That is exactly what should happen.
One plan to combine CUSA and the Sun Belt
Bloggers like us aren't the only ones suggesting this.www.extrapointsmb.com
FOOTBALL More conference re- alignment?
- Thread starter MTsumner92
- Start date
Picked to pieces by the Big 12, reeling AAC needs to respond with big-time expansion
The AAC is at a crossroads. It has two choices. It can strike boldly, or it can strike out.
www.theledger.com
Maybe throw memphis state in there too...
Everything about the direction of MT reeks of planned mediocrity.
MBB sticks out like a sore thumb to me. At a minimum, McDevitt should have teams as good as he had at UNCA, but his MT teams have been putrid. And he's being way overpaid to do it. What the hell is going on?
When the University of Texas at San Antonio hopped on the Conference USA train in 2013, it looked like a good move for an upstart Roadrunners football program with only two years to its history.
But it’s the wise soul who knows when to leap from the locomotive before it runs out of track. And this C-USA engine seems destined to derail.
After multiple defections by key members and the exit of its former commissioner years ago, this conference is now a shell of what it once was. Held together by unimpressive television deals and ties to lower-tier bowl games, there isn’t much to keep most remaining members committed beyond a lack of more lucrative options.
That’s a precarious place for a conference that’s lost much of its luster and now sits on the sidelines in the latest realignment game that could take more of its teams.
The decision by Texas and Oklahoma to depart the Big 12 Conference for the SEC has already caused multiple dominoes to tumble.
In a scramble to remain relevant, the Big 12 has raided the American Athletic Conference, taking three of its members — Cincinnati, Houston and UCF. It’s also adding BYU.
Now, expect the AAC to do some raiding.
Even the Sun Belt Conference is looking to expand while C-USA tries to survive.
This is a critical period for UTSA. Years of losing cost its football program precious momentum — as well as season ticket holders, sponsors and donors.
New head coach Jeff Traylor has inspired players and fans to raise their expectations. After a road win over the Big Ten’s Illinois to open the 2021 season and a 54-0 beatdown of Lamar a week later, the Roadrunners have garnered some national attention.
Now, it’s incumbent on UTSA leadership to build on that new energy. And doing so in C-USA will be next to impossible given its low standing with the television networks.
If UTSA were aggressive, it would put in a call to the Big 12, pitch San Antonio’s TV market size and geography and hope for the best.
Short of that, leadership needs some serious face time with AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco before the seats on that train are all filled up.
It will be more regional than what people expect. With Selig coming out and saying what he has about realignment. JMU is in the mix as well for more regional fbs conference. You have the WAC trying to go FBS in 5 years along with the ASUN. So that more mouth's to feed, I wouldn't be surprised if with the new direction, they put a cap on what your athletic budget needs to be with out excessive university contributions, student fees can be counted since they get discounted or free tickets. Already a plan to hit schools with luxury tax for excessive salaries and facilities spending. You will have a commissioner and it will be ran like the NFL. You can have a minor league and have a chance to move up based on finishes like the soccer leagues. CUSA, Belt, ASUN, WAC, MWC AAC will all be regionalized leagues in 8 years, if not sooner.
If they go to four power conferences, I say all the left outs only play each other and let the power schools beat up on each other.
Anymore, occasionally checking out the latest goings-ons with MTSU athletics, C-USA, and MTSU as a university is little more than catching up on the dumpster fire that is MTSU and the conference in which it belongs.
It would about be entertaining if it weren't so pathetic.
It would about be entertaining if it weren't so pathetic.
Here are your expansion candidates. here
Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com reported Thursday the American is focusing on Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State and UAB in its next round of realignment
Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com reported Thursday the American is focusing on Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State and UAB in its next round of realignment
San Diego? Sheesh. Literally a coast to coast conference. That is the opposite of regional to save money. That is ridiculous.
