Tulane to Big East, spot open in C-USA

[appgrad]

I have to agree with the fans on the Sun Belt forum page, they are saying that a move to Conf USA now is not a lateral move but a move downward. Still I think if ASU got an invite to Conf USA and Marshall stays we would have some good rivalry with them and UNCC.

Bingo - take a look at the Sun Belt's resume this year, and then compare it CUSA's. Sun Belt is currently the better league. That can always change - but it is no longer at the point where any team from that league would instantly bolt for CUSA.

[JTApps1]

Agreed, the Sun Belt looks to be equal to CUSA if not better. Too bad Cobb PO'ed the Sun Belt by saying they were no better than an FCS league. Things have suddenly changed...

[Yosef]

East Carolina is headed to the Big East too. This makes C-USA much less desirable in my opinion unless they were to take us and Georgia Southern which is highly unlikely.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story ... t-football

[fjblair]

Wow, the only reason that Tulane gets picked over ECU or Marshall has got to be market size with New Orleans, I bet ECU is livid!!!

What other possible reason could there be? Warms the heart.

[fjblair]

Really goes to show how truly unimportant on-field performance is. Tulane is coming off consecutive 2-win seasons, hasn't won more than 4 games since 2004 or had a winning season since 2002. They have not fielded a winning team in basketball since 2007-2008 either.

Pathetic. Can't wait to read the spin that the BE will use to sell this move as a brilliant strategic maneuver.

[appst89]

East Carolina is headed to the Big East too. This makes C-USA much less desirable in my opinion unless they were to take us and Georgia Southern which is highly unlikely.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story ... t-football

Curious as to where ECU will land for other sports. There is zero chance C-USA allows them to stay. To me, this move doesn't seem like much of a win for the Pirates. The Big East has already been relegated to the second tier, along with C-USA, the MAC, the MWC and the Sun Belt, in the new BC$ playoff structure. Boise St. and San Diego St. are likely to bolt from the Big East before they ever play a game. I'm not a fan of football only memberships anyway, but this one just doesn't make any sense to me.

[fjblair]

Just a thought...does anyone think App may be waiting for all the big 4 superconference expansion to end, and then try to make a move. At that point, all the leftovers will have to figure out what to do, and App may be able to get that "regional conference" Cobb has talked about. I don't think ECU's move changes much because C-USA already has the NC market with Charlotte, and they really seem to not want us. It seems we could have already had the Sunbelt if we wanted, because they seemed to have wanted us. So I don't know if this will have much impact.

It's wishful thinking to assume that ASU is holding out until the dust settles to make our big strategic move to FBS. Nobody wants us. We don't hold any cards meaning we have no television market which is why we are still FCS. We've been "on the market" for 3 years. I don't know what to think anymore.

[GoAppsGo92]

I have to say guys: I'm giddy. This is all playing out perfectly for ASU to find an FBS home. Big East moving so quickly... CUSA and Sunbelt having to eye the options. There was a derth of information that ACC would be raided and BE would be decimated... the way this is happening, everyone is moving a piece at a time. Now, CUSA has to replace 2 teams... I gotta tell ya, ODU, Marshall, and UNCC would make a perfect fit for ASU. I agree that they try to raid the Sunbelt... also agree that the SB looks like better football... but that compact group from VA. WV and NC sure looks compelling. I'd be curious to wonder what MTSU and WKU would perceive the advantage to CUSA would be at this point. Either way... if they take the bait... I think GSU and ASU are the next up... either SB or CUSA!

[PBR1893-BEER-HAT-GUY]

you guys are forgetting about our ugly stepdaughter to the north jamie madison...dont count them out.

[appbio91]

http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia-state-spor ... urnstiles/

I am not a big proponent of moving to FBS. I basically will support whatever we do. But for those of you that are go or die, take a look at this article. Somebody failed ASU big time if these dead beats can get an invite and we can't.

[GoAppsGo92]

I think the play for CUSA is WKU and MTSU. I'm thinking if they don't bite, ASU, JMU really make a ton of sense for CUSA.

If there is still a status perception with CUSA, we will know soon enough... I think that CUSA would want to have FBS programs replace Tulane and ECU... and then there is the market aspect. WKU and MTSU make a ton of sense as speed dial calls for CUSA. If they both evaluate... they might say no... USM is the only real program left in my mind... so what exactly is the upgrade? FAU might be another FBS grab as well... other than that, I can't think of any FBS schools that make sense, or would want to move to CUSA.

So if MTSU and WKU say no then CUSA give a hard, hard look to JMU and ASU.... two PROGRAM schools that fit the footprint of the new conference. Another play is JMU and Delaware... GaState is a dark horse as well.

