I don’t know if UNM would want to play UTEP every year. In basketball, I am good with that happening. Don’t care for it in football.
Well EP and LC “share” the same market. So I believe that the MWC would take the stronger program of the two.
Pros and Cons of being in same league with NMSU
- Thread starter NoNCAAWinsSince1992
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Well EP and LC “share” the same market. So I believe that the MWC would take the stronger program of the two.
It's all on us now, if we end up being also rans in this new conference like we have been in the last 2 versions of CUSA we need to rethink UTEP athletics. We cannot continue to sink further into be realm of being an also ran program in an also ran conference. We have so much history, better than average facilities, support and now larger budgets than our conference mates. We dominate now or you can start digging a grave for Miner athletics.
New Mexico State enters C-USA realignment rumors as UTEP affirms place in league
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – New Mexico State and UTEP athletics have not competed in the same conference since the old Border Conference disbanded 60 years ago, in 1961. If modern day realignment…
www.ktsm.com
Don't know why you wouldn't care for it. A cheap regional game that generates more interest than just about any other OOC game UTEP could play seems like a winner. Plus it's historically a competitive game for UTEP.
It's all up to our donors and fanbase. The TV media deal will shrink but we were only getting 500k so that's a small dent in our budget that will be offset by the larger payouts we will receive from the college football distribution money.
Cusa received 17 million in 2020. Divided by 14 equals 1.2 million per team. If we expand to 8 teams and receive a similar amount we could be looking at 2+ million per team.
There's one drawback for FCS schools moving up though - transfers. One reason good FCS schools stay strong is that the tend to pick up FBS transfers who are eligible immediately. Using SHSU as an example: they ended up getting two OU quarterbacks (Noah Allen, Rhett Bomar), Josh McCown from SMU, and one from UAB (Jeremiah Briscoe - who won the Walter Payton award twice). One of their best running backs transferred from Kansas State. Even this year, their D-line has been boosted by transfers from Tech and (yes) UTEP (Trace Mascoro). If SHSU is in FBS, I'm not sure those transfers happen.
If these schools move up to FBS, the transfers will have to sit out a year - and this makes them less attractive. Many FCS schools do a good job of getting their own talent (SHSU's All American QB Eric Schmidt was recruited from The Woodlands High School).
So, these schools don't send up doing quite as well at the FBS level one they make the jump. Think Appalachia State, Georgia Southern. FCS powerhouses who now are "merely good."
Thus, I am not sure if the extra 20 scholarships will make much of a difference. And that doesn't even take into account the extra cost involved.
lieb
Not as well? Sure they're not winning National Championships but I would argue FBS conference champions and bowl wins are likely better. I would take App St success in a heart beat. Since jumping up to FBS, they've popped off 6 straight bowl wins, four 10+ win seasons, and ended seasons nationally ranked.
I have no doubt a school like SHSU will be successful out of the gate or close to it.
I’m not interested in it every year. 500 more people attended the New Mexico game than Bethune Cookman. And the last time the Lobos played here in basketball, had 2,000 less people than the Aggie game. Sure, “more interest” is correct, but it’s not a wide margin.
Like I said, play every year in basketball. Football here and there. If UNM were to play UTEP and NMSU every year, they don’t have much flexibility OOC. Room for 1 FCS game and 1 P5 game. Is that what they want to do? It’s easy for UTEP and NMSU to say that now when they’re going to be in the same league and have an open OOC game starting in 2023.
Whatever happens we need to try and schedule one or two games against MWC every year, and win those games!
It makes scheduling a hell of a lot easier for UNM, who knows what they want though.
I also wouldn't put too much stock in attendance numbers this season. Too many people are still fearful of COVID. Once younger kids can be vaccinated, you'll see more families at games and I wouldn't be surprised if we see some solid numbers next season.
If you really think people being fearful of COVID is hampering attendance, then we don’t have anything further to discuss. I guess they’re only fearful of football games and not everything else.
