Not that UTEP especially wants to be in the WAC for anything, but there’s no reason they can’t stay on as a football affiliate, so long as we scratch across eight full members. It’s not like we home and home them in football.

I don’t think the consequences are as direct as Howard leaving the MEAC and immediately killing it, but Marshall is the fulcrum for a reimagined CUSA. If they’re gone, I don’t think the mass holds and we become an archipelago, a bunch of randos standing mutely at the greyhound station for a bus home that’s way overdue, hoping the crazy guy debating the 1996 election with the snack machine doesn’t pee on us.

(10-19-2021 10:12 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  odu, since they joined they were supposed to be the next call up to the aac

USM is going to the SB to be the whipping boy of a program in your own backyard that wasn’t FBS when the last realignment occurred. Meanwhile many of the teams that left you last go round are heading to the Big12.

You might temporarily end up in a better spot than us but as far as who the bigger loser would be?

(10-20-2021 08:35 AM)BKTopper Wrote:  If Marshall leaves for the SB I would like to change my vote to WKU

no kidding. If SoMiss and Marshall leave this place is doneski and it's survival of the fittest. I could see ODU going Indy at that point and trying to get BBall into the A10.

Maybe the rest of the teams outside of UTEP and ODU could salvage something in the middle of the country but I see ODU thumping the CUSA banner just as a show of good faith but it rings hollow if those other 2 schools leave. Peace out.

Posing this question at this time is too soon because the dominoes are not done falling yet. What happens next between the Sun Belt and C-USAs game of chicken is going to determine that. If C-USA is able to pluck a coupe of Sun Belt schools some of us in the loser category above could come out winners. If the Sun Belt strikes next and successfully plucks from C-USA the degree to which some of us lose are going to be catastrophic.

That said, I do not believe we will see two (like Marshall and USM) go because there is no point paying exit fees to make a mostly parallel move. The only way the SBC can get C-USA schools in my opinion is by adding four, killing the league, and thereby making exit fees a moot point.

If that happens MT and wkcc will be the top two losers. UTEP will also. And I think the other loser would be La Tech. Because if I’m ULL and ULM as a big “F you” to Tech I could see them adding FIU along with Marshall, USM, and ODU.

Bottom line is it’s too soon to call. But my money is on the latter happening because the SBC is in a better position of strength because they have a commissioner and we have Judy.

(10-20-2021 09:42 AM)bit_9 Wrote:  

(10-20-2021 08:35 AM)BKTopper Wrote:  If Marshall leaves for the SB I would like to change my vote to WKU

no kidding. If SoMiss and Marshall leave this place is doneski and it's survival of the fittest. I could see ODU going Indy at that point and trying to get BBall into the A10.

Maybe the rest of the teams outside of UTEP and ODU could salvage something in the middle of the country but I see ODU thumping the CUSA banner just as a show of good faith but it rings hollow if those other 2 schools leave. Peace out.

I think some of our fans see an ODU-centric CUSA emerging out of this but if Marshall is gone (and Liberty doesn't bite) then I could easily see them building around WKU/MT/LaTech. Less JMU, more Jacksonville State and Missouri State. They still need eight full members and full members need to commit multiple capital crimes to get tossed from a conference, so UTEP/FIU/ODU can stay, but they'll be outliers until/unless they leave.

(10-20-2021 12:55 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(10-20-2021 09:42 AM)bit_9 Wrote:  

(10-20-2021 08:35 AM)BKTopper Wrote:  If Marshall leaves for the SB I would like to change my vote to WKU

no kidding. If SoMiss and Marshall leave this place is doneski and it's survival of the fittest. I could see ODU going Indy at that point and trying to get BBall into the A10.

Maybe the rest of the teams outside of UTEP and ODU could salvage something in the middle of the country but I see ODU thumping the CUSA banner just as a show of good faith but it rings hollow if those other 2 schools leave. Peace out.

I think some of our fans see an ODU-centric CUSA emerging out of this but if Marshall is gone (and Liberty doesn't bite) then I could easily see them building around WKU/MT/LaTech. Less JMU, more Jacksonville State and Missouri State. They still need eight full members and full members need to commit multiple capital crimes to get tossed from a conference, so UTEP/FIU/ODU can stay, but they'll be outliers until/unless they leave.

Well, given that several AAC members (SMU, Memphis, USF, Wichita, and possibly one or two more) are looking to get out of the AAC as soon as they can, it's very likely the AAC will be adding more schools in a couple years and you gotta believe that ODU would be at or near the top of their list.

(10-20-2021 12:55 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(10-20-2021 09:42 AM)bit_9 Wrote:  

(10-20-2021 08:35 AM)BKTopper Wrote:  If Marshall leaves for the SB I would like to change my vote to WKU

no kidding. If SoMiss and Marshall leave this place is doneski and it's survival of the fittest. I could see ODU going Indy at that point and trying to get BBall into the A10.

Maybe the rest of the teams outside of UTEP and ODU could salvage something in the middle of the country but I see ODU thumping the CUSA banner just as a show of good faith but it rings hollow if those other 2 schools leave. Peace out.

I think some of our fans see an ODU-centric CUSA emerging out of this but if Marshall is gone (and Liberty doesn't bite) then I could easily see them building around WKU/MT/LaTech. Less JMU, more Jacksonville State and Missouri State. They still need eight full members and full members need to commit multiple capital crimes to get tossed from a conference, so UTEP/FIU/ODU can stay, but they'll be outliers until/unless they leave.

That's feels accurate, though I feel JMU is still the no-brainer add at this juncture, if they're interested. Keeps us quiet(ish), too.

