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FOOTBALL More conference re- alignment?

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 think for "non-power" conference schools that have FBS football it will be hard to be a "national brand" in basketball. All of those other schools you mentioned either do not have football or compete at a lower level. Belmont would be a school that would fit the mold. They do not have football to waste resources on when they have no chance of winning a national title.
 
I think for "non-power" conference schools that have FBS football it will be hard to be a "national brand" in basketball. All of those other schools you mentioned either do not have football or compete at a lower level. Belmont would be a school that would fit the mold. They do not have football to waste resources on when they have no chance of winning a national title.
When going D-1 in FB I had expected BkB to move up and remove the %$&-major stigma. Instead, it appears here 20 years later that the move to D-1 and the current G-5 status is more of a hindrance than a boost to Basketball.
 
When going D-1 in FB I had expected BkB to move up and remove the %$&-major stigma. Instead, it appears here 20 years later that the move to D-1 and the current G-5 status is more of a hindrance than a boost to Basketball.
Kermit took MBB to all-time highs. Football had no effect.

I think of UCONN and their basketball success vs. their hapless football program. One hasn't influenced the other.

It comes down to coaching.
 
Kermit's best years were from 2011 until he left. So after the 2011-12 basketball and until Kermit left, Stockstill's record was 44-32. If you include the season after Kermit left (before McDevitt's first game), Stock was 52-38. No conference championships, but a respectable 3/4 of a decade of football. We have gone from basketball and football being good or great to absolute garbage.
 
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I just imagine if we kept up the momentum in basketball and continued to at a minimum winning seasons in football where we would be on the AAC's radar.
 
No we wouldn't because Memphis is still there.
I just said I imagine where we would be on their radar. I didn't say we would get the invite, or even be top 5. So, I am not sure what you are saying we wouldn't to. I guarantee we would be higher than we are now. Texas A&M didn't think Texas would be invited to the SEC either. Before it gets said, I am not saying we are comparable to Texas. All I am saying is if the AAC thought we were best to improve their league, they would not care what Memphis thought.

The AAC is obviously look West to make their footprint larger anyway. Reports say that Air Force and Colorado State are being invited and Boise State turned them down in hopes for Big 12 invite.
 
No we wouldn't because Memphis is still there.
As a Blue Raider fan with dual loyalties living in Middle TN, I would be all for MT getting an AAC bid but the folks in Memphis would definitely kill it. The ‘07 loss in Memphis when Dasher was a Freshman had most of the folks sitting around me in total shock. The next loss in Murfreesboro in ‘09 made folks foam at the mouth. It got a HC fired, the AD and Univ. President pushed into early retirement. Even Fuente was feeling heat for losing twice to Middle and once to UTM but he had a big mess to clean up after West and Porter. There are folks who still hiss at me when I mention MTSU playing Memphis again in football. I loved the series.
 
I was at that Memphis game in 07 when Dasher ran all over them. We were 4 point dogs. Stadium got pretty quiet once we took control of the game.

4th Quarter
RUSH
3:46
Dwight Dasher rush for 61 yards for a TOUCHDOWN.
217

Game over.

Great times.
I was there as well. Sitting 14 rows directly behind the Tigers bench with my college roommate. That TD run Dasher broke off caused a chorus of boos and cursing at Tommy West from several boosters/ members of the Highland Hundred.
Those were the days I proudly wore my MTSU apparel. Now we’re considering bags instead. 😂😂
 
When going D-1 in FB I had expected BkB to move up and remove the %$&-major stigma. Instead, it appears here 20 years later that the move to D-1 and the current G-5 status is more of a hindrance than a boost to Basketball.
Gonzaga and Butler Don play football and they can play some fantastic basketball. Nationally ranked! Coaching, Coaching, Coaching. We do not have any.
 
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I remember traveling to U-LaLa even when they were really down. They still had great turnout. Their AD made decent decisions but were not afraid to fire/rehire.

I would look at Astate and be jealous of how quick they made decisions to better the program.

What we have done is make ourselves impotent with this contract. We can't do anything. nothing. no way out except to wait for retirement. Why a local sports journalist doesn't pick up THIS story is beyond me. It involves taxpayer dollars. Bad decisions. Student fees. Big salaries.....there is a huge story here but nobody flipping cares.
 
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I remember traveling to U-LaLa even when they were really down. They still had great turnout. Their AD made decent decisions but were not afraid to fire/rehire.

I would look at Astate and be jealous of how quick they made decisions to better the program.

What we have done is make ourselves impotent with this contract. We can't do anything. nothing. no way out except to wait for retirement. Why a local sports journalist doesn't pick up THIS story is beyond me. It involves taxpayer dollars. Bad decisions. Student fees. Big salaries.....there is a huge story here but nobody flipping cares.
Good ole boy network. Don't rock any boats.
 
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For years, it has been painfully obvious that MTSU continues to severely suffer from incredibly poor leadership. Obviously, I'm not the only one pointing this out around here. It has just been so clear that the "Leadership" lacks vision. It was predictable (and was predicted) that this is where MTSU would eventually be under the visionless M&M. No growing top conference wants anything to do with an institution with such visionless, directionless, and horrendous leadership.

For all intents and purposes, I have given up on MTSU. I refuse to spend $1 on anything MTSU. I have removed any public displays of MTSU brands, logos, or icons from my public apparel, home, and vehicle. It is embarrassing to try to publicly support a program where even the leadership could seem to care less. Additionally, the disrespect for the fans & alumni is palpable, in my opinion. Why would any self-respecting person (alumnus or fan) "simp" for any such program & leadership that clearly has no respect for them?
Speaking of simps, McPhee appears to have no problem simping for anyone associated with the grammys especially when it might be caught in the media or on social media. McPhee also appears to be a super-simp for anything communist china.

