Old Dominion isn’t happy with CUSA

[Drew]

Study: "Conference membership decisions need to be made" for ODU. What does that mean for C-USA?

The league is trying to cut costs, and so do the Monarchs. I'm guessing they won't be alone.

mattbrown.substack.com

Dr. Sander does not seem to think too highly of the current Conference USA landscape. From the very beginning of the study, Dr. Sander says that “the two biggest concerns facing ODU athletics are 1) funding a complete FBS sports program and 2) conference affiliation.”

When unpacking the various national trends that will make ODU’s financial outlook more challenging, Sander specifically singles out the C-USA membership, which has changed quite a bit since ODU initially joined the league. And honestly, I think it’s hard to argue against this conclusion:



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It’s going to be harder to sell tickets for any sporting event against UTSA, Charlotte, and Florida International than it would have been with Memphis, SMU and Houston still in the conference. In theory, many of the newer additions to the league have high potential, as larger universities in bigger markets. But in the present, the fan interest just isn’t there. That’s also completely tanked the league’s media revenues and plan, and it’s pretty easy to argue now that C-USA has the worst TV deal in FBS, when you consider both revenue distributions and potential exposure.

 

[billybud]

Well yeah....CUSA is the bottom feeder football conference.

 

[billybud]

There is a stair step effect...teams move up. And Cusa has been a bottom step.

Cincinnati, Louisville, and South Florida left CUSA for the Big East...and then moved on to the ACC and AAC.

Then Houston, SMU, Memphis, Tulsa, ECU and UCF moved on to the AAC.

CUSA has had to refill with teams like Middle Tennessee State, UNC/Charlotte, University of Texas El Paso and UT San Antonio.

Still the bottom step with an ever changing group of aspirants.

.

 

[billybud]

Old Dominion's football story is pretty amazing...they went from their first season as a football team (2009 in FCS) to FBS in five years.

 

[Waquoit]

But who is ODU to complain? I imagine UTSA and FIU are equally thrilled with having ODU as a draw.

 

[TJT]

It is near impossible these days for FBS schools outside the P-5 conferences to succeed and cover their expenses. Far flung non P-5 conferences requiring a lot of travel are not cost effective with the low revenues generated from these leagues.

 

[gtcam]

They would probably do cartwheels getting into the AAC

 

[Chin Diesel]

They would probably do cartwheels getting into the AAC

Yeah, especially football. Navy, Temple, ECU all easy drives with regional interest. Even UCF, USF and Memphis have some appeal.

As always, Tulsa and Tulane are the turds in the punch.

 

[Adios]

Well yeah....CUSA is the bottom feeder football conference.

The Sun Belt used to be the bottom feeder conference. Adding Appalachian State changed that.

 

[ZooCougar]

I don't get what they are complaining about. It wasn't a secret that the landscape was volatile when they decided to put a team on the field and move up.