Through Green Glasses: The New C-USA

[Harry]

On Monday July 1st, four current members of Conference USA (UCF, Memphis, Houston and SMU) will depart for the American Athletic Conference. In 2014, they will be followed by ECU, Tulsa and Tulane.

Picking up the C-USA banner in their place will be Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Old Dominion, the University of Texas at San Antonio and, in 2014, Western Kentucky. Charlotte football will begin conference play in 2015.

Whether it be good or bad, how Marshall fans feel about the nine schools officially joining C-USA next week is no secret. But what about how the incoming members feel about being newbies in the re-vamped conference? In this edition of Through Green Glasses, HerdNation takes a look at the new members of C-USA. Chris McLaughlin spoke with staff members of fan sites for all nine incoming schools about the upcoming changes…

Paul Smith - Moderator of the Lion's Den(ODU) on the CSNBBS board

What do you think your fan base is most excited about with regards to the move?

After the departure of ECU to the AAC, most ODU fans still are thrilled about burgeoning rivalries with UNCC and Marshall (where ODU great Gerald Lee's father played). Add to that a yearly series with UAB and WKU, and the glory days of the old SunBelt adds much excitement. Our fan base thrives on rivalries - important games between familiar opponents, and development of new rivalries is first and foremost. -

See more at: http://marshall.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1519930#sthash.coQM4qhs.dpuf

[JKvsHimself]

I think you nailed it right on the head. Good response

[NorthTexan95]

Seems no one is really excited to be playing us.

[mdmeangreen]

Thanks Harry, excellent article. There appears to be quite a bit of excitement about Marshall, and there should be given their excellent history and traditions. Of course being in MD I'm very excited about the prospects of a North Texas-Marshall game- can't wait to see the Mean Green duel it out with the Thundering Herd in Marshall!

[Harry]

Seems no one is really excited to be playing us.

I was surprised that La. Tech didn't mention us about being a potential rival but when you think about it, they have ALWAYS tried to distance themselves from the Sun Belt teams and that probably won't change in C-USA. That said, as much as the Texas teams are important to us, I think there is more history and bad blood between us and La. Tech than any other team in C-USA. A lot of this is due to the fact we recruit against each other so much and they have a lot of alums in DFW.

[Eppie96]

Nice job Harry. Your responses were definitely on.

A little disappointed that we were really not mentioned by the other schools. Also a little surprised that UTSA identifies Rice as there most likely rival.

[10Eagle10]

well done Harry

[MeanGreenTexan]

Nice job Harry. Your responses were definitely on.

A little disappointed that we were really not mentioned by the other schools. Also a little surprised that UTSA identifies Rice as there most likely rival.

Fantastic news!

I wonder what Rice thinks about that.

Personally, I'd like to hope we can develop a rivalry with UTEP, LA Tech, and strengthen the one we have with MT (which IMO, is the best one we've had since I've been associated with UNT... NMSU a close second, but that rivalry began withering when NMSU went WAC, it's practically dead now).

[forevereagle]

If we beat La Tech a couple of times, I think a rivalry may be developed there. Losing breeds that in a fan base.

[UNTLifer]

Good job Harry. You should have sent Plumm in and really freaked em' all out.

[NTXCoog]

I don't think Rice fans care enough about football or sports in general to worry about a rivalry with anyone, including the University of Houston. Do they like to beat UH? Sure. But do they even bother to drive across town to either the UH campus or Reliant to play their "rival"? Nope. They show up a little more at Rice Stadium, but that's it.

[greenminer]

Good job Harry. You should have sent Plumm in and really freaked em' all out.

lol.

One of your best, IMO.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Good job Harry. You should have sent Plumm in and really freaked em' all out.

LOL!

Plumm only freaks out those who allow themselves to be freaked out.

Smack is smack....if you want to sing hymns you go to church...if you want to participate in harmless, mostly friendly and good natured smack versus those who would otherwise put our school down mostly on a "non-stop" basis and that based on our recent athletic history then most of these forums would not be the place for one to spend their time.

Yes, it gets heated at times but by posters from all schools...but nothing so heated that anything ever burns to the ground. Smack from Dwayne of Minden's BB&B board and Harry's GMG.com is probably the very thing that got what will be (I assure you) a La Tech/UNT rivalry started. I really do believe that and I know others of you do to. La Tech now has a little SMU'esque swagger about them but they know what they are now up against with North Texas now that all our top shelf athletic venues are finally in order. UNT now has more positive selling benefits with our athletics program than we've had since forever.

Hey! I can't help it if I've wanted our school my entire adult life to emulate something close to how it was when I was a North Texas student! Was it perfect back then....no it wasn't but.............Sue me if I go on to other boards to take up for North Texas while others seem to sleep and slumber and could care less when our school is being trampled in the mud by outright insult and worse....subtle insult like "NO ONE MENTIONS NORTH TEXAS AS WHO THEY WANT TO BE THEIR RIVAL?........

.............so maybe such lack of caring or responding to those who insult us a pretty big sign as to why we've been where we've been of late? If you ask not--you get not? And we've really not been asking for more most of the last 2 decades with actual visible W/L results of getting it. I sense things are changing for the better and CUSA membership has sharpened our leaders focus maybe almost quadruple what it was as a Sun Belt school.

