Jim Johnson

Ybor blew up in the 1990s ... SoHo in the 2000s.

This is even more true with the transfer portal than it was before... and it was very much true back before NIL and unlimited transfers.

Interestingly, Team Rankings.com projects USF in a "race" with SMU, UNT, and Memphis for the 3rd and 4th places ... finishing nearly tied at ~12 wins and ~6 losses (meaning they currently project USF to go ~6-5 in the remaining 11 games). https://www.teamrankings.com/ncb/projections/standings/ They also give us a bit of advancing in the tournament...

Exactly... Wisconsin-Whitewater and Mount Union have outstanding football programs.

Endowment money CAN be loaned out (or put up as collateral to borrow against), however. Happens all the time at schools large and small.

The thinking is ... by adding FSU you also add Tampa, Jacksonville, Orlando . . . People watch FSU across the state. People barely watch USF in Tampa. (Winning will fix that.)

I subscribe up here... Among the unanswered questions surrounding North Carolina schools amid conference realignment in college athletics is this: Could political pressure, either direct or indirect, tie the University of North Carolina and N.C. State together, and keep them in the same conference? It’s impossible to know, or answer, but it’s a question worth pondering, especially as the UNC System Board of Governors this week discusses a proposal that would make it more complicated for state schools to switch athletics conferences. Q: What, exactly, is the UNC BOG considering? A: It’s considering a proposal that would give it the power to stop or delay a state school from moving from one conference (say, the ACC) to another (say, the Big Ten or SEC). More specifically, the board is considering amending its policy manual to require schools to provide advance notice of a potential conference move, and a financial plan associated with the move. The president of the board could then decide to reject the proposed move, outright, or, if the president approves, members of the board could also reject the plan. The language of the proposal suggests the yes-or-no decision would be tied to the financial plan (and not an explicit desire to keep schools together) but it’s unclear how this would all play out. Q: What’s it really mean for UNC and N.C. State’s athletics future? A: It’s not yet totally clear. At the least, if the BOG approves this measure (and there’s not much reason to think it wouldn’t), then in theory it’d become more complicated for any state school to leave its current athletics conference for another. In the most benign interpretation of this proposal, schools would be left to do a lot more paperwork before switching conferences. In the most nefarious interpretation, the BOG could simply stop any state school from any conference move, under the guise that the school’s “financial plan” isn’t up to snuff. Without a clear understanding of how a financial plan would be evaluated, and what matters, the process on the surface looks subjective. Certainly, it’d lead to a lot of consternation if the BOG rejects a school’s plan and desire to go to another conference, and such a move would raise all kinds of questions. Q: So would it be fair to conclude that this could be an attempt by the BOG to increase the likelihood that UNC and N.C. State remain together? A: It’s not necessarily unfair to think that. The stakes are high with major conference realignment, and there’s undoubtedly a lot of powerful people with strong opinions about how UNC and N.C. State should approach the future, and whether it’d be “good” or “right” for both schools to remain in the same conference. And let’s be clear, too: there’s no doubt that UNC would be a prized addition for either the Big Ten or SEC. Neither conference has a presence in North Carolina and, despite the Tar Heels’ never-ending struggles in football (the sport that is driving all of this), UNC is still among the most recognizable brands in college sports. N.C. State has improved its athletics reputation over the past decade and the Wolfpack arguably has the better football program. Still, in a realignment world driven by brand value and national name recognition, State is not desired in the same way UNC is. If a future in the ACC becomes untenable for State, there’s a chance the SEC could be in play, if UNC goes to the Big Ten. A more likely scenario in this hypothetical, though, is that State would become a target of the Big 12. Would it make any sort of sense for UNC and N.C. State, separated by about a 45-minute drive, to be in different leagues? It would not. But major college athletics has operated in a nonsensical way for quite some time.

I am debating making that trip ... also contemplating the men's and women's games at ECU.

