Hey guys, i come in peace and support Ohio to CUSA. I havr to comment on the "bad move because its lateral" posters. CUSA produces more revenue than all other non-aq conferences combined. And 5 times the money of the MAC plus 3 times the bowl tie ins. In no regard is it a "lateral" move (even with the recent influx of fledgling teams. Markets = more money on tv deals). Cbs sports is just half the deal, fox sports also factors in and gets us in more households across the country. CUSA allows you to have multiple teams in top 25, and get there much easier. I just wanted to throw that out there, i believe you guys have the best football program going in the MAC currently, and i feel that would put you around 4 or 5 in CUSA. Interchangeable with MU eith tulsa, ecu and usm ahead currently. The top half of cusa can carry the bottom half, and marshall is just turning the corner from the dark age known as the Snyder years.

All of that beimg said, i liked coming to athens last year, seeing thr campus and meeting thrle fans, and getting spanked (didmt enjoy that but just laughed), and it was a nice road trip. I enjoy when OU comes to hton as well, its a great game and would be even better as conference mates. Plus, around 4-5 million a year, opposed to a little ovet 1 million in the MAC (even at 14 teams) would go a long way to improving Peden.

I see your point, but losing UCF, a 5-7 and ovee their peak team, Houston, who was 5-7 last year with the same team minus Keenum, memphis....who is a bottom dweller actually helps, and SMU eho has done nothing special, doesn't hurt as much as you think. Overall is it a bit weaket immediately? Yes, but over time? Who knows. La Tech will immediately compete and i think North Texas will be middle of the road in a couple years, we are just coming up snd i expect a 8-9 win solid season this year.

Overall, cusa is a significantly better conference money wise, and better competition wise as well, and with bowls. We are building a 30 million dollar indoor practice facility now, and have put in new scoreboards and sound systems and upgrading our basketball arena presently too, so yes, that money does show a bit. But that being said, i just can't see it as a lateral move, and most ppl don't, and in any measurable way (not opinion related, ie money, facilities for the most part, ranked teams, bowl games, etc), its significantly better. I still think we go to 16 teams soon, and Ohio makes the cut. Taking the strongest MAC program will only make CUSA that much better.

Nice posts, goherd25. CUSA would not be a lateral move for Ohio. It would be a half step up competitively, and a full step up money wise. Agree with where you rank our football program in CUSA. I along with many other Ohio fans are concerned about distance to away games and conference tournaments and lack of natural rivals.

Where would you rank our hoops program in CUSA?

Thanks! And i would have to say Ohio would definetely contend for a title in CUSA hoops immediately. It would be hard to say who would be the clear cut "favorite" but i think USM, Marshall and Ohio, along with Tulsa would be the top 4 in 2013-2014. ODU not far behind, if any. I think OU would strengthen our bball, and i would rank CUSA probably 8th ovetall bball conference with the loss of memphis even.

As for travel costs, eith the new divisions, it p4will be much better with UNCC, ODU,on board, and only better with OU potentially, and i don't havr exact figures but i know we are atill netting almost triple the $ from the MAC days according to ppl in the know with access to that info.

I guess we had this conference realignment thing all wrong . It's not about media markets and program value at all. It's about stadium quality and video boards. Up until a couple years ago, Michigan Stadium didn't have lights...or even urinals in all the men's bathrooms...so I guess CUSA wouldn't have been interested in the Michigan state university located in Ann Arbor.

Just because you say " with all do respect" does not mean the post is not disrespectful. 

I think you would be surprised at the number of alumni who live in major cities and have better access to cheaper and more frequent flights will attend games in fun places like Miami, New Orleans and Houston to name a few.

M
I apologize then. That was not my intent. I'm just trying to point out that a move to CUSA would take some work on Ohio's part. I want ya'll in our conference and I want ya'll to come to Huntington so I can repay you for the hospitality I have received at Peden. Closer to gameday, I'll extend an invite to our tailgate. I'm here in peace.

