CUSA adds 6

[nelsonmuntz]

UT San Antonio, La Tech, North Texas, FIU, Charlotte and Old Dominion.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/brett-mcmurphy/18923863

Old Dominion was a bit out of left field. I have no idea how to assess this.

East:ECU, Charlotte, FIU, Old Dominion, Southern Miss, UAB, Marshall

West: Tulsa, UTEP, Rice, La Tech, North Texas, UTSA, Tulane

I wonder if Tulane grads often ask themselves how the hell did they go from being in the SEC to this mess.

 

[Vowelguy]

pretty bold, aggressive move

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/brett-mcmurphy/18923863

UTSA (previously announced) & LaTech from WAC
FIU &, No Texas from Sun Belt
Charlotte from A-10
Old Dominion from Colonial

The latter two are in the process of transitiong to 1-A football

some competition for the ACC in the Carolinas

 

[Dann]

When completed, Conference USA's new 14-team league is expected to be split into two divisions:
East - East Carolina, FIU, Marshall, Southern Miss, UAB, Charlotte and ODU
West - Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Rice, Texas San Antonio, Tulane, Tulsa and UTEP.

now the sunbelt can answer and move to 14 or 16. who else is upgrading?!?! where is app st going?

this summer is going to be wild with moves...

 

[Vowelguy]

I wonder if Tulane grads often ask themselves how the hell did they go from being in the SEC to this mess.

Uhh. I think many Tulane grads look at the SEC's unblemished record of shady behavior and thank God they're not associated with that. It was my understanding that part of the reason they left was because they wanted to actually be an educational institution, and not a booster-run sports factory.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Uhh. I think many Tulane grads look at the SEC's unblemished record of shady behavior and thank God they're not associated with that. It was my understanding that part of the reason they left was because they wanted to actually be an educational institution, and not a booster-run sports factory.

Yeah, because Vanderbilt has suffered academically from the affiliation (sarcasm intended).

 

[UConnDan97]

No-brainer for most of the moves, if not all. I wonder how long they'll wait on FAU or another Louisiana school from Sunbelt (Monroe, Lafayette)?

 

[Vowelguy]

Yeah, because Vanderbilt has suffered academically from the affiliation (sarcasm intended).

Just because 1 school has done it, doesn't mean every school can.

It also helps when your school is named after one of the richest men ever.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I wonder if Tulane grads often ask themselves how the hell did they go from being in the SEC to this mess.

From the experiences I've had with Tulane people, most have enough trouble wondering how they got home from the French Quarter the previous night. It's a real possibility that many don't even know they've left the SEC. They know there are football games at the Super Dome regularly, and think that's cool.

 

[Carl Spackler]

On a serious note, consolidation of intercollegiate athletic conferences around football right now is not surprising in the least. THe changes in college football happening right now are so profound, that I don't think even the cats that have gotten super fat in 20 years from the benefits of the supreme court decision in 1984 regarding the NCAA and college football broadcasting... can stop it until it gets to a true playoff for the post season.

 

[kingdobbs]

I wonder if Tulane grads often ask themselves how the hell did they go from being in the SEC to this mess.

Seeing as the university voluntarily withdrew because it couldn't compete on the field, not to mention the school was also moving to de-emphasize its athletics, and it did so nearly 50 years ago, I don't think there's anything to wonder about.

As for ODU: They're in the Norfolk DMA, which is a Top 50 market. They add a bridge between ECU and Marshall geographically, and a nice cluster when you consider Charlotte as well.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Both ODU and Charlotte are taking a big step down in basketball competition. I would not be surprised if the A10 gets a solid hoops contract if the Big East signs with NBC. I suspect the additions of GMU and VCU, likely followed by Butler, were in anticipation of Charlotte leaving to beef up the VMA profile for TV.

 

[CL82]

The real question is whether Rutgers reaches out the A-10 to fill the slot left by Charlotte.

 

[Dann]

why didn't the caa just all move together.

 

[John Greene]

UT San Antonio, La Tech, North Texas, FIU, Charlotte and Old Dominion.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/brett-mcmurphy/18923863

Old Dominion was a bit out of left field. I have no idea how to assess this.

