Serious Conference Realignment Discussion

NIL and a relaxed transfer portal has made G5’s farm teams for lower level P5’s, and lower level P5’s will be farmed by the top 15-20 big schools. Players like Kenneth Dixon at Tech will only play one good year at Tech, maybe two, then they will transfer to fill holes of other schools who’s rosters have been depleted. There is no getting ahead in G5 football anymore, so if I was a school like Tech, I would make sure the conference I was in was good for travel and with schools I want to be associated with. Louisiana Monroe and Louisiana Lafayette are not schools I want to share a conference with. One is a perpetual bottom feeder that should be FCS and the other is corrupt.

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Originally Posted by SicemDawgz

NIL and a relaxed transfer portal has made G5’s farm teams for lower level P5’s, and lower level P5’s will be farmed by the top 15-20 big schools. Players like Kenneth Dixon at Tech will only play one good year at Tech, maybe two, then they will transfer to fill holes of other schools who’s rosters have been depleted. There is no getting ahead in G5 football anymore, so if I was a school like Tech, I would make sure the conference I was in was good for travel and with schools I want to be associated with. Louisiana Monroe and Louisiana Lafayette are not schools I want to share a conference with. One is a perpetual bottom feeder that should be FCS and the other is corrupt.

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Yep, CFB is DOA for all but the elites. You're either a "Bama of the World" school or you're cannon fodder.

But, Division I basketball still has possibilities for the "smaller" schools. Baseball too, but more money can be made in hoops. The New CUSA would do well to make hoops and baseball priorities and expand with some key non-football schools, like Dallas Baptist in baseball. That would be a huge get for the conference.

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Originally Posted by dawg80

Yep, CFB is DOA for all but the elites. You're either a "Bama of the World" school or you're cannon fodder.

But, Division I basketball still has possibilities for the "smaller" schools. Baseball too, but more money can be made in hoops. The New CUSA would do well to make hoops and baseball priorities and expand with some key non-football schools, like Dallas Baptist in baseball. That would be a huge get for the conference.

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You’re right. The ship has sailed for the G5 in football, and to a large extent for a lot of the smaller market P5 teams. We could be a baseball perennial player year in and year out, but there is no real money in it. For now, basketball should be the main focus of any conference realignment. It’s been really sad watching the death of NCAA football.

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Originally Posted by GEAUX UL

I'm just going to leave this post here from the C-USA BBS board. There's a lot of good stuff in there, but in particular I want to point out that this confirms something I've said here before. At about the same time your AD decided to publicly attack the SBC as a lesser conference, USM and Marshall were quietly plotting to leave C-USA for the "lesser" SBC.

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It's a convoluted post. And it only confirms something for you only if you choose to believe it.

His last graph kind of gives him away. The bowl tie ins are set through 2025.

Ask yourself one question. How much of the Sun Belt's new deal with ESPN is in cash?

MTSU's AD is a bean counter who, when he dug into it all, found out just how much the MAC's deal with ESPN was in cash and how much the Belt's new deal with ESPN was in cash.

And he kept his school right where they are!

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Originally Posted by GEAUX UL

Sure, the psychological issues are probably real.

What is also real is that you guys are in the worst FBS conference in the country and it is not even close. And what is also real is that once your AD realized just how terrible C-USA would end up being, he started calling Sun Belt teams (including lowly ULM) to beg for a spot in the Sun Belt.

And finally, what is also real is that this is was all self-inflicted. Your conference is going to have the worst teams, the highest travel costs, and the lowest conference payouts in all of G5. But if all of that is worth it to you to not be in a conference with ULM, then so be it.

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Tech began speaking to the Sun Belt when it appeared MTSU and WKU were headed to the MAC. Obviously that didn't happen.

Also, CUSA found that in a 14-team G5 league that 3 to 4 teams inevitably hurt the strength and power ratings of the league. We would have loved to have been in a ten team league. Yet, the Sun Belt willingly traded places with us.

In addition, CUSA is in good position from a basketball and baseball standpoint.

The TV deal for CUSA in 2023 will be with CBS and/or Fox.