Interesting that MSN.COM wrote an article about the 247 Sports article posted earlier in the week.

We have the toughest OOC compared to the teams that finished with the best records in the other G5 conferences (Toledo, Liberty, James Madison, and UNLV/Boise.). Obviously the games need to be played ... going 8-0 is hard for any team in any conference. This is more about the fact the article mentions USF rather than Memphis or Tulane or UNLV or James Madison or . . . perception around the country is changing thanks to Golesh.

I dunno.... 8-0 in AAC play and win the Championship ... 11-2 with losses to Alabama and Miami? Who's gonna be higher? Liberty maybe because their schedule is so soft... JMU, Toledo, and UNLV also have easier OOC schedules than USF. Perhaps if they finish undefeated they could be ranked higher than USF. If USF beats Alabama or Miami and wins the CCG to finish 12-1 ... that has to guarantee a spot above anyone from the other four conferences.

247 Sports Writer projects USF as the AAC champion and highest G5.... as the #11 seed! https://247sports.com/longformarticle/early-college-football-playoff-major-bowl-projections-for-2024-225422712/#2347453

Right... Raymond James was not even being considered when USF football was approved to start in 1994... and the Bucs started campaigning for a new stadium in 1995. But the Old Sombrero was built to attract an NFL team in the 1970s. When it was built University of Tampa played there instead of their on-campus stadium (go figure).

Sunday as well (USF WBB @ Rice) ... it's BeatRice weekend.

Possibly ... but I wouldn't be so sure of that. We could have played down at UT's stadium (before it was renovated)... or they would have delayed starting the team.

In the early 1990s they used to get 6000 easy... but then students we sitting in the 100 level... moving students up to get more ticket sales is tough when no one is buying the tickets.

Yes, but consider all of the Pac 12 teams had $0.00 in exit fees because their agreement was combined with the TV contracts. SMU will have to pay something for leaving the ACC on one-year's notice (a slice of which will come to USF). Texas and Oklahoma each paid $50 million to leave the Big 12 one year early. So if you were building a conference to last more than five years, you can't forget about what it would take for those teams to be available to you. WVU would probably love to be in the ACC, but considering they've had to cut some sports, it's not likely they would try to raise the money to pay the exit fees to join your new club.

The Big 12 GOR is virtually identical to the ACC GOR... the big difference that we know today, the ACC media deal with ESPN only goes through 2027 while the Big 12 with Fox and ESPN goes through 2031. So if FSU gets out of the GOR because of the 2027 date, that won't apply to the B12 teams. The Big 12 also has a 99-year "membership agreement" that includes exit fees. So any team leaving the Big 12 will be paying quite a bit to do so. So ... much like the ACC --> B12 argument. Why would [INSERT TEAM HERE] pay $50-$100M in exit fees to move to a conference where the media rights are about the same as they get today?

Internet rumor guy mentioning a certain school . . .

Never gonna happen. The teams left will not want to associate with the Big 12 mostly because of academics. Stanford and Cal, for example, had zero interest in the Big 12 just a few months ago. The remnants of the ACC will remain their own conference ... they will then add teams, perhaps out west (Oregon State, Wazzu) in Texas (Rice and SMU were part of the same conference for a long time), the South (Tulane, USF) and possibly adding U Conn. It all depends on how many depart. But talk of a merger is wishful thinking by the Big 12 homers on the interwebs.

That would have required an investment mindset. Now now. The Patriot League or the MAC would love to have us.

It's an example FSU is trying to use to show the ACC was irresponsible in not trying to poach more successful programs than SMU, Stanford, and Cal.

So much realignment drama and no one posted about it? In summary: Live updates: Florida State sues ACC and ACC sues FSU, too WWW.TAMPABAY.COM One filing was in Tallahassee, while the other was in North Carolina.

The meeting is to formally move forward with legal action to get a judicial interpretation of the contract - which is not necessarily binding on future courts (as I understand the process). Basically, they are asking a court what their options are.