B12. If Liberty’s stadium was double the size & they had been around longer, their politics would be an after thought. It’s all about money.
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Perhaps the difference is in the time difference in the forming of the Mormon religion (and BYU) and the beginning of LU.
Most non Mormons probably see them as just another branch of Christianity (unique perhaps) and have little to no knowledge of their history.
The Falwell's first foray into education is much more recent, remembered, and controversial. Lynchburg Christian Academy was one of the many southern segregation academies which sprang up after "Brown vs. Board of Education". Jerry Falwell lambasted public schools and public school teachers from the pulpit of Thomas Road Baptist on his TV ministry.
The memories are too recent for many public school supporters (K-12 and colleges) to embrace associating with Liberty U. I'm sure the ultra right-wing religious and political stances at LU causes others to not want their school in a league with, or to even play, them.
 
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MTFNBY5 said:
Perhaps the difference is in the time difference in the forming of the Mormon religion (and BYU) and the beginning of LU.
Most non Mormons probably see them as just another branch of Christianity (unique perhaps) and have little to no knowledge of their history.
The Falwell's first foray into education is much more recent, remembered, and controversial. Lynchburg Christian Academy was one of the many southern segregation academies which sprang up after "Brown vs. Board of Education". Jerry Falwell lambasted public schools and public school teachers from the pulpit of Thomas Road Baptist on his TV ministry.
The memories are too recent for many public school supporters (K-12 and colleges) to embrace associating with Liberty U. I'm sure the ultra right-wing religious and political stances at LU causes others to not want their school in a league with, or to even play, them.
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I don’t want to go down this rabbit hole again since it came up in a different thread. I get it, their history is so bad to some that we should never be in a conference with them, play them or probably shouldn’t hire people like Toman because he was a HC there.

But the fact is, money means more in today’s athletics than moral stances. And that school that you think people in CUSA wouldn’t associate with is closer to a better conference invite than 2/3 of the schools in our conference, including us.
 
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Brew_Raider said:
I disagree. If that stuff actually mattered BYU would not be going to the B12. If Liberty’s stadium was double the size & they had been around longer, their politics would be an after thought. It’s all about money.
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liberty brings nothing to the table, but Drama
 
JohnDavidBlue said:
….And a lot of money.
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This.

Money and potential > Drama in today’s college football.

If and/ when CUSA & the SB lose 2 or more teams during this round of expansion, then LU will end up in the same or better conference than us. I expect it by the end of the decade.
 
This is why I have quit on this Univ. There is no leadership. There is no vision. Anyone who has followed realignment closely over the past decade knows that the next wave of change would emerge as the last round of TV deals and in particular the playoff contract approached the end of its initial term.

And yet the only people who seem to be the least prepared for it sit in Cope and Murphy. This is why I have stopped all giving and haven’t set foot on the campus in over a year. The deterioration of the University and specifically out athletics has cemented our place as a forever cupcake. It’s mind boggling how far we have fallen. And depressing. But I’m tired of caring.
 
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SpaceRaider said:
FWIW...

www.underdogdynasty.com

Conference USA Roundtable: Expansion Candidates and Targets

The Big 12 Conference voted to accept four new members — including three from the American. What could this mean for C-USA schools? Our UDD Staff opine.
www.underdogdynasty.com www.underdogdynasty.com
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Not one mention of MT. (Nor should there be) McPhee and Massaro have failed to position us to take advantage of any expansion discussion. A lot of talk here about programs with potential, be it facilities or money. We have neither.
McPhee and Massaro should be ashamed- and fired.
 
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MarJac23 said:
Not one mention of MT. (Nor should there be) McPhee and Massaro have failed to position us to take advantage of any expansion discussion. A lot of talk here about programs with potential, be it facilities or money. We have neither.
McPhee and Massaro should be ashamed- and fired.
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Hey, M&M have us ranked as the #288 university in the nation on the US News rankings. That’s the success we are looking for.**
 
Brew_Raider said:
Hey, M&M have us ranked as the #288 university in the nation on the US News rankings. That’s the success we are looking for.**
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North Texas enrollment has surpassed 40K, I think MT enrollment has shrunk over the past decade while other mid state universities has experienced record growth in some instances. As an alumnus, i just shake my head, and become more disaffected from this institution and its leadership (so-called) every single day.
 
SpaceRaider said:
North Texas enrollment has surpassed 40K, I think MT enrollment has shrunk over the past decade while other mid state universities has experienced record growth in some instances. As an alumnus, i just shake my head, and become more disaffected from this institution and its leadership (so-called) every single day.
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It’s odd.

University leadership should be pushing to educate more in the area or to become more selective to improve overall academic rankings like the one I mentioned. We have neither increased our admission standards or enrollment, which is the opposite of either normal university mission. We should be growing or we should be shrink by due to higher standards. We are doing neither.
 
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Brew_Raider said:
University leadership should be pushing to educate more in the area or to become more selective to improve overall academic rankings like the one I mentioned. We have neither increased our admission standards or enrollment, which is the opposite of either normal university mission. We should be growing or we should be shrink by due to higher standards. We are doing neither.
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Don't be silly. You just need to remember that MT has the Meharry fast-track program, beer, and chocolate milk.
 
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MT Glenn said:
Another article mentioning conference consolidation. Have there been any reports of actual decision makers considering that?
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Not that I have found. I am a big proponent of the G5 conferences (mainly SBC and CUSA) consolidating to make conferences more regional. The main problem with that is the CUSA Presidents and ADs that still believe the SBC is a lesser conference. I think making the leagues more regional peaks fan interest by having opponents from close by and reduces travel costs. It makes so much sense to me I cannot figure out why it is not being done.
 
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www.extrapointsmb.com

One plan to combine CUSA and the Sun Belt

Bloggers like us aren't the only ones suggesting this.
www.extrapointsmb.com


KqU2icGn
 
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I am not a conspiracy theorist, but is there any chance that larger Universities in the state (UT, Vandy) are funneling money to our Prez to keep MT in check?
 
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