C-USA Still Best Deal For Us: It's About Brandings & Top 25 Po

PlummMeanGreen · September 23, 2012

I never saw C-USA as that dominant over the SBC because (after all) our first bowl win in decades came over a CUSA (now Big East) school, namely the U of Cincy' Bearcats. Yet it just doesn't boil down to occasional wins by opposing conferences over a C-USA program.

After we beat Cincy' in that NO's Bowl, did we beat our chest and say.................. "we'd never want to be in CUSA because we just beat one of your schools in a bowl?" Heck no we didn't say that...least of all think it. We'd taken a CUSA invite the next day after that Big Easy bowl win if we'd been offered.

Silver Lining In An Other-wise Very Temporary Dark Cloud:

I think all would agree that CUSA has a better brand and still has 3 of its schools (even after those who leave) which have broken the all important Top 25 football poll barrier in recent seasons. Over the last 10 or so years, though, some of us have not quite figured out why the SBC still has not captured the imagination of poll voters as to get any of its better teams ranked. Based on no respect from the poll voting media alone makes you feel your part of a 2'nd rate conference. Yet how many Top 25 "votes" (not a ranking mind you) did ULM get when they beat #8 Arkansas---so for now can we rest the case)? All in all, don't we want one of our future North Texas teams that has a big win over a major conference (maybe even ranked) school and when we have an accompanying & good W/L record to have a chance to be ranked? By being a member in CUSA, we have that opportunity. I don't think it happens in the SBC for another decade or more years, quite frankly.

Last night's loss against Troy in "OUR" house for certain hurt the coaches, the team and the entire UNT community, but some of us have been saying all along that Coach Mac's 3'rd season (our inaugural C-USA season) in Mean Green Country would be his and our teams breakthrough season and even believe that moreso upon the further review of looking at how so many fewer scholarship players we had in Denton when the Hayden Fry disciple got our HFC's job. Apparently before McCarney arrived, Coach Dodge's recruits were leaving the program en mass for whatever reasons.

Back To Our C-USA Future: It is still all good though because North Texas will benefit across the board when we host at our fabulous Apogee Stadium (and the Super Pit) the likes of Rice U, Tulane U, Tulsa U, La Tech U, Southern Miss U, East Carolina U, Marshall U, UTEP, FIU, UTSA, ODU and UNC-Charlotte (the latter 2 moreso in basketball for now). Also sorta' fun when we have some of those schools who will bring upwards to 3,000 visiting fans to Denton along with their marching bands which just adds more spice to the Game Day pie.

Yes, we all have hangovers this morning from our Troy U loss and even a T-bone steak will not tastes so good today for most, but tomorrow (or the future) it's still about what our school will receive in the long term with C-USA membership; that is, with better known opponents that have far. far better brands but still foremost and toward the top of the list a more realistic chance for North Texas to get a Top 25 ranking when they have the W/L record to merit it.

C-USA seems to have a pool of regional (maybe even national) poll voters who have no problem ranking our future conference's best programs while the SBC has in over 10 years not (for whatever reasons) been able to cultivate that same or similar group of voters. Yet those that remain in the SBC will be in a somewhat painstakingly sorta' way still be pioneering to be the first ever SBC ranked football team and (again) I don't see that happening for that conference for a least another 10 years. Just an opinion based on what we've all seen in the past.

GMG!

Edited September 23, 2012 by PlummMeanGreen

Travis Carey · September 23, 2012

Good observations! I agree 10000%!!!

PlummMeanGreen · September 23, 2012

Good observations! I agree 10000%!!!

We just need to reach upward to CUSA standards (now) and hope the league doesn't bring theirs down to match some of the newbies coming

in next year..

UNT was the Belts' first standard bearer until the 'Belt passed us by some 7 or so years ago and thus a prime reason we hired Dan

McCarney.

C-USA membership will put an extremely high powered microscope on others presently functioning at non-C-USA even 1-AA-esque standards & excuses

for under-performing after we enter that conference will be seen for what they are.....excuses.

We seem to have hit a brick wall as far as trying to reach out for new "non student" fans and with Denton County as a good base in which to start developing new fans

perhaps occasional goal-setting for ticket sales would be in order? Why not? Every other NCAA FBS program (including UTSA) has them.

Texas State-SM according to their fan board sold 6,500 football season tickets this Fall which I believe actually exceeded their goal set last Spring.

I cannot remember the last time UNT came close to selling 6,500 season tickets--can any of you?

Quite frankly, only 21,000+ for the SBC conference opener in one of the finest stadiums in the known universe would not be acceptable at most

C-USA outposts. C-USA will be a barometer for North Texas in so many ways than just varsity teams performances.

So just how many more years will the "must build or drop to NCAA FCS level or worse" Apogee Stadium buy for annual under-performers on the UNT payroll is a question I was asked a few weeks ago. I had no answer.

GMG!

Edited September 24, 2012 by PlummMeanGreen