Next season’s number probably will be higher. You know why? Because this team gave them some hope and produced some wins. Not because a children’s vaccine happened.
UTEP averaged 17k in 2019 pre covid. Not great, but way better than this season. Any previous season where UTEP has had a whiff of success, the attendance average holds very well and in most cases improves.
Locally, the El Paso Chihuahuas had their worst attended season on record despite running full capacity for most of the season. El Paso Locomotive are also below their 2019 numbers despite a league best 20+ home game unbeaten streak.
If you think COVID isn't playing a role, your head is in the sand. All of our local sports team have been impacted, as have their leagues, and if you look at CUSA team attendance, their trends are also lower than pre-covid, despite most teams playing in states with no restrictions.
I know anecdotally, myself and several of my friends, all professionals with young families haven't gone to nearly as many sporting events as we did pre-covid, and many of us are waiting for the chance to vaccinate our kids before taking them out in large crowds. I renewed my season tickets for UTEP, but several of them didn't, same for the Chihuahuas and Locomotive.
They averaged 17k only because of the season opener when tons of free or heavily discounted tickets were available. 10,493 showed up the next home game vs Nevada. What was the problem then? The attendance this season is improving because the team is good. If they were 1-6, it would be 10k crowds.
The Chihuahuas had less attendance this year because their team sucked and the “newness” of SUP and the team has worn off.
Locomotive? I don’t know. What’s their breakdown of non Saturday home games like? They haven’t had a Saturday home game since 9/11. A bunch of Wednesday night game. Not really conducive to high attendance. Personally, I don’t think that many people really care about that team and the interest just isn’t there.
Everyone blames COVID for everything. If you raise prices and make it more expensive than what people are used to, to make up for 2020, fringe fans on a limited budget aren’t going.
Newness? They've been playing for 7 years now, that would have been a good excuse in year 3. This city has supported the Chihuahuas pretty consistently.
Again though, that doesn't matter. AAA baseball and USL soccer as a whole are down in attendance from 2019 to 2021. NCAAF attendance has been down in 2021 as a whole, even in leagues without restrictions. What is the common denominator? Covid.
To be fair to your point, NCAAF and Hoops was facing an attendance issues prior to covid, even in leagues like the SEC, but to act like it plays no role in attendance, especially when sporting events are typically family oriented, is just silly.
If Covid is affecting attendance, there are things teams could do to address it, such as giving season ticket holders some spacing from other fans.
Probably closer to 12 or 13. Even the WACs worst years NMSU was usually as 12 or 13, and only had one season each as a 14 and 15. The only way someone gets a 16 seed is if they win the tournament with a losing record.
Chihuahuas did suck, but I think a couple other factors didn’t help: the season started late when it was already hot, and I think the food variety/value/quality has slipped.
I hear what you are saying and I don't discount it. But 10+ win seasons followed by bowl games lacks the excitement of having a realistic chance to play for a National Championship.
I'm sure the money is better with bowl games so there's that trade-off. At any rate, I appreciated your comment,
lieb
Yes Locomotives started late too. I just think saying families are afraid of COVID is a weak excuse. They’re probably are some, but you think all the people going to games don’t interact with kids? Nobody has kids, nobody is an uncle, nobody works at a school?
Some sporting events are family friendly. Pro sports and high level college sports aren’t “family friendly”. Unless that’s your old dad, you, and your teenage and above son. 2 parents with 2 elementary school children aren’t going to NFL games, or Florida Gators football. They might go to the Chihuahuas and Locomotive.
All the people going to the big time events are running into their kids or grandkids when they’re done with the game they just attended with 60,000 other people. If people were legitimately scared, the Cowboys and Ohio St would be playing in front of 20,000.
Are you joking? Have you been to any pro sporting events in the last decade? Now more than ever they have developed to have tons of entertainment catered to the whole family, particularly young kids. Hell, many of my earliest memories are attending NMSU/UTEP rivalry games. How many of us here have a similar story? As a young kid these moments leave lasting impressions. It's not like we suddenly become teenagers or adults and magically become fans.
