[Sly Fox]

I honestly believe that if MTSU & WKU actually land in the MAC, Ian might pump the brakes.

But if those two do bolt for greener (!?!) pastures, I don't see Long Island being an attractive situation for CUSA. There's not much upside for us or the league. Now if they were to get their house in order from a stadium perspective and improve their olympics then they might be higher on the candidate list with their AAU status. But not right now ...

I still believe that outside of Sam & Jax State that have already been identified, the best combination of FCS options would be Missouri State/North Dakota State. Yeah, I get it. They are both off the beaten path. But we are looking for schools willing to make a commitment to athletics and both have demonstrated that significantly. After those two, perhaps Chatty & EKU. But heaven help us if we ever have to drop that far.

Let's just hope that Toppers & Raiders stick around if we are going to be involved.

[Purple Haize]

What am I saying different? We play Ole Miss this weekend, not Sam Houston St. and I know where the game is televised, not Flosports or whatever we are going to be on. We play 4 P5 games next year. Pretty sure those will get watched.

You said it would set us back 30 years. Then pivoted from that insanity and said facilities don't matter because nobody would be watching.

Also we can still play P5 games. Even as a member of CUSA. We could even play 4!

This. Right here is my only reason to like the CUSA move. LU can be part of the Playoff schedule AND play P5 schools if it wants. In fact I’d say it makes it easier to schedule them because LU would have Conference Legitimacy and hopefully an appearance or two in the playoffs.
No one cares now about Campbell and New Mexico St. So LU would hold the line on Crap games. Which destroys that argument

[ballcoach15]

As for Missouri State and North Dakota, Missouri State is in our backyard, compared to North Dakota.

[Ill flame]

North Dakota state keeps beating the hammer that they are happy being the big fish in a little pond. They also want to stay in conferences close to them. Unless the entire MVFC decides to move up it'll never happen.

[Sly Fox]

NDSU is one of the schools inquiring and would accept if offered by all indications from Fargo. But they make FIU look they are in the middle of the CUSA footprint. Coming in tandem with Missouri State would be a reasonable excuse for them to join. They recognize that this is their only shot to reach FBS level unless the MWC were to somehow get desperate. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices. Obviously the Mo valley is not going to want FBS schools in their league. So both schools would have to either go all in on CUSA or more likely for NDSU find another league to stuff the olympics.

[Ill flame]

Also people make fun of the mac but it's a bunch of schools that understand where they are in the CFB pecking order and they are content. You can call them complacent or whatever but that stability that they have is certainly leaving them better off than the WAC and c-usa who were never content.

[ballcoach15]

I've always thought of the MAC as the Big 10's baby brother.

[BlueBlood]

Also people make fun of the mac but it's a bunch of schools that understand where they are in the CFB pecking order and they are content. You can call them complacent or whatever but that stability that they have is certainly leaving them better off than the WAC and c-usa who were never content.

I think there is such a thing as too stable. I put the MAC membership timeline in an earlier post and made the comment that the MAC is like Hotel California or a lobster trap. Schools join but never leave. Most have been in since the 1940s/50s. You are signing up for a long and steady life of G5 football. That is fine if that is what you are looking for.

Conversely, the wildly volatile C-USA has five former members in the P5 and several more former members in the AAC that are knocking on the P5 door.

I would rather be aligned with schools that are on the rise (or are at least gambling on themselves that they are) than ones that are seeking stable residency at the lower G5 level.

[Kricket]

Rumor is Ian and Liberty are working on a east coast group and C-Usa leaders are working on the west.

Just a guess on my part but I would think our old buddy Stony Brook gets a call.

https://www.sbstatesman.com/2021/10/10/ ... miliating/

I bet there is a part of McCaw that is excited that we will get to help build a conference back up. Ideally you join a conference that is a step up. But it's also kind of fun in having a say who will be in a conference. Not that we should make decisions base on that, but I think there is something appealing about being a part of a conference rebuild.

[BlueBlood]

I bet there is a part of McCaw that is excited that we will get to help build a conference back up. Ideally you join a conference that is a step up. But it's also kind of fun in having a say who will be in a conference. Not that we should make decisions base on that, but I think there is something appealing about being a part of a conference rebuild.

I’m definitely warming up to C-USA - if built right. I’m watching the SBC Thursday night game right now. And I’m thinking that a few years ago, I wouldn’t have known if these were SBC teams or C-USA teams playing. I’m much more G5-aware now (because of LU), but I wasn’t always. I don’t think most people are. People might know which G5 teams are having a good year (or years), but not necessarily who is in which G5 conference.