Dennis Dodd put that out there at the request of the AAC suits. Why would any of those MWC schools want to go to the AAC? Only way I see is if ESPN is funneling in cash on the deal to draw them out of a Fox/CBS conference. I mean, a conference with a team in Philadelphia and a team in San Diego??????
A Marshall fan posted this info on the cusa as well as the message board at www.herdfans.com
*****************************************************************
I have obtained the Form 990s for the G5 conferences for their fiscal years ending June 30, 2019, and June 30, 2020. Obviously, June 30, 2021 Form 990s have not yet been filed.
In terms of dollars, the AAC ranks as the clear top dog in the G5, with the Sun Belt Conference as the poor man.
Total revenues of each conference are set forth below.
AAC 2019 $73,203,230
MWC 2019 $57,058,330
CUSA 2019 $44,250,642
MAC 2019 $30,848,489
SBC 2019 $33,072,881
AAC 2020 $111,278,729
MWC 2020 $ (not available)
CUSA 2020 $40,861,629
MAC 2020 $32,241,698
SBC 2020 $31,584,812
Revenues from TV/media rights are interesting. These amounts are included in the total revenues above.
AAC 2019 $22,726,100
MWC 2019 $14,232,915
CUSA 2019 $6,968,263
MAC 2019 $8,639,734
SBC 2019 $3,920,523
AAC 2020 $43,988,700
MWC 2020 $ (not available)
CUSA 2020 $6,440,156
MAC 2020 $9,186,590
SBC 2020 $2,250,000
By far, the largest expense amounts for each conference are the grants and distributions they make to their member institutions. The total grant/distribution amounts set forth below are net of any membership dues paid to the conferences. The parenthetical amount represents an average grant/distribution amount for each conference member, although these individual amounts can vary widely depending on the formulas used by each conference to hand out the money.
AAC 2019 $49,635,911 ($4,136,326)
MWC 2019 $42,883,422 ($3,898,493)
CUSA 2019 $27,876,250 ($1,991,161)
MAC 2019 $24,116,351 ($2,009,696)
SBC 2019 $17,959,464 ($1,496,622)
AAC 2020 $65,385,468 ($5,029,651)
MWC 2020 $ (not available)
CUSA 2020 $26,620,665 ($1,901,476)
MAC 2020 $24,530,154 ($2,044,180)
SBC 2020 $14,882,160 ($1,240,180)
Below are the highest payouts to an individual conference member in each year.
AAC 2019 $7,476,770 (UCF)
MWC 2019 $ (not available)
CUSA 2019 $2,921,341 (Middle Tennessee)
MAC 2019 $2,393,714 (Toledo)
SBC 2019 $1,621,356 (Georgia St.)
AAC 2020 $8,656,466 (Memphis)
MWC 2020 $ (not available)
CUSA 2020 $2,739,105 (Marshall)
MAC 2020 $2,386,989 (Buffalo)
SBC 2020 $1,386,608 (Georgia St.)
Finally, one way of measuring the financial health of an organization is to look at its net worth - calculated by determining how much its total assets exceed its total liabilities. This calculation taken from the Form 990 of each conference reveals the following:
AAC 2020 $43,315,213
MWC 2020 $ (not available, but was $7,984,041 in 2019)
CUSA 2020 $8,748,914
MAC 2020 $6,431,401
SBC 2020 $6,457,663
One could conclude from all this financial data that a possible move by Marshall to the AAC might be expected to eventually increase revenues by $2-3 million per year on average, or by as much as $5 million per year if Marshall's teams performed exceedingly well in football and/or men's basketball. Conversely, a possible move by Marshall to the SBC might be expected to decrease revenues by $1 to 1.5 million per year. One might question whether the SBC generates enough money to feed an additional mouth or two through expansion, at least without identifying additional sources of revenue through TV/media rights or other means. Perhaps the recent SBC's TV/media contract extension with ESPN announced in July will generate additional dollars, though none were mentioned in the press release. A move by Marshall to the MAC would be, at best, a lateral one financially.
