CUSA Regionalization concept would realign teams in AAC, Conference USA, Sun Belt

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Originally Posted by The Historian

I've been around long enough to have lived through Beightol.

Then I lived through Torbush.

I lived through the final few years of the Peace era before we hired Crowton as OC.

I lived through the day in 2004 when we were passed over by CUSA.

I lived through the final days of the Bicknell era.

We'll be back. We may not have our current president or coach but we'll be back.

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I understand this but things are gearing up towards a major restructuring to where there will be no mobility possible. I hope I'm wrong and you're right. We may come back to find the door locked and everyone gone

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Originally Posted by Gladzilla

His dealer must sell the expensive heroine.

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That would make the dealer a pimp.

Sounds like there are still discussions happening. I’d assume those discussions are with USM and Marshall to keep them in the fold.

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Originally Posted by THEarmada

Sounds like there are still discussions happening. I’d assume those discussions are with USM and Marshall to keep them in the fold.

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To me, that statement was probably a copy and paste of their “pitch” to the AAC. The only thing I actually learned is we’re about to build some more stuff.

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Originally Posted by Dowty

To me, that statement was probably a copy and paste of their “pitch” to the AAC. The only thing I actually learned is we’re about to build some more stuff.

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I wasn’t referencing the Tech statement.

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Originally Posted by THEarmada

I wasn’t referencing the Tech statement.

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Oh. I hope whatever you heard is actually happening and not empty speak. My point about the statement still stands, though.

Huggy Bear wants to nail the coffin shut.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...caa-tournament

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Originally Posted by THEarmada

Sounds like there are still discussions happening. I’d assume those discussions are with USM and Marshall to keep them in the fold.

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Stay in a dying conference or join a conference on the rise? Hope we hired a top notch salesperson.

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Originally Posted by Bulldog Tom

Stay in a dying conference or join a conference on the rise? Hope we hired a top notch salesperson.

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The problem with the C-USA is UTEP. Literally no one left in the C-USA wants to be in a conference with UTEP.

You have to exit UTEP either through moving, kicking, reforming, or leaving.

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Originally Posted by Bulldog Tom

Huggy Bear wants to nail the coffin shut.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...caa-tournament

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I truly believe the G4 or however many are left in the next few years will have their own show, and the rest of us will be basically the new FCS basically in every sport. They will sort out the “riff raff” and keep all the money for themselves

Why does Huggins even care? Not like WVU is going to beat the Baylor’s, Kentucky’s, Duke’s, Kansas’s, or Gonazaga’s often enough to unseat them.

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Originally Posted by The Historian

Dave, the truth is not getting into CUSA in 2012 was the best thing that ever happened to your athletic department. Just like Tech not getting in CUSA in 2004 led to dramatic change before we finally received an invitation in 2012.

I think what happened this week will likely light a fire under our biggest donors and administration. We'll come back. We always do.

Just think what would have happened if you would have gotten into CUSA in 2012.

In 8 conference football games against Tech you would have a losing record. Our 2 game series proved that. You would be a mid level CUSA program with a $23 to $25 million budget with your old facilities, including those stellar recruiting trailers. Scott Farmer would be your AD. Tim Rebowe would be your head football coach and turning in nice 7-6 seasons.

And Bob Marlin would be your basketball coach......oh wait!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Historian,
When you put it that way I tend to agree with you. It took a little longer than we would have liked, but had we gone to CUSA when Tech did, we wouldn’t now be in a stronger conference than CUSA, we probably would have never been able to get rid of those awful trailers and build our indoor practice facility and athletic performance center. get our athletic budget up to 36 million (which has allowed us to pay our HC $2 000,000 per year) get our team ranked in the final top 25 at the end of last season and raise enough money to begin a $75,000,000 renovation to our football stadium in the very near future. Not getting into CUSA back then has also kept us from being in the same terrible situation Tech finds itself in today.
So yes, you are correct, the best thing to happen to Louisiana athletics was not moving to CUSA way back then.

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Originally Posted by revf

The problem with the C-USA is UTEP. Literally no one left in the C-USA wants to be in a conference with UTEP.

You have to exit UTEP either through moving, kicking, reforming, or leaving.

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UTEP prob wish they stuck it with the WAC guys than follow Tulane/SMU/Tulsa to CUSA. They would probably be in MWC today.

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Originally Posted by techman05

Why does Huggins even care? Not like WVU is going to beat the Baylor’s, Kentucky’s, Duke’s, Kansas’s, or Gonazaga’s often enough to unseat them.

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It has nothing to do with that, at all. He isn't trying to better his chances of a championship. He doesn't want to share the money pie anymore.

Here is what will happen in our lifetime. The P5 conferences (about to be 68 schools) will leave the NCAA. Why wouldn't they? Sure they overall pie might be a little smaller, put the number of slices will be much smaller. Each slice will be much bigger.

It's is simple economics.

PS All of this conference realignment is also nothing but economics.

I don't remember many, if any, here being excited to hear that the C-USA presidents were allowing UAB back in with football after having let them stay as a non-football member which should have never happened.

They did everything in the world for UAB to keep them alive. What did they get for it? This is what happens when academia tries to do business. They fail.

All these "If only" this or that in regards to conference affiliation, it could always be worse. Tulane voluntarily left the SEC...how dumb! A textbook case of academia eff-up!

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Originally Posted by dawg80

All these "If only" this or that in regards to conference affiliation, it could always be worse. Tulane voluntarily left the SEC...how dumb! A textbook case of academia eff-up!

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This should be required reading for every university President. As a Tulane alum I know this decision was the worst in my schools history.

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Originally Posted by Mad Italian

This should be required reading for every university President. As a Tulane alum I know this decision was the worst in my schools history.

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Well ... that and letting go of the "University of Louisiana" name.

