DCTF argues Houston, SMU should be top G5 progra

NTXCoog · June 14, 2015

Thanks for the insight. I'm still new to how a program runs so I appreciate your input. Don't let C.K. dissuade your efforts. He has earned his black listing on multiple sites for presenting himself as a neurotic blow-hard.

Keep in mind, that's not how all schools want to or can schedule. If a program's home attendance isn't high enough, the FCS option can't be used. Even if the payout is low, without enough attendance, you still make no money.

For teams without high enough home attendance, the other option is a one and done paycheck away game against the true powers that be: the Bamas, UTs, LSUs, etc. Some programs make more money on those paycheck games than they do in a season of home games. They are sometimes the largest financial impact on programs.

Finally there's the 2-for-1 and 3-for-1 with 2 or 3 road games and only 1 home game. On principle, every G5 school hates these because they are unfair. In reality though, they have their place. When a program's home attendance is improving where away paycheck games aren't needed, but 1 and done FCS games aren't feasible yet, these games start making sense. It allows the teams to play some of the bigger programs (but generally not the biggest) multiple times, AND it gets those programs to home stadiums, hopefully increasing average attendance and season ticket sales. The long term goal is growing the base enough and maybe the stadium capacity enough so you can start get 1-for-1 deals. If not, hopefully attendance increases enough that you can have home paycheck games (even if it's against FCS) instead of road paycheck games. Those road paycheck games are good money and it's nice to say you're playing the best of the best, but they rarely work out well long term because they generally are blowouts which never increase fan base enthusiasm. And sometimes those 2-for-1 and 3-for-1 teams are beatable. Winning against those teams, especially in the one home game, can be a huge program boost.

Eagle1855 · June 15, 2015

I'd absolutely take UH's AAC schedule over our CUSA schedule (they're also playing seven home games, this season). So yes, I do think the AAC is an advantage. I also think Tom Herman is a significant advantage. They're poised for a big season. It's not really stepping out on a limb saying UH is the best G5 in the state. Now SMU? That's stepping out on a limb with a rope attached to it. But as with all things sports, time will tell.

NM Green · June 15, 2015

Western Kentucky will be the G5 rep in the big games this year. However I hope we derail them on national TV for our first top 25 win in Many decades.

GMG

untjim1995 · June 15, 2015

UH will always have the chance to be the top dog in the G5 group in Texas because of tradition, funding, and enrollment, as well as sitting in a recruiting hotbed that they can take advantage of (unlike us). The AAC is an advantage, too. Their conference mates just have more recognizable names to fans and media in this state. UCF, USF, UConn, Cincy, Memphis, SMU, Tulane, Temple, Tulsa, East Carolina, and Navy are at least a step up on the conference ladder than we are in right now, even if its the best conference setup UNT has ever had in the last 40 years.

Texas HS Coaches, recruits, and their parents like UH for their academics and their athletic history, both in football and in basketball. The only thing that UH has trouble with is that if their coach does anything good on the football field, he will get bought--see Art Briles and Kevin Sumlin. Then, you hav eto start all over again. Sometimes, you get a great coach that follows and keeps it rolling, but more often than not, you don't at this level.

SMU is only considered a top G5 job by old SWC types, like the DCTF squad. SMU has four winning seasons to their credit since 1989. They have seen Forrest Gregg, Tom Rossley, Tom Cavan, Phil Bennett, and June Jones basically fail there since 1989. Chad Morris will just be next in line. And if he isn't, he will get bought away from a P5 giant, just as June Jones thought was about to happen when Arizona State pulled the rug on him at the last minute a few years back and he basically quit on SMU becuase he couldn't convince local kids to come there, for several reasons.

I think UH will always be number one on that toemt pole, with Rice and UTSA following closely behind. UTEP, UNT, and SMU just have too much to overcome to be considered as a potential top G5 program in this state. UTEP's location is a killer, UNT's funding and apathy are both killers, and SMU's small fanbase and snobbish student body are their killers. Sure, those three can overcome some of these, but they haven't been able to do it with any consistency beyond a few 3-year stretches here or there. I have no idea if Texas State can do anything to move up this totem pole or not, so I keep them at the bottom, since they are in the SBC and play no other Texas teams in their conference. We have seen that movie before and it doesn't make for easy viewing for your program.

malonish · June 15, 2015

UH will always have the chance to be the top dog in the G5 group in Texas because of tradition, funding, and enrollment, as well as sitting in a recruiting hotbed that they can take advantage of (unlike us). The AAC is an advantage, too. Their conference mates just have more recognizable names to fans and media in this state. UCF, USF, UConn, Cincy, Memphis, SMU, Tulane, Temple, Tulsa, East Carolina, and Navy are at least a step up on the conference ladder than we are in right now, even if its the best conference setup UNT has ever had in the last 40 years.
Texas HS Coaches, recruits, and their parents like UH for their academics and their athletic history, both in football and in basketball. The only thing that UH has trouble with is that if their coach does anything good on the football field, he will get bought--see Art Briles and Kevin Sumlin. Then, you hav eto start all over again. Sometimes, you get a great coach that follows and keeps it rolling, but more often than not, you don't at this level.
SMU is only considered a top G5 job by old SWC types, like the DCTF squad. SMU has four winning seasons to their credit since 1989. They have seen Forrest Gregg, Tom Rossley, Tom Cavan, Phil Bennett, and June Jones basically fail there since 1989. Chad Morris will just be next in line. And if he isn't, he will get bought away from a P5 giant, just as June Jones thought was about to happen when Arizona State pulled the rug on him at the last minute a few years back and he basically quit on SMU becuase he couldn't convince local kids to come there, for several reasons.
I think UH will always be number one on that toemt pole, with Rice and UTSA following closely behind. UTEP, UNT, and SMU just have too much to overcome to be considered as a potential top G5 program in this state. UTEP's location is a killer, UNT's funding and apathy are both killers, and SMU's small fanbase and snobbish student body are their killers. Sure, those three can overcome some of these, but they haven't been able to do it with any consistency beyond a few 3-year stretches here or there. I have no idea if Texas State can do anything to move up this totem pole or not, so I keep them at the bottom, since they are in the SBC and play no other Texas teams in their conference. We have seen that movie before and it doesn't make for easy viewing for your program.

June couldn't convince local kids to come to his program because he never talked to them. If he had picked up the phone he would have had Shane Carden of ECU fame. Carden's first choice was SMU but he never got his calls returned. Local coaches never heard from his staff and were open about that. Fact is he never tried local recruiting. Get facts or Get Rekt.

Edited June 15, 2015 by malonish
clarity