upadated conference realignment

ustate98 · Post by **ustate98** » September 21st, 2021, 7:09 pm

I'm surprised AAC isn't going after the current Cinderella team....Coastal Carolina.

BigBlueDart · Post by **BigBlueDart** » September 21st, 2021, 9:27 pm

TheAKAggie wrote: ↑
September 21st, 2021, 6:30 pm
Eastern Washington, so we can play in the red turf!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

swordsman1989 · Post by **swordsman1989** » September 21st, 2021, 10:07 pm

TheAKAggie wrote: ↑
September 21st, 2021, 6:30 pm
Eastern Washington, so we can play in the red turf!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am still traumatized by the 1994 game against them. Going from the ultimate high of that amazing 1993 season, to getting beat at home by three scores by an FCS (then called 1-AA) team was such a downer. I hate the thought of USU ever playing them again.

ViAggie · Post by **ViAggie** » September 21st, 2021, 11:09 pm

swordsman1989 wrote: ↑
September 21st, 2021, 10:07 pm

TheAKAggie wrote: ↑
September 21st, 2021, 6:30 pm
Eastern Washington, so we can play in the red turf!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I am still traumatized by the 1994 game against them. Going from the ultimate high of that amazing 1993 season, to getting beat at home by three scores by an FCS (then called 1-AA) team was such a downer. I hate the thought of USU ever playing them again.

I was there for that garbage!

TheAKAggie · Post by **TheAKAggie** » September 23rd, 2021, 8:32 pm

Aggie84025 wrote:I know they are completely on the other side of the country, but is Liberty looking at joining a conference? Certainly they are a long ways away, but they are pumping a lot of money into their sports team and actually have really solid programs.

Nothing says Mountain West like Lynchburg, VA. I want nothing to do with those people and that institution.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ViAggie · Post by **ViAggie** » September 24th, 2021, 9:21 am

TheAKAggie wrote: ↑
September 23rd, 2021, 8:32 pm

Aggie84025 wrote:I know they are completely on the other side of the country, but is Liberty looking at joining a conference? Certainly they are a long ways away, but they are pumping a lot of money into their sports team and actually have really solid programs.
Nothing says Mountain West like Lynchburg, VA. I want nothing to do with those people and that institution.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It’s essentially a for profit school under the guise of a “Christian School” just like Grand Canyon “University” and just look at their acceptance rates, they’ll literally take anyone with a pulse….

CaptainChaos · Post by **CaptainChaos** » September 24th, 2021, 9:25 am

I think the whole CSU and AFA showing interest just has to do with them wanting to make sure everything is in order and they know exactly what they need to do to move as quickly as possible just in case Boise and SDSU make the move. I don't think they are going- they are either posturing or just getting all necessary steps in place so they don't miss the boat if Boise and SDSU were to make the move.

Sl7vk · Post by **Sl7vk** » September 24th, 2021, 9:42 am

In my opinion CSU and AFA were leveraging this AAC invite for a better MW deal. I think Heir Thompson called their bluff and didn't flinch. Now they are kind of in no mans land, and I believe they will not move forward with the AAC.
When they decline the AAC offer, and the AAC has to go after CUSA or SunBelt schools, we should move hard to get Memphis + one more from the AAC. Their TV deal is going to get slashed, and ours is going to look pretty damned good in 2024.

stang · Post by **stang** » September 24th, 2021, 9:44 am

Aggie84025 wrote:I know they are completely on the other side of the country, but is Liberty looking at joining a conference? Certainly they are a long ways away, but they are pumping a lot of money into their sports team and actually have really solid programs.

I actually can’t think of a school I’d want to share a conference with LESS than Liberty. And yes, that includes BYU.

Mr. Sneelock · Post by **Mr. Sneelock** » September 24th, 2021, 10:07 am

stang wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 9:44 am

Aggie84025 wrote:I know they are completely on the other side of the country, but is Liberty looking at joining a conference? Certainly they are a long ways away, but they are pumping a lot of money into their sports team and actually have really solid programs.
I actually can’t think of a school I’d want to share a conference with LESS than Liberty. And yes, that includes BYU.

Seriously. Liberty? THAT Liberty? The one in Virginia?

Ew. I'd rather have Wellesley.

ViAggie · Post by **ViAggie** » September 24th, 2021, 10:18 am

Sl7vk wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 9:42 am
In my opinion CSU and AFA were leveraging this AAC invite for a better MW deal. I think Heir Thompson called their bluff and didn't flinch. Now they are kind of in no mans land, and I believe they will not move forward with the AAC.
When they decline the AAC offer, and the AAC has to go after CUSA or SunBelt schools, we should move hard to get Memphis + one more from the AAC. Their TV deal is going to get slashed, and ours is going to look pretty damned good in 2024.

I think your first paragraph is correct, but do we have $20 million to cover SMU and Memphis’s exit fees from the AAC?

flying_scotsman2.0 · Post by **flying_scotsman2.0** » September 24th, 2021, 10:20 am

ViAggie wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 10:18 am

Sl7vk wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 9:42 am
In my opinion CSU and AFA were leveraging this AAC invite for a better MW deal. I think Heir Thompson called their bluff and didn't flinch. Now they are kind of in no mans land, and I believe they will not move forward with the AAC.
When they decline the AAC offer, and the AAC has to go after CUSA or SunBelt schools, we should move hard to get Memphis + one more from the AAC. Their TV deal is going to get slashed, and ours is going to look pretty damned good in 2024.
Do we have $20 million to cover their exit fees from the AAC?

Is it really that high? I’m certain the poor remains of the Big 12 aren’t jumping to pay $60M for the other three teams.

