BaltoBull

Whatever angst there is against Kent State doesn't matter because if they move up just one spot in the BCS poll, they're automatically in a BCS game. There will be no more BCS games starting with the 2014 season. and the equivalent will be the 6 "Access" bowls and unless they change the rules, which I wouldn't be surprised if they did, we can get to one of those via the field ... You're right, thank you for pointing that out. I totally forgot about the BCS bowl changing. I still think the rules will be changed and the mantra will be something along the lines of 'market demand'.

Do you really think the other conferences are going to allow the ACC to be a power-basketball conference after this? Look what the ACC did to the BE - they took Syracuse, Pitt and then Louisville - prestige, 'brand recognition' and basketball. Louisville is fortunate that they have football and that is what the ACC desperately needed to keep up with the other conferences and to not allow Louisville to go to the B12. When all hell breaks loose, I think the other conferences will cherry-pick what remains of the ACC as clean as they can. I don't think Syracuse, Pitt, Duke and possibly Louisville will hang around the ACC after armageddon. Wake Forest will, maybe Boston College. At some point, I do think the Catholic schools will finally split and do something with A-10 teams.

If these super conferences expand their in-conference games and start playing the "lesser" left out competition in the little conferences, I can imagine this having massive atheltic budget implications for I-AA schools who depend on those pay day games. Not to mention the left out teams that have higher operational budgets for stadiums and the like who will feel a crunch. It won't matter Econ_Nerd. It's all about selling games and not sharing the pie. Once the conferences go to 16 (if they go), there won't be a need for 1-AA games. It will be about ratings and having two 'brands' play one another. A 1-AA team is not a 'brand'. Furthermore, I think it will get to the point that scheduling a 1-AA team will be poison to your SOS and therefore, no one will dare play a 'lesser' school. I think this is about ESPN and Fox having something akin to the NFL where 'every game matters' and every game can be hyped.

I totally agree Martin. Guys, I get the feeling we are going to get the rug pulled out from us no matter what we do or where we go. I read a post on the NCAAbbs board - sorry, but I don't remember which one, but I agree with that poster's sentiments when he said, "as soon as the 'valuable' teams are out of the ACC, the powers that be will figure out a way to rewrite the rules yet again and further consolidate power amongst the four conferences.". Once the big boys are gone from the ACC, do you think anyone will give a **** about them? It's the carrot on the end of the stick. At this point in the game, I don't think were ever going to sniff a BCS game. Look at all of the angst against Kent State possibly playing in the Orange Bowl. In a few years, that could be us and no matter what we do on the field against the competition we play, it will never be good enough. Let's face it, the Florida teams the B12 really wants are FSU and Miami. After reading endless articles and opinions, it seems what everything is waiting on is Maryland's exit fee from the ACC. Once Maryland has set the bar, no where close to $50m I believe, everyone will run to the door. Then once the 'prestige' programs are gone, then we would get the call up to the ACC. Big deal. I can see it now, ESPN and the others will constantly trash and belittle the ACC much the way they are now the NBE with the additions of Tulane and ECU. They will sniff and look down their noses at us yet again. I said this before and I still think the best course of action is for the NBE, CUSA and MW to break off and do it's own thing and get ready for the long haul. I know some of you hate the idea, thinking it's tantamount to admitting defeat, but I think it's time to be realistic. If the moves being made really are towards 4 super-conferences of 16, where do we fit in? SEC and B12 will have FL covered with UF, FSU and Miami. Pac12 is out for us geographically and B10 is out of the question. No one has ever mentioned FSU or Miami going to the B10 and UF certainly isn't leaving the SEC. Get ready guys, this is where we are and this is where we are going to be.

I don't. Boston College had a say in this and they don't want UConn. Also, UConn's Men's Basketball program's recent issues with the NCAA and the APR would have raised some eyebrows with the ACC Presidents. Apparently Duke and UNC are livid. They wanted UCONN for BB and Academics. Link?

http://www.cbssports...ger-fish----byu So did Air Force. I wonder if now the NBE will give up this western idea, let Boise and San Diego go to the MWC and concentrate on building a conference east of Texas with regional divisions.

+1

Yep. I'm counting on Louisville and UConn being gone. The BE has now been throughly cherry-picked.

https://twitter.com/McMurphyESPN Welcome back to CUSA everyone.