As we now know.

So, if the scenario plays out whereby Tech and 4 others are left stranded, and IF CUSA stays viable as an existing conference then we should realize a hefty payday from all the exit fees paid by 9 departing schools. Isn't it something like $1.4 million each? This is why the departing schools, in kahootz with the raiding conferences and ESPN, are trying to kill CUSA as an existing entity. No exit fees would be owed if CUSA officially no longer exists.

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Originally Posted by dawg80

So, if the scenario plays out whereby Tech and 4 others are left stranded, and IF CUSA stays viable as an existing conference then we should realize a hefty payday from all the exit fees paid by 9 departing schools. Isn't it something like $1.4 million each? This is why the departing schools, in kahootz with the raiding conferences and ESPN, are trying to kill CUSA as an existing entity. No exit fees would be owed if CUSA officially no longer exists.

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"How I made 1.4M doing nothing"

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Originally Posted by Blue Dawg

"How I made 1.4M doing nothing"

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If divided between the 5 of us, that's $2.52 million each. Of course, Judy et al will pilfer some for their golden parachutes.

Looks like it's official
http://theamerican.org/news/2021/10/...versities.aspx
FAU, UAB, Rice, UTSA, UNT and UNC-Charlotte going to the AAC

When Skip Holtz was announced as the Head Coach of the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs...

Charlotte didn't even have a football program.

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Originally Posted by Heavyarms

Looks like it's official
http://theamerican.org/news/2021/10/...versities.aspx
FAU, UAB, Rice, UTSA, UNT and UNC-Charlotte going to the AAC

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Well, good on them, I guess.

We woulda done the same.

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Originally Posted by Heavyarms

Looks like it's official
http://theamerican.org/news/2021/10/...versities.aspx
FAU, UAB, Rice, UTSA, UNT and UNC-Charlotte going to the AAC

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Wow! Now that's it official...MU and USM to the Belch, and WKU and MTSU to the MAC (probably, and who can blame them?)

Well, it's a damn good thing I am trying to kick my addiction to sports. This will help! Tech is DOA.

As I said, Wood is an empty suit. Hogdawg said he was negotiating behind the scenes and would get us in the AAC. Empty suits don't accomplish such things.

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Originally Posted by dawg80

Wow! Now that's it official...MU and USM to the Belch, and WKU and MTSU to the MAC (probably, and who can blame them?)

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Nah -- the MAC is helium. They're Switzerland. Over the last 20 years, they've thrown lifelines to Marshall, UCF, Temple, & UMass and got burned each time. I dont see them getting involved.

CUSA will backfill with some combination of UMass, UConn, Liberty, & NMSU. And we'll still be in it.

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Originally Posted by dawg80

Wow! Now that's it official...MU and USM to the Belch, and WKU and MTSU to the MAC (probably, and who can blame them?)

Well, it's a damn good thing I am trying to kick my addiction to sports. This will help! Tech is DOA.

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Pretty much. We will be forced to go independent, and in todays athletic landscape, that's going to be hard to overcome.

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Originally Posted by Champ967

Nah -- the MAC is helium. They're Switzerland. Over the last 20 years, they've thrown lifelines to Marshall, UCF, Temple, & UMass and got burned each time. I dont see them getting involved.

CUSA will backfill with some combination of UMass, UConn, Liberty, & NMSU. And we'll still be in it.

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Hey, works for me! :shocked2:

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Originally Posted by dawg80

As I said, Wood is an empty suit. Hogdawg said he was negotiating behind the scenes and would get us in the AAC. Empty suits don't accomplish such things.

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Oh, please. No matter how hard you try, you don’t always get what you want. Fact of the matter is we don’t know anything about what happened behind the scenes or not.

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Originally Posted by dawg80

So, if the scenario plays out whereby Tech and 4 others are left stranded, and IF CUSA stays viable as an existing conference then we should realize a hefty payday from all the exit fees paid by 9 departing schools. Isn't it something like $1.4 million each? This is why the departing schools, in kahootz with the raiding conferences and ESPN, are trying to kill CUSA as an existing entity. No exit fees would be owed if CUSA officially no longer exists.

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The total buyouts when split between the remaining schools will almost certainly exceed our tv contract money. So at least in the very (one time) short term, that's some cash to store up (maybe for our own buy-out or to subsidize trips to Miami and El Paso).

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Originally Posted by Tech52

Oh, please. No matter how hard you try, you don’t always get what you want. Fact of the matter is we don’t know anything about what happened behind the scenes or not.

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Oh...please yourself.

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Originally Posted by inudesu

The total buyouts when split between the remaining schools will almost certainly exceed our tv contract money. So at least in the very (one time) short term, that's some cash to store up (maybe for our own buy-out or to subsidize trips to Miami and El Paso).

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So, it might come down to the Final Four: Tech, UTEP, ODU, and FIU. LOL!!! Talk about a geographic tight fit, eh! Not! It's practically the 4 corners of the current alignment. Or, close enough to laugh about. Yeah, we four will be able to bring in other schools to build a cohesive league.

Not sure my fandom will survive this shake up.

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Originally Posted by dawg80

So, it might come down to the Final Four: Tech, UTEP, ODU, and FIU. LOL!!! Talk about a geographic tight fit, eh! Not! It's practically the 4 corners of the current alignment. Or, close enough to laugh about. Yeah, we four will be able to bring in other schools to build a cohesive league.

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Does this mean that the rumor of ODU to Sun Belt with USM and Marshall isn't correct?
https://www.deseret.com/2021/10/20/2...n-miss-liberty

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Originally Posted by THEarmada

Not sure my fandom will survive this shake up.

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Many such cases!

Tech doesn't want your fandom. I'm not sure they care about anyone's fandom.

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Originally Posted by dawg80

Oh...please yourself.

