Conference Re-Alignment?

[Zipmeister]

C-USA to add 6 teams for 2013.

Right or wrong, this move is all about potential and demographics. Many of us have been saying this for years, but despite the investments UA has committed to athletics places like Charlotte and the Tidewater region have far younger populations that have been steadily increasing. It's got NOTHING to do with wins or losses.

Hey, things could be far worse. How would you like to be an Idaho Vandal or New Mexico State Aggie fan right about now?

Oh no, the MAC hasn't extended an offer to them has it?

[johnnyzip84]

Oh no, the MAC hasn't extended an offer to them has it?

Well if they do, won't that make you happy? I hear you've been jonesing for a Moscow road trip for years.

[Zipmeister]

Well if they do, won't that make you happy? I hear you've been jonesing for a Moscow road trip for years.

Not Moscow, Coeur d'Alene. Their golf course has the world's only floating green; really cool. You have to take a boat ride out to the green. Also one of the nicest resort hotels I have ever stayed at.

[GP1]

Their golf course has the world's only floating green; really cool. You have to take a boat ride out to the green.

Do you have to navigate a clown's mouth to get there?

[Zipmeister]

Do you have to navigate a clown's mouth to get there?

Yes you do.

http://golftravel.about.com/od/photogaller...favorites_3.htm

[GP1]

Yes you do.

http://golftravel.about.com/od/photogaller...favorites_3.htm

Great lake. Even a beautiful lake like that would be honored to have the Great GP1 go 100 for 100 hitting balls into it...

[K-Roo]

Back to the main subject of the thread...

Conference USA adding 5 New Members

UTSA

North Texas

Charlotte

Louisiana Tech

Florida International

[lance99]

Back to the main subject of the thread...

Conference USA adding 5 New Members

UTSA

North Texas

Charlotte

Louisiana Tech

Florida International

Two questions: Is it just me, or is Conference USA trying to get AQ by sheer numbers?

Also with this lineup of Southern Miss, Marshall, East Carolina, Tulane, Tulsa, Rice, UTEP, UAB, North Texas, Charlotte, Louisiana Tech and Florida International, does this sound like the poor-mans MAC West?

[johnnyzip84]

Two questions: Is it just me, or is Conference USA trying to get AQ by sheer numbers?

There is no such thing as AQ any more (see myriad stories on new 4 team "playoff" in FBS).

[zippy5]

Two questions: Is it just me, or is Conference USA trying to get AQ by sheer numbers?

Also with this lineup of Southern Miss, Marshall, East Carolina, Tulane, Tulsa, Rice, UTEP, UAB, North Texas, Charlotte, Louisiana Tech and Florida International, does this sound like the poor-mans MAC West?

The thing is, Southern Miss, Marshall, and ECU are better than anything we have. The rest are probably worse than what we have. Very top heavy.

[Zipmeister]

The thing is, Southern Miss, Marshall, and ECU are better than anything we have. The rest are probably worse than what we have. Very top heavy.

I really wish your second sentence was true.

[ctmjbowes@sbcglobal.net]

It is discouraging, to say the least, that options for UA appear to be so few. I am one of those that truly does not appreciate the MAC. In my view it's a far-lesser conference and is dull grey in a world of color. So many similar schools from essentially the "same place". It's a broken-down legacy from a different era. I don't see it happening, but man it would be cool if UA were in a conference with some interesting, colorful schools and programs, places to see games that aren't the same as NE Ohio, at least one or two powerhouse programs to aspire to. There is nothing to aspire to while being a member of the MAC. There is nothing that the MAC offers that makes me want better for UA, other than to get out of the MAC.

Now, as we see this other-conference realignment, C-USA looks like an ugly hodge podge. It's still far better than anything the MAC can offer, but is going to be weird and unwieldy. It's painful that schools like Akron weren't apparently even considered, when they added universities that seem to be lesser than UA. That tells me that those "out there" either have zero interest in the midwest region in general, or that UA and other MAC schools are just utterly unattractive to other conferences. If you're a chick and cannot even draw the attention of the "new look" C-USA you are truly ugly.

Is UA really that unappealing to other conferences?

[GP1]

It's a broken-down legacy from a different era.