ViAggie · Post by **ViAggie** » September 24th, 2021, 10:22 am

flying_scotsman2.0 wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 10:20 am

ViAggie wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 10:18 am

Sl7vk wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 9:42 am
In my opinion CSU and AFA were leveraging this AAC invite for a better MW deal. I think Heir Thompson called their bluff and didn't flinch. Now they are kind of in no mans land, and I believe they will not move forward with the AAC.
When they decline the AAC offer, and the AAC has to go after CUSA or SunBelt schools, we should move hard to get Memphis + one more from the AAC. Their TV deal is going to get slashed, and ours is going to look pretty damned good in 2024.
Do we have $20 million to cover their exit fees from the AAC?
Is it really that high? I’m certain the poor remains of the Big 12 aren’t jumping to pay $60M for the other three teams.

$10 million exit fee per team, just like the MWC.

CaptainChaos · Post by **CaptainChaos** » September 24th, 2021, 10:36 am

ViAggie wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 10:22 am

flying_scotsman2.0 wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 10:20 am

ViAggie wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 10:18 am

Sl7vk wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 9:42 am
In my opinion CSU and AFA were leveraging this AAC invite for a better MW deal. I think Heir Thompson called their bluff and didn't flinch. Now they are kind of in no mans land, and I believe they will not move forward with the AAC.
When they decline the AAC offer, and the AAC has to go after CUSA or SunBelt schools, we should move hard to get Memphis + one more from the AAC. Their TV deal is going to get slashed, and ours is going to look pretty damned good in 2024.
Do we have $20 million to cover their exit fees from the AAC?
Is it really that high? I’m certain the poor remains of the Big 12 aren’t jumping to pay $60M for the other three teams.
$10 million exit fee per team, just like the MWC.

If we took 2 teams they may not have an exit fee- 6 teams does not make a conference. We would need to act before they invited new teams though. Is this right?

Post by **Aglicious** » September 24th, 2021, 12:32 pm

Sl7vk wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 9:42 am
In my opinion CSU and AFA were leveraging this AAC invite for a better MW deal. I think Heir Thompson called their bluff and didn't flinch. Now they are kind of in no mans land, and I believe they will not move forward with the AAC.
When they decline the AAC offer, and the AAC has to go after CUSA or SunBelt schools, we should move hard to get Memphis + one more from the AAC. Their TV deal is going to get slashed, and ours is going to look pretty damned good in 2024.

I believe you are correct. MWC presidents have met a couple of times just this week alone and I've read a couple of reports now that state they have inquired into how the current MWC TV contract would be affected by the potential departure of AFA and CSU and the reply was not at all. This would mean the 10 remaining teams would gain $800k each to their current TV payout (by splitting the $8M left by AFA and CSU) which would bring each school to approx. $4.8M/yr. Boise would still have their $1.8M over that.

With the current AAC payout at $6M/yr and already losing their top 3 schools, their new deal will be quite a bit less. If losing AFA and CSU do nothing to the current MWC TV deal then it would be safe to assume that they add little to nothing to a new AAC deal. Why would those two schools even entertain the idea of increasing their AD costs with all that travel while at the same time making potentially less? This is beside the point that you are left playing schools that you have absolutely no history with.

utaggies · Post by **utaggies** » September 24th, 2021, 2:10 pm

The only realistic reason for CSU to leave is to get a jump on any move by the Big12 to add BSU and SDS in a couple of years this destabilizing the MWC. The Rams want to make sure they have a lifeboat before the conference ship hits an iceberg.

ViAggie · Post by **ViAggie** » September 24th, 2021, 2:14 pm

utaggies wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 2:10 pm
The only realistic reason for CSU to leave is to get a jump on any move by the Big12 to add BSU and SDS in a couple of years this destabilizing the MWC. The Rams want to make sure they have a lifeboat before the conference ship hits an iceberg.

Well they aren't getting invited to the B12 unless the B12 gets raided, but that doesn't even make sense because a raid of the B12 would likely leave them as the new AAC. In the end I think both schools wise up. But if they don't, we'll enjoy their exit fee (which I think is closer to $8 million, not the $10 I mentioned) and the increased TV revenue.

Mr. Sneelock · Post by **Mr. Sneelock** » September 24th, 2021, 2:31 pm

Aglicious wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 12:32 pm

Sl7vk wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 9:42 am
In my opinion CSU and AFA were leveraging this AAC invite for a better MW deal. I think Heir Thompson called their bluff and didn't flinch. Now they are kind of in no mans land, and I believe they will not move forward with the AAC.
When they decline the AAC offer, and the AAC has to go after CUSA or SunBelt schools, we should move hard to get Memphis + one more from the AAC. Their TV deal is going to get slashed, and ours is going to look pretty damned good in 2024.
I believe you are correct. MWC presidents have met a couple of times just this week alone and I've read a couple of reports now that state they have inquired into how the current MWC TV contract would be affected by the potential departure of AFA and CSU and the reply was not at all. This would mean the 10 remaining teams would gain $800k each to their current TV payout (by splitting the $8M left by AFA and CSU) which would bring each school to approx. $4.8M/yr. Boise would still have their $1.8M over that.

With the current AAC payout at $6M/yr and already losing their top 3 schools, their new deal will be quite a bit less. If losing AFA and CSU do nothing to the current MWC TV deal then it would be safe to assume that they add little to nothing to a new AAC deal. Why would those two schools even entertain the idea of increasing their AD costs with all that travel while at the same time making potentially less? This is beside the point that you are left playing schools that you have absolutely no history with.