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twss

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Originally Posted by Tech52

Oh, please. No matter how hard you try, you don’t always get what you want. Fact of the matter is we don’t know anything about what happened behind the scenes or not.

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We may not know exactly what went on behind the scenes, but we do know that to this point it’s amounted to nothing! So, based on the outcome, Nothing went on behind the scenes. But hey, that’s the norm with the powers at be these days... a lot of big talk and high hopes with rice flakes to show for it.

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Originally Posted by Bone_afide_Dawg

So, based on the outcome, Nothing went on behind the scenes.

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That's really bad thinking.

All we know is that we're not in the AAC. This isn't over.

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Originally Posted by Champ967

CUSA will backfill with some combination of UMass, UConn, Liberty, & NMSU. And we'll still be in it.

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I vomited a little bit as I read these sentences.

Would be more appealing to me if certain Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas FCS schools could promote to FBS and join C-USA.

I vomited a second time as I just typed that thought.

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Originally Posted by johnnylightnin

That's really bad thinking.

All we know is that we're not in the AAC. This isn't over.

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So what do you think will be the likely outcome? I’m not asking you if you know what will happen, just what you think will happen.

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Originally Posted by Champ967

Nah -- the MAC is helium. They're Switzerland. Over the last 20 years, they've thrown lifelines to Marshall, UCF, Temple, & UMass and got burned each time. I dont see them getting involved.

CUSA will backfill with some combination of UMass, UConn, Liberty, & NMSU. And we'll still be in it.

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Well, at least I think we could beat 3 of the 4 in year one. After that, they would probably pass us by.

Have faith guys, we will be invited to the Sunbelt……after they get raided by the AAC because the AAC got raided because the P5’s all go to 16 teams.

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Originally Posted by dawg80

As I said, Wood is an empty suit. Hogdawg said he was negotiating behind the scenes and would get us in the AAC. Empty suits don't accomplish such things.

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Come on…at least he oversaw our stadium power washed.

The one that still makes absolutely no sense to me is UNT.

If you have SMU and their Dallas branding, and your goal is markets…why add another school from the same “market”?

Networks trying to eliminate at least 1 pie and forcing the other pies to be cut into smaller pieces without them being any larger.

Sure would be fun if we had a real shot at winning conference championship in football, baseball, or basketball. Make these other conferences at least wonder if they left a real winner at home. However, We Are La Tech…….so……

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Originally Posted by revf

The one that still makes absolutely no sense to me is UNT.

If you have SMU and their Dallas branding, and your goal is markets…why add another school from the same “market”?

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because you know that SMU is leaving for MWC with LaTech?

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Originally Posted by sportdawg

because you know that SMU is leaving for MWC with LaTech?

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That's the spirit!

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Originally Posted by SicemDawgz

So what do you think will be the likely outcome? I’m not asking you if you know what will happen, just what you think will happen.

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Welp...

My thought is that IF USM is headed to the Belt, we probably are as well. I don't think message board beef keeps that from happening. I still don't think that's a done deal. I definitely don't see Marshall going to the Belt (WKU is a more likely add than Marshall).

I'd say it's 50/50 right now between the Belt and CUSA...with a VERY minimal chance we end up Indy. I think we'd stay in a USMless CUSA for a few years waiting for the next round.

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Originally Posted by johnnylightnin

Welp...

My thought is that IF USM is headed to the Belt, we probably are as well. I don't think message board beef keeps that from happening. I still don't think that's a done deal. I definitely don't see Marshall going to the Belt (WKU is a more likely add than Marshall).

I'd say it's 50/50 right now between the Belt and CUSA...with a VERY minimal chance we end up Indy. I think we'd stay in a USMless CUSA for a few years waiting for the next round.

Don't forget, Karl Benson is the commish of the Belt. We felt about him about the same way we feel about Judy when he was the WAC commish.

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Actually, no he's not. Keith Gill is the Sun Belt Commissioner.

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Originally Posted by ChuckK3

Actually, no he's not. Keith Gill is the Sun Belt Commissioner.

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Well, scratch that.

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Originally Posted by dawg80

Oh...please yourself.

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Originally Posted by inudesu

twss

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Knew someone couldn't pass on this one. I real softball tossed up there.

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Originally Posted by techman05

Sure would be fun if we had a real shot at winning conference championship in football, baseball, or basketball. Make these other conferences at least wonder if they left a real winner at home. However, We Are La Tech…….so……

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That would be great. Maybe this is what will finally give us the incentive to win some conference championships. Too bad this news didn’t officially drop last week before Holtz laid a turd in El Paso. Or like you said We are….

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Originally Posted by CajunDave1

Historian,
When you put it that way I tend to agree with you. It took a little longer than we would have liked, but had we gone to CUSA when Tech did, we wouldn’t now be in a stronger conference than CUSA, we probably would have never been able to get rid of those awful trailers and build our indoor practice facility and athletic performance center. get our athletic budget up to 36 million (which has allowed us to pay our HC $2 000,000 per year) get our team ranked in the final top 25 at the end of last season and raise enough money to begin a $75,000,000 renovation to our football stadium in the very near future. Not getting into CUSA back then has also kept us from being in the same terrible situation Tech finds itself in today.
So yes, you are correct, the best thing to happen to Louisiana athletics was not moving to CUSA way back then.

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.....and ULALA has $31 MILLION of athletic debt, while LA Tech only has $7 Million. UNT has $81M of athletic debt.

The message here is, spend money like hell, rack up tons of debt and never mind the results on the field. It doesn't pay to WIN in every sport, keep your debt low and balance your books professionally. To the contrary, it pays to spend and borrow like hell, no matter what anyone says.

