[cruzan_flame13]

Hopefully, this will be a short stay. ASUN is probably a better Bball conference and for football FCS might be stronger. Very disappointed. Maybe we can keep most of our FBS games. Hate to trade an ACC opponent or even a Sun Belt for Sam Houston St. Seriously, why did we invest millions in football??

This is a horrible decision and I support any and all coaches who run for the hills.

Not that I'm super happy with this news, but I think the C-USA could be a pretty good basketball conference. Better than the A-Sun at least.

Could that be true when there's barely any teams left? Only team that may be beneficial is WKU and the only news I heard from that program is when a 5* committed to them because he considered staying home a couple seasons ago. Not sure if he even signed though.

[LUGrad2000]

What about TV? CUSA has a terrible TV contract. Hopefully we can keep ours somehow.

[Ill flame]

Last year's net rankings

Louisiana Tech- 71
WKU- 82
Liberty- 85
UTEP- 143
NMSU- 164
Sam Houston- 169
Jacksonville- 291
FIU-298
MTSU- 300
Average= 189

Average asun net without liberty=269

As much as people are hyping up the new sunbelt this new cusa would still be a better basketball conference. Despite that I have no desire to join this new conference. The administration must think that joining a conference will give us a better path to an expanded cfp playoff. If we are in a position where we have to beat out other g5 champions for a cfp appearance it'll be tough in such a weak conference. Hopefully it'll expand to 16 teams and 8 conference champions get an auto bid.

[ballcoach15]

Liberty should dominate this conference in softball and baseball. It will be good road trip to El Paso for

[TH Spangler]

Thought UConn was part of this scenario?

8 is better than 16. We can still keep our premium games.

There also remains a possibility that FBS independents UConn and UMass could join the league as football-only members, sources said.

[Purple Haize]

Thought UConn was part of this scenario?

8 is better than 16. We can still keep our premium games.

There also remains a possibility that FBS independents UConn and UMass could join the league as football-only members, sources said.

Now if those schools joined as full members……

[ballcoach15]

If this conference becomes reality, schools will need a good "travel agent ".

[alabama24]

If this conference becomes reality, schools will need a good "travel agent ".

I nominate you. I hear that you know where all the Burger Kings are. Nothing but the finest my friend!

[olldflame]

If this conference becomes reality, schools will need a good "travel agent ".

Now there is a term I haven't heard or read in quite a while.

FYI ballcoach, D1 teams have people on staff who handle those arrangements. They use new-fangled stuff like the interwebs and the telephone.

[ballcoach15]

I just used the term, "travel agent". I know softball has someone who handles travel.

[BlueBlood]

Overall, not very excited. If LU was going to a conference, obviously I would have rather it been the SBC.

But, if this secures a path to the CFP, I guess I can see the reasoning. Or, if Ian thinks other independents are jumping on board and that and scheduling alliances are going to make scheduling difficult, I guess I get that too.

If WKU and MTSU stay, I think it brings a little more legitimacy (and stability) to C-USA than if they don't.

I've read some speculation that C-USA might have interest in UT-Arlington and Arkansas-Little Rock as non-football members. I get the idea (the conference will want to sponsor as many sports as possible), but am a little fearful that such a move might lead the SBC to add two more football schools. And if those schools are LT and FIU, or LT and UTEP, then that really torpedos what C-USA is building. Along those same lines, any future B12 additions or MWC additions could have the same result.

Proceed with caution.

[Sly Fox]

The Belt has essentially told their non-football members that their presence is no longer valued. Both UTA & UALR are looking at their options. UTA has been talking with the MVC and UALR is all but assuredly headed to the ASUN with their neighboring UCA.

The Belt also has no interest in adding any more members for the time being. 14 sets up nicely for scheduling. And LaTech has burned so many bridges with the Belt that it will be awhile before they get the votes they need. Their options are CUSA or Indy. Period. UTEP's options are CUSA or Indy/WAC. FIU is CUSA or Indy/ASUN.

Once again I feel compelled to remind everyone that we still are basing this speculation on one tweet from Brett McMurphy who had Air Force & Colorado State in the AAC a couple of weeks ago. He reports rumors that are planted by interested parties. I am guessing that Judy McLeod or someone else in the CUSA office is the source in hopes of swaying WKU & MTSU to stick around.

