Speculation – “The MWC and C-USA – their membership weakened by a series of defections including Memphis this week – are reportedly ready to move forward on a full-scale merger for all sports. ESPN.com, citing an unnamed source, reported Wednesday that C-USA’s board of directors will meet this week to discuss the idea. C-USA, after already losing Houston, Southern Methodist and Central Florida, on Wednesday received confirmation of Memphis’ departure.”
Conference USA meeting this week 85 comments - (Comments are closed) 85 comments to Conference USA meeting this week |
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gonzo….link me to that CUSA board that you linked the other day, please.
It would be fun to get a CUSA invite if for no other reason than to watch that Herdzone guy melt down.
Fingers crossed that Terry Holland is pushing us for an invite if/when they expand.
http://ncaabbs.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=439
link to CUSA message board ^
FYI, they are not fans of us (outside of a couple ECU guys)
At this point I could care less if we go CUSA. I’d honestly rather see them look us over and then have us roll into ECU and wreck their ass on opening day. That’ll shut them up.
I hope we don’t make a move until after all of the conference get settled. I would hate to get in a conference and think this is great and then have all the people you were looking foward to playing and they leave and you are left in a worse situation. Sort of like moving into a wonderful new house and being told it has termites or your dream car that cost more to fix than what the car is worth.
thanks Hogan.
Yeah, I realize 99% of them hate app….it’s why I like going there
From what I read last month on that forum, it seems to be an even split with regard to adding App. Marshal fans were 100% butt hurt, but a lot from other east coast CUSA schools were open to the idea. ECU fans want us and/or ODU.
We not going anywhere, sad to say.
Im sorry we had a pretty bad year last year and we havent won a title since 2007. We arent dominate in 1-AA why are you guys so adamant to move up to 1-A?
dood….
i’m not really advocating a move up, but FBS conferences really don’t care that much what we are doing on the field right now. It’s about what we can bring to them in terms of $ and exposure.
I’ll be at the games either way. Our administration seems determined to make the jump so if they do, it would be great if we land in CUSA….I would love to have ECU come to Boone since I grew up in Eastern NC and have plenty of friends who went to school there…and I hate purple
Look for dood to drop of the bandwagon pretty fast if we ever really do have a bad season.
With our season last year we would have gone to a bowl game and the playoffs.
^^^^^^^^^^ AppWyo WHAT???? ^^^^^^^^^^
dood,
What does it mean to “dominate” and how long must a program be dominant to consider moving to FBS?
And, what is this 1-AA that you speak of?
Is it me or does it seem like recently the ECU v. ASU football rivalry is growing in strength. I think this rivalry has the potential of becoming an east west NC football rivalry which eventually could be analogized to the “tobacco road” of college basketball.. Sentiment from fans of ECU and ASU indicate this rivalry could become great. I am sure this is a factor for the C-USA consideration by all parties… rivalries are incredibly helpful in recruiting players… and the creation of a NC football rivalry (where none really exists now) would do wonders for both schools in state recruiting power.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150776113369251&set=at.10150628435744251.490299.789224250.829785150&type=1&theater
crazy things going on on facebook about the whole tanyi/gainey accusations..
Zen I mean that since 2007 we have been on the decline. We just got spanked by Maine, let me say that again Maine spanked us at home…. in the playoffs….
Satt Elliot and Galloway leaving crushed us, they saw the writing on the wall and got out on top. I know we brought Satt back but thats really just one guy and all Jerry can do is hire unproven young coaches.
Oh and Gonzo sorry but I am not a bandwagon fan and never will be. I graduated from App and actually worked for the football team and thats why I know that it would be a bad idea to move up. these teams dont have the talent we had in 05, 06, and 07. And moving up to CUSA is not going to be easy, we cant even beat Wofford and GSU consistently but we want to play teams like Southern Miss Houston and SMU? do you really think that is possible? even with a couple years of recruiting in the conference?
Be realistic, there is nothing wrong with where we are now be happy that we have had the success we have and try to make it back to the National Championship on the 1-AA level.
SMU and Houston will not be in CUSA when we get there.