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Originally Posted by dawg80

As I said, Wood is an empty suit. Hogdawg said he was negotiating behind the scenes and would get us in the AAC. Empty suits don't accomplish such things.

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Watch your mouth. I told you people before the week of the SMU game that Wood and his team missed a GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY to host AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco and other AAC officials and SMU offiicials out at Squire Creek in the week leading up to the SMU game. As usual, people on this board were in a coma, and nobody gave a crap, including you. I did say I was GIVING HIM A CHANCE, and I did. Times up.

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Originally Posted by HogDawg

Watch your mouth. I told you people before the week of the SMU game that Wood and his team missed a GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY to host AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco and other AAC officials and SMU offiicials out at Squire Creek in the week leading up to the SMU game. As usual, people on this board were in a coma, and nobody gave a crap, including you. I did say I was GIVING HIM A CHANCE, and I did. Times up.

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We now know that he didn't approach Aresco on purpose.

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Originally Posted by Blue Dawg

We now know that he didn't approach Aresco on purpose.

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Maybe. But, I honestly believe he was simply clueless, and never thought of it.

Tech fans need to realize that we have NO SALESMANSHIP talent in our athletic office. NONE! That's how we end up with stupid rules about Tailgating, Baseball ticket distribution and other dumb rules that result in declining sports attendance. In this case, we literally had an office full of athletic department employees, but not a single one of them thought to invite AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco and his associates --including SMU's leadership-- to Squire Creek for a a round of Golf, a nice dinner, a short prezo and an overnight stay. Nobody even thought of it.

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Originally Posted by Blue Dawg

We now know that he didn't approach Aresco on purpose.

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Sounds like he was told what they wanted. And Ruston wasn’t what they wanted.

The easiest thing to do when in a tough spot is wait until it’s all over and then make up the best excuse you can think of. It saves in a lot of effort and puts aside the time wasted when trying to something you don’t know how to do.

So my theory is SMU was okay with UNT/Rice/UTSA because they aren’t staying in the AAC for long.

I went to school at SMU. I met the President. He’s not one to stay put. They want more, bigger. He wants to restore what was lost with the death penalty.

The goal of SMU is the Big12, and I doubt they stay put in the C-USA 2.0 which is all the American has become. I don’t think the deck chairs are done rearranging yet, but damn our administration has to stop being reactive and become proactive in this. Other schools are making their intentions known through their actions and work. We are playing dumb.

Yeah SMU and Memphis are not long for that conference. They'll go to the Big 12. SMU adds more legitimacy to the conference than Boise State does. Big 12 needs as many ties as it can have to the SWC and Big 8 to be considered a power conference.

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Originally Posted by revf

So my theory is SMU was okay with UNT/Rice/UTSA because they aren’t staying in the AAC for long.

I went to school at SMU. I met the President. He’s not one to stay put. They want more, bigger. He wants to restore what was lost with the death penalty.

The goal of SMU is the Big12, and I doubt they stay put in the C-USA 2.0 which is all the American has become. I don’t think the deck chairs are done rearranging yet, but damn our administration has to stop being reactive and become proactive in this. Other schools are making their intentions known through their actions and work. We are playing dumb.

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Good post. (At least for an SMU grad. ;)) I particularly agree with your statement I bolded above. I just cited on another thread how this is a classic case of LA Tech officials not have the necessary business relationships to get this done. Tech officials have known for years that some day the AAC would come calling to poach some schools from CUSA. And yet, nobody at LA Tech ever bothered to cultivate a business relationship with AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco or any of his associates. For a school that knew it had shortcomings to begin with, this was business suicide. Tech got shut out this week, because that's exactly what we cultivated with the AAC over the last 5 years. Just like Skip Holtz in El Paso, we were not prepared.

We can’t blame our “leaders” if we made contact and were told, “you don’t bring a big enough market area with you so you will not be considered.”

We can blame them going back years of we have been told our budget was too small, other leaders don’t want to work with them because of burned bridges, or that we had no real plan for future development.

To me, it has to be more than market size. If that’s all it was, then every AD going back to Oakes would have told us this every time a conference shuffle happened that we were left out of.

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Originally Posted by HogDawg

Watch your mouth. I told you people before the week of the SMU game that Wood and his team missed a GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY to host AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco and other AAC officials and SMU offiicials out at Squire Creek in the week leading up to the SMU game. As usual, people on this board were in a coma, and nobody gave a crap, including you. I did say I was GIVING HIM A CHANCE, and I did. Times up.

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:laugh:

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Originally Posted by revf

So my theory is SMU was okay with UNT/Rice/UTSA because they aren’t staying in the AAC for long.

I went to school at SMU. I met the President. He’s not one to stay put. They want more, bigger. He wants to restore what was lost with the death penalty.

The goal of SMU is the Big12, and I doubt they stay put in the C-USA 2.0 which is all the American has become. I don’t think the deck chairs are done rearranging yet, but damn our administration has to stop being reactive and become proactive in this. Other schools are making their intentions known through their actions and work. We are playing dumb.

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More? Bigger? Sorry, I'm from La Tech, I'm not familiar with these words.

Current C-USA Board of Presidents Leadership?
Sounds like it's time for a re-mount and re-load of the Executive Committee.


From their June meeting minutes:

DALLAS – The Conference USA Board of Directors conducted its annual summer meeting Monday, June 7, focusing on important national issues and conference activities.
"Our summer Board meeting was highly productive as we considered initiatives to support the success of our institutions and student-athletes," Commissioner Judy MacLeod said. "Our Board's commitment to the strategic development of our league and its members is unwavering. I would like to thank Louisiana Tech President Dr. Les Guice for his outstanding leadership as Board Chair over the past two years and thank the entire Executive Committee for their tireless work and guidance throughout this challenging year."
...
"A new slate of leadership was approved with North Texas President Dr. Neal Smatresk appointed Chair and WKU President Dr. Tim Caboni appointed Vice Chair of the Conference USA Board of Directors.

