UNC CHARLOTTE FOOTBALL: A PROGRAM TO WATCH

Original G5 Content


A PROGRAM IS BORN

On November 13, 2008, Charlotte Football was reborn. After years of  student and alumni support , the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees voted to approve the creation of an FBS level program. In 2011, Charlotte Athletic Director Judy Rose, hired former Wake Forest Defense Coordinator Brad Lambert to serve as the 49ers first Head Football Coach. Lambert, who is known for his solid,  no nonsense coaching style, quickly became the 49er Football Program's best cheerleader, tirelessly making the rounds to media outlets preaching the 49er Gospel. Lambert, much like ODU's first Head Football Coach Bobby Wilder, is an excellent face and symbol for the young 49er Football Program.

The 49ers are set to fully join Conference USA and the FBS in 2015. (Charlotte basketball is already in Conference USA) The move to the FBS division of College Football is however, not without peril for the 49ers. The Mid Major market in College Football is more crowded than ever. In the past five years alone, schools like Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, ODU, UMASS and Georgia State, just to name a few, have decided to try their luck at FBS Football.

The driving force and  motivation to  enter the FBS division of College Football  is easy to understand,  Money. With soaring TV contracts for the best leagues and teams(see BIG MONEY FOR P5 CONFERENCES), often at 20 million  a year,  the allure of a potentially large payday has proven to be tempting for many schools to  ignore. So Charlotte, like the other new FBS programs,  has committed itself  to paying millions of dollars in start up costs all for chance of winning and winning big at the FBS level. Charlotte however, is unique, in that their Football Program was created specifically to go straight to the FBS Division as soon as the rules would allow.

Even with this unique mandate, UNC- Charlotte still faces many of the same challenges that any new or old  FBS Program must face.  Two of the most significant of these FBS challenges to Charlotte will be revenue streams and recruiting. We will briefly examine both of these issues, starting with the revenue issue first.

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

It's no secret that the  P5 Conferences have been trying to distance themselves from the rest of College Football for the last two years. The perceived need of  the P5 to go it alone,  is in large part a product an over saturated market in College Football.  An over saturated market that they P5 believe threaten to dampen their own revenue streams.

There are,  for example,  125 FBS programs at the moment with four more set to enter in 2015. This will bring the FBS total to 129 schools. All 129 will need  money, lots of it.  One of the real challenges for Charlotte going forward will be the need for a steady flow of income.

FBS football programs are expensive to operate as the architects of Charlotte Football no doubt understand. Ever wonder just how expensive it is  to fund an FBS Program? Below is a small excerpt from an excellent article in the Journal ETHOS that breaks down the expenses and revenue of two Mid Majors. These two schools, Marshall and Texas State are very similar in size and scope to the new football program at  UNC Charlotte.

" For example, at Marshall University—a smaller top-tier program with a storied history—the expenses of the football team ($7,083,399) nearly wash out their revenue ($7,760,381).  The remaining “football” revenue only marginally supports the expenses of other sports.  Or, at Texas State University-San Marcos, a far less competitive football program at a university with enrollment numbers comparable to the University of Alabama, the revenue and expenses were both reported as exactly $5,633,155.  The point is that once you get out of the upper echelon of the top tier—let’s call it the football 1%—the sport is hardly profitable for itself, much less for universities.(ETHOS ARTICLE ON COST OF FBS FOOTBALL)

If Charlotte has hopes for a steady income stream or large payday from their newly formed football program, they will need to be creative in making this a reality.  Many new and old FBS  schools lose money or break even at best with their football programs.  UNC-Charlotte will need to negotiate the FBS carefully and wisely if they do not want the rest of their  athletic programs to suffer. The FBS is a big tank full of sharks and barracuda. Charlotte will need to avoid playing the role of minnow if it hopes to have a successful football program.

RECRUITING FOR UNC-CHARLOTTE

It is important to mention that Charlotte knows what it looks like to field a successful  men's collegiate team.  UNC-Charlotte Men's Basketball is for example a stellar program with a rich and proud tradition.  The UNC-Charlotte  men's basketball team has made the NCAA Tournament 11 times. They were also Conference USA Champions in  1999 and 2001. In fact Charlotte basketball should help raise the overall profile of Conference USA in the next several years. Basketball however, is not Football. This is especially true as it pertains to recruiting.

