C USA
- Thread starter sistersville
- Start date
While I agree that CUSA is currently a glorified FCS conference outside of a few teams, going back to the MAC (if indeed that were an option) just feels like waving the white flag. I say win a few CUSA championships, beat a few P5's along the way and then call your shot... What if we go back to the MAC expecting to dominate like before and get our butts kicked, which honestly could happen. (you can bet we will have a big old red target on our backs for crashing the party for a third time). Then a shot of joining a conference one day with the likes of ECU, UCF and Memphis (whom I feel we should honestly be paired with) will be severely impaired.
2 years ago CUSA was the top rated G5 conference, last year the AAC, and this year it is TBD. There is no reason to try and go back to a crappy conference at this point that likely doesn't want us anyway. We have to stay in CUSA and hope the weaker programs improve, or move to the AAC if the opportunity arises.
I wasn't advocating going back. You are correct, they wouldn't have us. Just saying, not sure why come choose to trash that league when they have a ranked team and we haven't done that great against MAC teams the last 4-5 years.
Do you have a link showing CUSA as the top conference two years ago? I'm pretty sure you are wrong.
In 2014 the final Sagarin rating had the MWC Mountain and the Missouri Valley Conference both ahead of CUSA East. The MAC West and the AAC were both ahead of CUSA West
I don't have dollar figures, but I'm sure it's millions (with a lot of ssss) more. Marshall's would grow if they went to a conference with improved TV revenue, bowl payouts and established rivals like ECU and UCF coming to Huntington to play. . Also budgets aren't always the end all beat all measuring stick, don't get me wrong a huge discrepancy can be a hindrance, but I bet most teams in the ACC out spend Duke in football, yet there they are competitive in the ACC.
2011 was the only year since we joined in 2005 that CUSA finished as the top G5 conference. We were 3rd or lower 7 out of 11 years...
According to USA Today report from the 14-15 year, Marshall had the 117th largest athletic budget of $27M. UCF was 55th with $51.5M, ECU was 58th with $50M, and Memphis was 65th with $43M.
USA Today notes that these are raw figures reported by each state government and different states and schools account for $$ differently, often to make the subsidy of sports look less. Most all schools do not count facilities costs in these numbers.
Don't we say that every year? A 45% attrition rate from the 2011 to 2015 signing classes will do that to a program.