As his term on the Executive Committee comes to a close, the group acknowledged Southern Mississippi President Dr. Rodney Bennett's leadership, including serving as the Board Chair for two years (2017-18 and 2018-19). Charlotte Chancellor Dr. Sharon Gaber was appointed to fill the spot vacated by Dr. Bennett and Marshall President Dr. Jerry Gilbert's term was extended.

In addition, Old Dominion President-Elect Dr.Brian Hemphill was selected to represent Conference USA on the NCAA Presidential Forum beginning August 31, 2021.

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Originally Posted by CajunDave1

Historian,
When you put it that way I tend to agree with you. It took a little longer than we would have liked, but had we gone to CUSA when Tech did, we wouldn’t now be in a stronger conference than CUSA, we probably would have never been able to get rid of those awful trailers and build our indoor practice facility and athletic performance center. get our athletic budget up to 36 million (which has allowed us to pay our HC $2 000,000 per year) get our team ranked in the final top 25 at the end of last season and raise enough money to begin a $75,000,000 renovation to our football stadium in the very near future. Not getting into CUSA back then has also kept us from being in the same terrible situation Tech finds itself in today.
So yes, you are correct, the best thing to happen to Louisiana athletics was not moving to CUSA way back then.

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:laugh: You might be in the stronger conference coming out of this, because the stronger conference coming into this (CUSA) was the one that got raided!!!!!!!!!! Otherwise, it wouldn't have been the stronger conference. And the information the Marshall fan dug up and that was posted in another thread here backs that up.

And, as HD posted, you've borrowed to build your facilities, most of which you have no dedicated revenue stream within athletics to use to pay it back. Track/Soccer, football, baseball (partial) - all built with borrowed money. And you might have $70 to $90 million in debt just a few years from now with a relatively limited stream within athletics to pay it back. Even a million a year from a local hospital is only going to scratch the surface.

Then there is the subject of auxiliary services money. You've padded your budget with money from food services and parking to the extent that a person within the ULS told me a few years ago that it could easily cripple your campus in a decade or less. You're robbing your ability to renovate, fund, and borrow for your basic campus needs down the road.

But hey, it helped you get into the Big 12............Oh, wait!!!!

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Originally Posted by The Historian

:laugh: You might be in the stronger conference coming out of this, because the stronger conference coming into this (CUSA) was the one that got raided!!!!!!!!!! Otherwise, it wouldn't have been the stronger conference. And the information the Marshall fan dug up and that was posted in another thread here backs that up.

And, as HD posted, you've borrowed to build your facilities, most of which you have no dedicated revenue stream within athletics to use to pay it back. Track/Soccer, football, baseball (partial) - all built with borrowed money. And you might have $70 to $90 million in debt just a few years from now with a relatively limited stream within athletics to pay it back. Even a million a year from a local hospital is only going to scratch the surface.

Then there is the subject of auxiliary services money. You've padded your budget with money from food services and parking to the extent that a person within the ULS told me a few years ago that it could easily cripple your campus in a decade or less. You're robbing your ability to renovate, fund, and borrow for your basic campus needs down the road.

But hey, it helped you get into the Big 12............Oh, wait!!!!

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CUSA did NOT get raided because they were the stronger conference, they got raided because the schools they took were in bigger markets. Regardless of what you think you know about UL’s finances, we are about to give Cajun Field a major$75,000,000 renovation, remain in an expanded and stronger SunBelt and Tech is……………..???

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Historian

:laugh: You might be in the stronger conference coming out of this, because the stronger conference coming into this (CUSA) was the one that got raided!!!!!!!!!! Otherwise, it wouldn't have been the stronger conference. And the information the Marshall fan dug up and that was posted in another thread here backs that up.

And, as HD posted, you've borrowed to build your facilities, most of which you have no dedicated revenue stream within athletics to use to pay it back. Track/Soccer, football, baseball (partial) - all built with borrowed money. And you might have $70 to $90 million in debt just a few years from now with a relatively limited stream within athletics to pay it back. Even a million a year from a local hospital is only going to scratch the surface.

Then there is the subject of auxiliary services money. You've padded your budget with money from food services and parking to the extent that a person within the ULS told me a few years ago that it could easily cripple your campus in a decade or less. You're robbing your ability to renovate, fund, and borrow for your basic campus needs down the road.

But hey, it helped you get into the Big 12............Oh, wait!!!!

---

FYI, Dr. Savoie had already almost totally renovated all the buildings on UL’s campus. And you are right, it did not get us into the BIG 12, but it also did not leave us hanging out to dry with virtually a non-existant conference affiliation!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CajunDave1

CUSA did NOT get raided because they were the stronger conference, they got raided because the schools they took were in bigger markets. Regardless of what you think you know about UL’s finances, we are about to give Cajun Field a major$75,000,000 renovation, remain in an expanded and stronger SunBelt and Tech is……………..???

---

We are so happy for ULL and wish you well. Not sure why are are on our message board, but let's see what happens in the next couple of years. We are mad at our administration right now, but it is only because we care. We have come out of every hole we thought we were in every single time, so I am not extremely worried. I am certainly not worried about ULL and have no need to go to their message board - but hey... knock yourself out. You can follow us over the next 5 years and see where we are and compare if you wish. We welcome bandwagon fans too.

Awesome Champion! 😀😀😀

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CajunDave1

FYI, Dr. Savoie had already almost totally renovated all the buildings on UL’s campus. And you are right, it did not get us into the BIG 12, but it also did not leave us hanging out to dry with virtually a non-existant conference affiliation!