Gotcha. If his info was worth sharing, I wanted to pass it along. Thanks!

I've not seen this particular blogger before. Interesting stuff if true - http://twitter.com/MHver3/ If this guy is BS, feel free to say so.

I wish it was otherwise, but I just do not see an invite to the ACC being forthcoming unless FSU AND Miami leave for the B12. It would be miraculous and I would love to eat crow concerning this, but I just don't see it.

Right on.

Yep, some of us need to realize USF is forever going to be relegated to the 'small-time'. There is no way way in hell the elitists will ever play allow a 'directional' school in their conference. So the Pac 12 is just waiting for the right time to throw USC out ....? That's different and you know it is. When we are a school of their size, endowment, tradition and stature, we'll revisit this topic, okay?

I'm so f****ing frustrated right now - everything our program does feels 'small time' to me. From administration to marketing's cluelessness to fan apathy - everything SCREAMS 'small time'. Ugh. Maybe it's the Old Fashioned's talking, but right now, it just sucks to be a Bulls fan.

Yep, some of us need to realize USF is forever going to be relegated to the 'small-time'. There is no way way in hell the elitists will ever play allow a 'directional' school in their conference. We f***ed up when we named ourselves the University of "South" Florida and we f****ed up when we didn't start a football program earlier when we had the chance.

I have thought something along these lines for a while. I do not see an invitation to ACC or B12 forthcoming.

The question is, do we want to do it? And even if we do, at this point, would it even help?

I was talking about the Big12 more so then the ACC... but you are correct sir. As long as FSU is in the ACC we will NEVER get an invite. Our only hope is that the Big12 will take us in because they want to get into the Tampa market. Outside of the Big12 taking us in, or FSU leaving the ACC and taking us in, we will be screwed. Yep.

I want beer too! Cigar City please. Sorry, deal is only for Loveclub. I will gladly put my money where my mouth is with him if we end up winners in all of this. I will be so happy I will drink the beer with you! Deal!

I want beer too! Cigar City please. Sorry, deal is only for Loveclub. I will gladly put my money where my mouth is with him if we end up winners in all of this.

I think I'm being a realist at this point. If I'm wrong, Loveclub - and you can quote me: If USF ends up in the ACC or the B12 and in better shape than we are now after this, I will GLADLY buy you a case of decent beer (read: Sam Adams, Anchor Steam or the like).

And what credentials do we carry, that other CUSA types don't, to be anywhere else? It's still a huge step backwards. I just can't see many people wanting to buy season tickets to watch us play against Marshall, rice, utep etc I can't stomach buying season tickets when before we played WVA, Pitt, Rutgers etc.. Come on, think about it, once we are relegated to what will be viewed as community college status in the nation's eyes and once conferences go to 16, or whatever the magic number is, we wont even get decent opponents into Ray Jay to play us to help sell seats. We'll have no chance to prove ourselves because no one will schedule us and no chance to make a dent perception wise because we won't be a "have". Please, someone tell me I'm wrong. It's over. We need to do everything we can to form something with the best of regionally-based, similar institutions. But things will never be as good as they were for us (ever) again. If we don't get into a big 5 conference we will go from having played teams like FSU, Louisville, wvu, etc at home to playing Miami of Ohio for home games This is exactly what I am saying. No one will care. Our fan base got spoiled with where we were and I fear they will reject where we are going. Expect to see a lot more Gator, Nole and Canes shirts on campus from now on further eroding our pride and momentum. I'm also afraid the size of our new market (crowds) will never justify us having our OCS as long as Ray Jay is around. It is going to be very hard to be a Bulls fan moving forward.

And what credentials do we carry, that other CUSA types don't, to be anywhere else? It's still a huge step backwards. I just can't see many people wanting to buy season tickets to watch us play against Marshall, rice, utep etc I can't stomach buying season tickets when before we played WVA, Pitt, Rutgers etc.. Come on, think about it, once we are relegated to what will be viewed as community college status in the nation's eyes and once conferences go to 16, or whatever the magic number is, we wont even get decent opponents into Ray Jay to play us to help sell seats. We'll have no chance to prove ourselves because no one will schedule us and no chance to make a dent perception wise because we won't be a "have". Please, someone tell me I'm wrong. It's over. We need to do everything we can to form something with the best of regionally-based, similar institutions. But things will never be as good as they were for us (ever) again.

Yep.