UMass signals CUSA

[ZooCougar]

1) when it was talked about, CUSAs membership was better. Still below the already tried and failed AAC, but better. Now? I still struggle to imagine an independent schedule that would be as bad as a CUSA conference schedule. Also, just like the MAC, there are now midweek games. Another non starter.

2) “you need to make an alternative “
Uh, yeah. So, in exchange for throwing pot shots out against independence, show us your alternative. CUSA aint it. Neither is the MAC.

I'm not going to sit here and tell people that these conferences are actually good, but the idea is that you trade a little scheduling appeal for some stability, bowl alliances and something to play for. These are all basic needs that we lack and most programs other than Notre Dame need in order to grow and attract players and coaches.

Based on how we are scheduling I don't think this is being considered. But when the coach says that not being in conference is killing us, I tend to believe him. He's also not celebrating playing all these teams that we clearly can't compete with and won't be able to compete with unless we get more money.

 

[Marbles90]

CUSA aint it. Neither is the MAC.

Yeah CUSA and MAC sukks. But newsflash, our football sukks too!!

Why do folks keep saying the MAC or CUSA for football only is not an option?

Because our schedule would be "bad"? What does that mean? Do we really care what teams we play and if so why? We are barely competitive against G5 teams. Having a Maryland or Duke on our schedule is good why? It looks better on paper? We are getting our doors blown off against those teams and Mora has come right out and said we can't compete with them due to $$. "Dark days ahead..."

Because of a mid week game? Like the attendance at the Rent would go from 12K to 8K? OK. Would that matter? Nobody goes anyway. Somebody said it in another thread, for those of us who actually go to games, I am enjoying competitive games against G5 schools vs going in there knowing we have no chance against a team like Duke. I would show up on a Tuesday night for game that might decide going to a conference championship.

I think we need to come to grips with who we are when it comes to football. What is the opposite of "blue blood?" Our brand is basketball. Assuming we are not getting into a P4 conference, what difference does it make if only football plays in the MAC or CUSA?

Of course, I am not sure either conference even wants us for football only...But that is different discussion.

OK, back to yelling at clouds...

 

[pepband99]

Yeah CUSA and MAC sukks. But newsflash, our football sukks too!!

Why do folks keep saying the MAC or CUSA for football only is not an option?

Because our schedule would be "bad"? What does that mean? Do we really care what teams we play and if so why? We are barely competitive against G5 teams. Having a Maryland or Duke on our schedule is good why? It looks better on paper? We are getting our doors blown off against those teams and Mora has come right out and said we can't compete with them due to $$. "Dark days ahead..."

Because of a mid week game? Like the attendance at the Rent would go from 12K to 8K? OK. Would that matter? Nobody goes anyway. Somebody said it in another thread, for those of us who actually go to games, I am enjoying competitive games against G5 schools vs going in there knowing we have no chance against a team like Duke. I would show up on a Tuesday night for game that might decide going to a conference championship.

I think we need to come to grips with who we are when it comes to football. What is the opposite of "blue blood?" Our brand is basketball. Assuming we are not getting into a P4 conference, what difference does it make if only football plays in the MAC or CUSA?

Of course, I am not sure either conference even wants us for football only...But that is different discussion.

OK, back to yelling at clouds...

1) Neither the MAC or CUSA options will help our financial situation at all. If anything, it's likely a step down, on just that line level.
MAC gets 672k/school for ALL sports.
CUSA gets 800k
...what percentage would we get for football only? At best, it's a wash with our ~500k from CBSSN.

2) I challenge you on midweek games. We've seen the impact of even Labor Day weekend weeknight games, and it's not a stretch to say that a random Tuesday or Wednesday in November would be even worse, probably much worse.

Both of these conferences, knowing that literally nobody cares, or is watching them, went to midweek games to appease gambling desires, and grab empty TV windows. You guys really want to hitch to those ships?

 

[Patman]

1) Neither the MAC or CUSA options will help our financial situation at all. If anything, it's likely a step down, on just that line level.
MAC gets 672k/school for ALL sports.
CUSA gets 800k
...what percentage would we get for football only? At best, it's a wash with our ~500k from CBSSN.

2) I challenge you on midweek games. We've seen the impact of even Labor Day weekend weeknight games, and it's not a stretch to say that a random Tuesday or Wednesday in November would be even worse, probably much worse.

Both of these conferences, knowing that literally nobody cares, or is watching them, went to midweek games to appease gambling desires, and grab empty TV windows. You guys really want to hitch to those ships?

Have you seen what's been going on lately? Would you rather grind forever without any interim goals?

 

[ZooCougar]

Have you seen what's been going on lately? Would you rather grind forever without any interim goals?

Yes. He clearly prefers insanity.

 

[pepband99]

Have you seen what's been going on lately? Would you rather grind forever without any interim goals?