Do you have a good source on the TV contract not changing?

We also have to remember that the AAC's TV deal goes through 2031-2032, which is an eternity in TV deal terms. The MW TV deal goes through 2026. The last time our TV deal was up, we approximately tripled revenue. I don't know if it will triple again, but it might. And then it might double or triple again by 2032. My guess is that if everything stays the same (realizing that there will likely be some movement), the MWC TV contract will likely be worth a lot more than the AAC deal from 2026 to 2032.

So...are they willing to pay a hefty exit fee and increase travel costs to play teams with which they have no geographic or historical similarity, all so they can marginally increase their TV payout until 2026? And that assumes the AAC contract stays the same. They probably couldn't even join the league until 2025 anyway! They're bluffing for sure.

If just Air Force leaves, who cares? I would just as soon they leave. Their basketball is horrible, and their football, while usually decent, comes with its own set of problems (odd scheme, injuries, etc.).

ViAggie · Post by **ViAggie** » September 24th, 2021, 2:41 pm

None of it adds up, if the AAC could have snatched Boise and SDSU by now, they would have already made the move long ago. So that leaves two schools that would have to pay to leave, and to what advantage? Hardly none. Makes no sense.

3rdGenAggie · Post by **3rdGenAggie** » September 24th, 2021, 3:05 pm

I hope CSU stays and AFA goes.

(And heaven help the knees of the AAC defensive linemen with Navy and AFA on the schedule.)

RexburgAggie · Post by **RexburgAggie** » September 24th, 2021, 3:11 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:31 pm

ineptimusprime wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:25 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:23 pm

LarryTheAggie wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:14 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:13 pm

slcagg wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:01 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 12:51 pm
Invite SMU and UTSA and move on. Wont miss playing AF every year.
How is Utsa different than sjsu?
A few differences:

-UTSA endowment is 180M, SJSU is 140M
-UTSA enrollment is 34k, SJSU enrollment is 32K
-UTSA plays in the alamodome (64K capacity), SJSU plays in.... well if you've been there, you know
-Texas (MW has zero presence here), The Bay area (MW has two other CA schools)
So they are essentially the same?
For the record, I don't have a problem with SJSU being in the conference. But I don't think they're the same either. I'd be good with Tulsa as well. I really do not care much if AF and CSU leave the conference as long as we were able to replace them with a combo the likes of those schools.
Tulsa would be a solid “meh.”

I am looking at this from a competitive standpoint, not a market standpoint. Tulsa, UTSA, Rice, and Texas St. are not teams I am interested in scheduling.
Well, we'd agree on Rice and Texas St. then. I'd be ok with Memphis because they're solid (but they aren't going to come to the MW). I guess the difference in sentiments regarding "expansion" or conference mates really comes down to who we think we are. I don't see USU getting an invite to any larger conference, that's just me. I'm good with a solid regional conference.

I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way, but that's why we aren't a "great" school when it comes to football! Our fanbase is deflated, and we have settled to being okay with the MW. We should never be okay with a good regional conference.

Everyone gets so upset that Boize State is viewed as the premier MW school, but they aren't afraid to speak up and go get what they want. In order for us to make any noise in CFB, we need to model schools like Boize State and BYU. They steal all our recruits and win more games than us consistently because we don't support our school the same way their fans support theirs.

Sincerely,

A pissed off fan.

ViAggie · Post by **ViAggie** » September 24th, 2021, 3:30 pm

I looked into the exit fee issues it's a bit complicated but my first post was pretty spot on, it works it's way out to $10.87 per school. So if CSU and AFA bolt, they will owe us that amount per school. Nice little parting gift. I almost hope we do lose AFA.

Aggie19 · Post by **Aggie19** » September 24th, 2021, 3:32 pm

RexburgAggie wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 3:11 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:31 pm

ineptimusprime wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:25 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:23 pm

LarryTheAggie wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:14 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:13 pm

slcagg wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:01 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 12:51 pm
Invite SMU and UTSA and move on. Wont miss playing AF every year.
How is Utsa different than sjsu?
A few differences:

-UTSA endowment is 180M, SJSU is 140M
-UTSA enrollment is 34k, SJSU enrollment is 32K
-UTSA plays in the alamodome (64K capacity), SJSU plays in.... well if you've been there, you know
-Texas (MW has zero presence here), The Bay area (MW has two other CA schools)
So they are essentially the same?
For the record, I don't have a problem with SJSU being in the conference. But I don't think they're the same either. I'd be good with Tulsa as well. I really do not care much if AF and CSU leave the conference as long as we were able to replace them with a combo the likes of those schools.
Tulsa would be a solid “meh.”

I am looking at this from a competitive standpoint, not a market standpoint. Tulsa, UTSA, Rice, and Texas St. are not teams I am interested in scheduling.
Well, we'd agree on Rice and Texas St. then. I'd be ok with Memphis because they're solid (but they aren't going to come to the MW). I guess the difference in sentiments regarding "expansion" or conference mates really comes down to who we think we are. I don't see USU getting an invite to any larger conference, that's just me. I'm good with a solid regional conference.
I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way, but that's why we aren't a "great" school when it comes to football! Our fanbase is deflated, and we have settled to being okay with the MW. We should never be okay with a good regional conference.

Everyone gets so upset that Boize State is viewed as the premier MW school, but they aren't afraid to speak up and go get what they want. In order for us to make any noise in CFB, we need to model schools like Boize State and BYU. They steal all our recruits and win more games than us consistently because we don't support our school the same way their fans support theirs.

Sincerely,

A pissed off fan.

