Middle Tennessee will stay in CUSA...

[Maroon Eagle]

The Western Kentucky folks must be upset...

Middle Tennessee AD Chris Massaro confirms to Yahoo Sports that the school is staying in Conference USA.— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 10, 2021

 

[Dawgg]

I feel like that's incredibly short sighted on their part.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Yeah, especially since there's talk that Southern Miss, Marshall, and Old Dominion will be in the Sun Belt next year-- potentially meaning less money for Middle Tennessee.

USM’s exit fees will be the sum of C-USA’s revenue distribution over the next two years, which is estimated at $3 million. If Southern Miss were to leave a year early for the Sun Belt, the school would only be forfeiting one year’s worth of revenue from C-USA, or an estimated $1.5 million.

McClain expects the university to save hundreds of thousands dollars annually in travel feels alone.

If the three C-USA schools decided to move to the SBC one year early, that would result in uneven 13 football playing members for the 2022 season, as JMU will have to go through the NCAA-mandated transition year that comes with moving from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision.

That's from the Sun Herald: Link.

 

[Smoked Toag]

Can't see any logic here.

 

[patdog]

Could that be any more poorly written? It appears he's saying that USM's exit fee would only be half as much if they leave after this year vs staying in CUSA for another year. That makes no sense at all. Also, what are "travel feels?"

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Yeah. It doesn't make sense.

But it is Conference USA.

 

[patdog]

True. Moving to the Sunbelt is the best thing that's happened for USM athletics in a long time.

 

[Dawgg]

Could that be any more poorly written? It appears he's saying that USM's exit fee would only be half as much if they leave after this year vs staying in CUSA for another year. That makes no sense at all. Also, what are "travel feels?"

Yeah, that's pretty rough. What I think they're saying is that as part of their exit package, instead of a buyout/exit fee like the Power 5's have, USM stays and basically gets nothing as long as they stay. They stand to make $1.5 Million each year, so if they leave next year, they're only forfeiting $1.5 Million. If they leave in 2023, they forfeit $3 Million. In a way, it makes sense because G5 schools aren't going to have the money for big lump sum payouts.

That is... if I'm reading that correctly, which is pretty hard.

Also, I'm going to assume "travel feels" is "travel fees", which yes, Southern Miss will absolutely benefit in travelling through smaller towns in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Alabama instead of metro areas in Texas and Florida.

 

[Raiderdawg.sixpack]

The MT AD and president are idiots.

The AD gave the HC an automatic 1 year contract extension in his past contract for 5 years if they hit 6 wins or 4 conference wins and maintain the APR. The mediocrity and the terrible hire after Kermit left drove away most fans and any remaining donations. They have no money, can’t afford to update facilities, and can’t afford to buyout contracts of terrible coaches. They subsidize their athletics on 75% student fees.

So instead of moving to stability, they think that collecting some exit fees from USM et al will give them some money that will fix everything. They are coasting to retirement and do not realize the problem is them.

The MT AD seriously makes Cohen look like a genius.

 

[Mayor of Little London]

Must have given MTSU the sort of deal the Big 12 always gave Texas

 

[Bill Shankly]

Can't see any logic here.

Me either. That conference may not survive, and if it does it's likely to be a collection of teams from all over the country that nobody else will take.

 

[patdog]

Meanwhile, Western Kentucky wants to know WTF, Middle Tennessee? Thanks for the double cross. Now we're stuck in this joke of a conference too.

 

[Dawgg]

Must have given MTSU the sort of deal the Big 12 always gave Texas

Yeah, but instead of throwing tens of millions of dollars at MTSU, they threw in a promise they'll get the "good" Flofootball.com time slot and a 2020 Men's Soccer National Championship T-Shirt.

Also, I learned today that MTSU's original mascot was Nathan Bedford Forrest and that didn't change until the 1970's. That is crazy as 17.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I've seen at least one Southern Miss fan post that the MAC decided not to expand before Middle Tennessee's announcement.

So maybe the MAC didn't want:

1. To gut CUSA to the point that even more FCS schools would join and dilute the G5 revenue pot even more.
2. To expand because it wasn't worth it financially.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Southern Miss fans are just wandering around whistling while they're reading your comment...

And if you're wondering why: Link.

 

[johnson86-1]

Southern Miss fans are just wandering around whistling while they're reading your comment...

And if you're wondering why: Link.

Man, can't believe USM had a great name like "the Normalites" and dropped it.

 

[Raiderdawg.sixpack]

MT is staying to collect 5 million dollars in exit fees from the teams that are leaving and because the MAC wanted them to sign a 20 yr grant of rights.

The blue raider name was inspired by the Colgate red raiders. MT still has a building named for Forrest on campus, which is really odd since NBF has absolutely no real tie to the school other than the students back in the 50s adopting him as the model raider and it sticking for 25-30 years.

 

[Dawgg]

Southern Miss fans are just wandering around whistling while they're reading your comment...

