Marshall kind of screwed in Conference USA

[NYBuckeye96]

With all the conference realignment, the biggest names in Conference USA have fled to The American. What really screws Marshall though is the fact that most new additions have been Eastern heavy. This means that if divisions are constructed East/West as they always have been, the entire East division will be composed of Marshall, former Sun Belt schools and former FBS schools.

To keep a pure geographic split, Southern Mississippi and UAB will have to move to the West Division.

While divisional alignments have yet to be made, this is what a pure East/West split looks like going forward:

East
Charlotte (2015) - will be FBS eligible in 2015
Florida Atlantic - formerly of the Sun Belt
Florida International - formerly of the Sun Belt
Marshall - currently in the East Division of CUSA
Middle Tennessee - formerly of the Sun Belt
Old Dominion - 2014 will be first year of FBS football
Western Kentucky - formerly of the Sun Belt

West
Alabama Birmingham - currently in the East Division of CUSA
Louisiana Tech - formerly of the WAC
North Texas - formerly of the Sun Belt
Rice - currently in the West Division of CUSA
Southern Mississippi - currently in the East Division of CUSA
Texas – San Antonio - formerly of the WAC
Texas – El Paso - currently in the West Division of CUSA


The West Division would have long-time West members Rice and Texas-El Paso and long-time East members UAB and Southern Miss. That is 4 longtime members of CUSA. Only Marshall remains in the East.

Assuming an 8 game schedule (given CUSA needs big money out of conference away games, I doubt they will ever play more than 8 conference games), this means that Marshall would play the other six new members plus 2 from the West each year. Given that 3 of the 7 teams in the West are also new teams, and given that it would take 4 years to rotate through all the West schools, Marshall will rarely play the other 4 long-term members of CUSA. Most years they will only play one of them most likely, with possibilities existing of playing two of the four and zero of the four, depending on how they divide those up.

Marshall is essentially in a division with Sun Belt schools and schools that have just made the jump to FBS football.

The MAC isn't looking so bad now, is it?

[NYBuckeye96]

As bad as CUSA has it, the Sun Belt is worse. The Sun Belt is almost entirely made up of recent schools that have transitioned to the FBS level. They also benefited from the leftovers from the WAC that no one wanted - Idaho and New Mexico State - who will join for football only in 2014.

There will be 11 football playing members in 2014. The conference wants to add one more school and split into divisions and play a conference championship game. They will most likely be waiting for the next FCS school to announce they are making the move up to FBS.

Sun Belt Football schools in 2014:

1. Appalachian State
2. Arkansas State
3. Georgia Southern
4. Georgia State
5. Idaho
6. Louisiana - Lafayette
7. Louisiana - Monroe
8. New Mexico State
9. South Alabama
10. Texas State
11. Troy

While Idaho and New Mexico State are football-only members, the Sun Belt does have two other schools that do not play football: Arkansas - Little Rock and Texas - Arlington.

New Mexico State will keep all other sports in the WAC, which is actually worse than the Sun Belt now with for-profits among its current membership. Idaho will place all of its other sports in the Big Sky Conference in 2014.

Had Western Kentucky not accepted an invitation to join Conference USA, the Sun Belt would have split into East and West divisions next season.

The East would have been Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, South Alabama, Troy, and Western Kentucky. The West Division, which could still look the same in the future, was set to be Arkansas State, Idaho, New Mexico State, Texas State, UL Lafayette, and ULM.

Liberty has asked to join the Sun Belt, but the conference hopes to land James Madison. There has been some talk of Jacksonville State considering moving up as well. Those are the three most likely candidates to join the Sun Belt as the 12th school. Either way, those are all three eastern schools and any could fill in for the void left by Western Kentucky leaving in the potential East Division.

[NYBuckeye96]

And the non-football WAC:

California State - Bakersfield
Chicago State
Grand Canyon
Missouri - Kansas City
New Mexico State
Seattle
Texas - Pan American
Utah Valley

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

they done it to themselves and deserve it. all of a sudden the mac wasn't big enough for them. and they went from being able to drive to every game in the mac, to all of a sudden no one can go to away games hardly.

very similar to west Virginia going to the big 12, they have no reason to be in that conference, and can't compete there.

marshall can compete where they are. but their fanbase can't travel to where they are.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

in my opinion they both hosed themselves. and their fans.

[Pol pot]

they done it to themselves and deserve it. all of a sudden the mac wasn't big enough for them. and they went from being able to drive to every game in the mac, to all of a sudden no one can go to away games hardly.

very similar to west Virginia going to the big 12, they have no reason to be in that conference, and can't compete there.

marshall can compete where they are. but their fanbase can't travel to where they are.

+1

[Bear]

If anything the realignment beneifits Marshall more than it harms them. They are in a southern based conference now, which is ideal for them. The games are drivable as well. ODU, WKU,MT, Charlotte are easy games to get to. The two Florida schools are direct flight from Huntington. The reason Marshall left the MAC was money. Marshall lost money on each bowl game they went to, now they don't. The TV contract at the time gave Marshall 40K a year, compared to the CUSA contract which is MUCH greater.