Ok well then Southern Miss and Tulsa and if this merger happens Nevada, Hawaii, Wyoming, and Air Force
and Fresno State
dood reminds me of MIDWEST
ASU-Law it use to be a strong rivalry between ECU and ASU when they were in the same conf. However, ECU saw the light and decided that they had to move up… It took a long time, and they have not made it for sure but they just expanded their stadium again and always make it to a bowl game.
Definition of Insanity is to do the same thing and expect different results. They are bringing in new coaches and building on a new recruiting class. Our administration is behind it and we need to keep pushing for it… Otherwise we keep playing against small private colleges… forever. As much as I like our playoffs NO ONE outside of 1-AA cares.
Go Apps
Dood,
Those guys moved up for more money. What are you smoking or drinking?
Ok we get paid for joining the conference but what happens when we dont make the post season for the first 4-5 years? Think about Western Kentucky they were dominate and jumped up and have been terrible..
dood,
dom·i·nate /ˈdɒməˌneɪt/ Show Spelled [dom-uh-neyt] Show IPA verb, -nat·ed, -nat·ing.
verb (used with object)
1. to rule over; govern; control.
2. to tower above; overlook; overshadow: A tall pine dominated the landscape.
3. to predominate, permeate, or characterize.
dom·i·nant /ˈdɒmənənt/ Show Spelled[dom-uh-nuhnt] Show IPA
adjective
1. ruling, governing, or controlling; having or exerting authority or influence: dominant in the chain of command.
2. occupying or being in a commanding or elevated position.
3. predominant; main; major; chief: Corn is the dominant crop of Iowa.
Sorry I was a Marketing major not an English Major… I bet you knew what I meant though didnt you?
If you want to market yourself in manner that makes you seem credible, at least use the correct word.
After we make the jump, dood you are right we will probably have a hard time holding our own. However, if you don’t risk the move then you fall into being passive as a football program. We have reached our ceiling where we are.
You have to risk a lot to get a lot… And even if we don’t do well… The fans will come in numbers to see us play the Herd compared to Costal Carolina.
dood,
While I do agree with some of your points, if you consider 8-3 a really bad season; you have not been an App fan very long.
Moving up would be a risk. A risk that could go either way. We could WKU or Boise.
Sorry Professor appmaj…….. do you have something to add other than correcting my grammar?
What ceiling would that be? That first round exit this past season? We should be worried about continued success at our level of play and getting back on top in 1-AA
Granted we went out first round but we have got to start playing against teams with a tv market. That’s where the money comes from. We don’t have a big tv market ourselves but it is growing… even more so with our recent games with ECU and VT.
Playing against the mighty Maine … no one cares. Yes they beat us but no one knew about it because no one watches our level of football. We have proven to have winning teams that’s all we need to move. Not another national championship.
If ECU stays in the CUSA and the merger with the MWC goes through, you can be assured that ECU will be looking for Eastern Time Zone schools to add to the conference to give them more regional schools to schedule. The merger would allow for a conference championship but regular season play would likely be confined to divisional play.
Dood, I also worked for the football team. That doesn’t make me an expert on the dynamic of NCAA conference shifting. You lost credibility when you said we had a terrible season last year….
dood,
See above your comment were I wrote: “While I do agree with some of your points, if you consider 8-3 a really bad season; you have not been an App fan very long.”
That has nothing to do with your bad grammar.
We have been more successful in the 4 seasons since the championships than the 4 before (or the four before that).
I think your reasoning for not moving up is flawed. I am not fully behind moving up but, last season has nothing to do with it.
Now, just why is it that CUSA would be interesting in inviting ASU into the conference? What exactly do we bring to the table in terms of TV audience, stadium draw as a visiting team, etc.? Really, I know someone must have mentioned all this before but I forgot. What’s in it for CUSA?
our season fan avg is better than half of the CUSA teams now… and we are growing.
Gonzo what makes me an expert is my making a career of working in collegiate football and being a part of teams that make the conference shift.
As soon as we move up and start losing we will lose attendance and fall in line with the Western Kentuckys of the 1-A world where they dont matter. In 1-AA we matter.
