What would you do?

[keith]

Take off your UNT hats and put on your CUSA hats.  If it was completely up to you and it was your responsibility to ensure the best possible outcome for CUSA (not for UNT or any individual school) and given everything you know now (at least what is known publicly), what move(s) would you make for the conference?  Try to avoid the CUSA leadership sucks so we will probably do nothing responses.  For this exercise, *you* are the CUSA leadership.  What do you do?

I'll go first.  I would extend immediate offers to Louisiana and Appalachian State to join CUSA.  I think there is still a conference hierarchy (perceived or not) and the SunBelt is probably the only realistic place to look for schools that want to "move up."  I want to find out of these institutions still feel the hierarchy exists.   There is a possibility of blow back if they say thanks, but no thanks so there is that risk.  If both say yes, it would strengthen CUSA now and put it in a better position to weather any potential raids that may be coming from the AAC or elsewhere.  I'd rather take action now instead of reacting in the future.  I'd also prep for the next two up as it probably doesn't end here.

[untjim1995]

5 minutes ago, keith said:

Take off your UNT hats and put on your CUSA hats.  If it was completely up to you and it was your responsibility to ensure the best possible outcome for CUSA (not for UNT or any individual school) and given everything you know now (at least what is known publicly), what move(s) would you make for the conference?  Try to avoid the CUSA leadership sucks so we will probably do nothing responses.  For this exercise, *you* are the CUSA leadership.  What do you do?

I'll go first.  I would extend immediate offers to Louisiana and Appalachian State to join CUSA.  I think there is still a conference hierarchy (perceived or not) and the SunBelt is probably the only realistic place to look for schools that want to "move up."  I want to find out of these institutions still feel the hierarchy exists.   There is a possibility of blow back if they say thanks, but no thanks so there is that risk.  If both say yes, it would strengthen CUSA now and put it in a better position to weather any potential raids that may be coming from the AAC or elsewhere.  I'd rather take action now instead of reacting in the future.  I'd also prep for the next two up as it probably doesn't end here.

If I were CUSA leadership, I would talk to the SBC about merging and then realigning geographically. Then, I would find a bowl in the middle of both new geographical setups and make that the SBCUSA Champions Bowl. Coastal Carolina vs UAB or Appy State vs La Tech would be great and it would make the Birmingham Bowl or New Orleans Bowl much more important, too.

[El Paso Eagle]

1 hour ago, untjim1995 said:

If I were CUSA leadership, I would talk to the SBC about merging and then realigning geographically. Then, I would find a bowl in the middle of both new geographical setups and make that the SBCUSA Champions Bowl. Coastal Carolina vs UAB or Appy State vs La Tech would be great and it would make the Birmingham Bowl or New Orleans Bowl much more important, too.

Good thoughts but we need to see where the realignments ends up. Will the B12 take anyone else? Will all of the remaining B12 teams stay? The AAC will back-fill and perhaps there will be changes in the MWC. After the dust settles, it would be beneficial to both CUSA and the SBC to work together.

[UNTLifer]

1 hour ago, untjim1995 said:

If I were CUSA leadership, I would talk to the SBC about merging and then realigning geographically. Then, I would find a bowl in the middle of both new geographical setups and make that the SBCUSA Champions Bowl. Coastal Carolina vs UAB or Appy State vs La Tech would be great and it would make the Birmingham Bowl or New Orleans Bowl much more important, too.

This.

[MeanGreenTexan]

I immediately extend invites to Army, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Louisiana, & Appy (assuming Army says "no").
I start moving in a more PROACTIVE direction when it comes to getting our name out there as an outstanding conference... like blast social media & regular media outlets.   
I terminate the awful TV deals with the low-lifes we're dealing with & get back in bed with ESPN and/or FOX (even if those deals don't pay quite as much... it's not like we're making a ton as it is).   
I work tirelessly to convince schools like UNT, UTSA, LATech, & Marshall not to bail.

Instead, we have...

[El Paso Eagle]

8 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

I immediately extend invites to Army, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Louisiana, & Appy (assuming Army says "no").
I start moving in a more PROACTIVE direction when it comes to getting our name out there as an outstanding conference... like blast social media & regular media outlets.   
I terminate the awful TV deals with the low-lifes we're dealing with & get back in bed with ESPN and/or FOX (even if those deals don't pay quite as much... it's not like we're making a ton as it is).   
I work tirelessly to convince schools like UNT, UTSA, LATech, & Marshall not to bail.

Instead, we have...

I see you have the photoshop picture. Here is the original 

[Wag Tag]

2 hours ago, untjim1995 said:

If I were CUSA leadership, I would talk to the SBC about merging and then realigning geographically. Then, I would find a bowl in the middle of both new geographical setups and make that the SBCUSA Champions Bowl. Coastal Carolina vs UAB or Appy State vs La Tech would be great and it would make the Birmingham Bowl or New Orleans Bowl much more important, too.

This, but I would like to see a playoff involving the other G5 Conf with a National Champion. The $$$ are in the playoffs!

 

[untjim1995]

27 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

This, but I would like to see a playoff involving the other G5 Conf with a National Champion. The $$$ are in the playoffs!

 

I’d love to win the lottery, too…both have similar chances of happening.

[Mean Green 93-98]

3 hours ago, untjim1995 said:

If I were CUSA leadership, I would talk to the SBC about merging and then realigning geographically. Then, I would find a bowl in the middle of both new geographical setups and make that the SBCUSA Champions Bowl. Coastal Carolina vs UAB or Appy State vs La Tech would be great and it would make the Birmingham Bowl or New Orleans Bowl much more important, too.

Not awful; but, assuming you mean the C-USA champ would play in this bowl game, that would rule out the chance of our best team playing a P5 team in a bowl game.

[golfingomez]

 

[Hunter Green]

But if the Big 12 is squeezed out of being a power 5 and college football goes to a Power 4 alignment, none of it matters anyway. That said, I would like see a more proactive stance and align with the SBC to form a more viable conference and salvage those rivalries we've been able to establish.

Edited September 10, 2021 by Hunter Green