Of course, all of this becomes even more complicated if CUSA teams start dropping off (UAB/FAU to the AAC? ODU to the Atlantic 10?). After the AAC, I do believe CUSA is the most unstable conference. The idea of forming a new conference sounds great, but is not very practical given the fact it would not have access to the football playoffs, would not have access to an auto berth in the NCAA basketball tournaments, and would not have any established TV/media revenue. Getting an additional auto berth in basketball only takes money away from P5 at-large berth contenders, so good luck getting that approved by the NCAA. It would be difficult for any school to abandon its conference affiliation for a new conference venture given this level of uncertainty.
*****************************************************************
I have obtained the Form 990s for the G5 conferences for their fiscal years ending June 30, 2019, and June 30, 2020. Obviously, June 30, 2021 Form 990s have not yet been filed.
In terms of dollars, the AAC ranks as the clear top dog in the G5, with the Sun Belt Conference as the poor man.
Total revenues of each conference are set forth below.
AAC 2019 $73,203,230
MWC 2019 $57,058,330
CUSA 2019 $44,250,642
MAC 2019 $30,848,489
SBC 2019 $33,072,881
AAC 2020 $111,278,729
MWC 2020 $ (not available)
CUSA 2020 $40,861,629
MAC 2020 $32,241,698
SBC 2020 $31,584,812
Revenues from TV/media rights are interesting. These amounts are included in the total revenues above.
AAC 2019 $22,726,100
MWC 2019 $14,232,915
CUSA 2019 $6,968,263
MAC 2019 $8,639,734
SBC 2019 $3,920,523
AAC 2020 $43,988,700
MWC 2020 $ (not available)
CUSA 2020 $6,440,156
MAC 2020 $9,186,590
SBC 2020 $2,250,000
By far, the largest expense amounts for each conference are the grants and distributions they make to their member institutions. The total grant/distribution amounts set forth below are net of any membership dues paid to the conferences. The parenthetical amount represents an average grant/distribution amount for each conference member, although these individual amounts can vary widely depending on the formulas used by each conference to hand out the money.
AAC 2019 $49,635,911 ($4,136,326)
MWC 2019 $42,883,422 ($3,898,493)
CUSA 2019 $27,876,250 ($1,991,161)
MAC 2019 $24,116,351 ($2,009,696)
SBC 2019 $17,959,464 ($1,496,622)
AAC 2020 $65,385,468 ($5,029,651)
MWC 2020 $ (not available)
CUSA 2020 $26,620,665 ($1,901,476)
MAC 2020 $24,530,154 ($2,044,180)
SBC 2020 $14,882,160 ($1,240,180)
Below are the highest payouts to an individual conference member in each year.
AAC 2019 $7,476,770 (UCF)
MWC 2019 $ (not available)
CUSA 2019 $2,921,341 (Middle Tennessee)
MAC 2019 $2,393,714 (Toledo)
SBC 2019 $1,621,356 (Georgia St.)
AAC 2020 $8,656,466 (Memphis)
MWC 2020 $ (not available)
CUSA 2020 $2,739,105 (Marshall)
MAC 2020 $2,386,989 (Buffalo)
SBC 2020 $1,386,608 (Georgia St.)
Finally, one way of measuring the financial health of an organization is to look at its net worth - calculated by determining how much its total assets exceed its total liabilities. This calculation taken from the Form 990 of each conference reveals the following:
AAC 2020 $43,315,213
MWC 2020 $ (not available, but was $7,984,041 in 2019)
CUSA 2020 $8,748,914
MAC 2020 $6,431,401
SBC 2020 $6,457,663
One could conclude from all this financial data that a possible move by Marshall to the AAC might be expected to eventually increase revenues by $2-3 million per year on average, or by as much as $5 million per year if Marshall's teams performed exceedingly well in football and/or men's basketball. Conversely, a possible move by Marshall to the SBC might be expected to decrease revenues by $1 to 1.5 million per year. One might question whether the SBC generates enough money to feed an additional mouth or two through expansion, at least without identifying additional sources of revenue through TV/media rights or other means. Perhaps the recent SBC's TV/media contract extension with ESPN announced in July will generate additional dollars, though none were mentioned in the press release. A move by Marshall to the MAC would be, at best, a lateral one financially.