[BlueBlood]

Once again I feel compelled to remind everyone that we still are basing this speculation on one tweet from Brett McMurphy

Yep. Completely understood. This is all just speculation.

[paradox]

If we are the major player as McMurphy suggests, then Ian has some leverage here. As a result, I'm guessing that UMass gets a break, and an invite. UConn, maybe? They could be interested as a football-only? The MAC seems to be more of a natural fit for WKU & MTSU.

[phoenix]

C-USA is the FBS version of the Big South.

On the plus side, we would dominate in just about every sport.
On the negative side, we would have little competition, few teams to make us try to get better. And it would be just like the Big South days, just on a slightly bigger stage. We'd play up to the level of our competition, and we'd have some head-shakers against terrible opponents (#bluehose, for those who remember). We'd end up the biggest fish in a tiny pond again, and that isn't good for growth.

No matter how well our teams would do, no matter how many conference championships we'd win, it would always be "Yeah, but that's in the C-USA." Just like it was always "Yeah, but they play in the Big South." I don't know why we would want to go back to that after we worked so hard to get out.

[TH Spangler]

The more I look at this the more potential I see. Maybe look at North Dakota, South Dakota St, Missouri St. UT Chattanooga and Eastern Kentucky. Would this be a footprint that might serve Army's recruiting. Would UMass and UConn be interested. I'll keep an open mind and wait for Ian to explain.

[UABlazin]

If this all holds together after WKU/MTSU officially move, keep your eyes on EKU and Chattanooga next.

[Sly Fox]

I have scoured the interwebs high and low and McMurphy remains the only one making the projections and he qualifies everything with the term "likely". I honestly believe that we are not likely to join unless WKU & MTSU stay. Our potential presence is what those at those two schools can use as leverage to not head to the MAC. Then again, we still don't know if the MAC presidents will have enough votes to invite in the first place.

I feel we have plenty more drama occurring behind the scenes before any of this is settled.

I do agree that Sam & JSU make the most sense in the exisiting CUSA footprint for invitations. I can't speak for the Alabama school, but I have been very vocal that SHSU is not ready to step up. But they do have aspirations whether practical or not. Their primary peerinstitution is Texas State that left them behind years ago. Of course the school in San Marcos has tons of resources and yet is still underperforming in the Belt. Sam does not have those resources. And don't even get me started on SFA. Sam football has operated the transfer game exceptionally well for years much like JMU. They typically are a transfer destination for P5 washouts from Houston area high schools looking for a second chance closer to home. They are who they are.

[Geraldos Mustache]

I hope not. Would rather remain independent.
Good article here, but what's left of Conference USA and the teams needed for the 8-team requirement is highly undesirable.

https://www.aseaofred.com/what-would-li ... look-like/

[ballcoach15]

2021 Softball RPIs for proposed CUSA:

Liberty 19
W. Kentucky 45
MTSU 102
NMSU 106
Sam Houston 137
Jacksonville St. 143
La Tech 164
FIU 195
UTEP 241

Liberty should dominate CUSA.

[Sly Fox]

Whether we are a go may be up for debate, but it appears the folks in Las Cruces are on the verge of joining CUSA.

[tyndal23]

[Sly Fox]

Forgive me, tyndal23, but what was that video? Some Mountaineer fan in his parents' basement shouting uninformed nonsense? It is bad enough to waate time watching that dreck ... but to re-post it here?

OK, I feel better now. It turns out that was therapeutic for me.

[tyndal23]

Forgive me, tyndal23, but what was that video? Some Mountaineer fan in his parents' basement shouting uninformed nonsense? It is bad enough to waate time watching that dreck ... but to re-post it here?

OK, I feel better now. It turns out that was therapeutic for me.

Ha. Even WVU fans in their basement are telling LU “don’t do it” and laughing at Conference USA. Praying the rumors are just rumors and we haven’t complexity lost our mind. I can’t believe the Twitter support for this being a good move for LU and the lipstick being smeared all over a pig.

[TH Spangler]

Forgive me, tyndal23, but what was that video? Some Mountaineer fan in his parents' basement shouting uninformed nonsense? It is bad enough to waate time watching that dreck ... but to re-post it here?

OK, I feel better now. It turns out that was therapeutic for me.