As opposed to hitching to a dinghy?

Yes. He clearly prefers insanity.

As opposed to ignoring math? Be honest - does setting ourselves up for "competing" for a low-tier G5 conference title and a low-tier bowl bid really rejuvenate anything? Currently-constituted MAC and CUSA are about a 1/4 step above FCS, and with some fairly big drawbacks.

Go ahead and make a case that, in all likelihood, joining a conference for LESS MONEY actually fixes anything. I'd love to hear your actual reasoning, and not just have you lob another flippant insult across, though that's your schtick.

 

[Kolumbo]

I'll play Devil's Advocate and suggest revisiting the C-USA football-only option might be the best option. Let's concede for a moment that we need to join a conference and UConn isn't leaving the Big East unless one of the Power conferences invites us. That means football-only. C-USA with 9 members may be the only option and depending on who 10-12 or so are, it may not be bad. UConn and UMass. Delaware perhaps? Buffalo?

G5 is G5. UConn has to earn it's way back in and any conference affiliation may help that. It would be a conference UConn could win sooner rather than later if Jim Mora is that good. Liberty made the jump as an independent, just joined C-USA, and is winning. 48-22. 5 years indie and 1 in C-USA and hasn't had a losing season. Maybe it's looking at the Sun Belt, I don't know. But UConn has to establish some type of foundation upon which it can build and win and then the spoils should come.

 

[CL82]

I'll play Devil's Advocate and suggest revisiting the C-USA football-only option might be the best option. Let's concede for a moment that we need to join a conference and UConn isn't leaving the Big East unless one of the Power conferences invites us. That means football-only. C-USA with 9 members may be the only option and depending on who 10-12 or so are, it may not be bad. UConn and UMass. Delaware perhaps? Buffalo?

G5 is G5. UConn has to earn it's way back in and any conference affiliation may help that. It would be a conference UConn could win sooner rather than later if Jim Mora is that good. Liberty made the jump as an independent, just joined C-USA, and is winning. 48-22. 5 years indie and 1 in C-USA and hasn't had a losing season. Maybe it's looking at the Sun Belt, I don't know. But UConn has to establish some type of foundation upon which it can build and win and then the spoils should come.

I don't know, I wonder if joining CUSA or the MAC would be viewed as another admission that we were not serious about football.

 

[Kolumbo]

I don't know, I wonder if joining CUSA or the MAC would be viewed as another admission that we were not serious about football.

I think it would be the opposite. Indie is no-man's land, and Liberty is very serious.

 

[CL82]

I think it would be the opposite. Indie is no-man's land, and Liberty is very serious.

Yeah, I don't know that I have a definitive answer one way or another, but I do worry about it.

 

[Bongo Fury]

I don’t know if it would be an improvement but probably not worse either. Winning will bring back fans and maybe even a tiny bit of respect.

 

[Vowelguy]

Have you seen what's been going on lately? Would you rather grind forever without any interim goals?

The interim goal is win some games. Until
This team stops stinking up the joint, nothing else will matter.

 

[ZooCougar]

As opposed to hitching to a dinghy?



As opposed to ignoring math? Be honest - does setting ourselves up for "competing" for a low-tier G5 conference title and a low-tier bowl bid really rejuvenate anything? Currently-constituted MAC and CUSA are about a 1/4 step above FCS, and with some fairly big drawbacks.

Go ahead and make a case that, in all likelihood, joining a conference for LESS MONEY actually fixes anything. I'd love to hear your actual reasoning, and not just have you lob another flippant insult across, though that's your schtick.

Neither works well.

One would potentially work better than the other because it provides us something to compete for and gives us bowl alliances and other basic requirements that independence doesn’t provide.

Financially? You’re quibbling over pennies.

You’re expecting different results when we are doing the same thing over and over and over and over again.

That’s the definition of insanity.

We don’t recruit well enough to beat most of the P5s that we play. Maybe all of them.

Like Mora lined out. We are just setting ourselves up for long term failure. And misery.

 

[shizzle787]

I think it would be the opposite. Indie is no-man's land, and Liberty is very serious.

Liberty joined a league to bolster their basketball side. Their football side and schedule took a hit.

 

[shizzle787]

UConn made a basketball move and the football program is trying to get up off the mat
Liberty made a basketball move and the football program is 8-0 heading to its 5th straight bowl game

If only we could take such a hit. I guess their schedule took a hit because they aren't playing any power conference programs this year. But who did they have previously? Syracuse, Wake, BYU, Arkansas, Va Tech, Ole Miss...not quite ivy league now is it. 8-0 is 8-0.

They were good the last few years playing much more difficult schedules. In a 12-team playoff, they will never make it in from CUSA. If they were independent, they would at least have a shot.