We'll know more in another 36 months.

How come the AAC did not invite a single Belch school, nor a MAC school either? Back in about 1997-98 both Tech and UCF were approached by the Belch for membership. I remember the AD/Prez at UCF saying they had no interest and REALLY had no interest unless Tech was also joining. Neither had any interests. That easy decision has worked out well for UCF.

Marshall and USM would have jumped at an AAC invite but settled on the Belch as a distant consolation prize. Kind of like those game shows when a contestant misses out on winning the $100K grand prize...What have we as a parting gift, Joe? Well, as a consolation prize they win a nice 4-slice toaster!!! Yippee! Marshall and USM will enjoy their toasters... The Belch is now the most unstable FBS conference and will be the one shaken to pieces when the dominoes fall next time.

Meanwhile, we, WKU, and MTSU have had our train wreck and there is no where to go but up.

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Originally Posted by The Historian

The TV deal for CUSA in 2023 will be with CBS and/or Fox.

We'll know more in another 36 months.

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CBS has been good for us. We could trade ESPN+ for Paramount+. I’m sure they would love to have more live college content.

CBS Sports Network is light years ahead of the ESPN-whatever networks. Just look at the difference in quality of our basketball games (which have been on both this year). I'll take CBS any day.

I just wish the NFL network had continued their one-year experiment with college football. Their broadcasts of our games were incredibly good.

I enjoy CBS Sports Network because I can stream it like I can ESPN3 broadcasts. Cable/internet package allows access to those online (despite not having the actual channels).

The problem with ESPN is they can relegate it to ESPN+, which is just an extra pay wall.

Let's go with APPLE Report: Apple to Spend Billions on Live Sports Over the Next Four Years | Cord Cutters News

Here is the real reason ULL folks hate Tech.

We were the FIRST in the state to say you cannot cheer for both LSU and Tech. You should support your own school not the SEC and some school you never attended.

They want us to know our place and our place is with the rest of the Purple and Gold Louisiana koolaid crowd pulling for the state school and on occasion their alma mater. ULL is forever jealous that we make this distinction and stick to it. When I lived in Lafayette it was always LSU first and then if the Cajuns are winning we might support them too. The real anger towards us is jealousy. Jealous that their own fan base and their own administration at times see themselves as LSU and ULL.

we say no to both/and and that ruffles a lot of people’s feathers. Hence the talk of “Elitist” mindset.

I would have like them in C-USA

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@PeteThamel
Source: The University of Texas System Board of Regents is expected to vote to approve the University of Texas at Arlington to officially join the WAC tomorrow morning. UTA is expected to make the official announcement tomorrow afternoon. Final steps in expected process.

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Originally Posted by sportdawg

I would have like them in C-USA

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I only want football schools -

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Originally Posted by Dwayne From Minden

I only want football schools -

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Do you stay at 9 and wait to see how things play out or go to 10?

Football / 9 is good > Play everyone
Basketball / 9 is okay > 16 Conference Games - play everyone H/H (currently at 18) > No great Travel Partners other than UTEP/NMSU, WKU/MTSU.
Baseball / 8 not great > 7 Conference Series > Currently play 10 > could be set up to play 3 teams H/H in-season

Potential New C-USA Travel Partners

NMSU/UTEP (45 min drive)
MTSU/WKU (2 hour drive)
Liberty/Jacksonville State (8 hr drive)
SHSU/LA Tech (4.5 hr drive)
FIU

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Liberty/MTSU (7HR)
WKU/JSU (4:30 hr)

Liberty/WKU (8HR)
MTSU/JSU (3 hr)

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Originally Posted by sportdawg

Do you stay at 9 and wait to see how things play out or go to 10?

Football / 9 is good > Play everyone
Basketball / 9 is okay > 16 Conference Games - play everyone H/H (currently at 18) > No great Travel Partners other than UTEP/NMSU, WKU/MTSU.
Baseball / 8 not great > 7 Conference Series > Currently play 10 > could be set up to play 3 teams H/H in-season

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Stay at 9 and ride things out to the next shift