stevo
Full Member
Posts: 732
|
Post by stevo on May 4, 2022 14:59:43 GMT -6
Would think that CUSA would like to go from 9 to 12. So my guess is that CUSA is trying to find the 12th school. Hopefully the 12th school is west of JSU. As I remember it, UTC voted for the increase in exit fee. Re: 12 schools - I agree that 12 is the ultimate target. EKU and KSU are the best eastern options. I don't see NCAT wanting in now that they're CAA bound. Out west, there's SFA and a whole lot of lesser options. A lot of people are high on Mo State, but I just don't get the attraction. They don't really solve any geographic issues, and their fans, at least, don't seem at all interested in CUSA. Tarleton's probably the best of the rest, which could explain the conference's interest. UCA, McNeese, and SELA have a lot of work to do to make themselves attractive to an FBS conference. Re: UTC and the exit fee - From what I understand, they did, in fact, vote for the increase. If that's not a signal of their long-term intentions, I don't know what is. Any idea if Dixie State (Utah Tech) is trying to reach FBS in the future?
|
|
|
Post by Whup Em All on May 4, 2022 15:43:10 GMT -6
Re: 12 schools - I agree that 12 is the ultimate target. EKU and KSU are the best eastern options. I don't see NCAT wanting in now that they're CAA bound. Out west, there's SFA and a whole lot of lesser options. A lot of people are high on Mo State, but I just don't get the attraction. They don't really solve any geographic issues, and their fans, at least, don't seem at all interested in CUSA. Tarleton's probably the best of the rest, which could explain the conference's interest. UCA, McNeese, and SELA have a lot of work to do to make themselves attractive to an FBS conference. Re: UTC and the exit fee - From what I understand, they did, in fact, vote for the increase. If that's not a signal of their long-term intentions, I don't know what is. Any idea if Dixie State (Utah Tech) is trying to reach FBS in the future? Not that I know of, but these days, it's hard to say.
|
|
|
Post by Cleburneslim on May 4, 2022 16:32:21 GMT -6
Cusa will not add Utah tech. It 1800 miles away from nearly everyone.
|
|
stevo
Full Member
Posts: 732
|
Post by stevo on May 4, 2022 17:45:05 GMT -6
Cusa will not add Utah tech. It 1800 miles away from nearly everyone. So 1400 miles from JSU to NMSU is alright? But 1850 miles from JSU to Utah Tech is not? I don't think another 65 minutes on a plane is a deal breaker. A game at Utah Tech would be a built in excuse to go to Vegas. JSU football would only go there once every 4 years. Basketball every other year.
|
|
|
Post by leeroy on May 4, 2022 19:17:23 GMT -6
Cusa will not add Utah tech. It 1800 miles away from nearly everyone. So 1400 miles from JSU to NMSU is alright? But 1850 miles from JSU to Utah Tech is not? I don't think another 65 minutes on a plane is a deal breaker. A game at Utah Tech would be a built in excuse to go to Vegas. JSU football would only go there once every 4 years. Basketball every other year. I don't need an excuse to go to Vegas.
|
|
|
Post by Cleburneslim on May 4, 2022 19:20:51 GMT -6
The idea of a truly continental conference is for those who are subject to flights of fancy.
|
|
|
Post by Cleburneslim on May 4, 2022 19:25:52 GMT -6
Cusa will not add Utah tech. It 1800 miles away from nearly everyone. So 1400 miles from JSU to NMSU is alright? But 1850 miles from JSU to Utah Tech is not? I don't think another 65 minutes on a plane is a deal breaker. A game at Utah Tech would be a built in excuse to go to Vegas. JSU football would only go there once every 4 years. Basketball every other year. So take a bad situation and make it worse. Some would have people believe that a school in Utah could join yet no one would have to travel there but 4 times. What about tennis volleyball softball etc… would they not have to play them? What about wku mtsu liberty and everyone else who has to travel there. Why would a school in Utah want to join a conference where apparently they will be doing all the traveling to play while everyone else only come to their place 3-4 times a year.
|
|
|
Post by troysux on May 4, 2022 20:43:26 GMT -6
We have two schools way out there but are close together so you can play both in one trip for Olympics. I don’t see any benefit in adding UTI.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
|
|
stevo
Full Member
Posts: 732
|
Post by stevo on May 4, 2022 20:46:52 GMT -6
So 1400 miles from JSU to NMSU is alright? But 1850 miles from JSU to Utah Tech is not? I don't think another 65 minutes on a plane is a deal breaker. A game at Utah Tech would be a built in excuse to go to Vegas. JSU football would only go there once every 4 years. Basketball every other year. So take a bad situation and make it worse. Some would have people believe that a school in Utah could join yet no one would have to travel there but 4 times. What about tennis volleyball softball etc… would they not have to play them? What about wku mtsu liberty and everyone else who has to travel there. Why would a school in Utah want to join a conference where apparently they will be doing all the traveling to play while everyone else only come to their place 3-4 times a year. I said football and basketball. Didn't mention any other sports. Utah Tech would be in the same situation as any other school in the 6 team western division if JSU was in the 6 team east. Each year in football JSU would play the other 5 schools in the east and 3 schools in the west. As a result JSU and Utah Tech would play some order of this: Year one play at JSU Year two don't play each other Year three play at Utah Tech Year four don't play each other. I was told numerous times that JSU couldn't afford to go FBS. Then, JSU said one of their reasons for joining the ASUN was to save on travel expenses. Then JSU joins a league with NMSU and UTEP. Again, I don't believe an extra 65 minutes on a plane is going to be a deal breaker. Didn't say I like it, would rather have a school in Mississippi.
|
|
|
Post by Whup Em All on May 5, 2022 9:38:48 GMT -6
Rumor has it, SHSU got the invite more for their proximity to La Tech than for their football success. (And honestly, football success is the only thing going for them at this point.) They were an indirect replacement for both Southern Miss and the AAC-bound Texas schools.