The state of North Carolina has suddenly become very crowded with FBS football programs. By the time Charlotte joins the FBS division of College Football, there will be 7 FBS programs vying for recruits in the state of North Carolina. Charlotte's main competitors for high school players will initially be Appalachian State and ECU. App State already has a very good pipeline of players from western North Carolina, as well as South Carolina and Georgia. ECU, the most dominant of the G5 programs in North Carolina, has a good pipeline in North Carolina, South Carolina and a renewed recruiting  relationship with Florida. Charlotte will need to convince players who are leaning towards App State or ECU, that they are a better fit for them.

Charlotte will also be competing against the rest of the FBS programs in North Carolina as well as programs like Clemson and South Carolina. All of this makes Charlotte's first few years in FBS competition crucial to the success of their program. If the 49ers start fast and win some games they are not supposed to win , then Charlotte suddenly becomes a viable option for quality recruits. Start slow and get blown out on a consistent basis and the 49er program becomes a place where marginal recruits find a home.

It has taken ECU and Appalachian State decades to not only build their fan bases, but also to carve out a niche for their programs on the recruiting trail. UNC-Charlotte will need great coaching, tremendous fan support and some good old fashioned luck to make the first few years of their FBS football life a success. Charlotte does have something however, neither of these programs have in terms of recruiting. That is they are situated in the middle of one of the most fertile recruiting areas in North Carolina, Mecklenburg County.  Charlotte will need to leverage this gold mine of recruiting to their advantage if they want to compete with the FBS schools in their region. They will need to do so fast however, as Appalachian State, the closest FBS program to Charlotte, appears to be on the brink of doing very good things once they enter the Sun Belt Conference.

GOING FORWARD

Charlotte offers a unique and intriguing FBS storyline . The school is located in North Carolina's largest city and in the midst of the recruiting hotbed of Mecklenburg county. They have a fan base that is passionate about their new  football program and a new stadium that is  both fan friendly and ascetically  pleasing. They have an excellent head coach in Brad Lambert and an administration that seems eager to make the football program a success and a priority.  Charlotte Football will also have the blessing and curse of a large media presence in both television and print.

There are  of course many obstacles that UNC-Charlotte will need to navigate if the 49er Program is going to succeed.  Two of the most difficult of these obstacles, as we have discussed, are revenue streams and recruiting. It is hard, however, not to be optimistic for the 49er Program going forward. The program, even in its infancy,  has many of the most important ingredients needed to compete and compete well at the FBS level.

UNC-Charlotte will be
a team  to watch over the next several years. If they are able to manage their considerable assets in wise and prudent ways, then Charlotte could become a Football Program that rises quickly and swiftly. Conversely, if the 49ers stumble out of the gate and fail to guide the program around the various pitfalls, they could be looking at many, many seasons of failure and disappointment.   Stay tuned....

G5 MINUTE: CONFERENCE USA FACES ITS MOST DIFFICULT CHALLENGE TO DATE ON JULY 1

G5 Blog Original Content


There have been very few College Sports Conferences that have been  hit harder than Conference USA during the last two years of the often chaotic world of collegiate conference realignment.  On July 1st Conference USA,  which  losses ECU, TULANE and TULSA to the AAC and gains WKU from the Sun Belt ,ends their  latest and most dramatic phase of conference realignment.   July 1st also marks the beginning of a long road of rebuilding and rebranding for Conference USA. Rebuilding and rebranding for a conference that has seen the majority of its best programs leave  and join the AAC.

In a few short days ECU, TULANE and TULSA will join former Conference USA mates UCF, MEMPHIS, HOUSTON AND SMU in the  American Athletic Conference. Conference USA commissioner, Britton Banowsky, in order to replace these departing schools, turned to North Texas, ODU,MTSU, LA TECH, FIU, FAU, UTSA, UNC-CHARLOTTE and WKU. Half  of these programs come  from the Sun Belt Conference, while the other half come from new FBS start up programs or the WAC Conference. None of the replacement schools however, bring the name recognition ,winning tradition or brand power that the majority of the schools who are leaving Conference USA do.

Herein lies the real challenge for Britton Banowsky and Conference USA going forward. To take this new group of schools, including their lower profiles and somehow recapture the solid reputation Conference  USA has enjoyed in the past. There is little doubt that schools like Marshall , Southern Miss, UTEP ,RICE and UAB, will need to play a greater role in the rebranding of Conference USA if the conference is going  to remain relevant in College Sports.