Of course, all of this becomes even more complicated if CUSA teams start dropping off (UAB/FAU to the AAC? ODU to the Atlantic 10?). After the AAC, I do believe CUSA is the most unstable conference. The idea of forming a new conference sounds great, but is not very practical given the fact it would not have access to the football playoffs, would not have access to an auto berth in the NCAA basketball tournaments, and would not have any established TV/media revenue. Getting an additional auto berth in basketball only takes money away from P5 at-large berth contenders, so good luck getting that approved by the NCAA. It would be difficult for any school to abandon its conference affiliation for a new conference venture given this level of uncertainty.
I believe the idea is to corner the market on just about any G5 team with a pulse and sell that as the only G5 conference with any attractive programs. Kind of offer the TV networks all the best of the rest, and you can sell it across all 4 time zones. Networks and streaming services will need those 12 noon games, and games on Thursdays and Fridays, etc.
I'm not sure how the minimize the travel, but PODS and scheduling gurus will figure that out.
TBH, haven't really kept up with anything in the ovc for awhile, but with investment in a stadium and other stuff and Peay recently showing growth it does not surprised me that their current leadership that they would be unsatisfied with the ovc. This is a lot different than APSU's position on anything in athletics was for half a century or more. I remember hearing or reading something from a MT athletic person decades ago to the effect if the ovc membership was in favor of something to improve athletics at all the colleges in the conference, Peay was inevitably against it.
You have to wonder if tsu is starting to look at their options (swac?) as well.
Opening up a spot for MT? (LOL)
ASUN Conference Welcomes Austin Peay State University as its Newest Member
ATLANTA, Ga. – The ASUN Conference announced today the addition of Austin Peay State University into the league after a unanimous vote by the ASUN Presidents' Council. With the introduction of the Governors, the league expands to 13 member institutions as the ASUN welcomes its second university...
www.asunsports.org
Statement From OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche
"We are clearly in a time of change for intercollegiate athletics, and the Ohio Valley Conference embraces this moment, committed to the institutions and student-athletes whom we serve and confident in our future.
ovcsports.com
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Mountain West commissioner pushes back against possible poaching from AAC
Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson has remained relatively quiet as the capricious winds of conference realignment swirl around him, as his counterparts in the American Athletic Conference a…
www.sandiegouniontribune.com
Wouldn't it be good, for once, to see something come out of Murhpy/Cope regarding athletics that made you go..."Wow, that is good thinking...we needed that. That will help the program...."
I don't know if it is nostalgia but when we moved to 1-A, I was a student and most of the time, it appeared we were going to be given a fighters chance at competing.
The stadium
The first iteration of the weight room
scoreboard improvements
academic center
baseball stadium
coaching changing when needed
Each one of these facilities had their pros/cons and some didn't quite make a standard but they were steps forward. I just don't get how stale it is over there. These people are making decent salaries and it appears they are just "keeping the lights on". That mentality will fail......no conference will come looking for that.
I don't know if it is nostalgia but when we moved to 1-A, I was a student and most of the time, it appeared we were going to be given a fighters chance at competing.
The stadium
The first iteration of the weight room
scoreboard improvements
academic center
baseball stadium
coaching changing when needed
Each one of these facilities had their pros/cons and some didn't quite make a standard but they were steps forward. I just don't get how stale it is over there. These people are making decent salaries and it appears they are just "keeping the lights on". That mentality will fail......no conference will come looking for that.
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They have always had an open invitation to the swac. probably should've moved this past year
Conference Realignment Is No Longer Pending; It's Here
[jwplayer jF5wU66N-sNi3MVSU] Conference Realignment Is No Longer Pending; It’s Here How will the Mountain West react? Contact/Follow @MWCwire Time to be aggressive, Craig Thompson The Mountai…
mwwire.com
the view from Bowling Green:
Rushing the exit doors: Who is leaving C-USA?
