Topic: Now that the TV deal is out

[FlyHawk98]

How do you guys feel about the current CUSA?

I would really like to see this conference split up and drop a lot of this dead weight.

[coalherd]

FlyHawk, I'd like to see some stability in college sports overall for next few years. Let's see if some of the recent CUSA additions can stabilize and show some improvement in the programs overall.  Some have talked about dropping some schools and adding others from Sunbelt.  Don't know if we really want to drop Charlotte to get Appy State and that booming Boone market!  Or exchange FIU or ODU for GA. Southern and the Statesboro, Georgia metropolitan area!!  I mean, are there really a lot of viable options out there for the CUSA right now, short of a total breakup of some other conferences, like the MAC?  Then again, the next big move may just be a complete separation of the Power schools from everybody else!!

[FlyHawk98]

Well this TV deal proves that markets don't mean squat on our level.

Yes, I would much rather have App St as opposed to Charlotte. Yes, I would much rather have Ga Southern than FIU.

App and Ga Southern are both established programs. They are football schools. They have fans that care.

As for the TX schools, we could just drop all of them.

[gochneaur645]

Yeah, App State and Ga Southern have had successful programs and established fanbases for decades. That's something half of C-USA has never and will never have. The Miami, Dallas, Houston, and Charlotte markets are getting us historically low TV deals.

[coalherd]

And the markets in Boone, NC, and Statesboro, GA, will get us lot better TV deal??? ???

[Herdmeister]

Just stay where we are. We are all kidding ourselves if we don't believe that in the not too distant future the P5 schools will pretty much split off and leave G5 as what we used to call 1AA. It's all about money and they get more and more. Latest example: UCLA just signed a new deal with UA for $285 million over 15 years. Heck, that deal alone is more than 50% of Marshall's entire athletic budget per year. And that's just from a uniform maker. When you add conference/TV money on top of that how can we and other G5's compete with that?

[Herd 90]

Just stay where we are. We are all kidding ourselves if we don't believe that in the not too distant future the P5 schools will pretty much split off and leave G5 as what we used to call 1AA. It's all about money and they get more and more. Latest example: UCLA just signed a new deal with UA for $285 million over 15 years. Heck, that deal alone is more than 50% of Marshall's entire athletic budget per year. And that's just from a uniform maker. When you add conference/TV money on top of that how can we and other G5's compete with that?

Ain't that America these days?  Just like the GOP, DEMS and media being owned by wall st and big corporations.  They represent the ultra wealthy and don't give a crap about regular people.  Same goes for the NCAA.  They only care about the big budget schools.  It's an ugly trend.  Not the America I grew up in.

[Flat Tire 2]

Ain't that America these days?  Just like the GOP, DEMS and media being owned by wall st and big corporations.  They represent the ultra wealthy and don't give a crap about regular people.  Same goes for the NCAA.  They only care about the big budget schools.  It's an ugly trend.  Not the America I grew up in.

I am old enough to remember watching college football in the 1960's. You were only able to watch the Ohio State's play on TV. Occasionally, wvu would get a regional game on TV; but the NCAA only televised the major schools. I remember when the MAC got a regional TV network for basketball and you could watch The Herd when Redd; Stone and Allen were playing.

[ThunderValley]

In 10-20 years college football will just be a warm memory of how things used to be.

I think the game as we know it will be destroyed by greed. We will be watching games that are no more than
a farm club for a pro team.

[dshoe]

In 10-20 years college football will just be a warm memory of how things used to be.

I think the game as we know it will be destroyed by greed. We will be watching games that are no more than
a farm club for a pro team.

I doubt seriously that it will take that long

[FlyHawk98]

And the markets in Boone, NC, and Statesboro, GA, will get us lot better TV deal??? ???

No but they are established programs.

Programs that have fans that show up and care.

It would at least improve our SOS and chances of getting into the Access Bowl.

From a Marshall perspective, at least older people in the fan base recognize the names App St and Ga Southern.

[WoodyWoodrum]

Nothing short of Alabama, Florida State and Texas joining the league will get C-USA a better TV deal. The proof is in this year's pudding. The markets argument was always hoo-doo. League would be better off in two smaller regional leagues, take TV in-house as Herd did when they moved to JCEdwards and just play other like teams. The bowls will stay as long as ESPN needs relatively cheap programing or we will have a G5 championship tournament, which would be even better. Many of you don't remember the 1990s, but it was fun, Marshall drew better than almost anyone else and you played for a championship, not a trophy and three days in Florida.

[Flat Tire 2]

No but they are established programs.

Programs that have fans that show up and care.