Not yet, but we can't just be pissed off without acknowledging how we got here. USU had a proud football tradition for many decades, guys like Merlin Olsen and Bill Munson didn't just happen. All that has been forgotten with several decades of ineptitude, coupled with us believing what others say about our program and you have a gun shy fan base. I won't get into all of it, it's been said before, but this is exactly what the goal was of the two schools down south back in the day when they conspired - to make us irrelevant.

We have a rich history, we just need to connect with it. 10 years ago we started something BIG to change USU. That has continued with the current AD. Our fans will support, it's just going to take time, GA 2.0 did a fair amount of damage. I don't think there is anything wrong with a regional conference, let's show that we can win. I think dreaming beyond that, is foolhardy at this point. Just my opinion

CacheMoney · Post by **CacheMoney** » September 24th, 2021, 3:34 pm

Aggie19 wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 3:32 pm

RexburgAggie wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 3:11 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:31 pm

ineptimusprime wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:25 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:23 pm

LarryTheAggie wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:14 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:13 pm

slcagg wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:01 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 12:51 pm
Invite SMU and UTSA and move on. Wont miss playing AF every year.
How is Utsa different than sjsu?
A few differences:

-UTSA endowment is 180M, SJSU is 140M
-UTSA enrollment is 34k, SJSU enrollment is 32K
-UTSA plays in the alamodome (64K capacity), SJSU plays in.... well if you've been there, you know
-Texas (MW has zero presence here), The Bay area (MW has two other CA schools)
So they are essentially the same?
For the record, I don't have a problem with SJSU being in the conference. But I don't think they're the same either. I'd be good with Tulsa as well. I really do not care much if AF and CSU leave the conference as long as we were able to replace them with a combo the likes of those schools.
Tulsa would be a solid “meh.”

I am looking at this from a competitive standpoint, not a market standpoint. Tulsa, UTSA, Rice, and Texas St. are not teams I am interested in scheduling.
Well, we'd agree on Rice and Texas St. then. I'd be ok with Memphis because they're solid (but they aren't going to come to the MW). I guess the difference in sentiments regarding "expansion" or conference mates really comes down to who we think we are. I don't see USU getting an invite to any larger conference, that's just me. I'm good with a solid regional conference.
I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way, but that's why we aren't a "great" school when it comes to football! Our fanbase is deflated, and we have settled to being okay with the MW. We should never be okay with a good regional conference.

Everyone gets so upset that Boize State is viewed as the premier MW school, but they aren't afraid to speak up and go get what they want. In order for us to make any noise in CFB, we need to model schools like Boize State and BYU. They steal all our recruits and win more games than us consistently because we don't support our school the same way their fans support theirs.

Sincerely,

A pissed off fan.
Not yet, but we can't just be pissed off without acknowledging how we got here. USU had a proud football tradition for many decades, guys like Merlin Olsen and Bill Munson didn't just happen. All that has been forgotten with several decades of ineptitude, coupled with us believing what others say about our program and you have a gun shy fan base. I won't get into all of it, it's been said before, but this is exactly what the goal was of the two schools down south back in the day when they conspired - to make us irrelevant.

We have a rich history, we just need to connect with it. 10 years ago we started something BIG to change USU. That has continued with the current AD. Our fans will support, it's just going to take time. I don't think there is anything wrong with a regional conference, let's show that we can win. I think dreaming beyond that, is foolhardy at this point. Just my opinion

This right here is the way we should all view this! Rexburg Aggie needs to complain less and do what he/she him/her them/they can to be a strong fan and help build up the brand!

CaptainChaos · Post by **CaptainChaos** » September 24th, 2021, 3:42 pm

RexburgAggie wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 3:11 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:31 pm

ineptimusprime wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:25 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:23 pm

LarryTheAggie wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:14 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:13 pm

slcagg wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:01 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 12:51 pm
Invite SMU and UTSA and move on. Wont miss playing AF every year.
How is Utsa different than sjsu?
A few differences:

-UTSA endowment is 180M, SJSU is 140M
-UTSA enrollment is 34k, SJSU enrollment is 32K
-UTSA plays in the alamodome (64K capacity), SJSU plays in.... well if you've been there, you know
-Texas (MW has zero presence here), The Bay area (MW has two other CA schools)
So they are essentially the same?
For the record, I don't have a problem with SJSU being in the conference. But I don't think they're the same either. I'd be good with Tulsa as well. I really do not care much if AF and CSU leave the conference as long as we were able to replace them with a combo the likes of those schools.
Tulsa would be a solid “meh.”

I am looking at this from a competitive standpoint, not a market standpoint. Tulsa, UTSA, Rice, and Texas St. are not teams I am interested in scheduling.
Well, we'd agree on Rice and Texas St. then. I'd be ok with Memphis because they're solid (but they aren't going to come to the MW). I guess the difference in sentiments regarding "expansion" or conference mates really comes down to who we think we are. I don't see USU getting an invite to any larger conference, that's just me. I'm good with a solid regional conference.
I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way, but that's why we aren't a "great" school when it comes to football! Our fanbase is deflated, and we have settled to being okay with the MW. We should never be okay with a good regional conference.

Everyone gets so upset that Boize State is viewed as the premier MW school, but they aren't afraid to speak up and go get what they want. In order for us to make any noise in CFB, we need to model schools like Boize State and BYU. They steal all our recruits and win more games than us consistently because we don't support our school the same way their fans support theirs.

Sincerely,

A pissed off fan.

