I'd move real quick and add James Madison, North Dakota State, NMSU, and maybe Montana and Montana State…not sure what else they can do…

Rob the Ivy League.

fadskier said:

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I'd move real quick and add James Madison, North Dakota State, NMSU, and maybe Montana and Montana State…not sure what else they can do…

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I think this is the play. The Sun Belt completely transformed the standing of its league with this blue print. Elite FCS programs will become competitive G5 programs pretty quickly. We've seen that time and time again. Go grab James Madison and North Dakota State and hold your nose and add Liberty.

That gets you to nine schools once Southern Miss and Marshall leave for the Sun Belt. I'd then try to add Army to get to 10.

That would leave a roster of: Army, Florida International, James Madison, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, North Dakota State, Old Dominion, UTEP, Western Kentucky

Not great, but probably the best you can hope for at this point.

Army isn't joining CUSA lmao. You say that like they couldn't have done that whenever they wanted. And neither is James Madison for that matter because they'll probably end up in the Sun Belt, too.

They're in a tough spot. If you haven't been paying attention to the FCS level, the WAC is back, and their goal is to get back to FBS football in a few years. I'm sure that's what New Mexico State is waiting for, and I wouldn't be surprised to see UTEP just tough it out until then and join them.

I think CUSA's best bet is to offer Liberty, UMass, and UConn. Tell UConn it can be for football only because they aren't moving basketball into CUSA--that's the whole reason they left the American and put their non-football sports in the Big East. Then scour the FCS level and find anyone that can make the jump, wants to, and has no better offers. I doubt that's going to be schools to the far north like NDSU and Montana, but sure, give it a shot I guess. I think they should look into adding Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin. Take a couple from the WAC and that makes it easier to keep UTEP and convince NMSU.

What's funny is that yet again, the MAC is the conference everyone forgets. They all just bunker down and stay where they're at. I don't think it would hurt to put the feelers out on their programs. If anything, CUSA should embrace what they are: a stepping stone conference. Market how many former members are now P5. Maybe that will convince people to join.

It's interesting to compare the UT system schools' outcomes in all this. While UTSA rides the elevator up to the AAC, UTA's complacency looks like it's doomed the Mavs to the Southland, where they have almost triple the enrollment and war chest of any other member institution. Meanwhile, UTEP is just trying to hang on in a crumbling CUSA.

They could try to fix nd a money source and add some big schools like ND and Michigan.

fadskier said:

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I'd move real quick and add James Madison, North Dakota State, NMSU, and maybe Montana and Montana State…not sure what else they can do…

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The geography is just terrible. Montana to Boca Raton, FL is a nightmare for travel and schools already in deep budgetary concerns. It seems likely that MTSU and WKU are going to make their way to the MAC, leaving your further split.

You have to field off the problems and concerns of UTEP; who might decide that life as an FBS independent with Olympic sports in the WAC a la New Mexico State makes more sense than flying cross country for games that mean little to you and a national audience. The CUSA commissioner might wish to talk with the Texas WAC schools, maybe SHSU, ACU, Tarleton, and SFA might be interested. Whatever the decision, Louisiana Tech may be forced to follow.

Then you have problems galore on the east coast with Old Dominion and Florida International. In some ways, these problems are worse because there are no great call up options out there that would make sense outside of Liberty and James Madison. Whatever decision is made there, FIU is on an island. They may need to go independent and park their Olympics in the ASUN.

I don't envy the commissioner, I see no way of saving the conference if WKU and MTSU leave.

parch said:

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It's interesting to compare the UT system schools' outcomes in all this. While UTSA rides the elevator up to the AAC, UTA's complacency looks like it's doomed the Mavs to the Southland, where they have almost triple the enrollment and war chest of any other member institution. Meanwhile, UTEP is just trying to hang on in a crumbling CUSA.

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I dont think UT-Arlington couldnt care less about athletics. I lived in arlington and UTA is the definition of commuter school. Students and alumni dont show school pride, nor is athletics a huge portion of their income each year. UTA just churns degrees

ABC BEAR said:

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Sell the office equipment, get what you can for it.

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THIS^^^ CUSA is F'ed. Its crazy the SunBelt jumped them in strength considering what CUSA once was, only reason is SunBelt has espn backing.

Poor CUSA. Except fore the Grace of God, there go Baylor.

It's a chicken-egg thing. UTA students don't care about athletics because UTA administration has never really cared about or fully supported athletics. The horse is probably out of the barn by now, but there's zero reason UTA couldn't have done what UTSA did in 2006 with feasibility studies and built it up the right way, they just don't want to. U of H has the same demographics, enrollment and commuter school profile, their administration just cared more from an early stage.

If I'm commish, I call up Liberty, New Mexico State, and either Abilene Christian or SHSU (maybe both).

That gives me
MTSU
WKU
Liberty
FIU

LaTech
UTEP
NMSU
Abilene Christian

Besides, they chucked away football almost 40 years ago.

I would pray.

parch said:

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It's interesting to compare the UT system schools' outcomes in all this. While UTSA rides the elevator up to the AAC, UTA's complacency looks like it's doomed the Mavs to the Southland, where they have almost triple the enrollment and war chest of any other member institution. Meanwhile, UTEP is just trying to hang on in a crumbling CUSA.

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UTEP screwed up going to CUSA in the first place. They should have stayed with the western schools. They were way too far away from the rest.

Quote:

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If you were CUSA commish, what would you do?

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Pick one.

FeralBear said:

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If I'm commish, I call up Liberty, New Mexico State, and either Abilene Christian or SHSU (maybe both).

That gives me
MTSU
WKU
Liberty
FIU

LaTech
UTEP
NMSU
Abilene Christian

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Looks like they should hire me and fire Judy.

CUSA calling up NMSU, Liberty, and SHSU. Just missed on the 4th - Jacksonville State

parch said:

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It's interesting to compare the UT system schools' outcomes in all this. While UTSA rides the elevator up to the AAC, UTA's complacency looks like it's doomed the Mavs to the Southland, where they have almost triple the enrollment and war chest of any other member institution. Meanwhile, UTEP is just trying to hang on in a crumbling CUSA.

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And UTSA & UTEP have better records than UT Austin.

For some reason I have zero interest in this topic.

Ignore this post.

Polish up my resume.