And if you're wondering why: Link.

OOF... No wonder Ole Miss skated by for so long... They could be like "hey, at least we didn't trot out a Klansmen!"

 

[Dawgg]

Man, can't believe USM had a great name like "the Normalites" and dropped it.

Michigan State had it too. I'm not even sure what that means.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Actually that's Eastern Michigan. Click the first link in the quote below:

The 1906 Michigan State Normal Normalites football team represented Michigan State Normal College (later renamed Eastern Michigan University) during the 1906 college football season. In their first season under head coach Henry Schulte, the Normalites compiled a record of 5–0–1, shut out four of six opponents, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 52 to 11. Leroy N. Brown was the team captain

A lot of the colleges that were dedicated to teaching education were also known as Normal Schools and most if not all later changed their names as well as mascots.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Ah... Smart move on the part of the MAC. They don't mind expanding but want stability as well.

 

[Dawgg]

Actually that's Eastern Michigan. Click the first link in the quote below:



A lot of the colleges that were dedicated to teaching education were also known as Normal Schools and most if not all later changed their names as well as mascots.

You're right! I just saw "Michigan State Normal Normalites" and thought they were doubling down on how 'Normal' they were... not like those crazy jackasses in Ann Arbor with their penchant for horseless carriages and bare ankles.

 

[Dawgg]

Ah... Smart move on the part of the MAC. They don't mind expanding but want stability as well.

Which is why I'm kind of surprised MTSU didn't take the deal. Say what you will about the MAC, it's not going anywhere. It has the most stable membership of the any of the G5, has only lost 4 football playing members (UMass, Marshall, Temple, UCF) in the past 70 years, and has a decent television deal. A one-time $5 Million payout seems like a bad investment over decades of stability.

I mean... who does MTSU think is going to come calling?

 

[johnson86-1]

Which is why I'm kind of surprised MTSU didn't take the deal. Say what you will about the MAC, it's not going anywhere. It has the most stable membership of the any of the G5, has only lost 4 football playing members (UMass, Marshall, Temple, UCF) in the past 70 years, and has a decent television deal. A one-time $5 Million payout seems like a bad investment over decades of stability.

I mean... who does MTSU think is going to come calling?

The MAC?

That's the only sense I can make out of it, is that they think they can collect the $5M and still get an invite to the MAC later. Either that, or they want to take the $5M and stop investing in sports.

 

[Dawgg]

The MAC?

That's the only sense I can make out of it, is that they think they can collect the $5M and still get an invite to the MAC later. Either that, or they want to take the $5M and stop investing in sports.

Honestly, I hadn't thought about holding out for a later MAC invitation. That makes a little bit of sense if that's the case. Still pretty risky I think to not take the deal as it is. Once UNA, Delta State, DeVry, Southwest Assemblies of God University, Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterrey, and Tougaloo get added to Conference USA, they may not be quite as attractive.

 

[Fogdog]

The MAC?

That's the only sense I can make out of it, is that they think they can collect the $5M and still get an invite to the MAC later. Either that, or they want to take the $5M and stop investing in sports.

^^^^^^^^
This...

 

[Fogdog]

The MT AD and president are idiots.

The AD gave the HC an automatic 1 year contract extension in his past contract for 5 years if they hit 6 wins or 4 conference wins and maintain the APR. The mediocrity and the terrible hire after Kermit left drove away most fans and any remaining donations. They have no money, can’t afford to update facilities, and can’t afford to buyout contracts of terrible coaches. They subsidize their athletics on 75% student fees.

So instead of moving to stability, they think that collecting some exit fees from USM et al will give them some money that will fix everything. They are coasting to retirement and do not realize the problem is them.

The MT AD seriously makes Cohen look like a genius.

If they joined, MTSU would have the fifth largest student population in the 13-team MAC. They have plenty of leverage relative to other conference members.

 

[Raiderdawg.sixpack]

No way our admin are holding out for a later MAC invite.

The president’s comments basically insulted the MAC after the conference considered throwing them a gift & MT managed to screw over their likely future expansion partner at the same time.

It’s a short term money grab by an idiot president. It makes me wish me too existed 15 years ago and his sorry *** would not be there to drive MT athletics into the ground.

 

[johnson86-1]

No way our admin are holding out for a later MAC invite.

The president’s comments basically insulted the MAC after the conference considered throwing them a gift & MT managed to screw over their likely future expansion partner at the same time.

It’s a short term money grab by an idiot president. It makes me wish me too existed 15 years ago and his sorry *** would not be there to drive MT athletics into the ground.

Wait, you’re a MTSU alum? What is your connection to MSU? Just family?

 

[Raiderdawg.sixpack]

Wait, you’re a MTSU alum? What is your connection to MSU? Just family?

Undergrad at MT.
Masters and Doctorate at MSU. Spent 6 years in Starkville and 3 in M’boro. Plus I had a couple cousins graduate from MSU before I got there.