I think it is important to point out again that it is a numbers game that USU is not in an advantageous position in. BYU and BSU both have county populations that are 3- 5 times that of Cache County and they both have neighboring Counties that are significant as well. USU is geographically in a tough spot with neighboring schools and small populations. I do wish that more folks came to the USU games and were more supportive financially, but I don't think its a fair comparison. It is my opinion that USU as a school and a fan base is and always has done more with less. Doing more with less is the Aggie way and I wear that with pride.

bwcrc · Post by **bwcrc** » September 24th, 2021, 4:20 pm

Yes, USU has done more with less. Yes, USU has geographical and population challenges. But developing a winning tradition will cure all of that. GA 1.0 accomplished what was thought to be nearly impossible by creating a winning culture that largely carried on through MW. Hopefully GA 2.0 is merely a blip and Anderson builds on what existed prior to GA 2.0. If conference alignment remain stable for a few years (a big if at this point) and USU can manage some conference championships, that winning tradition will really start to develop. With that will come more student buy-in that has a greater chance of carrying on with them after they graduate. It will also bring buy-in from the Cache Valley community at large. Things like buying a bunch of tickets and donating them to the schools can also go a long way to develop the allegiance in younger fans.

As for receiving an invite into a better conference down the road, it doesn't hurt that each time over the last 20 years that USU has taken a step up into a new conference that USU has performed well, not just in football but across the board. While I have no illusions that USU is currently on the short list for any P5 expansion whenever that happens, I believe USU can play its way onto such lists with a little bit of time and luck. Stranger things have happened. Who would of thought in 2008 or so that Utah would be invited to the Pac-10? USU winning these next two weeks will be helpful steps in the right direction.

ViAggie · Post by **ViAggie** » September 24th, 2021, 5:06 pm

bwcrc wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 4:20 pm
Yes, USU has done more with less. Yes, USU has geographical and population challenges. But developing a winning tradition will cure all of that. GA 1.0 accomplished what was thought to be nearly impossible by creating a winning culture that largely carried on through MW. Hopefully GA 2.0 is merely a blip and Anderson builds on what existed prior to GA 2.0. If conference alignment remain stable for a few years (a big if at this point) and USU can manage some conference championships, that winning tradition will really start to develop. With that will come more student buy-in that has a greater chance of carrying on with them after they graduate. It will also bring buy-in from the Cache Valley community at large. Things like buying a bunch of tickets and donating them to the schools can also go a long way to develop the allegiance in younger fans.

As for receiving an invite into a better conference down the road, it doesn't hurt that each time over the last 20 years that USU has taken a step up into a new conference that USU has performed well, not just in football but across the board. While I have no illusions that USU is currently on the short list for any P5 expansion whenever that happens, I believe USU can play its way onto such lists with a little bit of time and luck. Stranger things have happened. Who would of thought in 2008 or so that Utah would be invited to the Pac-10? USU winning these next two weeks will be helpful steps in the right direction.

I can honestly see us joining the PAC-? after the SEC creates it's own Athetotic Association and inviting the top schools in the country to join (USC and Oregon go bye). Something like this

Washington State
Washington/Eastern Washington?

Oregon State
Portland State?

Cal Berkley
Stanford

Fresno State
San Diego State

Nevada
UNLV

Arizona
Arizona State

Colorado
Colorado State

Utah
Utah State (suck it byu, enjoy the B12 with the leftovers from the plains/south/east).

I think the SEC-AA passes on the Az schools but likely takes Oregon/USC/UCLA and Washington. B12 gets gutted too and takes Boise with the rest of the "top" AAC schools. MWC and AAC raid the rest to stay alive. We're all in this together but I think this will happen sooner or later.

LarryTheAggie · Post by **LarryTheAggie** » September 24th, 2021, 5:50 pm

CaptainChaos wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 3:42 pm

RexburgAggie wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 3:11 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:31 pm

ineptimusprime wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:25 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:23 pm

LarryTheAggie wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:14 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:13 pm

slcagg wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:01 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 12:51 pm
Invite SMU and UTSA and move on. Wont miss playing AF every year.
How is Utsa different than sjsu?
A few differences:

-UTSA endowment is 180M, SJSU is 140M
-UTSA enrollment is 34k, SJSU enrollment is 32K
-UTSA plays in the alamodome (64K capacity), SJSU plays in.... well if you've been there, you know
-Texas (MW has zero presence here), The Bay area (MW has two other CA schools)
So they are essentially the same?
For the record, I don't have a problem with SJSU being in the conference. But I don't think they're the same either. I'd be good with Tulsa as well. I really do not care much if AF and CSU leave the conference as long as we were able to replace them with a combo the likes of those schools.
Tulsa would be a solid “meh.”

I am looking at this from a competitive standpoint, not a market standpoint. Tulsa, UTSA, Rice, and Texas St. are not teams I am interested in scheduling.
Well, we'd agree on Rice and Texas St. then. I'd be ok with Memphis because they're solid (but they aren't going to come to the MW). I guess the difference in sentiments regarding "expansion" or conference mates really comes down to who we think we are. I don't see USU getting an invite to any larger conference, that's just me. I'm good with a solid regional conference.
I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way, but that's why we aren't a "great" school when it comes to football! Our fanbase is deflated, and we have settled to being okay with the MW. We should never be okay with a good regional conference.

Everyone gets so upset that Boize State is viewed as the premier MW school, but they aren't afraid to speak up and go get what they want. In order for us to make any noise in CFB, we need to model schools like Boize State and BYU. They steal all our recruits and win more games than us consistently because we don't support our school the same way their fans support theirs.