The current combined CBS Sports Network and Fox television contracts equal $14M a year plus another $1M per year for the CUSA Championship Game from ESPN. This past season's championship game was played on ABC by two nationally ranked teams playing for a BCS Bowl berth. Neilsen ratings for the game were 3.4.

The tv contracts are good through 2015 but no indication has been given if there will be any kind of renegotiation after 2013. With the additions we have made we will retain the Dallas market and add the Charlotte market (#25), the Miami market (#16) and the Norfolk market (#43).

C-USA teams played in 5 bowl games last season with a combined payout of $4.7M. C-USA revenue sharing allows each team to keep 100% of the first $100,000 in bowl ticket sales and then anything over that is split 50/50. That money goes into a pot to help pay reasonable travel expenses for bowl teams. Marshall was able to travel the team, administration, coaches and their families and band for 3 nights to St. Pete, FL and still make $54,000 profit on the game. That was a direct result of the conference's revenue sharing plan.

A move to CUSA would help Ohio's basketball team as well.  CUSA is top to bottom a better overall conference. Final conference RPI for the MAC was around #17-18 and for C-USA it was #10. C-USA placed two teams in the NCAA tournament, 2 in the NIT and one in the CIT or CBI. An annual holiday basketball tournament against the Mountain West is in the works as well. 

Your baseball and softball programs would be playing at a much higher level as C-USA is the #3 baseball conference in the nation. Softball placed four teams in the NCAA tournament in 2012, should have been 5 but Marshall was passed over after winning 31 games and losing in the conference championship game. Soccer would probably be a wash but adding UNCC will really help the conference in that sport.

Ohio would be able to compete in the East division with Marshall, ECU, Southern Miss, UNCC UAB, ODU and FIU right away in football. Ohio would be in basketball title contention right away. OHIO would upgrade both sports for CUSA at the same time weakening the MAC as a competitor for television dollars, bowl tie-ins, etc. With 16 teams the C-USA would be able to command more bowl opportunities as well. I don't see any downfall to adding OHIO to C-USA. The only thing you guys would need to do would be to add seating to your football stadium to get you to 30-35,000.

As far as what the move to C-USA has done for Marshall... our athletic budget in the MAC was $16M, it's about $26M now. Our Big Green scholarship membership has doubled since the move. We sell about 14-15,000 football season tickets every year despite being down. We've been able to schedule home games with Kansas St, WVU (twice), Cincinnati and Virginia Tech with future games scheduled with Louisville, Navy and Purdue. Prior to 2005 we had played only one non-MAC FBS opponent at Joan C Edwards Stadium. We're breaking ground on a $5M soccer stadium this summer and after its built we are building a $30M indoor practice facility,athlete academic center, sports medicine translational research facility and MU Hall of Fame. A few other construction projects are in the pipeline for the future as well, including an on-campus baseball facility. We're 2-0 in bowl games, played for the conference championship in mens basketball and womens softball this season. Mens basketball has played in two straight post-season tournaments and womens tennis has played for the National Championship in doubles.

Its been a great move for us and I, for one, would love to see OHIO join us. 

The title of this thread scares me.

Don't mind you being on our lawn. Enjoying the discussion.

Would you support one or two other MAC schools coming into CUSA?

I would not because OHIO is the only MAC school that would bring value in multiple sports and has demonstrated the commitment to athletics- especially with coaching hires in recent years. The proximity of the campus makes for a good in-conference rivalry with Marshall and it fits the over all footprint. I know you guys enjoy the midwest football atmosphere but there is no comparison to playing football in the south with southern teams. From stadiums, to weather and tailgating... it's awesome. OHIO and Marshall share the same television DMA(Huntington/Charleston #65) so adding OHIO would increase both of our market share. And last but not least you would be trading Ypsilanti, Toledo, Buffalo and Muncie for New Orleans, Miami, Dallas and Charlotte.

A nationally televised Battle for the Bell game on a Saturday afternoon the last game of the season every year would be great.

Buffalo may be in a larger media market, but it is VERY rare that their games are televised locally.