Fortunately for the conference, MARSHALL seems poised to have a ground breaking year in football this season. The Thundering Herd will be lead by the  Heisman worthy QB Rakeem Cato. Apart from Marshall however, Conference USA football looks to be void of any news making programs, or teams that have the potential to make noise on ESPN this Fall.

Conference USA also faces an uncertain future in College Basketball. This year the conference was a one bid league with little on the horizon to indicate this might change over the next few years. WKU's entry into Conference USA is a plus, but until UAB among others gets it mojo back, Conference USA will encounter the worst of all battles in sports, the battle of perception. Right now Conference USA is losing the perception war, something Banowsky will need to counter if he wants his league to go beyond the one team stigma.

It is easy to forget that Conference USA was once home to outstanding College programs like Louisville, TCU and Cincinnati to name a few.  In fact the conference has an excellent history of sending its members on to bigger and better things. There are questions  , however,  if the new teams that have been brought into Conference USA  have growth capacity to transcend the confines of the conference like past Conference USA schools have. It is likely to early in the process of the new Conference USA to know the answer to this question.

One also has to wonder if Conference USA made a mistake this time around in going after markets instead of winning programs. Not inviting schools from the Sun Belt like UL and Ark State and passing them by  for newly formed programs like UNC-Charlotte appear to some to be short sighted and purely market driven. Will the Networks who will be providing Conference USA with its next tv contract be  more interested in markets or winning programs? Markets seem to matter very little for most G5 schools, as most G5 schools are not good for tv ratings.

One of the greatest challenge for Conference USA going forward  will be for the conference to prove that it can compete consistently on a regional and sometimes national level. The new schools in Conference USA will need to prove to recruits , fans and critics alike that the latest incarnation of the conference can stand the test of time just as it has in the past.  Conference USA has  consistently been one  the best mid major conferences in College Sports. At this point in its history though, Conference USA is essentially starting over with only Southern Miss and a few other schools serving as witness to the better days of the conference.

On July 1st Conference USA begins a new sports life. Can, however,  the latest group of schools match the past history of Conference USA? With strong competition coming from the maturing Sun Belt and MAC conferences as well as the G5 leaders   Mountain West and AAC , the future for Conference USA is unclear. The next few years will be crucial to the conference as it tries to differentiate itself from the rest of the G5 competition. Commissioner Britton Banowsky's greatest challenge as the commissioner  of Conference USA is about to begin. July 1st marks the start of that challenge for both Banowsky and the teams that will make up the new Conference USA. Stay tuned to see how it unfolds.

PHIL STEELE RANKS AAC BEST G5 CONFERENCE, SUN BELT LAST. COMPARE OUR 3RD PLACE SUN BELT RANKING TO STEELE'S

PHIL STEELE RANKS CONFERENCES

Original G5 Blog Material

Phil Steele, the College Football prediction guru, has released his College Football Conference rankings list. Steele lists the G5 conferences in the following order:

1. AAC
2. MWC
3. MAC
4. CONFERENCE USA
5. SUN BELT

Steele's rankings and the G5 Blog rankings are similar only in the first two spots where we both have the AAC and MWC in the 1 and 2 positions.  Here are the G5 Blog Conference rankings from  two months ago.

1. AAC
2. MWC
3. SUN BELT
4. MAC
5. CONFERENCE USA
( For a more in depth explanation of these rankings click here: G5 NEWS AND ISSUES CONFERENCE RANKINGS


Some disagreed with the G5 Blog and its number 3 ranking of the the Sun Belt .  Here is what I wrote about the Sun Belt and its number 3 spot in our list:

3. SUN BELT CONFERENCE : This might come as a surprise to some people, but not to those who follow the Belt closely.  The Sunbelt has earned its number 3 rating because of strong football and strong football schools that have been added since realignment. App State and Ga Southern were excellent  picks for the Sunbelt.  The Sunbelt has more pure football schools in it's conference than the MAC and Conf USA do. What the Sunbelt is missing however, is competitive basketball. Sunbelt basketball should be sued for gross negligence. If I were Commissioner  Karl Benson, I would hold an emergency meeting with the conference AD's to discuss the dismal state of Sunbelt basketball. On the other hand, football schools like Ark State, ULL and the new additions of the Sunbelt should keep this conference competitive for many years to come.