Also, outside of the SEC and the Big Ten, I don’t think kids grow up thinking “I want to play in ‘X’ conference”. Usually they want to play for certain teams, not teams in certain conferences (outside of the above-mentioned).

I’m convinced LU will be fine as long as they continue to invest in good coaches.

[Kricket]

I bet there is a part of McCaw that is excited that we will get to help build a conference back up. Ideally you join a conference that is a step up. But it's also kind of fun in having a say who will be in a conference. Not that we should make decisions base on that, but I think there is something appealing about being a part of a conference rebuild.

I’m definitely warming up to C-USA - if built right. I’m watching the SBC Thursday night game right now. And I’m thinking that a few years ago, I wouldn’t have known if these were SBC teams or C-USA teams playing. I’m much more G5-aware now (because of LU), but I wasn’t always. I don’t think most people are. People might know which G5 teams are having a good year (or years), but not necessarily who is in which G5 conference.

Also, outside of the SEC and the Big Ten, I don’t think kids grow up thinking “I want to play in ‘X’ conference”. Usually they want to play for certain teams, not teams in certain conferences (outside of the above-mentioned).

I’m convinced LU will be fine as long as they continue to invest in good coaches.

I was thinking the same. A vast majority of fans have no idea who is in the Sun Belt or C-USA or even the AAC. Most people don't know Liberty is independent.

Here's another thing nobody has said. C-USA has a name people recognize in other sports. The A-Sun doesn't. I grew up watching C-USA basketball when Dwyane Wade was on Marquette going final four in C-USA. Louisville was a good team too. Sure, the A-Sun had a small run with FGCU, but nothing like C-USA. To the common fan still values the C-USA brand over the A-Sun all day every day.

[ballcoach15]

I cannot think of any teams in the east that would be a good addition to CUSA, other than Army.

[BlueBlood]

I cannot think of any teams in the east that would be a good addition to CUSA, other than Army.

Yeah, I really can’t either. EKU is probably the closest that I think of that may have FBS growth potential. FGCU might be a good non-football add.

[BlueBlood]

If I’m C-USA, I think I’d rather add a couple strategically located non-football schools than overload on too many FCS call ups at one time.

[ballcoach15]

Tough call. Non football schools add basically nothing to conference, because football drives the train. FCS schools will probably water down the conference. Jacksonville State is probably FBS ready. Others I'm not sure about.

[Class of 20Something]

I like Kennesaw. I think they have those aspirations for FBS and clearly have a drive for athletics. They're a rare available combo of program AND market.

And my ultra dark horse candidate may actually be one of the strongest. Stephen F Austin. Top 150 KenPom(but spent 4 years in the top 75), currently receiving votes in the FCS football poll. They've made some noise with marquee basketball wins. Their football team has sadly lost three games this year. But those losses are to Texas Tech, Sam Houston, and JaxSt. By a combined 11 points.

[tyndal23]

I honestly believe that if MTSU & WKU actually land in the MAC, Ian might pump the brakes.

But if those two do bolt for greener (!?!) pastures, I don't see Long Island being an attractive situation for CUSA. There's not much upside for us or the league. Now if they were to get their house in order from a stadium perspective and improve their olympics then they might be higher on the candidate list with their AAU status. But not right now ...

I still believe that outside of Sam & Jax State that have already been identified, the best combination of FCS options would be Missouri State/North Dakota State. Yeah, I get it. They are both off the beaten path. But we are looking for schools willing to make a commitment to athletics and both have demonstrated that significantly. After those two, perhaps Chatty & EKU. But heaven help us if we ever have to drop that far.

Let's just hope that Toppers & Raiders stick around if we are going to be involved.

Sly, do you think we would get so far as an official invite IF WKU and MTSU weren’t in the fold? I am asking because typically at that stage it is a formality, however CUSA may have needed show 4 new schools coming in to give leverage incentive for those 2 not to bolt to MAC. Could Ian have green lighted far enough to state IF they are in we are in, but otherwise we may refuse. I can stomach CUSA with those 2 ( barely ) but without - surely we aren’t trying to press this - are we ?