(10-20-2021 12:58 PM)WKUApollo Wrote:  

(10-20-2021 12:55 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(10-20-2021 09:42 AM)bit_9 Wrote:  

(10-20-2021 08:35 AM)BKTopper Wrote:  If Marshall leaves for the SB I would like to change my vote to WKU

no kidding. If SoMiss and Marshall leave this place is doneski and it's survival of the fittest. I could see ODU going Indy at that point and trying to get BBall into the A10.

Maybe the rest of the teams outside of UTEP and ODU could salvage something in the middle of the country but I see ODU thumping the CUSA banner just as a show of good faith but it rings hollow if those other 2 schools leave. Peace out.

I think some of our fans see an ODU-centric CUSA emerging out of this but if Marshall is gone (and Liberty doesn't bite) then I could easily see them building around WKU/MT/LaTech. Less JMU, more Jacksonville State and Missouri State. They still need eight full members and full members need to commit multiple capital crimes to get tossed from a conference, so UTEP/FIU/ODU can stay, but they'll be outliers until/unless they leave.

Well, given that several AAC members (SMU, Memphis, USF, Wichita, and possibly one or two more) are looking to get out of the AAC as soon as they can, it's very likely the AAC will be adding more schools in a couple years and you gotta believe that ODU would be at or near the top of their list.

I presume going to 14 now is a hedge against defections, so if they lose two, they're still OK at 12. I have a feeling that the AAC gave ODU an uncategorical no, but that may just be my dark read on a couple of things on the internets. At the least, it makes little sense for ODU to beat the drum for pro-regionalization if they're just biding time until the AAC can fit them in.

UTEP, ODU, WKU, Liberty, JMU, FIU, La. Tech....all losers if Marshall and So. Miss leave for Sun Belt. They have no place to go.

(10-20-2021 01:11 PM)sstaedtler88 Wrote:  UTEP, ODU, WKU, Liberty, JMU, FIU, La. Tech....all losers if Marshall and So. Miss leave for Sun Belt. They have no place to go.

Guess we could park all other sports in the Southland Conference and have football go indy. We've done it before.

Looking like WKU at the moment…

WKU, only because we all know ODU is next on deck for AAC when Memphis leaves.

Gotta be ODU. Newly expanded stadium.
Not playing last year killed them.

I voted UTEP, because they've gone from being an outlier to being twice as far from their nearest conference mate as they were. I can see LaTech too though, as some of them thought they were getting into the AAC and they can't even jump to the Belt.

(10-19-2021 10:13 PM)FAU Connoisseur! Wrote:  

(10-19-2021 10:12 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  odu, since they joined they were supposed to be the next call up to the aac

They sealed their fate when they cancelled their season last year.

This.

I think conference wise I think UTEP lost because they lost all, might lose all its Texas brethren. Like someone posted we're so far away now that everyone, including us, will be complaining that they don't want to continue going so far. Even (as far as I hate the idea) the sbc would be more adequate.

I'm sure that if we continue in cusa that whomever is the commish will try to get us closer schools to play against. I'm not even sure if it's even possible seeing that most schools are on the other side of the Texas boundary.

But, we've been independent before and if it comes to that I'm sure we'll survive. Hey, if a rinkydink school like Enemas U. can survive independent so can we as we have experience already.

(10-19-2021 11:08 PM)grapes Wrote:  It's devasting for Marshall, UTEP, Southern Miss.

Why?

Because these teams have watched their entire conference family leave them, then leave again, then leave again.
Multiple teams are now going to the Big 12 conference and this group is still.. in CUSA..

What's even the bigger slap in the face is that not only have they watched their ex conference brothers jump *multiple* conference they now have had replacements from the.. FCS jump them..

I mean I feel their pain myself

Check the news sweetie. Southern Miss leaving CUSA is practically a done deal. The AAC isn’t the only option at the dance anymore. We just decided it was better for us in the long term to be in a conference that is regionally sane, instead of a scattered collection of schools in big markets. ?

(10-20-2021 06:01 PM)usmjournalism Wrote:  

(10-19-2021 11:08 PM)grapes Wrote:  It's devasting for Marshall, UTEP, Southern Miss.

Why?

Because these teams have watched their entire conference family leave them, then leave again, then leave again.
Multiple teams are now going to the Big 12 conference and this group is still.. in CUSA..

What's even the bigger slap in the face is that not only have they watched their ex conference brothers jump *multiple* conference they now have had replacements from the.. FCS jump them..

I mean I feel their pain myself

Check the news sweetie. Southern Miss leaving CUSA is practically a done deal. The AAC isn’t the only option at the dance anymore. We just decided it was better for us in the long term to be in a conference that is regionally sane, instead of a scattered collection of schools in big markets. ?

Mobile and Atlanta aren't exactly small markets.

(10-20-2021 06:01 PM)usmjournalism Wrote:  

(10-19-2021 11:08 PM)grapes Wrote:  It's devasting for Marshall, UTEP, Southern Miss.

Why?

Because these teams have watched their entire conference family leave them, then leave again, then leave again.
Multiple teams are now going to the Big 12 conference and this group is still.. in CUSA..

What's even the bigger slap in the face is that not only have they watched their ex conference brothers jump *multiple* conference they now have had replacements from the.. FCS jump them..

I mean I feel their pain myself

Check the news sweetie. Southern Miss leaving CUSA is practically a done deal. The AAC isn’t the only option at the dance anymore. We just decided it was better for us in the long term to be in a conference that is regionally sane, instead of a scattered collection of schools in big markets. ?

You decided

It’s honestly sad how money and greed has ruined college football and taken away its’s purity.