It would at least improve our SOS and chances of getting into the Access Bowl.

From a Marshall perspective, at least older people in the fan base recognize the names App St and Ga Southern.

I am one of those older fans and I don't care for Appy or GS, that is in the review mirror. Also, both schools become 1-A in 2013 and 2012 so I don't think they are well established. I hate the Mac, but it would be a better choice than going back to a Southern Conference clone. At the least the Mac makes geographic sense. Maybe we end up in conference with ECU and some well established programs in the future when everything shakes out? I am not busting on you, but you sound like a relative of mine who is a wvu grad; always wanting The Herd to move down a level so he can support both schools.  ???

[CoachMaclid]

People talk about Georgia Southern as if they are a "traditional" rival, but we've played a grand total of 6 games against them, none of the games were memorable or close, and none really determined a championship.  The only thing memorable about Georgia Southern in Marshall football history is that we played a national championship game against Youngstown on their field. 

Quite frankly, we have a three times the historical ties with Akron than we do Georgia Southern.

[iherdya]

People talk about Georgia Southern as if they are a "traditional" rival, but we've played a grand total of 6 games against them, none of the games were memorable or close, and none really determined a championship.  The only thing memorable about Georgia Southern in Marshall football history is that we played a national championship game against Youngstown on their field. 

except of course had we lost to georgia southern in 1994 we would've not won the southern conference

[backontrack]

I for one plan to enjoy Herd football (and other sports) and let the chips fall where they may, especially in my retirement (today is day #1!!!)....

[CoachMaclid]

except of course had we lost to georgia southern in 1994 we would've not won the southern conference

If you're talking about the undescriptive 34-13 win in the third week of the season, then sure.  But you could also say the same thing about our 49-7 game against VMI later in that year.

[iherdya]

But you could also say the same thing about our 49-7 game against VMI later in that year.

no, a loss to georgia southern would've put us in a 3 way tie with them and app state, but we would've had Ls to both so would've finished 3rd.

but either way, i'm part of the younger generation of our crowd, but i'd rather be in a conference with georgia southern and app state over a lot of the cusa teams. i had fun the couple times i went to statesboro as a kid for our games.

[WoodyWoodrum]

People talk about Georgia Southern as if they are a "traditional" rival, but we've played a grand total of 6 games against them, none of the games were memorable or close, and none really determined a championship.  The only thing memorable about Georgia Southern in Marshall football history is that we played a national championship game against Youngstown on their field. 

Quite frankly, we have a three times the historical ties with Akron than we do Georgia Southern.

Statesboro/Savannah definitely the better trip than Akron/Canton. Longer drive is worth it. Had really good time on every trip to GSU, and they treated us very well as guests and rivals.

That was big difference between the MAC and SoCon. Both wanted to beat hell out of Herd, both hated the Marshall fans who would descend upon their stadiums in the thousands but in the MAC they made it personal when it came to their dislike of Herd while SoCon was battle your butts off, then enjoy a beer later - and most of I-AA was like that (not all, EKU, not all, Delaware), but the MAC treated the Herd like MU was still the stepchild they kicked out in 1969, not a school who brought a lot to that league.

I have to agree, however, with the current alignment of the C-USA, either a new league of eastern schools or a return to the MAC and its geographic fit for the Herd would seem the right way to go. Marshall cannot afford to compete in the American, or I would be for pursuing it hard, but the TV money will go away there next, followed by the Mountain West. The MAC has a decade before they have to renegotiate, but now C-USA is like MAC - low payouts, and you buy the equipment to do the games yourself - that is why Herd booked to C-USA to begin with.

Would you rather:

1) Play ODU, Charlotte, WKU, Middle Tennessee, FIU, FAU and a rotation of Southern Miss, UAB, LA Tech, North Texas, Rice UTSA and UTEP or

2) Play Ohio, Akron, Kent State, Bowling Green, Miami and Buffalo and a rotation of Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Toledo, Ball State and Northern Illinois

3) Or try to make the best league possible out of some of C-USA, some of Sun Belt and any (?) of the MAC (who besides NIU, who left and came back) have never seemed to want to change leagues by and large or

4) Marshall, due to budget cuts from state, returns to FCS and tries to dominate it with facilities and fans the like of only which North Dakota State seems to have.

[ed swain]

We are better off status quo than any other alternatives mentioned by Woody.

[breckjimison]

Statesboro/Savannah definitely the better trip than Akron/Canton. Longer drive is worth it. Had really good time on every trip to GSU, and they treated us very well as guests and rivals.