I never said it was a terrible season either, I said pretty bad and at this point losing those conference games and in the first round of the playoffs is pretty bad for App. Losing to Furman and Wofford, then in the first round of the Playoffs is not a good year sorry if that is too blunt.
RR is correct. Also:
We offer established rivalries with Marshal and ECU. We may not have an incredible media market, but we do have a substantial share of the Charlotte market and a very large and active fan base in the area. We also have sizable media shares in western NC and Winston Salem. What I mean is, while our media impact isn’t a main attractive point to a potential conference, it’s not like it’s doesn’t exist at all.
Nationally, we have the most recognized brand in the FCS and one of the most in mid major NCAA football. There are plenty of things conferences consider in this process. To rule out any FBS option at this point is a folly.
App has too much debt thanks to Cobb. He knows how to spend money and raise student fees. The students have to carry the burden of raising student fees including tuition. The idea of putting a dorm on the north end zone is because athletics is tapped out.
“i cant believe cobb raised tuition like that!”
Dood,
If we move up we won’t have the same team we have now nor the same coaches. It will be a completely different team.
Where ever we end up I hope we are in the same conference as UNC Charlotte. That is the future of Football in North Carolina.
UNCC is the future of football in NC? that’s f-ing hilarious.
AppWyo
I hope that was a joke:)
I wish UNCC was going into the same division as Campbell. Western would fit in nicely there too.
Charlotte has the alumni base with the money to make it happen and the television market to boot, just wait and see…
“What’s in it for CUSA?”
I’m afraid that’s still a very legitimate question. If I understand all the moves and conference realignments that have occurred or have been rumored as imminent, CUSA is losing Houston, SMU, UCF and Memphis, all to Big East. That leaves eight of the 12 schools that competed in CUSA in 2011: Tulsa, Rice, UTEP, Tulane, UAB, So Miss, ECU and Marshall.
The CUSA – MWC combination finalized relatively recently is for football only. I believe MWC is down to six schools for football, having lost Boise and San Diego State to Big East (though for football only). It might make sense for MWC to pick up Utah State from WAC and UTEP from CUSA, restoring their side of the football alignment to eight teams. Others that either MWC or CUSA could target before looking to the FCS ranks might include North Texas State and UT-San Antonio. The former would restore a Dallas-area presence to CUSA (or provide one for MWC) and San Antonio would open a new market for either league. Though we hear virtually nothing about either school, NTSU is already in FBS and UT-SA is joining in 2012. In addition, there are a number of other already-FBS programs that CUSA could perhaps steal from Sun Belt, including some that would help replace the league’s losses in the Florida market.
It seems that the only factors in our favor versus at least six or eight other schools might be proximity to the five presently remaining eastern/southeastern CUSA teams and the possibility of rekindling old rivalries with ECU and Marshall. Otherwise, it doesn’t seem we bring a lot to the table for potential CUSA membership.
As an aside, I wonder why Sun Belt and WAC don’t form a similar alliance to that of CUSA and MWC.
There’s plenty here for CUSA…..1) Parts of four television markets….CLT, GBO-WS, Johnson City-Bristol, and Asheville. 2) As posted before the most familiar FCS “brand” in the country. 3) A rivalry to “bookend the ACC” ASU-ECU, giving a CUSA a major presence in NC. 4) A rabid fanbase that likes to travel…especially to places like Huntington and Greenville. 5) A commitment to quality football…. I could go one but I think five is enough.
Those are good points, but for some reason people see tv markets as being based on the cities in which the colleges are located.
tim -
Given that we’ve said we want to move to FBS, CUSA is where I would like us to land. I think it is easily the best of the FBS leagues which we might reasonably have a shot at joining. That being the case, I would like very much to agree with you wholeheartedly. But I don’t.
From an objective business perspective, many markets in Florida and Texas are more desirable than those you mention in NC and, certainly, than the one you cite in TN. It would be nice if being a well-known FCS brand actually meant a lot, but I fear it doesn’t except within certain FCS circles.
Few, if any, App fans would disagree with your points 3 – 5, but I doubt even those mean a lot to schools in Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana; more likely, our interest in and devotion to App may make them mean more to us than they do even to ECU and Marshall.