[jimflamesfan]

I think for LU to join either MT and WKU need to stay...or CUSA has to already have two more schools lined up...even if it's something like North and South Dakota...I think to avoid negative press the CUSA needs to have all the adds announce at once...have press conferences on the same day..and the CUSA message needs to be...we are rebuilding, and here are our 9 or 10 schools moving forward. We are excited about growing together. That needs to be the message. CUSA cant have this, "we are adding these 4"...then the next day...we are losing these 2...and then "we are desperate for at least one more". Like all the ducks need to be in a row before LU joins. So the CUSA message needs to be either...LU, New Mexico State, SHU, and Jacksonville are coming and WKU and MT are staying...OR...WKU and MT are leaving but we are rebuilding with LU, NMS, SHU, Jacksonville, and North and South Dakota.

If I were CUSA...I'd forget about football only schools for now...I'd tell Umass...you want in? Then bring all your sports. Or...I'd invite the dakotas as a buffer against WKU and MT leaving. That way CUSA can announce we are moving forward with these 10...then if MT and WKU leave, at least the conference still has the minimum number and moves forward. That's just how I feel.

[Liberty22]

The schools being thrown around make me want to throw up. We could have a schedule full of Sunbelt, Mac, CUSA and 4 P5 a year if we wanted right now. We join CUSA we’d have to choose amongst our 4-5 OOC for Sunbelt, Mac etc or P5. I personally still prefer Indy and try and upgrade a new league for other sports. I’ll stomach a CUSA move if WKU/MT stay, though those schools are bottom feeders too, but they’re infinitely better than the new schools being talked about.

[Racenut]

While I am for independence, one idea would give me pause. If Ian could convince ARMY to come on board that would be a major coup. Navy and Air Force have proven that conference affiliation could work for a service academy and the geographic footprint of the league would have a wide spread diversity of locations for their recruiting purposes. They could still retain enough flexibility for the traditional rivalries and what moniker would be more appropriate than C-USA. I could see a major announcement during halftime of our game with them on November 27 on Military Appreciation Day that would probably bring the house down. That move and the addition of Liberty would do more to legitimize the conference than any other I could think of at this point.

[jimflamesfan]

There was a post from Bisonnation a little while ago that Judy the commisioner of conference USA was at NDSU yesterday. I imagine NDSU gets an all sports invite soon.

[Ill flame]

Louisiana tech is averaging 8 wins a season over the last ten years.

Western Kentucky is a roller coaster but overall has a track record of being competitive in football

MTSU has consistently averaged 6 wins a season for awhile now but without the big valleys and peaks that WKU tends to have.

UTEP historically has been pretty bad but may be turning it around this season. It'll be interesting to see if they can maintain that momentum.

FIU has made bowls in 3 of the last 5 seasons but is trending in the wrong direction.

I really have no problems playing these 5 schools every year. Louisiana tech is always competitive, wku and mtsu are somewhat regional schools that aren't terrible and you can't go wrong with regular trips to Miami. My biggest concern is who would fill out the bottom of the conference and how much dead weight is c-usa trying to add.

The sunbelt has proven that all it takes is a couple teams hovering around the top 25 with the occasional P5 upset to change the entire perception of a conference no matter how much dead weight is at the bottom. Between liberty, Louisiana tech and another team occasionally catching lightning in a bottle like wku did a few years ago I don't see why c-usa can't replicate what the sunbelt did. It also helps when you have a contract with espn that will hype up your conference. I doubt c-usa makes that mistake again.

[TH Spangler]

Louisiana tech is averaging 8 wins a season over the last ten years.

Western Kentucky is a roller coaster but overall has a track record of being competitive in football

MTSU has consistently averaged 6 wins a season for awhile now but without the big valleys and peaks that WKU tends to have.

UTEP historically has been pretty bad but may be turning it around this season. It'll be interesting to see if they can maintain that momentum.

FIU has made bowls in 3 of the last 5 seasons but is trending in the wrong direction.

I really have no problems playing these 5 schools every year. Louisiana tech is always competitive, wku and mtsu are somewhat regional schools that aren't terrible and you can't go wrong with regular trips to Miami. My biggest concern is who would fill out the bottom of the conference and how much dead weight is c-usa trying to add.

The sunbelt has proven that all it takes is a couple teams hovering around the top 25 with the occasional P5 upset to change the entire perception of a conference no matter how much dead weight is at the bottom. Between liberty, Louisiana tech and another team occasionally catching lightning in a bottle like wku did a few years ago I don't see why c-usa can't replicate what the sunbelt did. It also helps when you have a contract with espn that will hype up your conference. I doubt c-usa makes that mistake again.

My thoughts as well. Wish Army and NDSU were included.

[LUGrad2000]

Miami to Fargo is 2000 miles.

[TH Spangler]

Miami to Fargo is 2000 miles.

Miami to El Paso is 1,931.5 miles.