The Virginian-Pilot has published an informative piece on Conference USA's upcoming television contract negotiations.

http://pilotonline.com/sports/college/o ... bcc60.html

$100,000 per Sun Belt is smaller than I remember that number being.

At some point, I'd like to see CUSA and the SUNBELT Conference agree to become two more regionally aligned conferences with each conference having 12-14 teams, 2 divisions, and a championship game. It works out pretty nicely.

When fans can day trip to away games, it helps to keep the stadiums across the conference filled. Players and fans will attest, playing and cheering in sold out stadiums makes for exciting football.

I've edited this post based on good comments/feedback about adding UAB and keeping MTSU and WKU together.

Conference A
Appalachian
Marshall
Old Dominion
Western Kentucky
MTSU
Charlotte
Coastal Carolina

Georgia State
Georgia Southern
South Alabama
Troy
UAB
Florida Atlantic
Florida International


Conference B
Arkansas State
ULL
ULM
La Tech
Southern Miss
Rice

Texas State
North Texas
NMSU
Texas - San Antonio
UTEP
Idaho

I tried googling to no avail. Couldn't find any information on what the SB TV contract is worth or how much we get.

I freely admit I'm no expert on googling but it shouldn't be this difficult to find out.

Appstate88 wrote:At some point, I'd like to see CUSA and the SUNBELT Conference agree to become two more regionally aligned conferences with each conference having 12 teams, 2 divisions, and a championship game. If the SUNBELT drops Idaho it works out pretty nicely.

Conference A
Appalachian
Marshall
Old Dominion
Western Kentucky
Charlotte
Coastal Carolina

Georgia State
Georgia Southern
South Alabama
Troy
Florida Atlantic
Florida International

Conference B
Arkansas State
ULL
ULM
La Tech
Southern Miss
MTSU

Texas State
North Texas
Rice
NMSU
Texas - San Antonio
UTEP

I would love to see this happen. It makes no sense for the Sun Belt and CUSA to share an almost identical footprint with no thought of reorganization. Let's face it: App is much more like WKU and ULL is much more like LaTech. To continue to keep like-minded and peer institutions apart makes no sense.

But in all reality, many CUSA fans have their heads too far up their own asses to see a problem when there is one.

Appstate88 wrote:At some point, I'd like to see CUSA and the SUNBELT Conference agree to become two more regionally aligned conferences with each conference having 12 teams, 2 divisions, and a championship game. If the SUNBELT drops Idaho it works out pretty nicely.

Conference A
Appalachian
Marshall
Old Dominion
Western Kentucky
Charlotte
Coastal Carolina

Georgia State
Georgia Southern
South Alabama
Troy
Florida Atlantic
Florida International

Conference B
Arkansas State
ULL
ULM
La Tech
Southern Miss
MTSU

Texas State
North Texas
Rice
NMSU
Texas - San Antonio
UTEP

I believe most App fans would love to see this happen. App's division would be very tough. I just don't see how you'd split up WKU and MTSU or where you would place UAB.

The truly sad part is that the powers that be: conference commissioners, school presidents, boosters, fans, etc would see this type of (logical) realignment as a step backward. Many believe they've fought for the past 20+ years to align themselves with similar institutions (meaning similar size, goals, academic programs, and football prowess) and "going back" to being associated with the "small school down the road" is unacceptable. That logic of course disregards the financial hardships it places on the program, the academic hardships it places on their student athletes, and historical (football) results of the past 20 years.

moonshine wrote:I just don't see how you'd split up WKU and MTSU or where you would place UAB.

Invite JMU to Conference A "North" and put UAB into Conference B "South".

So, do we know how much we get from the TV deal per school?

On JMU, I'm starting to believe their leadership really intends to stay FCS in CAA. It's more in line with their academic vision than any of the G5 Conferences likely to invite them.

The Colonial is a very good football conference with built-in rivalries - so much better than what we left behind in the SoCon - they have a good situation and the only advantage to them moving up would be to play with the "big-boys" and it clearly looks like they have no interest in that ---

At this point, I am officially less interested in JMU than JMU is in the Sun Belt. They've made their preferences clear, and frankly, they're not that much of a catch. Their attendance has flagged significantly, and while they haven't had TERRIBLE seasons, they haven't had a really exceptional season since the year they beat us in the regular-season revenge match after we knocked them out of the playoffs the year before. Those were both great, close games, but at this point, the MORE recent of the two was almost eight years ago. They have a lot of attributes that would make them a solid natural rival for us, but they don't seem to see it that way. And I'll take our program over theirs any day of the week and twice on Saturday. If they're just not that into us, they're just not that into us. We're no worse for the wear.