I like that you specifically mention Florida. My 6 year old nephew and his 3 year old sister have been to every Gator game this season. Maybe I should tell them they shouldn't be there. I have taken my daughter to multiple UTEP and NMSU games since she was only a few months old, and she's 6 now. She loves going, and this is how you develop fun memories and fans from an early age.
It's funny you also mention Ohio St. They just had their worst attended game since 1971 and are averaging nearly 25k fewer fans per game this season. The local and national media has been reporting all season. What's your explanation for this?
You’re the one saying families aren’t going to games, but your own family is.
Ohio St lost and then hosted Tulsa the next week. Maybe their fans are tired of paying big bucks to see Tulsa and the Eastern Michigan’s of the world? Don’t know, don’t care.
Ohio St lost and then hosted Tulsa the next week. Maybe their fans are tired of paying big bucks to see Tulsa and the Eastern Michigan’s of the world? Don’t know, don’t care.
My sister is a nut job in Florida that doesn't even think COVID is real. My immediate family is not going right now but assuming they start vaccinating kids early November will make the Rice game.
Beggars can't be choosers. If CUSA needs one more FBS program ready to play to remain viable and NMSU is still waiting to be asked to dance, take some liquid courage and ask NMSU to dance.
It's a no brainer for CUSA travel. If a school has to go to El Paso for bball, or any other non footbal sport, then play NMSU that same weekend.
It's a no brainer for CUSA travel. If a school has to go to El Paso for bball, or any other non footbal sport, then play NMSU that same weekend.
Dumb post. There was never any negatives. UTEP and NMSU should have always been in the same conference. USC and UCLA are in the same conference. ASU and Arizona are in the same conference. Texas and Oklahoma are in the same conference and are moving together to the SEC. Biggest rivals should always be in the same conference. It was stupid that UTEP and NMSU were in different conferences.
What's stupid is you being so damn bored you search the threads up to 4 years old to reply to.
Make.it.stop.
Complain to rivals not me. If they didn't want old threads to be bumped they should delete them. I tried to find something most recent to reply to, but nothing else interested me.
A Jon Dorenbos thread from 2017 was just bumped, why arent you complaining there??
I wouldn’t expect a moron like you to really understand it.
Oklahoma and Oklahoma St won’t be in the same conference. Neither will New Mexico and NMSU. Houston and Rice, Florida and Florida St, Kentucky and Louisville are just a few others that aren’t in the same conference.
Oklahoma state isnt OUs biggest rival but they were in the Big 12 for a long time. Duke and UNC are in the same conference. It makes sense for your rival to be in the same conference.
Fili does have a point. The OU/Ok State isn't as big as Texas vs OU. Houston and Rice are not rivals. It seems like most of the inter conference games have become larger rivalries. Kentucky and Louisville did not play for years.
To Fili's point again, Texas/Texas A&M played for over 100 years against each other and one could say was one of the biggest rivalries out there. That was one that should have continued. Not being in the same conference really killed that one, and of course A&M being butt hurt with Texas's deal had them running away. This rivalry will renew immediately when Texas joins the SEC.
There are not many teams in basketball that play an OOC opponent twice every year. I scratch my head and can't think of any others besides NM vs NMSU and NMSU vs UTEP.
How so? Because they play a football game in Dallas every year? Oklahoma St’s biggest rival is OU. You’re just looking at it from the Oklahoma side.
And to my original point, UTEP has to replace 2 non-conference basketball games and 1 football game. You can pretty much guess, those opponents won’t be as “attractive” as a NMSU game is.
The reason why those teams (NMSU, UNM, UTEP) play is because there’s very few games those schools can get, that are “better”. Who is going to go play in Las Cruces? There’s not many, because most schools aren’t as isolated with nobodies like UNM, NMSU, and UTEP are.
A school in New York has ample, close by opponents to schedule.
