NMSU, Liberty, and two FCS to CUSA

[JCorona]

Sam Houston State set to begin field house renovation

A staple of Sam Houston State athletics is set to receive a facelift, starting next month.

www.google.com

This is not including the stadium expansion that is now being discussed with the move up to FBS.

I know they're investing in their facilities. They're dreaming big. Maybe hoping they'll get some nice ooc games and fill up their stadium. Don't tell NoWins that. He thinks everyone should stay down, never improve and never change.

 

[T-6 Miner]

I won’t lie, I am not excited. It’s what needed to be done but I don’t think UTEP benefits as much as people may think from competing with soon to be former FCS schools. SHSU should be competitive right away, Liberty’s floor is somewhere around double digit wins (actually a great thing if they can sneak into a NY6 and give CUSA the revenue share), and JSU feasts on SEC transfers so they won’t be an easy out.

On the basketball side, our road to the tournament just got significantly more difficult NMSU is obviously a good team year in and year out and Liberty having been a tournament team the past three years. It feels like a Memphis in CUSA situation where the only time it will be a two bid league is if someone beats Liberty in the tournament.

This is still way better than being independent and we have a chance of raising up the conference’s profile with good performances in bowls and the NCAAT. I know Liberty has a massive enrollment, but I don’t know how that will translate to a media deal, which is why I would still love if we can convince Kennesaw St to join.

You sound scared.

 

[nattybry]

Then they only need 1,000 more seats. Not 6-10k. I’m a negative Nancy because I don’t think that more fans will flock to see UTEP and LaTech, but you said the same thing about UTEP dropping to FCS. How is that any different? You don’t know, you were just being “negative” right?

They would need 2,500 first off to reach 15,000. Second of all it doesn't make since to spend money on an addition and just go right to that amount. From a cost aspect and with future growth in mind. The goal is somewhere around 20-22,000.

 

[kickballpro]

They don't have a choice dude! Has to be over 15,000, so yes they do have to expand! You don't know what the step up will do for fan turnout, you're again just throwing negativity up in the air to see who catches like you always do. You're not a realist, you're just a negative Nancy that looks for the bad and not the positives. If UTEP got added to the Big 12 you would only have negative comments I'm pretty sure. No one's ecstatic about what happened to CUSA, but they made a necessary counter move. Last time I checked SHS is reining champs and #1 team in FCS and would be more than half of the current FBS teams. You don't even acknowledge that.

Sort of. Lots of Schools can't get 15,000 fans.

But they do have to "sell" 15,000 tickets. If a team averages 12,000 per game, they can report they donated 3000 seats to Fort Bliss, or they can buy the seats themselves, or they can get a Sponsor to buy the tickets. They can also have a fundraiser like "Buy seats for a Soldier."

Point is, 15000 isn't 15000. An announced attendance of 9000 will definitley be 15000 when the NCAA does its audit.

 

[nattybry]

Petition for No wins to change his Miner Digs handle to "Negative Nancy Since Birth" All in favor say I!!! 😂

 

[MinerFan79]

Negative Nancy

Check out ESPN’s bottom 10 for NCAA. They’re laughing at it

 

[JCorona]

They would need 2,500 first off to reach 15,000. Second of all it doesn't make since to spend money on an addition and just go right to that amount. From a cost aspect and with future growth in mine. The goal is somewhere around 20-22,000.

Without seeing the plans we don't how they'll do it. I doubt they'll just add more bleachers to meet the seating requirement.

Maybe they're planning on closing in the endzone with modern spaces. That include bars, restaurants, luxury suites.

I don't know if anyone ever saw the plans for the south end zone of the Sun Bowl but those were nice.

Expanding the stadium isn't just adding more seats.

 

[nattybry]

Without seeing the plans we don't how they'll do it. I doubt they'll just add more bleachers to meet the seating requirement.

Maybe they're planning on closing in the endzone with modern spaces. That include bars, restaurants, luxury suites.

I don't know if anyone ever saw the plans for the south end zone of the Sun Bowl but those were nice.

Expanding the stadium isn't just adding more seats.

Right, I don't know the plans exactly, just that they will expand stadium capacity amongst other things.

 

[NoNCAAWinsSince1992]

Check out ESPN’s bottom 10 for NCAA. They’re laughing at it

Don’t need to convince me. I am not saying this is nicely done or that this is a coup like others

 

[minerfan_14]

 

[bamfor]

You sound scared.

why would I be scared? this is college athletics not a Halloween movie

 

[JCorona]

View embedded media

I didn't realize how good the two FCS teams have been recently. In the last 8 years

SHSU is 76-22
JSU is 71-26

Both have spent considerable amount of time in the top 10.