The Big 12 Conference officially extended invitations to American Athletic Conference members UCF, Houston and Cincinnati as well as independent BYU on Friday, Sept. 10. The four programs are joining a conference that has already been fully ransacked – the Big 12 put up its ‘we’re hiring’ sign...
wkuherald.com
I hate to give a goatlover credit, but this is well thought out. I've been thinking about which schools might go to the AAC but hadn't considered that the Mountain West could grab schools too. His assessment of us is spot on. "They exist"the view from Bowling Green:
Rushing the exit doors: Who is leaving C-USA?
The Big 12 Conference officially extended invitations to American Athletic Conference members UCF, Houston and Cincinnati as well as independent BYU on Friday, Sept. 10. The four programs are joining a conference that has already been fully ransacked – the Big 12 put up its ‘we’re hiring’ sign...wkuherald.com
Conference realignment isn’t over. What does that mean for Utah State and the Mountain West?
The AAC and Mountain West are the latest conferences wrapped up in realignment rumors.
www.deseret.com
...If the MWC does lose teams, geographically speaking the conferences that would make most sense to look at for new members would be Conference USA (the conference has four schools in Texas, including UTSA, UTEP, Rice and North Texas) or the Big Sky at the FCS level, with independent New Mexico State another option.
If no new members are added, the Mountain West at eight teams would lose some of its standing in the Group of Five, where it is arguably 1A or 1B, alongside AAC (though the rising Sun Belt has thrown that power dynamic into flux in recent seasons).....
The smart move would be to combine and split CUSA/ SB by geography.
Combine the CUSA West, Sun Belt West and Troy into a 12 team conference from Alabama over.
Combine the CUSA East and SB East (minus Troy) to get 11 teams. Then invite a 12th that makes sense geographically to get 12.
The smartest move is a drastic re-organization via geography. I don't see that happening though.
If CUSA wants to expand, it needs to go for brands and programs, not markets. CUSA went for markets and it seemed like a good strategy at the time, but those programs (us included), never took that step forward - looking at ODU, Charlotte, us. Or, they don't capture the market anyway - North Texas, F_U's.
CUSA needs to look at App State, Louisiana, Arkansas State.
If CUSA wants to expand, it needs to go for brands and programs, not markets. CUSA went for markets and it seemed like a good strategy at the time, but those programs (us included), never took that step forward - looking at ODU, Charlotte, us. Or, they don't capture the market anyway - North Texas, F_U's.
CUSA needs to look at App State, Louisiana, Arkansas State.
And to be completely honest, the more I think about it - I'm not sure a return to the Sunbelt would be a terrible idea. It would force us to swallow a little pride (if we have any left), but I think it would make sense. This would be the time to do it - it would look bad, but we don't have many fans left to complain about it anyway.
UAB is as good as gone, so Middle is left with exactly 1 team within a 5 hour radius - WKU. WKU isn't much better off, only Marshall is within 5 hours.
Go back to the 'Belt and bring WKU with us. They have at least 3 programs much better than anything we have in App State, Louisiana, Coastal) with better fan support than anything CUSA has (sans maybe Marshall).
We'd have more natural rivals within a fairly easy drive - WKU, Troy, Georgia State, Ark State, App State. Less trips out to Texas. Are you more likely to go to Norfolk to see us play ODU, or Boone NC to see us play App? More likely to trek down to Atlanta or way the heck over to Charlotte? 3 hours to Jonesboro, or twice that to Ruston? No one is going to El Paso ever anyway.
At this point, the old conference hierarchy is dead. The market size strategy was wrong - compelling programs and games draw, not just random #'s of eyeballs in adjacent zip codes.
Plus, streaming killed TV contracts to the point where all G5 are splitting pennies anyway. The path forward is to minimize expenses, increase the importance and attractiveness of games and try and build your program organically - fan support, rivalries, peer programs working together.