That was big difference between the MAC and SoCon. Both wanted to beat hell out of Herd, both hated the Marshall fans who would descend upon their stadiums in the thousands but in the MAC they made it personal when it came to their dislike of Herd while SoCon was battle your butts off, then enjoy a beer later - and most of I-AA was like that (not all, EKU, not all, Delaware), but the MAC treated the Herd like MU was still the stepchild they kicked out in 1969, not a school who brought a lot to that league.

I have to agree, however, with the current alignment of the C-USA, either a new league of eastern schools or a return to the MAC and its geographic fit for the Herd would seem the right way to go. Marshall cannot afford to compete in the American, or I would be for pursuing it hard, but the TV money will go away there next, followed by the Mountain West. The MAC has a decade before they have to renegotiate, but now C-USA is like MAC - low payouts, and you buy the equipment to do the games yourself - that is why Herd booked to C-USA to begin with.

Would you rather:

1) Play ODU, Charlotte, WKU, Middle Tennessee, FIU, FAU and a rotation of Southern Miss, UAB, LA Tech, North Texas, Rice UTSA and UTEP or

2) Play Ohio, Akron, Kent State, Bowling Green, Miami and Buffalo and a rotation of Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Toledo, Ball State and Northern Illinois

3) Or try to make the best league possible out of some of C-USA, some of Sun Belt and any (?) of the MAC (who besides NIU, who left and came back) have never seemed to want to change leagues by and large or

4) Marshall, due to budget cuts from state, returns to FCS and tries to dominate it with facilities and fans the like of only which North Dakota State seems to have.

I am in NO WAY in favor of MU taking a step back. Be it the MAC or FCS. That is not in the best interest of our program. I agree that things may change within the next decade and MU may land somewhere else but I wouldn't be surprised to see the MAC fold completely along with Sunbelt and C-USA and a stronger G-5 (G-3) conference emerges.

[mu79grad]

I am old enough to remember watching college football in the 1960's. You were only able to watch the Ohio State's play on TV. Occasionally, wvu would get a regional game on TV; but the NCAA only televised the major schools. I remember when the MAC got a regional TV network for basketball and you could watch The Herd when Redd; Stone and Allen were playing.

I also remember the MAC Regional Network (TVS, maybe).  What I best remember was when I attended one MAC game at the Field House.  It was in the early days of this network and there was no set time for television time-outs.  During the game, on a couple of occasions, the guy doing the television analysis would actually stand up and frantically make the timeout gesture to get one of the referees attention.  As I recall, he did this signal for a minute or more, before his gesturing was finally noticed, so play could be stopped for a television timeout.  I still chuckle thinking about that recollection from circa 1967. 

[coalherd]

No but they are established programs.

Programs that have fans that show up and care.

It would at least improve our SOS and chances of getting into the Access Bowl.

From a Marshall perspective, at least older people in the fan base recognize the names App St and Ga Southern.

Established in WHAT, FlyHawk?  Are you talking football only, because you had better look at the TOTAL athletic programs.  Tell me how much those teams FANS show up for their other programs?  You think that ASU and GA Southern's fans show up MORE for their basketball programs than the FANS at ODU and Charlotte do?  Gimme a break.  Their fans show up more for baseball than the fans at Rice or Southern Miss do, or FAU's fans?  Yeah, a lot of CUSA programs have problem areas; Newcomer FBS football programs at ODU and Charlotte are behind established programs at GA Southern and Appy, but for overall programs, and POTENTIAL FAN BASES/SUPPORT, I'll take our two conference brethren over the former So. Con schools!

[coalherd]

Hey, Woody, let's simplify this to a bottom factor.  When MU plays at a bottom feeder in CUSA, they are in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, or in sunny Miami or Boca Raton.  When we played at the bottom feeders in the MAC, we were in "Beautiful" downtown Kalamazoo, Ypsilanti, or in the middle of the cornfields of Muncie, or frozen and scenic Buffalo!!  Which do you prefer?  ;D  I know where I'd rather see the Herd play!

[Herdmeister]

Hey, Woody, let's simplify this to a bottom factor.  When MU plays at a bottom feeder in CUSA, they are in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, or in sunny Miami or Boca Raton.  When we played at the bottom feeders in the MAC, we were in "Beautiful" downtown Kalamazoo, Ypsilanti, or in the middle of the cornfields of Muncie, or frozen and scenic Buffalo!!  Which do you prefer?  ;D  I know where I'd rather see the Herd play!

'
I too would prefer the CUSA cites, but if you haven't been to Kalamazoo since we last played there you would be surprised. The past few years I had to go there 2-3 times a year for work. It has become a very nice city. Very much cultural community with museums and theaters.