NMSU was invited to give UTEP a travel partner and historical rival.
JSU was a direct replacement for UAB.
Liberty was kind of a replacement for Marshall. (ODU is on the opposite end of Virginia, so not really a replacement for them.) Besides, the Flames were already FBS, and had achieved solid success across multiple sports, and had absolutely no concerns about funding. If any school "deserved" an invitation, it was them.
So even though CUSA has a built-in "continental" reach, from Lynchburg to Miami to Las Cruces, it appears this round of expansion was done with at least some kind of acknowledgement that geography matters.
UT wouldn't really help anyone. It'd just be a body in the West. Mo State is also a bad geographical fit (even for La Tech and SHSU), but -- if they were interested in us, which they're not -- they'd at least bring some solid hoops and improving football.
Tarleton is a gamble. On the surface, they're a very recent D-II move-up well outside any metro areas in the heart of Texas, with absolutely zero proven success at the D-I level. But their ceiling is incredibly high. Tarleton is in the middle of three Texas cities experiencing explosive growth toward one another. In 10 years, the university will be in an incredible position at the center of a new "Platinum Triangle". They have buttloads of cash, which they're pouring into staff and facility upgrades. They're in Texas, which makes them an ultra-attractive recruiting destination. I can see them getting a look.
SFA is the only no-brainer in the West. Assuming the Lumberjacks want to move up, and I believe they do, CUSA needs to invite them asap. Solid athletics overall, and really good basketball. Existing historical rivalry with SHSU. Close proximity to La Tech. They check most of the boxes CUSA can afford to care about.
The Louisiana FCS schools are struggling with cash at the moment. UCA hasn't managed to excite anyone so far. No one trusts Jackson State to sustain what they've got going, once Prime Time moves on.
There's just not a lot else out there. I think SFA and Tarleton are the move in the West.
EKU and Kennesaw are the top choices in the East. EKU has the solid edge due to facilities, but they're also hindered somewhat by the presence WKU. Still, even the Hilltoppers realize adding a team fans could get excited about would help, not hurt, the conference. (Assuming they don't bail on CUSA altogether, but they'd need a destination for that to happen, and until/unless the MAC agrees on a partner for them, an invitation isn't coming from anywhere else.)
A lot of folks felt EKU would serve as the WKU replacement, but I'm not sure CUSA waits that long. I think EKU will get an invite (even with WKU still on board) and Kennesaw will move into the "replacement" role for any teams in the East who move on, whether it's WKU, MTSU, or FIU.
* Edit: Just to address it, since some folks may be wondering... NDSU would not leave the Summit for CUSA in basketball, so an all-sports invitation is not really on the table. I could see a football-only invitation possibly happening, but *ONLY* if no other alternatives were found. As with UT, geography just isn't in their favor. It's sad, because a lot of ungulate fans would actually welcome the invite, if it were to come.
|
|
|
Post by Whup Em All on May 5, 2022 15:14:42 GMT -6
A few CUSA longtimers seem to feel MTSU -- not WKU -- may be the most likely team to exit. Apparently, the sentiment is that MTSU was the one of first schools out when AAC invites came around during the last realignment. If any P5 conferences expand and poach the AAC again, the Blue Raiders could get the call. That would suck, because MTSU is a lot of fun to hate. (Younger fans just don't know. But they'll learn.)
FIU also has a lot going for it (namely, Miami) but they'll need to achieve some greater success athletically to excite the American. (They've been kind of dismal in revenue sports in recent years.)
Out west, NMSU and/or UTEP could conceivably get poached by the MWC. It's unlikely, but it's not off the table.
If the MAC doesn't happen, WKU could be stuck in CUSA forever.
Same goes for La Tech. There's just nowhere else for them to go.
|
|
|
Post by troysux on May 5, 2022 18:41:45 GMT -6
Expansion candidates
Stephen F Austin seems the best fit from the West. Solid athletics and has a name that says “Texas”.
Tarleton State needs to wait. They are still transitioning from D2. Nobody has heard of them or knows where they are.
Jackson State may be the trendy pick with their coach but will they still draw attention when Sanders leaves?
Agree with whup on the LA schools.
No on U Tech. They are still transitioning as well. No, the isn’t any longer than UTEP but what do they really add? Don’t care if they are close to Vegas.
Who might leave?
NMSU/UTEP-If the MWC needed someone they would both be candidates. If both leave, great. If only one leaves it might be time to look at Utah Tech
WKU-I never quite understood them and the MAC. I get they didn’t want to be left out if CUSA died but a rust belt conference just doesn’t scream Kentucky to me. I think they will be glad MTSU pulled the plug on the deal.
MTSU-They really don’t belong in the MAC and the PTB there understood that. Maybe the AAC comes calling one day because they love markets. No, they don’t own Nashville any more than Temple owns Philly, but they can dream.
FIU-Them leaving would solve a big problem. They are way down there and there is nothing CUSA can do. So we have to hope they get better and AAC takes them so they can own all of Miami and not just the half FAU delivers.
LaTech-The least likely of the five to leave. Otherwise, they’d be in the Sun Belt and we would have James Madison.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
|
|
|
Post by gemofthehills on May 5, 2022 20:21:58 GMT -6
If the B12 or ACC decide they need an Alabama school, UAB, we may be gone.
|
|
stevo
Full Member
Posts: 732
|
Post by stevo on May 6, 2022 12:56:10 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by Cleburneslim on May 6, 2022 18:52:59 GMT -6
I Agree 100% But who knows the order I’d like to say KSU is the top spot. Location plus infield success in multiple sports. But who knows what the metric is.
|
|