In other words, I’m not holding my breath that CUSA will extend an invitation to App any time soon, if ever. I would much prefer to be pleasantly surprised if/when an invitation comes than disappointed by hoping for one that never arrives.
Sad but true, I agree with appdreamin when it comes to a fans perspective. The only thing we can do is give positive support and donations.
However, I hope the “wait and see” approach that Cobb keeps referring to is not us sitting with our fingers crossed hoping a pick me will happen.
I know we are a big fish in a small pond but he needs to be explaining all of tim’s points to anyone who will listen at this time.
I could be wrong and someone can correct me if I am but I doubt Cobb is sitting around. I am sure we are trying to sell ourselves. At least I am hope so.
Rick are we trying to sell ourselves or are we waiting?
I have to go with appdreamin he has hit the nail on the head.
hoping* … it is Friday and I am sure it is 5:00 o’clock somewhere too.
Cobb and Peacock are incredibly proactive, hence the outrageous growth and success of the last decade. If we had this current leadership 20 year ago, we could quite possibly be in a BCS conference.
I don’t think CUSA wants more teams in TX. From what I have heard they want more teams in the eastern time zone for football. They want to make sure they have quality match ups in every time zone (especially with a merger with MW to get more West coast games).
It is possible that they may pull from Sun Belt but I don’t see it. None of those teams have any sort of ties to current CUSA teams like we do (i.e. already mentioned Marshall, ECU). And I would not think that those teams in the sun belt would pull more viewership on TV than we would.
Peacock & Cobb are about to have much bigger things to deal with … the Gainey/Tanyi thing is blowing up on facebook and through campus … some of the friends of alleged victims have posted an ASU football logo picture with “No More protecting rapists because they’re on the football team” written over it with paragraphs of information about how the university covered up multiple rapes by players that is spreading like wildfire across the internet.
As I’ve already intimated, Goose, I would like to think you’re correct. But FAU or FIU would offer access to far larger markets than we would, even if no one in those sections of Florida pays any attention to them (I don’t know that is the case, but with UF, FSU and Miami in state, along with UCF and So Fla, it wouldn’t surprise me if those two are largely ignored).
I’m getting tired of the slanderous social media campaign against my Alma Mater. If you feel that you or a friend were “assaulted” and there is a massive conspiracy by ASU to cover it up, you need to be reminded of the way the American justice system works. If certain individuals were never found guilty in a court of law, there is nothing to cover up. I’m not saying these accusers are lying about what happened to them, only that the court system is the final word on these matters. There is no conspiracy involving a coop of corrupt DA’s that are huge App State fans. That idea is asinine. When a DA chooses not to prosecute, it’s because there is A LACK OF SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO GET A CONVICTION. If you want to plaster up every witch hunt and false accusation go ahead, but you’re in for a full time job. Stop trying to destroy a wonderful institution because you feel that you were the victim of an injustice. The worst thing about this whole facebook sharing thing that’s going on is the fact that, if anyone tries to respond, they are instantly censored as the biased and viral story continues to spread.
This is all I will say on the matter, as I do not want to validate or further publicize any of this crap.
I SUPPORT APPALACHIAN STATE
This has been the most civil, informed, and useful discussion of moving to FBS that we’ve ever had on this board. Kudos to all who have contributed.
I’m no expert on TV markets, but I live fairly close to Charlotte and as far as I can remember there’s never been an instance of a Charlotte area TV station carrying an ASU football game until this season, when we were on public television. I know there are a lot of ASU alumni in this area and you see some evidence of fans; one sees ASU stickers and other paraphenalia on vehicles, people wearing ASU hats and shirts, etc. But I don’t know how the powers that be at CUSA calculate ASU’s ‘share’ of this market.
Research on media impact usually involves quantifying mentions in every media venue in the area: TV news, newspapers ect. Aside from the NC ACC schools, App is mentioned alot in the Charlotte area, though the Charlotte Observer seems to make an effort to make us secondary to UNCC. David Scott is an idiot.