It's "show time" for North Texas in the new CUSA and more will be observing if we do "show up" for the occasion probably more than anytime in our athletic history.

GMG!

Edited June 27, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

[Harry]

Of all of the new new C-USA schools, I really like the perspective that Marshall has taken in regards to the changing landscape. I think they realize, hey we didn't get invited to the AACK, and that's ok because we like the potential of these new schools and the opportunity for us to win and be successful. I have seen some of the Marshall fans say thing like, hey man we need you guys (North Texas etc) to be successful because it will help this conference and us specifically if you perform at the level you are capable of... I think that is a healthy attitude to take versus that jackass at Southern Miss downgrading new schools in conference in terms of attendance etc...I mean come on did SMU really bring anymore fans to his stadium than North Texas will? The problem with this entire realignment era we are hopefully leaving for awhile is that it takes away any semblance of loyalty to the conferences and that is very damaging to the game...When we aren't playing Marshall I want them to win because they are in our conference, ie they are one of us.

[GrandGreen]

Rivals are good teams, no one is going to identify a poor team as a major rival. From 2001 -2004, everyone was gunning for NT because NT was clearly the best. Win and all the Texas teams, La Tech and USM will pay attention. Lose and NT will continue to be looked at the way they have been in the Belt for the last decade.

[forevereagle]

Rivals are good teams, no one is going to identify a poor team as a major rival.

Really? I think that Duke and UNC are always going to care about beating each other no matter how bad the other is at the moment. Army-Navy, Michigan-OSU, OU-UT, USC-UCLA, all of these teams want to beat their rival even when their rival isn't very good. Winning can start it, but a great rivalry doesn't mean both teams are good at the time.

[mu71]

Hey guys, I came over from the Herdnation.com boards. Harry, the admin over there posted that you folks were discussing the article. Most of Herdnation is indeed excited to have the new members. Hopefully we all grow together. For your information, Marshall has not had much success winning in the Great State of Texas. Good luck to you guys this year. Maybe we meet in the Cusa Championship.

[ragpicker]

Of all of the new new C-USA schools, I really like the perspective that Marshall has taken in regards to the changing landscape. I think they realize, hey we didn't get invited to the AACK, and that's ok because we like the potential of these new schools and the opportunity for us to win and be successful. I have seen some of the Marshall fans say thing like, hey man we need you guys (North Texas etc) to be successful because it will help this conference and us specifically if you perform at the level you are capable of... I think that is a healthy attitude to take versus that jackass at Southern Miss downgrading new schools in conference in terms of attendance etc...I mean come on did SMU really bring anymore fans to his stadium than North Texas will? The problem with this entire realignment era we are hopefully leaving for awhile is that it takes away any semblance of loyalty to the conferences and that is very damaging to the game...When we aren't playing Marshall I want them to win because they are in our conference, ie they are one of us.

Good observations Harry. As for as rivalries, Marshall could be just the ticket. They are passionate fans who can be downright nasty to opposing teams. I recall a playoff game in the eighties in which our players were cursed at and generally treated terribly by Marshall fans. That was a close game that I think we lost in overtime.

[NM Green]

CUSA will continue to blossom with the new programs added to the fold. If other conferences choose to downgrade an already established brand with a solid reputation, that is on them. Major market programs in the rich south and Texas will deliver and CUSA will continue to be a formidable conference. Now UNT must do their part! Bring the fans, support the programs and paint CUSA Green!!!!!

GMG

[Texas Stranger]

Also a little surprised that UTSA identifies Rice as there most likely rival.

Most of their fans also think they will go 10-2 and end up in the Top Ten

[PlummMeanGreen]

Most of their fans also think they will go 10-2 and end up in the Top Ten

Unless the world has completely gone topys-turvy, I think UTSA will be in for a very rude awakening this Fall but..............if you don't think big as many from UTSA do, might you stay small time while continuously setting small time goals of which of a few you might occasionally reach?

If you don't see yourself as exceptional with exceptional goals might you mostly always stay average or worse?

GMG!

[UNT 90 Grad]

Will the Thundering Herd folks be going to the mean and green board for the minority response?

[NT91]

I want to buy some CUSA things. Anyone know a good place on the web?

Edited June 29, 2013 by NT91

[GrandGreen]

Really? I think that Duke and UNC are always going to care about beating each other no matter how bad the other is at the moment. Army-Navy, Michigan-OSU, OU-UT, USC-UCLA, all of these teams want to beat their rival even when their rival isn't very good. Winning can start it, but a great rivalry doesn't mean both teams are good at the time.

I apparently I didn't qualify my statement enough. There are geographical rivalries but even those don't always generate a lot of interest unless at least one of the teams is good. See TCU and SMU should be a big time natural rivalry but usually isn't a game that draws much attention. Even UT and A&M although much ballyhooed meant little for many years.

The facts are that NT does not have the tradition to have established any rivalries. It has had some but rather short lived rivalries such as NE La in the Southland, MTSU in the early Belt, Tulsa in the MVC.

If you have a good program, teams point toward beating you; if you seldom win; fans are not going to be too interested.