---

Hah! you just don't the know the strategy. First, we have to get Skippy hired away, since he won't go away on his own initiative. To do that he needs some conference championships on his resume'. To that end we are going to enter a conference with the likes of the "Lighthouse for the Blonde(s)," Little Sisters of the Poor, and Girl Scouts Troop 147...and a few others of the same quality like FIU... then after Skippy is gone and we hire a real coach, then we'll roll out the master plan, the big bucks, and then you'll just eat our dust!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FCVcWFfW...jpg&name=large

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SicemDawgz

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FCVcWFfW...jpg&name=large

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They don’t have a clue what’s going on. :laugh:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SicemDawgz

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FCVcWFfW...jpg&name=large

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What an idiot!

Who voted to have her lead us?

We were woke when woke wasn't cool. See what it got us?

Guice let Tech athletics collapse on his watch. My interest in my alma mater’s athletics died on Guice’s watch.

Thanks Dr. Guice.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by THEarmada

Guice let Tech athletics collapse on his watch. My interest in my alma mater’s athletics died on Guice’s watch.

Thanks Dr. Guice.

---

You have to admit, we "competed" for several years before we completely fell apart.

Embarrassed anyone?

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c5/2b...38ec29ea47.gif

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PawDawg

Embarrassed anyone?

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That would be irrational. I’m pissed.

I'm embarrassed because I was fool enough to think we actually had a president and/or an AD who was working behind the scenes. Turns out, they've spent the last several weeks planning HC with HC court guys wearing sashes (we be woke) and a statue presentation.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PawDawg

I'm embarrassed because I was fool enough to think we actually had a president and/or an AD who was working behind the scenes. Turns out, they've spent the last several weeks planning HC with HC court guys wearing sashes (we be woke) and a statue presentation.

---

What does sashes have to do with being woke?

This looks like good news for C-USA.

Pete Thamel on Twitter: "Conference USA is actively pursuing multiple avenues to expand and stay afloat. Among the schools they have been engaged with are Sam Houston State, New Mexico State and Tarleton State. There’s an effort to fortify the Western flank of C-USA that got gutted by the AAC." / Twitter

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by THEarmada

Guice let Tech athletics collapse on his watch. My interest in my alma mater’s athletics died on Guice’s watch.

Thanks Dr. Guice.

---

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PawDawg

You have to admit, we "competed" for several years before we completely fell apart.

Embarrassed anyone?

---

Just as Holtz depended on Dykes' players (and tried his best to get them killed), so has Guice depended on what Reneau built athletically (even if late) and academically (and is killing both).


Can alumni have a vote of no confidence in the President that gets him fired?

Guice needs to be relieved of his duties come Monday morning.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CajunDave1

CUSA did NOT get raided because they were the stronger conference, they got raided because the schools they took were in bigger markets. Regardless of what you think you know about UL’s finances, we are about to give Cajun Field a major$75,000,000 renovation, remain in an expanded and stronger SunBelt and Tech is……………..???

---

Come to think of it, I guess you're right Dave. It was just about markets, not about CUSA vs. The Belt. It was the larger market schools that got in - UNT, UTSA, FAU, Rice, Georgia State, UAB....oh, wait a minute......

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SicemDawgz

Guice needs to be relieved of his duties come Monday morning.

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What? lol Have you not seen all of the massive improvements to campus and increases in our research rankings? Guice is doing a great job as our presidents. Tech got screwed because Ruston isn't a big market and the Sun Belt as several institutions that don't want us. There's more to running a university than sports.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tech52

What does sashes have to do with being woke?

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Not sure if you are serious, but sashes are usually reserved for female members. It is no longer cool to identify by gender.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thewyldman

What? lol Have you not seen all of the massive improvements to campus and increases in our research rankings? Guice is doing a great job as our presidents. Tech got screwed because Ruston isn't a big market and the Sun Belt as several institutions that don't want us. There's more to running a university than sports.

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Thanks for your imput, Dr. Guice.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thewyldman

and the Sun Belt as several institutions that don't want us.

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Right, but they want James Madison. Tell us who the "several" are who don't want us, or are you just talking out of your butt?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thewyldman

What? lol Have you not seen all of the massive improvements to campus and increases in our research rankings? .

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Nope.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thewyldman

There's more to running a university than sports.

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Apparently the people in Ruston think so.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PawDawg

Right, but they want James Madison. Tell us who the "several" are who don't want us, or are you just talking out of your butt?

---

The eastern programs in the SBC wanted balance. USM had been in talks with the SBC for the past two years. Their move was imminent, that was a timing issue.

Texas State, ULM, Louisiana we’re all YES votes.

Appalachian St, Coastal, GaSo, GaSt and Troy were emphatic NO votes. For two different reasons. Troy wants to be in a western division and the other eastern programs wanted to tighten the eastern footprint.

The AAC going 100% in on market strategy is 100% the reason many better programs and all but 1 SBC program was give any real consideration. Nothing Dr Savioe at UL or Dr Guice at LaTech could do to change that.

In fact several media market research firms advised for more successful programs, market penetration, over unsuccessful large market programs.

Marshall and App State for example are two programs that don’t meet the “market” criteria but have larger market penetration than Charlotte. Even in the Charlotte DMA, ECU as well.

Back to the SBC and LaTech, had their been a working relationship between SBC member institutions and LaTech over the last 20 years then LaTech would have 100% been issued a formal invite. But for reasons that have been stated several times on this site and other sites, LaTech’s admin, boosters and fans have wanted separation from former long time rivals. It worked for sure from the fall of the Big West until CUSA in 2015.

It was a very big risk, an admirable one at that. At the time I was extremely pisses as a USL/UL student athlete that we didn’t follow as a travel partner with LaTech. It hurt us for 15 years.