Sincerely,

A pissed off fan.
I think it is important to point out again that it is a numbers game that USU is not in an advantageous position in. BYU and BSU both have county populations that are 3- 5 times that of Cache County and they both have neighboring Counties that are significant as well. USU is geographically in a tough spot with neighboring schools and small populations. I do wish that more folks came to the USU games and were more supportive financially, but I don't think its a fair comparison. It is my opinion that USU as a school and a fan base is and always has done more with less. Doing more with less is the Aggie way and I wear that with pride.

I hate to bring this up again but have you ever been to Pullman Washington. Usu probably has more people living within 15 minutes of campus than Wazzu has living within an hour and a half. (And they have to share that population with the University of Idaho)

slcagg · Post by **slcagg** » September 24th, 2021, 6:01 pm

LarryTheAggie wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 5:50 pm

CaptainChaos wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 3:42 pm

RexburgAggie wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 3:11 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:31 pm

ineptimusprime wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:25 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:23 pm

LarryTheAggie wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:14 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:13 pm

slcagg wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:01 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 12:51 pm
Invite SMU and UTSA and move on. Wont miss playing AF every year.
How is Utsa different than sjsu?
A few differences:

-UTSA endowment is 180M, SJSU is 140M
-UTSA enrollment is 34k, SJSU enrollment is 32K
-UTSA plays in the alamodome (64K capacity), SJSU plays in.... well if you've been there, you know
-Texas (MW has zero presence here), The Bay area (MW has two other CA schools)
So they are essentially the same?
For the record, I don't have a problem with SJSU being in the conference. But I don't think they're the same either. I'd be good with Tulsa as well. I really do not care much if AF and CSU leave the conference as long as we were able to replace them with a combo the likes of those schools.
Tulsa would be a solid “meh.”

I am looking at this from a competitive standpoint, not a market standpoint. Tulsa, UTSA, Rice, and Texas St. are not teams I am interested in scheduling.
Well, we'd agree on Rice and Texas St. then. I'd be ok with Memphis because they're solid (but they aren't going to come to the MW). I guess the difference in sentiments regarding "expansion" or conference mates really comes down to who we think we are. I don't see USU getting an invite to any larger conference, that's just me. I'm good with a solid regional conference.
I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way, but that's why we aren't a "great" school when it comes to football! Our fanbase is deflated, and we have settled to being okay with the MW. We should never be okay with a good regional conference.

Everyone gets so upset that Boize State is viewed as the premier MW school, but they aren't afraid to speak up and go get what they want. In order for us to make any noise in CFB, we need to model schools like Boize State and BYU. They steal all our recruits and win more games than us consistently because we don't support our school the same way their fans support theirs.

Sincerely,

A pissed off fan.
I think it is important to point out again that it is a numbers game that USU is not in an advantageous position in. BYU and BSU both have county populations that are 3- 5 times that of Cache County and they both have neighboring Counties that are significant as well. USU is geographically in a tough spot with neighboring schools and small populations. I do wish that more folks came to the USU games and were more supportive financially, but I don't think its a fair comparison. It is my opinion that USU as a school and a fan base is and always has done more with less. Doing more with less is the Aggie way and I wear that with pride.
I hate to bring this up again but have you ever been to Pullman Washington. Usu probably has more people living within 15 minutes of campus than Wazzu has living within an hour and a half. (And they have to share that population with the University of Idaho)

They share that population with Washington not idaho.

Full · Post by **Full** » September 24th, 2021, 6:08 pm

LarryTheAggie wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 5:50 pm

CaptainChaos wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 3:42 pm

RexburgAggie wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 3:11 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:31 pm

ineptimusprime wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:25 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:23 pm

LarryTheAggie wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:14 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:13 pm

slcagg wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:01 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 12:51 pm
Invite SMU and UTSA and move on. Wont miss playing AF every year.
How is Utsa different than sjsu?
A few differences:

-UTSA endowment is 180M, SJSU is 140M
-UTSA enrollment is 34k, SJSU enrollment is 32K
-UTSA plays in the alamodome (64K capacity), SJSU plays in.... well if you've been there, you know
-Texas (MW has zero presence here), The Bay area (MW has two other CA schools)
So they are essentially the same?
For the record, I don't have a problem with SJSU being in the conference. But I don't think they're the same either. I'd be good with Tulsa as well. I really do not care much if AF and CSU leave the conference as long as we were able to replace them with a combo the likes of those schools.
Tulsa would be a solid “meh.”

I am looking at this from a competitive standpoint, not a market standpoint. Tulsa, UTSA, Rice, and Texas St. are not teams I am interested in scheduling.
Well, we'd agree on Rice and Texas St. then. I'd be ok with Memphis because they're solid (but they aren't going to come to the MW). I guess the difference in sentiments regarding "expansion" or conference mates really comes down to who we think we are. I don't see USU getting an invite to any larger conference, that's just me. I'm good with a solid regional conference.
I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way, but that's why we aren't a "great" school when it comes to football! Our fanbase is deflated, and we have settled to being okay with the MW. We should never be okay with a good regional conference.

Everyone gets so upset that Boize State is viewed as the premier MW school, but they aren't afraid to speak up and go get what they want. In order for us to make any noise in CFB, we need to model schools like Boize State and BYU. They steal all our recruits and win more games than us consistently because we don't support our school the same way their fans support theirs.