East:ECU, Charlotte, FIU, Old Dominion, Southern Miss, UAB, Marshall

West: Tulsa, UTEP, Rice, La Tech, North Texas, UTSA, Tulane
Tulane left the Southern Conference (predecessor to the SEC, & ACC) a long time ago. A more compelling question for this board is how many UConn alums will be asking that question in the next couple of years.

I wonder if Tulane grads often ask themselves how the hell did they go from being in the SEC to this mess.

Tulane left the old Southern Conference (predesessor of the SEC & ACC) a long time ago. A better question for this board is how many of us UConn alums will ask the question in the next couple of years. Not the SEC part, just the mess part.

 

[Adios]

Why would FIU get an invite ahead of FAU? I am guessing FIU has more resources and are better academically?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shula_Bowl

Texas State fans must feel bummed out. UTSA is on fire. As crazy as it sounds, they probably will end up in a BCS conference, but should rename the school soon. Unless San Antonio gets an NFL franchise.

 

[kingdobbs]

why didn't the caa just all move together.

NCAA rules, at current, say you can't go FBS without an invite from an existing FBS conference. To head off the possible follow up question, it's plausible that the Colonial could have petitioned the NCAA for a waiver, but I would regard it as unlikely to have happened in the first place, and much more unlikely now. 3 of the upgrade candidates have already found their "homes" (ODU, UMass, Ga State), and Villanova isn't likely to go FBS unless they can secure a spot in the Big East. That leaves 7 schools: Delaware, UNH, Maine, Towson, William & Mary, James Madison, and Richmond. At this point, you need six of those seven to agree they'll be moving, or teasing others out of their current conferences to do so (thus also requiring a two year period of playing together to establish continuity).

 

[Vowelguy]

CAA Football has taken a big hit lately.

UMass & URI to other conferences; Ga St & ODU started up only to leave

That leaves 4 Full schools (Del, JMU, Towson, W&M), 4 FB only (Maine, UNH, Vill, UNH), and 4 non-FB (Drex, Hofs, NEstern, UNCW).

Wonder if they & the Southern Conference will go at each other trying to steal members.

 

[Vowelguy]

Why would FIU get an invite ahead of FAU? I am guessing FIU has more resources and are better academically?

FIU has only been 1A since 2005, but has gone to two straight bowl games. 50k student population. Located in Miami.

FAU is 30k and up in Boca.

 

[Adios]

FIU has only been 1A since 2005, but has gone to two straight bowl games. 50k student population. Located in Miami.

FAU is 30k and up in Boca.

FIU seems to have much more potential as a school. Schnellenberger went to the wrong school.

Miami having two FBS schools is a little strange.

 

[Vowelguy]

Miami having two FBS schools is a little strange.

Why?
The Raleigh-Durham area has 3.

 

[uc1974]

2 1/2

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

FIU seems to have much more potential as a school. Schnellenberger went to the wrong school. Miami having two FBS schools is a little strange.

No idea whether FIU or FAU have more upside potential, but Schnellenberger retired in the last few years and Miami's only one of a few metropolitan areas with more than one 1-A school (or, school to be): USCwest/UCLA (one pays more), Michigan/Eastern Michigan (sort of 1-A), and, in 2013, GA Tech/GA State. The latter would seem to be as good a CUSA candidate as ODU and a good complement to Charlotte.

 

[Vowelguy]

No idea whether FIU or FAU have more upside potential, but Schnellenberger retired in the last few years and Miami's only one of a few metropolitan areas with more than one 1-A school (or, school to be): USCwest/UCLA (one pays more), Michigan/Eastern Michigan (sort of 1-A), and, in 2013, GA Tech/GA State. The latter would seem to be as good a CUSA candidate as ODU and a good complement to Charlotte.

Dallas-Fort Worth metro has 3 (SMU,TCU,UNT)
Houston, Durham, Austin, Chicago metro areas also have or will have 2.

 

[rw005]

Old Dominion is going to play FBS football? The world is finally ending.

 

[Dann]

why did cusa stop at 13 and not 12 or 14. then the commish goes on espn and says were all good for now. somethings up. they would have added another in that big add they just made for 14 if they new the others were all staying. i think this means either tulane or ecu(hopefully) is on the move soon and the league will be at 12 teams. no other reason o can think of to stop at 13 teams and play uneven divisions.....