It is natural that the hometown paper will favor the hometown team. They will NEVER favor APP over uncc no matter where we play.
I hate to tell UNCC supporters (and the Charlotte media folks) but the general public as well as prospective college students DO NOT see UNCC in the same class AS ASU with one exception: men’s basketball. And even that’s questionable since the 49′ers aren’t the hoops power they were 5-10 years ago.
So let the Charlotte media clowns continue to down ASU. We are moving ahead with the move up. Besides, How many App State grads have ever had this type of conversation at parties:
GIRL: “So where did you go to college?”
GUY: “UNC Charlotte.”
GIRL: “Oh! You mean the Tarheels, right?”
GUY: “Well, not exactly.”
GIRL: “Well what is that? The letters ‘CC’ usually mean ‘community college.”
GUY: “Well no, it’s not like that…”
The Charlotte area is important to us but has anyone noticed that our recruiting base has expanded dramatically? ASU offers many things that UNCC never will, so everybody stop worrying about them.
Not defending uncc at all but you really should be talking to smarter girls. (:
I’ve gotten the Charlotte Observer for years, and the athletics pecking order is well established. ACC schools UNC, State, Wake Forest, and Duke get the lion’s share of coverage along with sorta-nearby Clemson. Then comes the SEC and other ‘real’ FBS leagues. Every now and then they’ll do a story about ECU. Below that, ASU is covered, but not nearly so much as UNCC and Davidson. There was a slight blip of extra coverage coincident with our national championship runs, but for the most part the average fan in this area could spend years here and never know much about the school except that it’s somewhere up in the mountains and a few years back they beat Michigan. Frankly, having Armanti Edwards playing for the Panthers has done as much as anything to raise the school’s profile locally.
The only “major” NC paper that covers App to any extent is and, for years, has been the W-S Journal.
AppWyo is dead on. I’ve been preaching tag teaming with uncc ever since they announced they were going to field a team. We have to ensure we are part of a dominate tv market. Uncc is a sleeping giant.
UNCC has the worst graduate:fan ratio of all time. The school offers nothing more than a mediocre education. There is no college experience what-so-ever and therefore, people that attend could care less about the place and it’s sports teams. They have location going for them. That is all. The world is going to all of the sudden start caring once FCS football comes to town? That is a joke.
If UNCC is a sleeping giant, App is a Titan with insomnia.
CUSA and MWC are dissolving and forming an entirely new conference. Wonder what this means for all the FBS hopefuls out there…
Yes, here is the story on ESPN.
I still think App has a legimate shot of getting into the conference. I think the thought was to split newly formed division into west and east divisions. Looking at the teams reported, they would want more Eastern Time Zone teams as it would be Pacific, Mountain, and Central time zone heavy. Only 2 teams on eastern time zone – (ECU, Marshall)
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/7571596/mountain-west-conference-usa-form-new-league-sources-say
I will be honest … I am a pro FBSer and I don’t think this new CUSA MWC conference will work unless they add several more eastern teams. That being said I don’t think ECU and Marshall will like this. I would think they would prefer to form a new league all together.
That’s a crappy deal for ECU.
18-24 teams? That is just stupid. Talk about getting lost. I just don’t understand being in a conference with teams you will not play.
Meanwhile, Big East scheduling is so bad, they may ne playing teams twice a season!
and the acc has destroyed basketball. can’t even sellout the tournament. Conferences are getting toooooo big. All this expansion is not going to work in the long run.
If they are looking to add 2-8 more teams, I don’t see how we don’t get an invite..
Interesting take on the division of a 24-team conference.
http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/2012/2/14/2797624/college-conference-realignment-mwc-cusa-schedule
I love the idea above…But i hope they stick with the open Week 9 and rank all teams from 1-12 and each number 1 plays each other and number 2 plays number 2 and so on. WEEK 9 will be great football from top to bottom.
THE TEAM WITH THE HIGHEST SEASON ATTENDANCE SHOULD GET THE HOME GAME…..MAKE THE FANS EARN THE HOME GAME.