Sincerely,

A pissed off fan.
I think it is important to point out again that it is a numbers game that USU is not in an advantageous position in. BYU and BSU both have county populations that are 3- 5 times that of Cache County and they both have neighboring Counties that are significant as well. USU is geographically in a tough spot with neighboring schools and small populations. I do wish that more folks came to the USU games and were more supportive financially, but I don't think its a fair comparison. It is my opinion that USU as a school and a fan base is and always has done more with less. Doing more with less is the Aggie way and I wear that with pride.
I hate to bring this up again but have you ever been to Pullman Washington. Usu probably has more people living within 15 minutes of campus than Wazzu has living within an hour and a half. (And they have to share that population with the University of Idaho)

They had under 25,000 fans when they played USU. Their home schedule is seven games and includes BYU and four PAC-12 teams including USC. They have the lowest budget in the conference and would need to increase their budget by 14% to match Oregon State, the second lowest. Wazzu is successful by association, not because of their all time record just short of 500.

LarryTheAggie · Post by **LarryTheAggie** » September 24th, 2021, 6:27 pm

slcagg wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 6:01 pm

LarryTheAggie wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 5:50 pm

CaptainChaos wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 3:42 pm

RexburgAggie wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 3:11 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:31 pm

ineptimusprime wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:25 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:23 pm

LarryTheAggie wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:14 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:13 pm

slcagg wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:01 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 12:51 pm
Invite SMU and UTSA and move on. Wont miss playing AF every year.
How is Utsa different than sjsu?
A few differences:

-UTSA endowment is 180M, SJSU is 140M
-UTSA enrollment is 34k, SJSU enrollment is 32K
-UTSA plays in the alamodome (64K capacity), SJSU plays in.... well if you've been there, you know
-Texas (MW has zero presence here), The Bay area (MW has two other CA schools)
So they are essentially the same?
For the record, I don't have a problem with SJSU being in the conference. But I don't think they're the same either. I'd be good with Tulsa as well. I really do not care much if AF and CSU leave the conference as long as we were able to replace them with a combo the likes of those schools.
Tulsa would be a solid “meh.”

I am looking at this from a competitive standpoint, not a market standpoint. Tulsa, UTSA, Rice, and Texas St. are not teams I am interested in scheduling.
Well, we'd agree on Rice and Texas St. then. I'd be ok with Memphis because they're solid (but they aren't going to come to the MW). I guess the difference in sentiments regarding "expansion" or conference mates really comes down to who we think we are. I don't see USU getting an invite to any larger conference, that's just me. I'm good with a solid regional conference.
I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way, but that's why we aren't a "great" school when it comes to football! Our fanbase is deflated, and we have settled to being okay with the MW. We should never be okay with a good regional conference.

Everyone gets so upset that Boize State is viewed as the premier MW school, but they aren't afraid to speak up and go get what they want. In order for us to make any noise in CFB, we need to model schools like Boize State and BYU. They steal all our recruits and win more games than us consistently because we don't support our school the same way their fans support theirs.

Sincerely,

A pissed off fan.
I think it is important to point out again that it is a numbers game that USU is not in an advantageous position in. BYU and BSU both have county populations that are 3- 5 times that of Cache County and they both have neighboring Counties that are significant as well. USU is geographically in a tough spot with neighboring schools and small populations. I do wish that more folks came to the USU games and were more supportive financially, but I don't think its a fair comparison. It is my opinion that USU as a school and a fan base is and always has done more with less. Doing more with less is the Aggie way and I wear that with pride.
I hate to bring this up again but have you ever been to Pullman Washington. Usu probably has more people living within 15 minutes of campus than Wazzu has living within an hour and a half. (And they have to share that population with the University of Idaho)
They share that population with Washington not idaho.

No the U of I is literally 7 minutes from wazzu.

LarryTheAggie · Post by **LarryTheAggie** » September 24th, 2021, 6:36 pm

Full wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 6:08 pm

LarryTheAggie wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 5:50 pm

CaptainChaos wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 3:42 pm

RexburgAggie wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 3:11 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:31 pm

ineptimusprime wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:25 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:23 pm

LarryTheAggie wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:14 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:13 pm

slcagg wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:01 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 12:51 pm
Invite SMU and UTSA and move on. Wont miss playing AF every year.
How is Utsa different than sjsu?
A few differences:

-UTSA endowment is 180M, SJSU is 140M
-UTSA enrollment is 34k, SJSU enrollment is 32K
-UTSA plays in the alamodome (64K capacity), SJSU plays in.... well if you've been there, you know
-Texas (MW has zero presence here), The Bay area (MW has two other CA schools)
So they are essentially the same?
For the record, I don't have a problem with SJSU being in the conference. But I don't think they're the same either. I'd be good with Tulsa as well. I really do not care much if AF and CSU leave the conference as long as we were able to replace them with a combo the likes of those schools.
Tulsa would be a solid “meh.”

I am looking at this from a competitive standpoint, not a market standpoint. Tulsa, UTSA, Rice, and Texas St. are not teams I am interested in scheduling.
Well, we'd agree on Rice and Texas St. then. I'd be ok with Memphis because they're solid (but they aren't going to come to the MW). I guess the difference in sentiments regarding "expansion" or conference mates really comes down to who we think we are. I don't see USU getting an invite to any larger conference, that's just me. I'm good with a solid regional conference.
I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way, but that's why we aren't a "great" school when it comes to football! Our fanbase is deflated, and we have settled to being okay with the MW. We should never be okay with a good regional conference.

Everyone gets so upset that Boize State is viewed as the premier MW school, but they aren't afraid to speak up and go get what they want. In order for us to make any noise in CFB, we need to model schools like Boize State and BYU. They steal all our recruits and win more games than us consistently because we don't support our school the same way their fans support theirs.