But, playing the odds, I'd go back to WKU and MTSU. That puts us in very, very, very serious contention for ASU and GSU to join the SBC. I'd say that... from a football perspective, SBC would be a superior product. From an academic and olympic sports, and compact conference perspective... I'm really liking the potential of Marshall, ODU, UNCC, JMU and ASU in one conference.

[GoAppsGo92]

http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia-state-spor ... urnstiles/

I am not a big proponent of moving to FBS. I basically will support whatever we do. But for those of you that are go or die, take a look at this article. Somebody failed ASU big time if these dead beats can get an invite and we can't.

You are thinking like a fan! You need to think like a commissioner that is negoitating a tv contract! Benson knew the president of GA State for years so there was a door right there... you add to that the Atlanta market and it was clearly a market play for SBC to get exposure in Atlanta... Problem is: GA State is a flegling/lousy program at a commuter school... sound familliar UNCC fans?

These schools are picked first because of market access and potential. I'm thinking that it will bear out over time that these reasons are folly. If they have no tradition, it will be very hard to build one from scratch... especially since they will be jumping right into CFB's highest level of competition. But, as the CFB world turns, it looks as if some actual PROGRAMS will be in the mix during this round... we shall see.

[MAD Doctor]

I agree that CUSA is only interested in large markets, but what do they know? They have lost almost all their teams to what used to be the Big East. I hope Charlie Cobb has learned his lessons from last May and is off his knees and on the line with the Sun Belt now. FBS now!

[appbio91]

http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia-state-spor ... urnstiles/

I am not a big proponent of moving to FBS. I basically will support whatever we do. But for those of you that are go or die, take a look at this article. Somebody failed ASU big time if these dead beats can get an invite and we can't.

Benson knew the president of GA State for years so there was a door right there... you add to that the Atlanta market and it was clearly a market play for SBC to get exposure in Atlanta...

Well that is just poop. Doing this kind of crap weakens a conference, but it makes sense if it's all about money.

[AppinATL]

http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia-state-spor ... urnstiles/

I am not a big proponent of moving to FBS. I basically will support whatever we do. But for those of you that are go or die, take a look at this article. Somebody failed ASU big time if these dead beats can get an invite and we can't.

No surprise to me. I've been saying since they started that program that nobody in Atlanta gives a rip about GA State. It's a commuter school with zero athletics tradition. The only time they ever made a ripple of local interest was when they had Lefty Drisell coaching the BB team for a few years. Market or no market, it's still incomprehensible to me that any FBS conference added this program. Like someone said earlier, this market-grab strategy is going to backfire on these commissioners. They have a team in Atlanta in name only because no one in Atlanta gives a s%$t about GSU football, so I don't see any TV ratings for any of their games.

[AppStateNation]

I was recently in Atlanta and intentionally went by GA State to get a visual of it in my head. Unfortunately I spent the rest of the night banging my head against anything I could find saying "THIS is what the Sun Belt picked?!"

[Kgfish]

The network of people working in various athletic departments exchange quite a bit of information. Some of those people say ASU was at the top of the Sun Belt's list until Cobb isulted them. He then made the sitution worse by trying to convince them his comment was the opinion of some of our fans and not his. The guy is a public relations liability.

More dominos need to fall before a clear picture of the landscape emerges. The thing in our favor is there are few schools left capable of making the jump. I reject the idea our primary reason for going to CUSA is now gone. If ASU is in FBS we play ECU on a yearly basis and more importantly we get to play them on a more equal footing. Just being in the FBS club has a ton of benefits.

[bcoach]

Atlantic Coast Conference presidents and chancellors voted Wednesday to invite Lousiville into the conference to replace Maryland, ESPN is reporting.

[AppinATL]

I was recently in Atlanta and intentionally went by GA State to get a visual of it in my head. Unfortunately I spent the rest of the night banging my head against anything I could find saying "THIS is what the Sun Belt picked?!"

I'm surprised you even found it. Except for a couple of buildings that gave GA State signs on them, the place just blends in to the rest of downtown Atlanta...there's no discernable campus.

[Yosef]

Cobb spoke to the paper this morning and suggested this may open a few doors in the C-USA. Nothing fantastically new in this article but our administration is definitely on top of it. Most on here seem to think UNC-Charlotte would not be interested in having us, but do you think with ECU gone there may be more of an interest for UNC-Charlotte to push for us as a travel partner? ODU isn't far away of course but we would make a great travel partner and the games would be great for the western side of NC and an opportunity to build a great rivalry like Duke/UNC in basketball certainly exists, though it would take years to build.

http://www.journalnow.com/sports/asu/fo ... 0f31a.html