C-USA is in trouble. ESPN is on a roll. They tried to get the AAC to take down the Big12 but it failed and now they are using the AAC and the Sun Belt to take down C-USA. SMH
FYI: ESPN has 100% media rights for the AAC and Sun Belt.
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Sun Belt folks already bragging that they’re better than the AAC.
Incredible.
Now here’s a question.
Suppose the WAC does indeed make the jump back to I-FBS, and either creates a G6, or replaces CUSA as the new G5 member.
Will we lose many recruits to newly minted nearby I-FBS schools Lamar and Sam Houston?
I’m guessing the answer is no, given that we’ll be P5, but ya never know!
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The WAC better get their TV rights from ESPN or they’re doomed.
Probably not. They wouldn’t be moving up in the pecking order. A bottom-two FBS conference wouldn’t be much better than where they’re at now.
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I mean now with the the AAC being what it is without the big 3, the sun belt is better than the AAC
I don’t think all the WAC schools want to make the jump to FBS. If not, then the most likely path is for the WAC teams that do to join with Conference USA. Howevermuch Conference USA feels like a sinking ship, they’ve got the current FBS charter.
Corrections, it is 4 like I thought.
https://twitter.com/PeteThamel/status/1450899289450950657?t=fZyUOOjBBvuMbhnXle1s7g&s=03
Wow, they’re fighting over James Madison. Let me get my popcorn.
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James Madison is a good get for either conference! They’re right in-line with the formula that has really worked for the SBC.
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James Madison better pick the winning side.
The only question is if the SBC goes to 14 and invites them. Otherwise, it’s pretty clear which side JMU should joing.
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I disagree (almost half of SBC has either one or two wins and some of those are against FCS), but it still just seems crazy that the AAC looked at the last round of realignment an decided to use C*USA’s roadmap…
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You laugh, but there is a ton of truth to your comment.
Notice which conferences are reloading and which are holding the bag:
Reloading
The American
Sun Belt
Bag Holding
CUSA
Who holds the broadcasting rights for each of those conferences? Reloading conferences are both ESPN conferences. CUSA is a CBS conference.
ESPN is behind all of this realignment, and Fox and CBS are getting screwed. Remember “The Alliance”? My gut tells me Fox was behind “The Alliance” to counter ESPN. Big 10, Pac 12, and ACC (which, interestingly enough, is an ESPN conference) don’t like what ESPN is doing.
With the dominance of one broadcaster, I can’t help but believe this will hurt college football.
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Add to this Colorado State and Air Force. No they didn’t jump but that it was ever a possibility is partly because of who is with ESPN and who isn’t
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I’d be very surprised if the Dukes wind up in C-USA. I don’t think they’re necessarily in love with the idea of going FBS in general – the Sun Belt and C-USA have both allegedly tried to reel them in before – and making the leap just to splash down in a floundering conference seems like something they’d want to avoid.
Really sucks for CBS. They’ve been pretty good to us in the past…both in the sense of how many of our games they’ve shown and how highly they talk about us during those games.
And so continues The Great Conference Wars of the 2020s.
I think I agree. Though they learned the hard way that they can’t get into the AAC straight from FCS. So they might reconsider.
Really? You think the Sunbelt has schools with a better athletic program than Memphis or SMU? Texas State better than AAC’s Texas schools? I like the Sunbelt but come on.
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UTEP is currently banging loudly at the MWC’s door, begging and pleading to be let in.
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That would make everyone happy but the MWC
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