I generally refrain from such comments around here, but I currently have a big orange T on the front of my truck. They may be screwed up, but at least the leadership and people still try and expect better, expect to compete at the top part of their conference. Additionally and fwiw, I do have a grad degree from UT.

Somewhere in the deep recesses of my garage, that MT plate still sits and waits against hope for that one day when new leadership just might arrive again at MT that actually shows some sign of caring for the university and the people. If and when that day arrives, I will gladly remove that orange T for the Blue MT on the front of my truck. I just hope that day arrives before that MT plate and MT is completely forgotten.

Go MTSU Blue Light Specials!
 
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-“A lot of people are nervous,” said one Division I athletics director. “If you want to make a move, you’re at the crossroads. You have to do it now.”

-Among the four, (Boise, SDSU, CSU and AF) Air Force is viewed as the most eager to make the jump as it would put them in the same conference as Navy and give their recruiting efforts a stronger presence in the East. Colorado State is not necessarily tied to Air Force, but as in-state rivals, it would make sense for them to move in tandem.

-If the AAC can’t pull off its Western gambit, or only lures Air Force, the focus would likely turn to UAB and Charlotte from Conference USA as well as perhaps Army, which plays as an independent and has rejected multiple overtures to join a league in football.

- An AAC raid would force even more downstream movement likely (MWC) focused on UT-San Antonio, North Texas and Rice, all of which are currently in Conference USA.

-If Conference USA loses members, any replacements would most likely come from independents such as Liberty and New Mexico State or perhaps James Madison, a traditional FCS power that has expressed interest in moving up to the FBS.
 
Messed up attempting to respond to dukewayne, sorry-

While I haven't removed my MT identifiers from my old vehicles I have not seen a reason to put any on my recently bought car. My plethora of MT caps are wasting away in my closet (tired of feeling the need to explain) and I'm wearing out my few non MT headgear. But; you'll never catch me with one Urenge item even though quite a few family members have connections and I even helped pay for a couple to attend school there. I may begin to wear some gear from my grandchildren's high schools and colleges.

As for McPhee: He'll do anything to get his photo taken and will attach to anything which will help him do so but he has no clue on a long term plan to attain a better image. Agree that he needed to spend more time in the greater mid-state area making connections and establishing relationships rather than spending so much time on China. He has no idea that the inability go get the law school, the fact that UT took over Martin Methodists (rather than MT), and the degrading decline of the athletic program is clearly on him.
 
Why does anyone think 7-wood is incompetent? If he didn't do exactly as those above him wanted him to do, then he would have been gone when the sex scandal became public.

His job is to create tsu-murfreesboro and that is what he is doing.
 
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Colorado State and Air Force staying in MW as well. That is a huge smack to AAC.
Yeah, it makes sense though. Why join another G5 conference only to have to play all over the damn country. There's no more prestiege playing Tulsa, Tulanne and ECU than it is playing San Jose St., Fresno or Hawaii. Now if they were snubbing the Big 12, that would be news. The AAC will have to shop with the Belt and CUSA now. If it were me, I would go for App St, UAB and Marshall or Charlotte. The MWC should target UTSA and UTEP
 
What would be hilarious is if everyone said no to the AAC and they actually came calling to us as like their 15th choice. Talk about pathetic on all fronts.
 

This was posted in response to this on another board


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This was posted in response to this on another board


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This regionalized idea makes too much sense.

Plus, letting this report out early hurts CUSA. It seems like CUSA is showing its hand way too early. Why go public that this meeting is happening if you do not already have support from the AAC and SB? If CUSA presidents support this plan and they cannot get the AAC/ SB to agree, CUSA has further weakened itself. Someone leaked it to the press and it hurts the conference.
 
This regionalized idea makes too much sense.

Plus, letting this report out early hurts CUSA. It seems like CUSA is showing its hand way too early. Why go public that this meeting is happening if you do not already have support from the AAC and SB? If CUSA presidents support this plan and they cannot get the AAC/ SB to agree, CUSA has further weakened itself. Someone leaked it to the press and it hurts the conference.
CUSA is run by a bozo. This attempt is only to try and save this dreadful conference. Why would the AAC or Sunbelt want to bail out CUSA. Our best chance for any existence is an invite to the Sunbelt. That's not a given.
 
CUSA is run by a bozo. This attempt is only to try and save this dreadful conference. Why would the AAC or Sunbelt want to bail out CUSA. Our best chance for any existence is an invite to the Sunbelt. That's not a given.
After we were snubbed for a bowl bid when we left the SunBelt, and given the way we have gone backwards since, I doubt they would take us back.
 
I have a feeling it went something like:
Sunbelt - 'Nah'
AAC - "Nah' (but 3 Nahs and spoken louder)
 
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Realizing that MT is at most an afterthought in the mid-state media and we get virtually no TV and print coverage, no media at games or press conferences, and very little talk on local sports talk just how are we to reach casual and potential fans?
I think most of us here realize that the lack of media coverage affects attendance, contributions, and local recruiting. A bigger question might be just how is this lack of ability to get our message out is going to affect the pool of applicants if we have a AD or coaching position open. If a person has a chance to apply for a job at a school with no media presence, a "sphere of influence" if you will, will they chose not to apply realizing how hard it is to build a program if you can't get the word out?
We wonder just how UNCC and UTSA can surpass MT's program so easily? Could not a large part of the issue be media coverage?
 
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