Don't forget the recent run in CBWS. We got some real national exposure through that. Social media was blowing up with Pump It Up. (My own personal opinion was we lost to the team that should have eventually won the World Series if not for stupid Covid rules. They were so clearly the best team in Omaha. So nothing to hang our heads about.)
On the flip side it will be interesting to see if college football drives the realignment or if regional conference drive the realignment. I think dawg80 is right the era of "competitive G5" is drawing to a close. With the P4s sealing up their conferences with enough members to have entire seasons in conference play only (add in one money game win for homecoming) and expanding the playoffs to more P4 teams it's over. G5s will be given scraps. The future will be whatever 64 teams happen to be in the P4 conferences.
I can guarantee those in Big 12 are scrambling now or they will get crushed. Those not named Texas or Oklahoma are about to be left behind with the rest of us.
P4 will be Pac12, ACC, Big 10, SEC.
We lost the football track race.
What we can do is play competitive regional football and grow really good regional rivalries. I think attaching ourselves to USM is a good start. They need us just as much as we need them right now. Many on this board will hate it, but we also probably need to attach ourselves to ULL. Local growth with big rivalries will be the best thing to hope for in the future for football.
Now can we be competitive in Basketball and Baseball? Absolutely.