Sincerely,

A pissed off fan.
I think it is important to point out again that it is a numbers game that USU is not in an advantageous position in. BYU and BSU both have county populations that are 3- 5 times that of Cache County and they both have neighboring Counties that are significant as well. USU is geographically in a tough spot with neighboring schools and small populations. I do wish that more folks came to the USU games and were more supportive financially, but I don't think its a fair comparison. It is my opinion that USU as a school and a fan base is and always has done more with less. Doing more with less is the Aggie way and I wear that with pride.
I hate to bring this up again but have you ever been to Pullman Washington. Usu probably has more people living within 15 minutes of campus than Wazzu has living within an hour and a half. (And they have to share that population with the University of Idaho)
They had under 25,000 fans when they played USU. Their home schedule is seven games and includes BYU and four PAC-12 teams including USC. They have the lowest budget in the conference and would need to increase their budget by 14% to match Oregon State, the second lowest. Wazzu is successful by association, not because of their all time record just short of 500.

Wouldn't I be nice if our poorly attended games had 25,000. They also have a coach that people do not like and live in a state where people are afraid to walk outside to get the mail because they might get covid.

If we want to keep the population base argument going, 25000 people is the population of Pullman and half of the metro population (if you include Moscow). Logans population is 50000 and cache valley has 100,000 so usu should be able to get 50000 people to a game.

And yes they have other things in their favor, and other issues. I am just saying that we have bigger issues than our location. Location is an excuse.

swordsman1989 · Post by **swordsman1989** » September 24th, 2021, 6:42 pm

Population is not an issue for USU. There are approximately 450,000 people living within an hours drive of campus, and Logan is officially part of the Salt Lake City Designated Media Area, which with 917,370 homes with televisions is the 33rd largest market in the United States. The problem is, as others have pointed out, USU fans do not support USU. When I was at USU in the late 1980s through the mid 1990s, it seemed like USU did very little to market itself, not even in Cache Valley, let alone along the Wasatch Front where most of the Alumni live. I do feel there has been a much bigger push to market USU in the past 15+ years, but I have to wonder how the many years of neglect is affecting USU now. Also, as has been pointed out many times, many USU students and alumni have split loyalties at best, and many outright cheer for BYU (and Utah), even when playing against USU.

I know it is anecdotal at best, but last week, when I took an Uber from my hotel to the airport in SLC to fly home, the driver was wearing a UofU shirt, and had a UofU sticker on his car. This was a few days after the loss to BYU, and we got talking about the game. It turns out, this guy had no connections to UofU and was in fact a USU alum. I did not mention that I was a USU alum, but when I asked him why he was a Utah fan and not a USU fan, he just said "no one really cares about USU".

Sl7vk · Post by **Sl7vk** » September 24th, 2021, 6:44 pm

^^^^^^
And that’s why he’s driving an Uber.

CaptainChaos · Post by **CaptainChaos** » September 24th, 2021, 6:44 pm

LarryTheAggie wrote:
CaptainChaos wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 3:42 pm

RexburgAggie wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2021, 3:11 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:31 pm

ineptimusprime wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:25 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:23 pm

LarryTheAggie wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:14 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:13 pm

slcagg wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 1:01 pm

ratofallaggies wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2021, 12:51 pm
Invite SMU and UTSA and move on. Wont miss playing AF every year.
How is Utsa different than sjsu?
A few differences:

-UTSA endowment is 180M, SJSU is 140M
-UTSA enrollment is 34k, SJSU enrollment is 32K
-UTSA plays in the alamodome (64K capacity), SJSU plays in.... well if you've been there, you know
-Texas (MW has zero presence here), The Bay area (MW has two other CA schools)
So they are essentially the same?
For the record, I don't have a problem with SJSU being in the conference. But I don't think they're the same either. I'd be good with Tulsa as well. I really do not care much if AF and CSU leave the conference as long as we were able to replace them with a combo the likes of those schools.
Tulsa would be a solid “meh.”

I am looking at this from a competitive standpoint, not a market standpoint. Tulsa, UTSA, Rice, and Texas St. are not teams I am interested in scheduling.
Well, we'd agree on Rice and Texas St. then. I'd be ok with Memphis because they're solid (but they aren't going to come to the MW). I guess the difference in sentiments regarding "expansion" or conference mates really comes down to who we think we are. I don't see USU getting an invite to any larger conference, that's just me. I'm good with a solid regional conference.
I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way, but that's why we aren't a "great" school when it comes to football! Our fanbase is deflated, and we have settled to being okay with the MW. We should never be okay with a good regional conference.

Everyone gets so upset that Boize State is viewed as the premier MW school, but they aren't afraid to speak up and go get what they want. In order for us to make any noise in CFB, we need to model schools like Boize State and BYU. They steal all our recruits and win more games than us consistently because we don't support our school the same way their fans support theirs.

Sincerely,

A pissed off fan.
I think it is important to point out again that it is a numbers game that USU is not in an advantageous position in. BYU and BSU both have county populations that are 3- 5 times that of Cache County and they both have neighboring Counties that are significant as well. USU is geographically in a tough spot with neighboring schools and small populations. I do wish that more folks came to the USU games and were more supportive financially, but I don't think its a fair comparison. It is my opinion that USU as a school and a fan base is and always has done more with less. Doing more with less is the Aggie way and I wear that with pride.
I hate to bring this up again but have you ever been to Pullman Washington. Usu probably has more people living within 15 minutes of campus than Wazzu has living within an hour and a half. (And they have to share that population with the University of Idaho)

Never been… that’s admirable that they can get a good crowd, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve had serious attendance issues in the past. They have also had the opportunity to suck on the teet of the rest of the pac 12 forever as a program allowing them to upgrade, remain relevant, advertise, and hire quality coaches. If attendance was USU’s only concern for the last 50 years they may have it figured out too.

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