UAB is as good as gone, so Middle is left with exactly 1 team within a 5 hour radius - WKU. WKU isn't much better off, only Marshall is within 5 hours.
Go back to the 'Belt and bring WKU with us. They have at least 3 programs much better than anything we have in App State, Louisiana, Coastal) with better fan support than anything CUSA has (sans maybe Marshall).
We'd have more natural rivals within a fairly easy drive - WKU, Troy, Georgia State, Ark State, App State. Less trips out to Texas. Are you more likely to go to Norfolk to see us play ODU, or Boone NC to see us play App? More likely to trek down to Atlanta or way the heck over to Charlotte? 3 hours to Jonesboro, or twice that to Ruston? No one is going to El Paso ever anyway.
At this point, the old conference hierarchy is dead. The market size strategy was wrong - compelling programs and games draw, not just random #'s of eyeballs in adjacent zip codes.
Plus, streaming killed TV contracts to the point where all G5 are splitting pennies anyway. The path forward is to minimize expenses, increase the importance and attractiveness of games and try and build your program organically - fan support, rivalries, peer programs working together.
You have to be invited though. Not sure they'd want us given our current state of affairs. Plus it waters down the payout per team for them.
I think if we called, they'd listen. Their commish is being proactive (crickets out of CUSA leadership), and is on record saying they see the opportunity to expand.
If you look at their geographic map, they have a giant hole right in the middle - us and WKU would fit in nicely, bringing 2 new states, 2 easy road trips for just about everyone in the conference, a large metro area (for whatever that's worth).
Some conference is getting knocked out in all of this (or is going to be a home for a bunch of random FCS move-ups). It won't be the AAC - too strong and they can poach. It won't be the MAC (close knit regional conference does it's own thing). Probably won't be the MWC (those west coast teams need someplace to play)
So, that leaves CUSA or the Sunbelt. And frankly, I don't like our chances.
This whole mess we have as a school just saddens me. I came to campus fall of '98. Everyone had shirts that said 1-A All the Way. It was a MAJOR deal. Stadium had just finished expansion. Students were excited. Leadership excited.
And now...nothing has been made of that. Everything the visionary Walker did I feel like was for not. And why? Political crap? Pride by other schools?
It's just sad.
What many schools have been working for during those same 20+ years, they are now getting while we are left out to dry.
And now...nothing has been made of that. Everything the visionary Walker did I feel like was for not. And why? Political crap? Pride by other schools?
It's just sad.
What many schools have been working for during those same 20+ years, they are now getting while we are left out to dry.
We’re toast in the realignment scramble. And, I’m afraid the damage to our Athletics Program is irreparable. It is what it is.
Realizing this thread is primarily about FB but Belmont's move from the 22nd ranked BkB conference to the 10th ranked MVC brings up this observation:
I'm old enough to remember when UNCC, Jacksonville (Fla.), USA, and UAB were all the best BkB team in their respective states and were on the national radar (Kermit's hoped for "national brand"). I have regretted that since these teams lost their national prominence that there were no teams in the south with such stature which did not play big time FB. Not a problem in other areas of the country - Georgetown, St. Johns, Marquette, Gonzaga, etc.
Could Belmont's move to the MVC help them become closer to a "national brand" in BkB?
(something I have dreamed for MT ever since conference mate WKU made the Final Four)
I'm old enough to remember when UNCC, Jacksonville (Fla.), USA, and UAB were all the best BkB team in their respective states and were on the national radar (Kermit's hoped for "national brand"). I have regretted that since these teams lost their national prominence that there were no teams in the south with such stature which did not play big time FB. Not a problem in other areas of the country - Georgetown, St. Johns, Marquette, Gonzaga, etc.
Could Belmont's move to the MVC help them become closer to a "national brand" in BkB?
(something I have dreamed for MT ever since conference mate WKU made the Final Four)