Fast forward to where we stand today and the G5 landscape has changed and LaTech is on the outside, right now. There will be another shift in 5-8 years. The real question isn’t why did this happen. Everyone knows why, LaTech treated every G5 regional program like crap. The real hard to answer and honest question is, What will LaTech’s administration, boosters and fans do to make sure this doesn’t happen in 5-8 years.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by chew4219

The eastern programs in the SBC wanted balance. USM had been in talks with the SBC for the past two years. Their move was imminent, that was a timing issue.

Texas State, ULM, Louisiana we’re all YES votes.

Appalachian St, Coastal, GaSo, GaSt and Troy were emphatic NO votes. For two different reasons. Troy wants to be in a western division and the other eastern programs wanted to tighten the eastern footprint.

The AAC going 100% in on market strategy is 100% the reason many better programs and all but 1 SBC program was give any real consideration. Nothing Dr Savioe at UL or Dr Guice at LaTech could do to change that.

In fact several media market research firms advised for more successful programs, market penetration, over unsuccessful large market programs.

Marshall and App State for example are two programs that don’t meet the “market” criteria but have larger market penetration than Charlotte. Even in the Charlotte DMA, ECU as well.

Back to the SBC and LaTech, had their been a working relationship between SBC member institutions and LaTech over the last 20 years then LaTech would have 100% been issued a formal invite. But for reasons that have been stated several times on this site and other sites, LaTech’s admin, boosters and fans have wanted separation from former long time rivals. It worked for sure from the fall of the Big West until CUSA in 2015.

It was a very big risk, an admirable one at that. At the time I was extremely pisses as a USL/UL student athlete that we didn’t follow as a travel partner with LaTech. It hurt us for 15 years.

Fast forward to where we stand today and the G5 landscape has changed and LaTech is on the outside, right now. There will be another shift in 5-8 years. The real question isn’t why did this happen. Everyone knows why, LaTech treated every G5 regional program like crap. The real hard to answer and honest question is, What will LaTech’s administration, boosters and fans do to make sure this doesn’t happen in 5-8 years.

---

Total bull hockey. The reason that Tech is ambivalent at best and downright disdainful to your school especially is the way usl has handled itself about the name game and other schemes to usurp the title of "flagship" for the UL System of universities. USL's leadership, in the past and apparently presently, have been downright repulsive/spiteful towards Tech and the rest of the UL schools. It is fun to have playful banter among rivals, but the cajuns go way beyond that. No, we are not South Arkansas Tech, and we aren't hillbillies running stills in the woods. When I was at Tech in the mid to late '60's, the Tech/usl rivalry was terrific.

Whenever the Sunbelt decided to add football as a sponsored sport, Tech, decided to accept the WAC invitation instead of the Sunbelt. That upset your school, but it didn't destroy the Sunbelt since it never sponsored football to that point anyway. You never got over that. Your school apparently spread hate and disdain among the other SBC members that Tech was a traitor. Not the case at all.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chew4219

The eastern programs in the SBC wanted balance. USM had been in talks with the SBC for the past two years. Their move was imminent, that was a timing issue.

Texas State, ULM, Louisiana we’re all YES votes.

Appalachian St, Coastal, GaSo, GaSt and Troy were emphatic NO votes. For two different reasons. Troy wants to be in a western division and the other eastern programs wanted to tighten the eastern footprint.

The AAC going 100% in on market strategy is 100% the reason many better programs and all but 1 SBC program was give any real consideration. Nothing Dr Savioe at UL or Dr Guice at LaTech could do to change that.

In fact several media market research firms advised for more successful programs, market penetration, over unsuccessful large market programs.

Marshall and App State for example are two programs that don’t meet the “market” criteria but have larger market penetration than Charlotte. Even in the Charlotte DMA, ECU as well.

Back to the SBC and LaTech, had their been a working relationship between SBC member institutions and LaTech over the last 20 years then LaTech would have 100% been issued a formal invite. But for reasons that have been stated several times on this site and other sites, LaTech’s admin, boosters and fans have wanted separation from former long time rivals. It worked for sure from the fall of the Big West until CUSA in 2015.

It was a very big risk, an admirable one at that. At the time I was extremely pisses as a USL/UL student athlete that we didn’t follow as a travel partner with LaTech. It hurt us for 15 years.

Fast forward to where we stand today and the G5 landscape has changed and LaTech is on the outside, right now. There will be another shift in 5-8 years. The real question isn’t why did this happen. Everyone knows why, LaTech treated every G5 regional program like crap. The real hard to answer and honest question is, What will LaTech’s administration, boosters and fans do to make sure this doesn’t happen in 5-8 years.

---

Good recap. I do want to correct you on one point...fans don't and shouldn't impact any decisions on whether to invite or not. EVERY school has "those" fans. I've read the posts on RaginPagin. Many of your fans wouldn't whiz on ULM if they were on fire. Several call them "Hoax" and everything else. If I were a bitter person, I'd be HIGHLY upset with some of the comments I've read there and elsewhere about Louisiana Tech...or "laturd" as we're commonly know on RP. And YES, we have ours too.

I think the difference in this situation is that Tech is obviously not smart enough to keep private conversations private. If a big donor says, "You know, I just think Tech is ......whatever over ULL and ULM" -- doesn't mean you have to stand up in front of Twitter and be video'd repeating it. JUST. SHUT. UP. ALREADY.

I agree, SOME of this rests with Tech. SOME of this is spite. SOME of this is simply that we had no plan...NONE. And some of it was a simple draw of the cards.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by chew4219

The eastern programs in the SBC wanted balance. USM had been in talks with the SBC for the past two years. Their move was imminent, that was a timing issue.

Texas State, ULM, Louisiana we’re all YES votes.

Appalachian St, Coastal, GaSo, GaSt and Troy were emphatic NO votes. For two different reasons. Troy wants to be in a western division and the other eastern programs wanted to tighten the eastern footprint.

