BaltoBull

When the rank and file realize we are screwed, it will be A LOT easier. I still think the "have nots", those being the AAC and the MWC need to play for their own prize and eventually, it will make a lot more sense,

BINGO!

Talk about minimizing one of the hardest to achieve and most crucial aspects of moving up. everybody in the country is building new facilities. please don't act like this guy is some savior for pilfering the students of nearly $15M per year. maybe we should get rid of the AD entirely, save the $700k+ and keep the library open later. we are an academic institution afterall. No, everyone isn't, especially in this economy with banks limiting lending. if you think banks are limiting lending then you live in a different world than I do. money is cheap and plentiful right now. look around the country. schools are going crazy building new facilities. I could go down the list of just schools in our crappy conference that are throwing tens of millions into athletic buildings. smu, houston, ucf, etc. You do realize we aren't talking "right now" but in the years of the financial crisis a few years back when the funding and planning was happening? dude has been getting $15M + per year from students. if you think his budget has been limited then you are delusional. BTW banks had no problem lending for all but about 6 months worth of time and they certainly didn't have a problem lending to government institutions with over a $40M per year budget. do you have any idea how incredibly low our overall athletics budget is compared to the big boys? BINGO!

Agree.

3:30a wakeup for a 4a scrimmage? Wow.

It's a shame you can't really see it in the above photos, but the helmets have also evolved from a "flat" white to a "pearlescent" white. They really are sharp!

Dude, how can you say that's the "best case scenario"? AAC/MWC will still be the Big East of BCS. A total laughing joke. Best case is for us in a legit conf. Because I really don't think we are going to the B12. Because honestly, I'd rather play the best of what the MWC has than several of the teams in the American as it is currently comprised. I don't know if you were dropped on your head when you were a baby or something else happened to you, but if you would rather be in the AAC/MWC leftover scrub conf than the B12 you have major mental problems. Just sayin You must have a reading comprehension problem ... BB's saying he doesn't think we're going to the B12 so he's giving his best case scenario in light of that ... at least that's what it looks like he's saying in those posts. Maybe you have a comprehension problem. He said "I'd rather play the best of what the MWC /AAC...." Get it? He'd rather play in the best of those two conferences than just the AAC IF we're not going to the Big 12 is what I think he's saying in those posts... You do understand that that statement doesn't say he prefers the leftover conference to the Big 12, right? .... No, I guess you don't. I'm not sure what Balto has said previously but in these posts you're having trouble with it appears that he's saying we're not going to the Big 12 so his best case scenario is a MWC/AAC combo rather than just the AAC we're going to be in. I believe I know Balto's stance better than anyone on here because I always tell him he's the ONLY ONE WHO FEELS THAT WAY ON THIS BOARD. When there were talks of a split between P5 and the rest of FBS, Balto prefers us to be in the rest of FBS because he does not think we can afford to play with the P5. If given the chance between the B12 and the AAC/MWC, Balto prefers us to be in the AAC/MWC. Correct. I do not believe we can afford to play (and be competitive) in the B12. To me, it doesn't make sense. I sent Hem a LONG email months ago explaining exactly why I feel this way. As I recall, Hem did not necessarily agree with me, but I think he understood where I was coming from. Making more money doesn't mean we'll actually have more money - it just means that we will be paying more money to keep up with the Joneses, which given the "windfall" we received as members of the BCS Big East, we proved we had a hard time keeping up then. I believe we would be fodder in the B12. Essentially, the same as we were in the BE. USF becomes nothing more than a recruiting trip for Texas and Oklahoma. That being said, I completely understand if the invite comes - we take it. To me, being in a D4 conference, if that's where the division ends up being with other, like-minded, urban-based research universities is preferable. I truly don't understand where we fit culturally into the B12. I will go further and state unequivocally, even if we were in the B12, we would not be playing for a national championship any time soon - if ever. Politics, branding and perception combined are too great of an obstacle to overcome, in my opinion. What I would like to see, realistically, is what the bowl situation would be with a new, hybrid AAC/MWC conference. I do think the current AAC bowl situation sucks. I would hope that a hybrid conference would have their pick of both conferences bowls as well as the ability to snatch a "lower" P5 bowl. To some of you, being able to play for the mythical "national championship" is key and most important. For me, having the ability to travel to games nearby (I assume UCF, Memphis and ECU would be at the party) and having a realistic shot at a DECENT bowl - again, I am no fan of our current bowl line-up is what I'd like to have. If the D4 split happens and the AAC/MWC "cream" conference comes to be, I believe this is the best outcome.

Dude, how can you say that's the "best case scenario"? AAC/MWC will still be the Big East of BCS. A total laughing joke. Best case is for us in a legit conf. Because I really don't think we are going to the B12. Because honestly, I'd rather play the best of what the MWC has than several of the teams in the American as it is currently comprised.

I'm not the only one playing broken record, am I Hem? For all intents and purposes, the merger conference will be the leftover conference - just the best of what's left. I don't mean to bother you with my posts, it's easy to block them isn't it?

I still believe in my heart of hearts we are not headed to the B12. The best case (and most likely) scenario is us being in the AAC / MWC merger of best available and the new amalgam being drafted into the D4, or whatever in the hell it will be.

Does he mean 1. usf 2. byu 3. cincy or 1. byu 2.cincy 3. usf My interpretation is USF ahead of BYU and Cincy based on the question. USF the next in? I gave up on this guy long ago. Quick question - does anyone have a rough idea how often this guy has proven to be correct? 40%? 50%?

This is just a silly observation, but I would so prefer just to see the iconic U instead of USF on the front of the jersey. I understand the need to build brand recognition by incorporating all three letters, but it's never done anything for me.

Not long, which is kinda my point.

I thought this was an interesting read. Could the ramifications of the O'Bannon case be what's behind the scuttlebutt of the "P5" breaking from the NCAA? And if it's not, could the teams that can survive taking the hit on likenesses and / or television revenue be the ultimate dividing line of the "division 4" and everyone else? I'm not claiming to know anything and I'm not looking to stir things up. I read this article this morning and those were the first things that came to mind. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323446404579010513489442936.html?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_Lifestyle_6

If that does happy, I'm sure the spin won't be about how good we are.... Just like how Florida couldn't muster the wherewithal to play Louisville in their bowl game, the excuse will be Louisville couldn't be bothered to "really play" USF. When you realize CFB is a game you can't win unless you are one of the anointed, things become a lot easier.