This is not a conference it is a league.
bcoach
I really thought this sort of alignment would appeal to you. I know you aren’t crazy about moving to FBS, but if it happens, this proposed situation wouldn’t look too bad. I like it much more than I would a two-division conference made up of the same schools.
The proposed alignment would provide (in practice) what many, including myself, prefer. A small geographic “conference” with travel costs contained, “natural” rivals, etc. It would also provide more national exposure, an increased chance for BCS AQ status, etc.
An idea I haven’t heard proposed concerning a 24-team conference. 24 non-AQ FBS schools with an established affiliation would be a pretty good start to, one day, creating an alternative to the NCAA/BCS structure.
It’s good that the leadership of CUSA and MW are being proactive in trying to make their conferences/schools relevant in FBS football. I hope they succeed, although it’s going to be very, very hard for them to break even with the travel costs involved and the impression such a large, nation-wide conference is bound to create of a “second tier” football league.
But they wouldn’t be doing this if both conferences weren’t already in trouble, and facing an even more troubling future. Doesn’t it seem like the FCS schools that want to join now are like peole trying to board a sinking ship?
If they go to 24 teams and have 4 divisions then I am all for it. Travel would be UAB (no different than Sammy probably closer), Marshall, ECU, Tulane and Southern Miss. That is if they add no more eastern schools besides us. It will only get better the more teams they add. So our schedule would look something like this …
@UAB
ECU
@Marshall
Southern Miss
Tulane
@Air Force (yikes one time a year thing though)
Colorado State
3 OOC of
@ Carolina (money game)
Western (cupcake game)
UMASS
Not all that bad. It could be worse. It looks better than what we have now. However, if we can get Montana to go with us I would insert them into an every year home and home. They would be a good natural rival. JMU would also be a good addition and you might as well throw in the Stink. If that were to happen then that would be awesome!
Your schedule has only 10 games, 7. In that scenario, there’s already room for two from the group including JMU, Montana, and GaSo.
The idea in the article is really four conferences competing as a league. It is quite appealing in my view, and if the logistics could be managed I would love the ninth game scenario. Remember, as an FBS program we would schedule 12 regular season games, not just 11. Even with nine devoted to conference/league opponents, we have three left over for money/tradition/guaranteed win/padding the home schedule/whatever.
It was also pleasing to see at least one writer seeming to assume that App would be involved in a 24-team league (as opposed to being left on the FCS sidelines, I mean).
I think the way to handle scheduling for the “ninth game” would be for all teams in divisions one and three to be home in odd number years and all teams in divisions two and four to be home in even number years. Simply alternate home field advantage. That would essentially equate to scheduling a “home and home” series.
You are correct dreamin …
@Carolina
Western (Tune Up)
UMASS
JMU*+
@GaSo*+
@UAB*+
ECU*+
@Marshall*+
Southern Miss*+
Tulane*
@Air Force*
Colorado State*
* Denotes conference game
+* Denotes Division game
Winner of North Division plays in 4 team playoff with other division winners.
I could really go for this!!!
According to multiple sources, the candidates include Charlotte (A-10), which is about to start playing football; Florida International (Sun Belt); North Texas (Sun Belt); UT-San Antonio (WAC); Louisiana Tech (WAC); Middle Tennessee State (Sun Belt); Western Kentucky (Sun Belt), if the Hilltoppers want to bump up the football program; Old Dominion (CAA), if the Monarchs bump up football as well; and UMass and Temple (both would be coming from MAC in football, A-10 in other sports).
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/blog/_/name/katz_andy/id/7577605/plenty-questions-remain-new-mwc-c-usa-league-college-basketball
Doesn’t sound like we are getting in.
Makes you wonder if ECU has something up their sleeve to start their own Eastern Conference or moving to sunbelt with AppState and Georgia Southern and some others. I don’t think ECU will stay in this conference without some additional Eastern teams.
I would be OK with Sunbelt if they lost some teams and we added AppState, Marshall, ECU, GeoSouthern, ODU, JMU and even Charlotte when they got ready.
I have heard so many teams mentioned at this point. No one really knows who is being considered or who is not being considered. I have a feeling that we already have an invite to a conference and Cobb is not letting the cat out of the bag.