As for the regional conferences you put together: those look great to me. And I'm not sure which individual schools would throw up any roadblocks. It feels like a lateral move at worst, and with vastly reduced travel expenses. If anything, it'd be a short-run step back for us, being matched up with several football upstarts-- and trading in strong, proud programs like stAte and the Louisiana schools to get them. But I have faith that ODU, Coastal, and even Charlotte are bound for good things in the long run. Sign me up.

Well I wouldn't totally agree...they were right there this season, had Gameday and top 5 and lost their QB that same day...Vad Lee the transfer from Ga Tech

WVAPPeer wrote:Well I wouldn't totally agree...they were right there this season, had Gameday and top 5 and lost their QB that same day...Vad Lee the transfer from Ga Tech

I think JMU would be the first to say that playoffs are the ultimate test, and getting knocked out the first round puts a damper on the season. Hard to call it "great" in those circumstances.

I'm not knocking JMU, per se. There was a time when I was legitimately excited at the prospect of sharing a conference with them. But now that the tingly feeling of the '07 and '08 games has faded, I say let 'em go.

JMU has the highest student fees in the State of VA. They can't afford to move up and I believe they like where they are. That's fine with me...Shouldnt bother anybody.

I don't understand this board's fascination with JMU. They have never been anything to me. I would just as soon be in a conference with Liberty if they and JMU were the only two choices. I prefer to remain in a conference with neither.

CVAPP wrote:I don't understand this board's fascination with JMU. They have never been anything to me. I would just as soon be in a conference with Liberty if they and JMU were the only two choices. I prefer to remain in a conference with neither.

I'm not sure how long you have been on the board but as far as I remember the JMU stuff started when we and others were discussing "lining-up" with Like Institutions - JMU was probably the most widely discussed - I don't think anyone has any affinity for JMU just that they have been part of our discussions for probably 10+ years ---

I'm the one who mentioned them first, and I did so because they have a big time fan push to make the move and are (seemingly) courting Conference USA to no avail. I purely mentioned them above as a convenient way to balance UAB in the south division of a hypothetical conference. As annoyed as many of us are about how they've thumbed their noses at the Sunbelt you can't deny that they have good football and would be a quality addition to any league. That is all.

WVAPPeer wrote:

CVAPP wrote:I don't understand this board's fascination with JMU. They have never been anything to me. I would just as soon be in a conference with Liberty if they and JMU were the only two choices. I prefer to remain in a conference with neither.

I'm not sure how long you have been on the board but as far as I remember the JMU stuff started when we and others were discussing "lining-up" with Like Institutions - JMU was probably the most widely discussed - I don't think anyone has any affinity for JMU just that they have been part of our discussions for probably 10+ years ---

I have been around APP football and here at the board for a lot longer than I have been posting here, and I dare say my passion and loyalties for APP football date back far longer than yours. I don't need a history lesson from you or anyone else.

An arrogant yankee fan base that throws purple streamers and beds down with the likes of Richmond and William & Mary is not my crowd, or what I view as a peer institution, or one I care about being associated with, or one I view worthy of constant discussion around here.

Capt. Ed wrote:So, do we know how much we get from the TV deal per school?.

I thought each full member Sun Belt school was getting $1M/YR from the TV deal. I'm not sure if the football only or non-football members get that much or if some prorated amount.

WVAPPeer wrote:

CVAPP wrote:I don't understand this board's fascination with JMU. They have never been anything to me. I would just as soon be in a conference with Liberty if they and JMU were the only two choices. I prefer to remain in a conference with neither.

I'm not sure how long you have been on the board but as far as I remember the JMU stuff started when we and others were discussing "lining-up" with Like Institutions - JMU was probably the most widely discussed - I don't think anyone has any affinity for JMU just that they have been part of our discussions for probably 10+ years ---

I remember it that way, also, in regard to them being a peer, like minded institution, but as far as I am concerned, I have no feelings about them one way or another.