http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootbal ... evenue-cap

The Group of Five is talking about capping the new playoff pay out at $12 Million. IMO this makes expanding to 16 a no-go for the hungry hungry hippos of CUSA.

"Conference USA, with 14 members, would split the same $12 million as the Sun Belt, Mountain West and AAC, each with 12 members by 2015. (The MAC is at 13 members.) Two sources said part of the decision was based on conference realignment. The equal split, in theory, deters conferences from raiding each other because that distribution number isn't going to grow with more teams."

Not to mention that SBC schools will officially get more $ after this new cap since CUSA has to split their $12 Mill 14 ways. Unless there's a massive discrepancy in TV $ that I'm not aware of, I don't see why any Sun Belt school would want to jump to CUSA at this point.

Good, I picture CUSA as that woman on welfare back in the day. The more babies you pop out, the more money you get. This ought to stop that and keep them at 14.

I wonder if this could maybe even kill the MTSU and WKU move, this is BIG.

Ill play devils advocate, if adding certain teams will directly be benifical to a better tv contract, then you add those teams, take the guaranteed increased tv money, and dont worry about the playoff money.

GlassOnion wrote:I wonder if this could maybe even kill the MTSU and WKU move, this is BIG.

That's a good question. The magic number is definitely 12 now. Either way though, keeping MTSU and WKU or adding JMU just before realignment officially stops is a win win. The timing is impecable for us here. Talk about a buzzer beater.

moehler wrote:Ill play devils advocate, if adding certain teams will directly be benifical to a better tv contract, then you add those teams, take the guaranteed increased tv money, and dont worry about the playoff money.

The CUSA contract will go down. No doubt IMO. WKU and MTSU are not going to buoy a TV contract.

moehler wrote:Ill play devils advocate, if adding certain teams will directly be benifical to a better tv contract, then you add those teams, take the guaranteed increased tv money, and dont worry about the playoff money.

Sounds like the CUSA we all know and love: forsake all decent football for the sole purpose of grabbing as many TV markets as possible.

By the time we're bowl eligible CUSA might be playing ball on par with the Big South.

Gonzo wrote:

GlassOnion wrote:I wonder if this could maybe even kill the MTSU and WKU move, this is BIG.

That's a good question. The magic number is definitely 12 now. Either way though, keeping MTSU and WKU or adding JMU just before realignment officially stops is a win win. The timing is impecable for us here. Talk about a buzzer beater.

Indeed. The name of the game is money. The TV contracts are going to be a wash, so a 14 team CUSA would net its members $857,000. A 12 member Sun Belt, $1,000,000 even. With the Sun Belts recent on field success, there is no way I'd lead my team into the cluster*%#* that is Cusa.

From the CSNBBS in regards to App and Stink:

On field product just got alot more valuable!

if this happens, all of the sudden our administaion looks like genesis getting us in the SBC. If this passes, moving up in the future will be all but impossible, mid conferences will probably cap at 12. Again the wild card will be tv contracts, but I just cant see USA getting an increase in tv contracts becouse they add 2 more teams. James Madision better get off their asses and beg the SBC for admittence.

moehler wrote:if this happens, all of the sudden our administaion looks like genesis getting us in the SBC. If this passes, moving up in the future will be all but impossible, mid conferences will probably cap at 12. Again the wild card will be tv contracts, but I just cant see USA getting an increase in tv contracts becouse they add 2 more teams. James Madision better get off their asses and beg the SBC for admittence.

Wouldnt go that far.

moehler wrote:Ill play devils advocate, if adding certain teams will directly be benifical to a better tv contract, then you add those teams, take the guaranteed increased tv money, and dont worry about the playoff money.

One should always appreciate the devil's advocate, but in this case it doesn't seem to work for CUSA to add. Undoubtedly, their TV contract will go down once it expires. I have little doubt that their TV revenues will end up being less than the AAC's, which was about even with what CUSA currently gets--and that's with most of the valuable old CUSA teams being in the AAC.

I am not sure that this will prevent CUSA from going to 16, I mean they took a school that has never played a down based on location. But, surely it will make them think before decreasing their payouts.

GlassOnion wrote:

moehler wrote:if this happens, all of the sudden our administaion looks like genesis getting us in the SBC. If this passes, moving up in the future will be all but impossible, mid conferences will probably cap at 12. Again the wild card will be tv contracts, but I just cant see USA getting an increase in tv contracts becouse they add 2 more teams. James Madision better get off their asses and beg the SBC for admittence.

Wouldnt go that far.

For sure. It took a heck of a lot longer than 7 days.

moehler wrote:if this happens, all of the sudden our administaion looks like genesis getting us in the SBC. If this passes, moving up in the future will be all but impossible, mid conferences will probably cap at 12. Again the wild card will be tv contracts, but I just cant see USA getting an increase in tv contracts becouse they add 2 more teams. James Madision better get off their asses and beg the SBC for admittence.

Agreed. JMU's golden ticket may have just arrived (assuming this all plays out according to the article).

ASUMountaineer wrote:
Agreed. JMU's golden ticket may have just arrived (assuming this all plays out according to the article).

Alot of talk from JMU fans was the problem of raising their budget the $2 million they thought they'd need to compete in FBS. That would now essentially be covered by the conference.

if this passes its a huge game changer, Im sure USA will vote against it, SBC will vote for it, stand your ground SBC, fight the good fight!!!

I think I've read somewhere in the past that JMU has an athletic budget of around 30 million. Is that correct? Mostly funded with student fees? If so they're getting a terrible return on the investment although they far exceed the budges of all current and future SB schools.

RankinApp wrote:I think I've read somewhere in the past that JMU has an athletic budget of around 30 million. Is that correct? Mostly funded with student fees? If so they're getting a terrible return on the investment although they far exceed the budges of all current and future SB schools.

Facilities may also be apart of that.

I think part of their budget is debt service for the stadium improvements, not entirely sure.