If CUSA said start football or else…

would we start football, or join a non-football conference? Would the inclusion of Pitt and WVU to CUSA change the answer?

Realistically, what does everyone think?

 

Well...if C-USA forced it on us, it would actually be in our favor because we wouldn't have to wait the first couple years to be an independent team waiting for inclusion

I.E. South Florida Bulls

 

If I am not mistaken, you have to start out 1AA for 2 years first.

 

I’m not sure about either rule (independent or AA), but Army could remain in CUSA until we took their place. Also, I’m sure exceptions could be made on both counts.

This isn’t going to happen, I’m just curious what everyone thinks would happen if the hypothetical situation were to occur. I’d hate to think we wouldn’t start football if we had a chance to be in a league with VT, ECU, WVU (who could all fill up Erickson stadium by themselves), Louisville, and TCU, but…

 

Nova. I think C-USA has been saying that ever since we joined. I do not think the conference is pleased we have not pursued it more. When they saw we were not going to move on it they brought in ECU and TCU.

 

SD, agreed. CUSA may be our last opportunity EVER to start 1A football. If we join/are forced into a basketball conference, we’ll never have 1A football and may not be able to play for a basketball championship. That’s not what I want for the future of our program.

I'm just curious what other people think will happen.

 

Agree. It will be a long time coming if we go all basketball conference. I just wonder how we are perceived by these conferences that might be looking at us. Are we a basketball only revenue school or a 20,000 student southern university that might get football and scare off the basketball only conferences as far as the future and be stuck in no man's land. It would be interesting to hear Judy's sales pitch to these potential conferences.

 

An attempt at a different twist on Football

To help fund it, why don't we drop Baseball and Men's Soccer.

Big Ten- No Men's Soccer = Iowa, Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota
Big Ten - No Baseball = Wisconsin

ACC - No Men's Soccer = Fla State, Georgia Tech



Afterall, each of these schools are significant participants in Men's Hoops and Football.

Its a matter of establishing priorities.........right??

 

blasphemer! Can't drop soccer and baseball. Sure, that would probably be the most savings, but you just can't do it. Soccer team has been too good in the past, and they actually do sell a few tickets for games, though I seriously doubt it covers the expenses. Baseball hasn't, but they just committed to giving the field a facelift. The other sports just don't seem to be as expensive to fund.

If you want to cut costs, you drop the lowest profile sport with the most scholorship players:

1) Track? I know, I was there the first year it was official) Really you only save travel costs, but I don't know what the scholorship budget is like now. Low profile, but then we just built that nice stadium.

2) Swimming/Diving? Depends on how many scholorships there are, and where they travel to compete.

I'd like to see the numbers and the budgets.

 

I am definitely against cutting other sports to bring in new ones. I am not sure of all the sports we have, but swimming (possibly Volleyball) might be the only one I would be in favor of giving up off the top of my head.

If we can support Football in addition to what we already have, let's do it now! If not, then let's wait a few years and work towards being able to have it all.