I am perplexed as to why Steele ranks the Sun Belt last among the G5 Conferences as his own statements and data seem to contradict his rating of the Belt.  Concerning the 2014 Sun Belt Steele writes:

"Last year the Sun Belt went 19-21 in nonconference action, which was the best mark in their history and a better overall record than the Mountain West, C-USA and MAC. "

These comments and data make it clear that the Sun Belt was more competitive than both the MAC and Conference USA last year. Not only did the Sun Belt have the best non conference record last year but one of the Belt's best teams,  UL , has beaten the likes of ECU, Tulane and San Diego State in the last 3 years. 

It's clear that the Sun Belt still has work to do in transforming its brand and image. The Belt  will need to continue to win key OOC games as well as games  against  other G5 schools  in order to make believers out of doubters. The good news for Sun Belt fans is that it's leadership has chosen wisely in bringing in football centric schools like App State and Ga Southern to replace the programs that left for Conference USA.

We will revisit our own G5 Conference rankings and Steel's rankings at the end of the season and grade each one in accordance with how close or far away each of us has been. Stay tuned.

WKU READY FOR CONFERENCE USA

WKU READY FOR CONFERENCE USA (Link)

AAC COMMISSIONER MIKE ARESCO TRAVELS TO GREENVILLE, NC TO WELCOME ECU TO THE AAC

AAC Commissioner was in Greenville ,NC today( Tuesday June 24th) to officially welcome the Pirates to the AAC. Click here for the Full Story.

CONFERENCE USA COMMISSIONER BRITTON BANOWSKY TESTIFIES AT O'BANNON TRAIL

BANOWSKY TESTIFIES AT O'BANNON TRAIL(link)


Former UCLA basketball player and professional athlete Ed O'Bannon is suing the NCAA for antitrust practices. O'Bannon believes that he and other NCAA athletes are due compensation from the NCAA for the use of likeness on everything from live broadcasts to team calendars.

Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky has been on the stand testifying about issues of profit and school financial burdens at the O'Bannon trail.  One of the more interesting aspects of Banowsky's testimony however, seems to indicate that Conference USA schools have decided to pay the so called cost of attendance fees being promised by the P5 conferences. Stay tuned

BOISE STATE PICKED TO WIN MOUNTAIN WEST BY MULTIPLE MEDIA OUTLETS

BOISE STATE THE FAVORITE AMONG MEDIA OUTLETS

G5 NEWS AND ISSUES PRESEASON PICK : EAST CAROLINA PIRATES WILL BE AAC CHAMPS

G5 News and Issue original content:
Look for more G5 Conference predictions 
in the weeks to come.


The East Carolina Pirates have an SEC spirit trapped in a G5 body. No other G5 school can boast the same game day atmosphere, fan support and culture that ECU has created over the past 3 decades of collegiate play. Why the Big East snubbed them a decade ago during realignment  remains not only a mystery but one of the great blunders of that now faded conference. But I digress, this is not about the past mistakes of the Big East, this is about the future and ECU's new role in the AAC. A role that should allow ECU to become one of the most dominant players in the conference going forward. A role that also places ECU in the best position to win  the AAC in their inaugural  year of conference play.

The AAC is the top G5 conference at the moment.  Anyone who follows the conference knows that there are many talented football programs in the AAC.  Many of these teams, however, have too many question marks at too positions to be tapped as preseason favorites to win the conference. Cincinnati for example, has too many complicated QB Issues.  UCF also has QB issues as well as  winners fatigue.  The Houston Cougars  have  broken way to many hearts over the years by failing to live up to their  full potential to be counted on as preseason favorites. Schools like UConn,  Tulane, USF, Memphis and Temple do not have the players nor the fire power to be considered Championship threats this year.

All of these issues, plus the fact that ECU is loaded for some serious ball this fall,  makes the Pirates the  best  preseason pick to win the AAC. The ECU rose however, is not without its thorns. The Pirates have a brutal OOC schedule and will need for its young OL to bond and gel quickly in order for the season to be successful. What ECU does have in its corner,  are some of the best offensive weapons in the conference, including one of the best QB's in the country, Shane Carden.