 

[OsoFromELP]

Liberty University Board of Regents

 

[nattybry]

Can't wait to see LiMu Emu & Doug in the Sun Bowl and Don!!!!

 

[axingfools1]

It's all nice that we still have a conference, but our goal should be to build/win and get to a better conference. More changes will happen in the near future.

 

[OsoFromELP]

Can't wait to see LiMu Emu & Doug in the Sun Bowl and Don!!!!

Liberty Mutual Insurance, future Sun Bowl corporate sponsor. Hey, remember the last time an insurance company sponsored the Sun Bowl? They not only took away the "Sun", but they even considered moving the game to Foxboro Stadium, former home of the New England Patriots. 😲

 

[minerfan_14]

Liberty Mutual Insurance, future Sun Bowl corporate sponsor. Hey, remember the last time an insurance company sponsored the Sun Bowl? They not only took away the "Sun", but they even considered moving the game to Foxboro Stadium, former home of the New England Patriots. 😲

John Hancock

 

[jdubb66]

When the Christian University is the black sheep the world has turned upside down.

 

[chuwy9]

Seeing as how UTEP is usually in the ESPN Bottom 10, sadly, this new conference usa seems made for us.

 

[utep2step]

I know they're investing in their facilities. They're dreaming big. Maybe hoping they'll get some nice ooc games and fill up their stadium. Don't tell NoWins that. He thinks everyone should stay down, never improve and never change.

"Conference USA announced Friday that it will add Liberty, Jacksonville State, New Mexico State and Sam Houston State in 2023 as the league tries to replenish its ranks after having nine schools announce plans to leave in the last month.

C-USA said its new members will join July 1, 2023.

“We are incredibly excited about adding these four new members and feel there is tremendous upside in these moves for our conference,” Conference USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod said in a statement. “We have been deliberate in our efforts for the past few weeks to get us to this point and will continue to evaluate and consider our additional options for membership.”


The C-USA overhaul might not be done, either: Mid-American Conference presidents met Friday with possible expansion on the agenda and C-USA members Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State as potential options, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the league's discussions are private."

https://www.thescore.com/ncaab/news/2217588

I'm not excited, but I am ok with SHSU. They will immediately compete in football. I am going to go out on a limb and and surmise (suppose without proof) if they could be another UTSA and leap frog past UTEP to a more stable FBS conference years down the road?

UAB football started as a club in 1989 and went DIII in '91 and FBS (1-A) in mid 90's with their first win against UNT. (Source: Wiki).

NMSU and UTEP football needs to get their crap together or this will happen again in 7 to 10 years because realignment is here to stay as power programs push for a "super league" that has been in the works for twenty years.

 

[chuwy9]

NMSU and UTEP football needs to get their crap together or this will happen again in 7 to 10 years because realignment is here to stay as power programs push for a "super league" that has been in the works for twenty years.

Yup

 

[USAFminersfan]

Crazy thing is it may be the best NHL city in the country. They love the Preds. The Preds are a much bigger deal than the Titans.

I was there during their last Stanley cup run. They are definitely passionate about their hokey

 

[MinerFan79]

Liberty Mutual Insurance, future Sun Bowl corporate sponsor. Hey, remember the last time an insurance company sponsored the Sun Bowl? They not only took away the "Sun", but they even considered moving the game to Foxboro Stadium, former home of the New England Patriots. 😲

John Hancock Bowl??

 

[MinerFan79]

Seeing as how UTEP is usually in the ESPN Bottom 10, sadly, this new conference usa seems made for us.

Ouch

 

[liebestraum]

Don't really care to read their whining. We have enough of that on this board.

Ah, well. You'll just have to scroll past me, then. UTEP grad, spent 26 years as a prof at SHSU. Love both schools, but I'm not interested in watching SHSU playing to get into a boring bowl game.

lieb

 

[nattybry]

"Conference USA announced Friday that it will add Liberty, Jacksonville State, New Mexico State and Sam Houston State in 2023 as the league tries to replenish its ranks after having nine schools announce plans to leave in the last month.

C-USA said its new members will join July 1, 2023.

“We are incredibly excited about adding these four new members and feel there is tremendous upside in these moves for our conference,” Conference USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod said in a statement. “We have been deliberate in our efforts for the past few weeks to get us to this point and will continue to evaluate and consider our additional options for membership.”


The C-USA overhaul might not be done, either: Mid-American Conference presidents met Friday with possible expansion on the agenda and C-USA members Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State as potential options, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the league's discussions are private."

https://www.thescore.com/ncaab/news/2217588

I'm not excited, but I am ok with SHSU. They will immediately compete in football. I am going to go out on a limb and and surmise (suppose without proof) if they could be another UTSA and leap frog past UTEP to a more stable FBS conference years down the road?

UAB football started as a club in 1989 and went DIII in '91 and FBS (1-A) in mid 90's with their first win against UNT. (Source: Wiki).