I can go to eight/nine games a year now, and not freeze my rear off.

Marshall is just fine where they are at.

[The Oaf]

If anything the realignment beneifits Marshall more than it harms them. They are in a southern based conference now, which is ideal for them. The games are drivable as well. ODU, WKU,MT, Charlotte are easy games to get to. The two Florida schools are direct flight from Huntington. The reason Marshall left the MAC was money. Marshall lost money on each bowl game they went to, now they don't. The TV contract at the time gave Marshall 40K a year, compared to the CUSA contract which is MUCH greater.

I can go to eight/nine games a year now, and not freeze my rear off.

Marshall is just fine where they are at.

Well said. Besides, it's not like The MAC/OU is "real" college football anyway. Like you said, you can get anywhere connecting through Tri-State Airport boosting national exposure. As far as the Mountaineers go, don't they have BCS bowl wins over Georgia, Clemson and Oklahoma? Sorry bait, WVU absolutely did the right thing without question. Right Ta Mok?

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

I stand corrected then, I was wrong 1 other time.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

see how many more wvu gets.

[The Oaf]

I stand corrected then, I was wrong 1 other time.

At least your standing brother, unlike the freezer bowl!

[Raiderball]

What was WVU option besides going to the Big XII? Stay in the Big East/All American Conf?

[Bear]

Back to Marshall's move being about money, I just seen this on another board:

CUSA - $5,175, 000
$1,437,500 Liberty
$1,100,000 Heart Of Dallas
$1,000,000 Military
$600,000 Armed Forces
$537,500 Beef O Brady
$500,00 New Orleans

MWC - $4,131,250
$1,100,000 Las Vegas
$1,100,000 Heart Of Dallas
$650,000 Hawaii
$500,000 Poinsetta
$456,250 New Mexico
$325,000 Idaho Potato

MAC - $2,862,500
$750,000 Go Daddy
$750,000 Lil Caesars
$537,500 Beef O Brady
$500,000 Poinsetta
$325,000 Idaho Potato

Sun Belt - $1,250,000
$750,000 Go Daddy
$500,000 New Orleans

http://www.statisticbrain.com/college-bo...e-payouts/

[The Oaf]

Back to Marshall's move being about money, I just seen this on another board:

CUSA - $5,175, 000
$1,437,500 Liberty
$1,100,000 Heart Of Dallas
$1,000,000 Military
$600,000 Armed Forces
$537,500 Beef O Brady
$500,00 New Orleans

MWC - $4,131,250
$1,100,000 Las Vegas
$1,100,000 Heart Of Dallas
$650,000 Hawaii
$500,000 Poinsetta
$456,250 New Mexico
$325,000 Idaho Potato

MAC - $2,862,500
$750,000 Go Daddy
$750,000 Lil Caesars
$537,500 Beef O Brady
$500,000 Poinsetta
$325,000 Idaho Potato

Sun Belt - $1,250,000
$750,000 Go Daddy
$500,000 New Orleans

http://www.statisticbrain.com/college-bo...e-payouts/

Now that makes dollars and "sense"

[NYBuckeye96]

Those figures are from bowl game contracts that were signed when Conference USA featured all the schools that moved on to The American.

Big difference when your lineup includes Houston, SMU, UCF, etc. etc. etc. and when it features Old Dominion and Charlotte.

[california kid]

Marshall is looking really good for next year. Return nearly everyone and if can stay mentally tough and play even a little bit better on the road this team could run the table. Oh yea and of course have to stay healthy

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

Marshall put itself in the position they are in.
I hope it works out for them in the long run.

[Omega]

Marshall put itself in the position they are in.
I hope it works out for them in the long run.

Being in the non BCS world is the best place for Marshall to be given their location and resources.
Perhaps the Non BCS D-1 schools can form a champioship playoff like the current D-1AA FCS world.

Just a side thought from having lived in the Tri-State in the 70's and 80's. Does Marshall and Huntington
dwell too much on the 1970 plane crash? Yes you never forget the memory of the victims and the rebirth of the
program. However the community's focus on the tragedy seems to override growth and improvement
in the university and community.

[1987 Viking Alumni]

Omega,
Being a proud graduate of Marshall, living in the town where the airport is located and having a step- father who was one of volunteer firefighters respond to that horrific tragedy, the plane crash is etched into our memory so deep that unfortunately we will never allow the tragedy of 1970 go away. Living through the losing streak of the '70's and early 80's, and watching the Herd win their first National Championship in football, we have such pride in the accomplishments of the football team, the growth of the university and how that growth has positively affected Huntington that makes all alunus say, "We Are .....Marshall"

[Omega]

Hi-Lo,

I appreciate your courteous and deep felt reply. I know not only the University suffered horrible losses but
so did the community leadership. Every time I go back to the Tri State however, it seems there is some unseen
mailise that is keeping the region down. I am an OSU grad but have great love for Marshall and Huntington.
It just saddens me to see the decline when the people of the area deserve so much better.