 

[Kolumbo]

They were good the last few years playing much more difficult schedules. In a 12-team playoff, they will never make it in from CUSA. If they were independent, they would at least have a shot.

dang, I deleted my post to edit it but nevertheless.

I don't have Liberty's strength of schedule by year handy but what difference does it make. First, Liberty is 8-0. It is receiving votes. Second, who's to say it will never make the playoffs winning C-USA. And who cares? UConn won't either. No one other than ND has a shot as an Indie and even ND struggles to get there. How the heck would Liberty have a shot as Indie? Third, C-USA is not Liberty's end game. It is building its program and C-USA is a stepping stone. That's the right way to build a program. There are no shortcuts.

 

[shizzle787]

dang, I deleted my post to edit it but nevertheless.

I don't have Liberty's strength of schedule by year handy but what difference does it make. First, Liberty is 8-0. It is receiving votes. Second, who's to say it will never make the playoffs winning C-USA. And who cares? UConn won't either. No one other than ND has a shot as an Indie and even ND struggles to get there. How the heck would Liberty have a shot as Indie? Third, C-USA is not Liberty's end game. It is building its program and C-USA is a stepping stone. That's the right way to build a program. There are no shortcuts.

Liberty is radioactive. The only reason CUSA took them was because the league was desperate. A CUSA champ won't be one of the top 5. It's SOS won't be there. Same thing for the MAC.

In the miracle event UConn goes 12-0, we absolutely would be in the conversation as we would have beaten 4-5 power conference schools plus a few MW and AAC schools. Our competition would be 3-loss SEC and B1G teams for an at-large bid. We could make a case (especially if our SOS is 80 or better).

 

[Kolumbo]

Liberty is radioactive. The only reason CUSA took them was because the league was desperate. A CUSA champ won't be one of the top 5. It's SOS won't be there. Same thing for the MAC.

Again, who cares? Playoffs?! That is the least of anyone's worries right now. UConn is one of the worst ranked FBS programs and you are stuck on the fact that Liberty at 8-0 won't be in the playoffs.

btw, all G5 are desperate, yet UConn is still shunned like an Amish kid with a nipple ring.

 

[shizzle787]

Again, who cares? Playoffs?! That is the least of anyone's worries right now. UConn is one of the worst ranked FBS programs and you are stuck on the fact that Liberty at 8-0 won't be in the playoffs.

btw, all G5 are desperate, yet UConn is still shunned like an Amish kid with a nipple ring.

That's literally the main reason for joining a league.

 

[Kolumbo]

That's literally the main reason for joining a league.

No, it is literally not. Why not focus on being capable enough to string together a few bowl seasons before worrying about the playoffs.

Air Force, Tulane, JMU, Fresno State, Liberty. But Liberty is so much worse off than the other 4.

 

[shizzle787]

No, it is literally not. Why not focus on being capable enough to string together a few bowl seasons before worrying about the playoffs.

Air Force, Tulane, JMU, Fresno State, Liberty. But Liberty is so much worse off than the other 4.

Liberty was desperately trying to get out of the basketball toilet bowl known as the ASUN.

If getting into the playoff (which I think is easier as an indie playing 4-5 P4 teams than as a MAC/CUSA team) isn't important, then why join a conference?

 

[Kolumbo]

Liberty was desperately trying to get out of the basketball toilet bowl known as the ASUN.

If getting into the playoff (which I think is easier as an indie playing 4-5 P4 teams than as a MAC/CUSA team) isn't important, then why join a conference?

This is rich. UConn needs to get good. Getting good is more important than making the playoffs. The playoffs are designed for the Alabamas and Georgias. If you are so hell bent on worrying about the playoffs, UConn is not the team you should be betting on.

But wait. It is easier to make the playoffs as an indie. Is that really your take? So you feel that UConn is in a far better place than Liberty. OK, go with that.

 

[shizzle787]

This is rich. UConn needs to get good. Getting good is more important than making the playoffs. The playoffs are designed for the Alabamas and Georgias. If you are so hell bent on worrying about the playoffs, UConn is not the team you should be betting on.

But wait. It is easier to make the playoffs as an indie. Is that really your take? So you feel that UConn is in a far better place than Liberty. OK, go with that.

Scheduling wise yes. Your precious Liberty is 8-0 and unranked.

 

[pepband99]

Scheduling wise yes. Your precious Liberty is 8-0 and unranked.

...and an embarassing diploma mill. At some point, you need to look at the school (and the means to a good team, btw).

 

[Vowelguy]

Liberty was desperately trying to get out of the basketball toilet bowl known as the ASUN.

Unless you can provide evidence of this, I'm calling BS.

Liberty has been clear that they are going all-in on creating a major FB program and becoming Baylor 2.0. After getting rejected by every other G5 during the latest realignment, they went with the conference that was desperate for any warm body.