NMSU and UTEP football needs to get their crap together or this will happen again in 7 to 10 years because realignment is here to stay as power programs push for a "super league" that has been in the works for twenty years.

Jacksonville St. has way more potential then you're giving them credit for. Perennial power in FCS, good facilities and spending money galore to get even better and just beat Florida st. last year.

 

[JCorona]

Ah, well. You'll just have to scroll past me, then. UTEP grad, spent 26 years as a prof at SHSU. Love both schools, but I'm not interested in watching SHSU playing to get into a boring bowl game.

lieb

By the looks of it not that many SHSU fans were interested in watching them make playoff runs either 😉

 

[1970FinalFour1992Sweet16]

NMSU, UCONN, and UMASS all have 1 win. We’re going to have a great conference

It wasn't long ago that UTEP had back to back 1 win seasons. Just saying! How about act like you've been there before because you can easily go back to those 1 win seasons really quick.

 

[USAFminersfan]

Most of these fcs programs have a reasonable chance of maintaining, or possibly improving their recruiting now that they’ll be fbs. It’s also possible that this will hamper their recruiting. I could be wrong, but recruit’s may have saw more benefit to being a big fish at the fcs level, rather than a tiny fish in fbs. But who knows

What I firmly believe, however, is that our recruiting will suffer more than it already has. We already had a hard enough time educating recruits on who we even are. This conference will drive UTEP into a new level of obscurity. It raises the profile of teams like liberty, but significantly lowers ours.

My guess is some of these programs will trend slightly upward, but we will trend significantly downward….

 

[liebestraum]

By the looks of it not that many SHSU fans were interested in watching them make playoff runs either 😉

True enough. I really wonder how SHSU is going to pay for this "upgrade." It goes beyond expanding the stadium capacity. As I mentioned in another post, SHSU's student body voted down a request by the administration to add a $3/credit hour fee to be used by athletics. They're going to need to find a way to fund 20 more football scholarships. Sam grew from 11,000 to 21,000 in the quarter century I was there - but it is still mostly a commuter school and there aren't many students around on weekends, even during football season.

And I wonder who's going to cough up the money to bump up coaches' salaries to FBS level.

But the deal seems to be done. I'm not a fan of it.

lieb

 

[FeralFelidae]

Love both schools, but I'm not interested in watching SHSU playing to get into a boring bowl game.

lieb

Does that mean you're not interested to watch UTEP get into bowl games, either?

 

[liebestraum]

Does that mean you're not interested to watch UTEP get into bowl games, either?

Yep. I really don't watch bowl games any more.

lieb

 

[USAFminersfan]

Yep. I really don't watch bowl games any more.

lieb

Same. They really have lost their luster, especially when damn near any team can qualify.

If you’re not a fan of a big p5 program, or a team that’s having a miracle season, then it’s nothing more than playing another ooc game…. only later in the season…

 

[OsoFromELP]

Same. They really have lost their luster, especially when damn near any team can qualify.

If you’re not a fan of a big p5 program, or a team that’s having a miracle season, then it’s nothing more than playing another ooc game…. only later in the season…

Pretty much the same. I watch the New Year Six Bowls, College Football Playoffs, and National Championship. Of course I'll watch the Sun Bowl if I'm not at the game. Other than that, I don't usually pay attention to the other bowl games, unless there's nothing else to watch.

 

[develman]

I only watch Bowl Games that UTEP is in.

 

[TxRdKiller]

Yep. I really don't watch bowl games any more.

lieb

I'm with you, old friend. I haven't watched a bowl game since I went to an actual game in which UTEP was playing. I suppose I would watch UTEP but only because I'm a fan. Otherwise, I have NO interest in watching a bowl game.

I will occasionally watch the Sun Bowl game if I happen to stumble across it while looking for something to watch.

 

[nattybry]

I'm with you, old friend. I haven't watched a bowl game since I went to an actual game in which UTEP was playing. I suppose I would watch UTEP but only because I'm a fan. Otherwise, I have NO interest in watching a bowl game.

I will occasionally watch the Sun Bowl game if I happen to stumble across it while looking for something to watch.

Only watch Playoff bowls, some CUSA games, if it's a non P5 vs P5 and every 10 years Utep goes.

 

[whipnm]

I know the misery is terrible but if two things happen UTEP will be set. First, dominate football in the conference, which is easier now than before. Second, a team or two exits from the MWC, which isn't far fetched at all. Bingo! UTEP is in the MWC footprint and adds a Texas school. The Sun will come up tomorrow.

 

[topminer]

When the Christian University is the black sheep the world has turned upside down.

Define "Christian"...

 

[minerfan_14]

Define "Christian"...

Here we go with a rabbit hole comment.