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Conference Realignment Fireworks or Dud?


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So, fireworks or dud?

The moves aren't "Dawg Dazzle" quality, but they are better than the fireworks we let off in our backyards. And they certainly aren't duds.

The emphasis was on growth and television markets. FIU (48,000 students), North Texas (36,305) UT-San Antonio (30,474), FAU (30,000), Charlotte (26,232) and Old Dominion (24,753) are up and coming schools with growing enrollments. Among the departing members, only UCF (59,490), Houston (40,747) and East Carolina (26,900) had larger enrollments.

As for television markets, six of the eight largest markets in C-USA will belong to first-year members.

Besides, although conference reconfiguration was football-driven, the updated Conference USA will be stronger in basketball than the old version.

Overall, C-USA leadership did as well as reasonably could be expected. That's worthy of at least Camden Park-quality fireworks.

AAC: Even the acronym sounds like someone gagging. Everyone that mattered has bailed, including Syracuse, Pittsburgh, the Catholic Seven basketball schools, Louisville and Rutgers (2014), while TCU, Boise State and San Diego State became no-shows.

Read more: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/x1489432505/A-look-at-changes-to-college-athletics

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I count 4 of the CUSA keeper schools; that is, those who will still be around this time next year as CUSA members that have been in Top 20 or Top 25 polls in the modern era of the NCAA and I list those 4 alphabetically. (If I've missed one please let me know).

1. La Tech

2. Marshall U

3. North Texas

4. Southern Miss

Not one school left in today's Sun Belt Conference has had 1 Top 25 ranking...just a few votes here and there and that's it.

La Tech'sters...yall were right all the time about avoiding the 'Belt & many on this board knew it, but "we" wouldn't admit it at the time, of course ! :lol2:

C-USA's 'movers & shakers' over in their Irving, Texas, headquarters should find a way to also cultivate much of the Midwest media who have no problems giving Top 25 votes to some of the MAC's better schools. Maybe that another good reason for UNT to schedule some of the MAC's better schools from time to time? Of course would North Texas or CUSA wins over the MAC's best school(s) translate to CUSA Top 25 votes from those Midwest media poll voters would be the next question.

Maybe commish's from both CUSA and the MAC should get together, break bread, drink a little wine and discuss this idea about the voting media from each of their respective regions? :)

Hey folks, we are a Go5 conference and need every possible angle to get our top teams ranked in the Top 25 polls.

IMO, such rankings for CUSA's best 1 or 2 teams each Fall will be the main criteria of success or non-success of the new CUSA--along with C-USA bowl wins, too, of course.

GMG!

Edited by PlummMeanGreen
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Frankly, most of the realignment is a dud. The AAC is weaker than the old Big East. CUSA is not nearly as strong as it was before the exodus. The Sun Belt is weaker. The WAC is no longer a football conference. Even the Power5 didn't fare all that well. B1G picked up Maryland and Rutgers...not in the upper echelon of their teams. Ditto for the Pac12, where Colorado and Utah will be in the lower half for awhile. The Big XII has replaced Texas A&M, Nebraska, Missouri and Colorado with West Virginia and TCU; not exactly a fair swap. So far, the ACC has trumped their former lineup with Syracuse, Pitt and Louisville improvement over their losses. They seem to be the exception although the Mountain West is at least bigger if not stronger. The SEC was already the strongest conference so the addition of the Aggies and Mizzou mostly just added depth. The MAC may have gotten a little weaker through addition unless Massachusetts catches fire.

Conference USA could come out a stronger conference in the end because they are loaded with teams out to prove that they belong. Their budgets and recruiting will improve thanks largely to a better TV package. There may be fewer "name" teams in the new CUSA but that will improve soon. After all, only Rice, North Texas, Southern Miss, UTEP and LaTech have been in the FBS equivalent for more than twenty years. The others will get there.

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