The AAC going 100% in on market strategy is 100% the reason many better programs and all but 1 SBC program was give any real consideration. Nothing Dr Savioe at UL or Dr Guice at LaTech could do to change that.

In fact several media market research firms advised for more successful programs, market penetration, over unsuccessful large market programs.

Marshall and App State for example are two programs that don’t meet the “market” criteria but have larger market penetration than Charlotte. Even in the Charlotte DMA, ECU as well.

LaTech’s admin, boosters and fans have wanted separation from former long time rivals. It worked

It was a very big risk, an admirable one at that.

---

Darn right it worked. For 20+ years we've had AWESOME rivalries and bowl wins that would NEVER have happened in the SBC, which I don't remember as being a football conference when we made plans to move on.

Great wins, wild games, rivalries with Fresno, Hawaii, Boise. Pregame fights, knocking off unbeaten ranked Fresno, taking down Hawaii. Superb bowl wins such as Navy, Illinois, Miami, Hawaii on the Island, destroying SMU in Frisco...

Yeah baby, it was worth it!!! Lots to fix for the future. But IT WAS WORTH IT ALL!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Russdawg

Darn right it worked. For 20+ years we've had AWESOME rivalries and bowl wins that would NEVER have happened in the SBC, which I don't remember as being a football conference when we made plans to move on.

---

Except we got comfortable, allowed inexperienced people who had NO BUSINESS speaking publicly on behalf of the University to do so, and had no plan B.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ChuckK3

Good recap. I do want to correct you on one point...fans don't and shouldn't impact any decisions on whether to invite or not. EVERY school has "those" fans. I've read the posts on RaginPagin. Many of your fans wouldn't whiz on ULM if they were on fire. Several call them "Hoax" and everything else. If I were a bitter person, I'd be HIGHLY upset with some of the comments I've read there and elsewhere about Louisiana Tech...or "laturd" as we're commonly know on RP. And YES, we have ours too.

I think the difference in this situation is that Tech is obviously not smart enough to keep private conversations private. If a big donor says, "You know, I just think Tech is ......whatever over ULL and ULM" -- doesn't mean you have to stand up in front of Twitter and be video'd repeating it. JUST. SHUT. UP. ALREADY.

I agree, SOME of this rests with Tech. SOME of this is spite. SOME of this is simply that we had no plan...NONE. And some of it was a simple draw of the cards.

---

You are correct, fans drive rivalries. Which the disdain between the fan bases is essential.

Nothing else I stated was inflammatory nor off base.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by chew4219

You are correct, fans drive rivalries. Which the disdain between the fan bases is essential.

Nothing else I stated was inflammatory nor off base.

---

I believe you, and I didn't take it that way. Just wanted to be sure your good recap wasn't shaded by saying our fans caused it. They didn't.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by chew4219

The eastern programs in the SBC wanted balance. USM had been in talks with the SBC for the past two years. Their move was imminent, that was a timing issue.

Texas State, ULM, Louisiana we’re all YES votes.

Appalachian St, Coastal, GaSo, GaSt and Troy were emphatic NO votes. For two different reasons. Troy wants to be in a western division and the other eastern programs wanted to tighten the eastern footprint.

The AAC going 100% in on market strategy is 100% the reason many better programs and all but 1 SBC program was give any real consideration. Nothing Dr Savioe at UL or Dr Guice at LaTech could do to change that.

In fact several media market research firms advised for more successful programs, market penetration, over unsuccessful large market programs.

Marshall and App State for example are two programs that don’t meet the “market” criteria but have larger market penetration than Charlotte. Even in the Charlotte DMA, ECU as well.

Back to the SBC and LaTech, had their been a working relationship between SBC member institutions and LaTech over the last 20 years then LaTech would have 100% been issued a formal invite. But for reasons that have been stated several times on this site and other sites, LaTech’s admin, boosters and fans have wanted separation from former long time rivals. It worked for sure from the fall of the Big West until CUSA in 2015.

It was a very big risk, an admirable one at that. At the time I was extremely pisses as a USL/UL student athlete that we didn’t follow as a travel partner with LaTech. It hurt us for 15 years.

Fast forward to where we stand today and the G5 landscape has changed and LaTech is on the outside, right now. There will be another shift in 5-8 years. The real question isn’t why did this happen. Everyone knows why, LaTech treated every G5 regional program like crap. The real hard to answer and honest question is, What will LaTech’s administration, boosters and fans do to make sure this doesn’t happen in 5-8 years.

---

Let's be clear about one thing: LA TECH has never had a problem with other G5 schools, and has never "treated every G5 regional program like crap". That's a lie. We only hate ULALA. We don't like ULM either, because they are a pretender to FBS college athletics, but that's really different. I hate ULL, because your school has no moral compass, continuously lies about LA Tech to others (especially G5's) and has always cheated and cut corners in order to gain an edge. Over the years ULALA (formerly USL) has been reprimanded or received punishment several times from the NCAA for many violations in various athletics. Not so, for LA Tech. Yes, LA Tech is morally superior to THAT, but that arrow is only aimed at ULALA, not other G5's. IT's not even aimed at ULM. Hell, even ULM looks like a choir boy up next to you ULALA thugs. The fact that ULALA has succeeded in getting other Sunbelt (G5) schools to believe their repeated lies, only serves to validate everything I'm saying. IMO, LA Tech should keep its' distance form ULALA, whenever possible, and that includes on the athletic courts & fields.

I'm such a believer in this, that I would jump at the chance for LA Tech to leave the UoL system and join the LSU system, if it were ever possible.

I learned a long time ago, it's just better to keep your distance from liars and cheats, and frankly those who have no moral compass. Those descriptions all fit ULALA, and they always have. And that will never change.