When I was growing up, my small town had a store in the "uptown" of the little village call Ben Franklin. It no longer exists, but if it did, it too would be a broken-down legacy from a different era. Today, Ben Franklin would be like a Dollar General. Enough said about that.

I don't even know what to call CUSA at this point. With so many teams, it is beyond a conference and is more like some sort of an association of a lot of schools now crippled with a bad idea of a conference....or, the could really be on to something (see below).

I want a separate division for schools in the MAC, cusa, etc. to play in. I also want out of the NCAA. Why couldn't the MAC, CUSA, WAC, MWC, etc. join together and form their own league and call it Conference USA and only play each other? It could be a national league with four divisions with a two week playoff for a national championship at the end of the season. Sure beats what we currently have now. If we wait around for the BCS type of schools to let us into their club, we are never going to get through the front door. Let's take control of ourselves and screw the rest of them.

[johnnyzip84]

I want a separate division for schools in the MAC, cusa, etc. to play in. I also want out of the NCAA. Why couldn't the MAC, CUSA, WAC, MWC, etc. join together and form their own league and call it Conference USA and only play each other? It could be a national league with four divisions with a two week playoff for a national championship at the end of the season. Sure beats what we currently have now. If we wait around for the BCS type of schools to let us into their club, we are never going to get through the front door. Let's take control of ourselves and screw the rest of them.

I've been resistant to this concept of yours for some time now. But now I'm thinking it might be time to give it some serious thought. If you break away, then you don't even necessarily have to market yourselves as inferior to the ex-BCS schools. Think "AFL" when that league just got off the ground. The key would be the same as it was for the AFL. If this new association could manage to land a national TV deal, it might be able to not only survive but compete. You could even alter the playing rules a little to set your new brand apart from the NCAA.

[GP1]

I've been resistant to this concept of yours for some time now. But now I'm thinking it might be time to give it some serious thought. If you break away, then you don't even necessarily have to market yourselves as inferior to the ex-BCS schools. Think "AFL" when that league just got off the ground. The key would be the same as it was for the AFL. If this new association could manage to land a national TV deal, it might be able to not only survive but compete. You could even alter the playing rules a little to set your new brand apart from the NCAA.

I totally agree. Is there room in college athletics for a spring/summer football conference that doesn't play when the BCS schools play? I think there might be so instead of being like the AFL, it could be like the USFL. The USFL was doing just fine until Trump and his ego destroyed it. If this is all about TV money, let's get some. ESPN has to show something. I'm sure a college football conference would draw better than MLB or NHL for NBC Sports. I'm sure college football would draw a better audience than college baseball, or gymnastics, or cheering, or whatever they show in the spring. If college athletics are for developing young adults through sports, then does it matter when the games are played? The players already go to school year around, so it isn't like they have to go out of their way to be on campus. They could play in April right after the Final Four, May and June with a Fourth of July "National Championship". I'm in...

[Dave in Green]

..... You could even alter the playing rules a little to set your new brand apart from the NCAA.

In an earlier chapter of this serial discussion, I suggested that a new college football division might separate itself from the BCS and gain more public interest by adopting rules that favored offense over defense. Let Wild West offenses regularly put up 100 or more points per game and see if the public favors that over an Alabama-LSU no touchdown defensive slugfest as we saw in their first meeting last season.

[johnnyzip84]

I must have missed that earlier thread, Dave. Certainly even more emphasis on offense would seem to be something TV would favor. That's what made the AFL more watchable, even when the overall product was weaker than the NFL.

The USFL (of which I was a big fan) is an interesting analogy. I agree that football, if done right, will succeed at any time of the year. So would the "spring game" become the "fall game"?

Here are some other ideas to consider for the new association:

1) I realize a football only has 4 seems, but maybe some sort of red, white and blue color scheme could be devised for the "official ball".

2) Go ahead and pay players - although this could backfire when the ex-BCS schools decide to offer much bigger numbers. Perhaps an even more progressive approach might work even better. A percentage of TV/gate revenues, in combination with the scholarship, might work. While the ex-BCS school may offer more guarenteed money, I doubt they'd allow the players a certain percentage of their total revenue. They're too selfish for that.

3) Provide a more comprehensive health insurance plan than the NCAA.

4) Put more focus on player safety, through both rules and equipment changes, than the NCAA.

