Not sure if this means anything to La. Tech, but UConn is heading back to the Big East. That's got to be bad news for their football program.
https://www.espn.com/college-sports/...s-uconn-return
Not sure if this means anything to La. Tech, but UConn is heading back to the Big East. That's got to be bad news for their football program.
https://www.espn.com/college-sports/...s-uconn-return
Nobody is going anywhere and the CUSA is going to collapse from grief as their only hope for legitimacy has evaporated. Not even AAC wants our best teams, lol.
Anyon know how C-USA has fared against AAC teams the last few years? Of course there were our wins against Navy and SMU and we weren't even conference champs, but about their same level in conference play. Perception is everything.
I listened to an interview of the commissioner for the AAC at the end of last week after the UConn deal was confirmed. Sounded pretty clear it's very unlikely the AAC will be adding anyone. They think they can keep their ESPN contract at the same level and split it among the remaining 11 members. So everyone gets a raise. The only way they'll add someone is if they really bring something to the table. Pretty sure no one in CUSA brings enough to warrant not taking the extra money the get because UConn left.
But it does seem to have caused more talk about CUSA & Sunbelt breaking up and realigning.
We don't have a bread winner. They have had a bread winner to win or compete for a shot at an AQ bowl. There is something to be said about the dominance of one or two programs. What sets CUSA and Sunbelt apart from the others is the total lack of BCS and AQ bowl games (money). The MWC, MAC and AAC have all been to multiple bowl games and reaped the benefits of the mega cash flow. That's an extra 4 million plus 2.25 million for expenses for making a New Years six bowl game. The AAC alone has been to 4 New Years Six Bowl games over the last 6 years. That's roughly 25 million in extra cash to the conference or $350,000 a year per team over that period. What could a school like Tech do with $350,000 a year in bowl cash plus the 6 million a year in tv money? That's a heckuva lot of perception!
Well I guess that is's great to be in such company. Your point is valid as it applies to money and to perception. But your statement is very telling. They have a breadwinner. My point was that the average team in the AAC is really no better than the average team in C-USA. We were pretty average when we beat Navy and destroyed SMU.
Can argue that. Tech certainly haven't been willing to be the breadwinner, albeit, we have had the opportunity. UCF has been to three AQ-BCS bowls and Houston 1, which is earily similar to our WAC days when Boise went to two and Hawaii went to one. AAC basketball is better than the WAC was but being an Eastern Conference gives them more value. Cincy, Memphis, Navy, USF and Temple have been no better than Louisiana Tech, WKU, MTSU, Marshall, and Southern Miss. The difference has been Houston's big money moves and UCF's dominance. If Tech, Marshall or Southern Miss had made a couple of New Years Six games the past decade we would be on par with them.
I just found a site with the records. Overall AAC is 19-16 versus C-USA. A little edge but not overwhelming. In bowl games they are only 1-6. The only teams with perfect records are Houston and Central Florida - both 4-0 which accounts for almost half of their wins. Every one else is either even or has a losing record. Even Memphis is only 1-2. The site is http://mcubed.net/ncaaf/tvc/american...renceusa.shtml.
This thing with UConn and the AAC is no big deal. The AAC isn't likely to add anyone now.
But what's coming in about 3 years could be a really big deal when the P-5 media contracts start maturing. If ever there was a time we need all the athletic programs to get on a roll, now's the time starting with football.