[Zipmeister]

I must have missed that earlier thread, Dave. Certainly even more emphasis on offense would seem to be something TV would favor. That's what made the AFL more watchable, even when the overall product was weaker than the NFL.

The USFL (of which I was a big fan) is an interesting analogy. I agree that football, if done right, will succeed at any time of the year. So would the "spring game" become the "fall game"?

Here are some other ideas to consider for the new association:

1) I realize a football only has 4 seems, but maybe some sort of red, white and blue color scheme could be devised for the "official ball".

2) Go ahead and pay players - although this could backfire when the ex-BCS schools decide to offer much bigger numbers. Perhaps an even more progressive approach might work even better. A percentage of TV/gate revenues, in combination with the scholarship, might work. While the ex-BCS school may offer more guarenteed money, I doubt they'd allow the players a certain percentage of their total revenue. They're too selfish for that.

3) Provide a more comprehensive health insurance plan than the NCAA.

4) Put more focus on player safety, through both rules and equipment changes, than the NCAA.

None of these ideas will increase offensive performance. Want to score more points? Play 11 guys on offense, 9 guys and a female cheerleader on defense.

[GP1]

The USFL (of which I was a big fan) is an interesting analogy. I agree that football, if done right, will succeed at any time of the year. So would the "spring game" become the "fall game"?

It's already a year around game. Heck, ESPNU shows spring practices, which are horrible to watch. Why not show real games?

[Zipmeister]

None of these ideas will increase offensive performance. Want to score more points? Play 11 guys on offense, 9 guys and a female cheerleader on defense.

Also, widen goal posts to run from sideline to sideline.

[ctmjbowes@sbcglobal.net]

I must have missed that earlier thread, Dave. Certainly even more emphasis on offense would seem to be something TV would favor. That's what made the AFL more watchable, even when the overall product was weaker than the NFL.

The USFL (of which I was a big fan) is an interesting analogy. I agree that football, if done right, will succeed at any time of the year. So would the "spring game" become the "fall game"?

Here are some other ideas to consider for the new association:

1) I realize a football only has 4 seems, but maybe some sort of red, white and blue color scheme could be devised for the "official ball".

2) Go ahead and pay players - although this could backfire when the ex-BCS schools decide to offer much bigger numbers. Perhaps an even more progressive approach might work even better. A percentage of TV/gate revenues, in combination with the scholarship, might work. While the ex-BCS school may offer more guarenteed money, I doubt they'd allow the players a certain percentage of their total revenue. They're too selfish for that.

3) Provide a more comprehensive health insurance plan than the NCAA.

4) Put more focus on player safety, through both rules and equipment changes, than the NCAA.

Great ideas, and I love the idea of presenting a truly more progressive game for the players and to the public. A more fun flavor of the game, heavy on offense, with limits on player weight by position to reduce impact forces, equipment differences and especially notable differences in the way that players are treated that change their essential relationship with the institution, man those are REAL differentiating factors that could really work. Man, if schools like UA are about to find themselves in the trash heap of D-1 college football, I would LOVE to see such a response.

[bobbyake]

so ODU is not heading to CUSA, time for the MAC to make a move for both ODU and JMU. Those that think the drive is too long need to take a look at our softball and baseball schedules.

[Wally B]

Great ideas, and I love the idea of presenting a truly more progressive game for the players and to the public. A more fun flavor of the game, heavy on offense, with limits on player weight by position to reduce impact forces, equipment differences and especially notable differences in the way that players are treated that change their essential relationship with the institution, man those are REAL differentiating factors that could really work. Man, if schools like UA are about to find themselves in the trash heap of D-1 college football, I would LOVE to see such a response.

Why don't we just start playing Aussie Rules??

[johnnyzip84]

so ODU is not heading to CUSA, time for the MAC to make a move for both ODU and JMU. Those that think the drive is too long need to take a look at our softball and baseball schedules.

It sounds like ODU is still weighing the move to FBS period.

The interesting thing to me in this article is that C-USA apparently wants 16 teams in the end. They have 13 without ODU. MTSU is supposedly under consideration. Is UA?

[bobbyake]

It sounds like ODU is still weighing the move to FBS period.

The interesting thing to me in this article is that C-USA apparently wants 16 teams in the end. They have 13 without ODU. MTSU is supposedly under consideration. Is UA?

I hope not. CUSA sucks.