Carden will have his pick of talented WR's to throw to this fall including the future  NFL bound Justin Hardy. On the defensive side of the ball, second year Defensive Coordinator Rick Smith has one of the best front seven groups in ECU history.( For a more in depth look at the Pirate Football team click here :ECU fall preview)

ECU also lays claim to the  ubber charismatic, hard working , players coach in Ruffin McNeill. The Pirate program, after 5 yrs under his leadership, is now fully McNeill's.  McNeill has installed a never say die attitude among his players,  punctuated by his now famous,  "want some get some", speech from a few years ago. Don't be surprised if  McNeill and the ECU Pirates beat the South Carolina Gamecocks this year, clearly the most difficult  team on their schedule this fall.

ECU has yet to achieve  its most important goal as a program, to play in a P5 conference. The AAC, however, is fast becoming a very competitive league in its own right. Mike Aresco, by inviting the Pirates, strengthened not only the AAC but ECU as well. The Pirates will field a very talented and dangerous team this year. McNeill through good recruiting and with the assistance of one of the best walk on programs in the country, has assembled the best ECU team in years. ECU should be the top AAC football team  this year. Win or lose however, Mike Aresco already looks like a  very smart commissioner for inviting the Pirates to the conference. Stay tuned.


G5 CONFERENCE NEWS AND ISSUE:
AAC PREDICATED FINISH

1. ECU
2. UCF
3. CINCINNATI
4. HOUSTON
5. TULANE
6. TEMPLE
7. SMU
8. USF
9. MEMPHIS
10.TULSA
11. UCONN


Note: The best thing to do when you make a mistake is own up to it. Not only was SMU left out of the original countdown  TULSA was as well. Definitely my mistake and a rookie one at that. Still does not change my top 6 and 1st pick overall, but a bad mistake anyway you look at it. Thanks to those who brought this to my attention. I rushed to finish the article and have paid for it. I transferred the draft copy to the page and did not look at it again until it was to late. My apologies to my regular blog readers and to SMU and TULSA fans. I definitely know that you are in the AAC.

MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL: SELECTION COMMITTEE POLL TO DETERMINE WHO HOSTS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

MOUNTAIN WEST CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

EIGHT ROADRUNNERS ON ATHLON SPORTS PRE ALL CONFERENCE TEAM

EIGHT UTSA PLAYERS ON ATHLON SPORTS PRE ALL CONFERENCE LIST(link)

G5 original content


UTSA continues to impress with 8 selections in Athlon's latest Pre-Season All Conference Team. Larry Coker, UTSA head coach, not only knows how to win, he also knows how to find good but undervalued players. Coker had taken many of these players and has fashioned them into a very competitive group.

 Coker and UTSA, are poised to have a break out season in Conference USA this year. UTSA brings a talented and experienced unit to a weakened Conference USA this year. Don't be surprised if the Roadrunners  battle for the Conference USA Championship this year. Stay tuned.

CATO VS CARDEN: IS ONE BETTER THAN THE OTHER?

G5 Original Blog Material

STATS


SHANE CARDEN

TOTAL YARDS 7255
TOUCHDOWNS: 56
INTERCEPTIONS: 20
COMPLETION PERCENTAGE: 70.5 % 2013
RAT: 150
AWARDS: CONFERENCE USA PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2013


RAKEEM CATO

TOTAL YARDS:  10,176
TOUCHDOWNS: 91
INTERCEPTIONS: 31
COMPLETION PERCENTAGE: 59.7% 2013
RAT: 147
AWARDS: OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR CONFERENCE USA 2013

OVERVIEW

Shane Carden and Rakeem Cato represent two important reasons why  Conference USA has enjoyed its stellar reputation as one of the best offensive leagues in College Football.  Carden and Cato are prototypical Conference USA QB's. Both were under recruited, both have mastered their spread systems and both have placed their respective schools in contention for good things this fall.

In typical sports reasoning one has to be better than the other right? In this case, however, there may simply not be one that is better than the other. Both are very talented, but very talented at doing different things on the football field.

Cato for instance, has great feet and can hurt you with his scrambling along with his arm.  Carden is more cerebral and patient in the pocket.  He also has speed, but less so  than Cato's. When hot, Cato is one of the best  passers in College Football. Carden, on the other hand is the model of consistency and patience . Cato is a fiery , sometimes emotional player, while Carden is even tempered and steady in the face of pressure

Cato was asked to grow up quickly at Marshall as he was forced into the starting lineup  his freshman year. Carden was red shirted and did not take over the ECU offense until midway into the 2012 season. Both players however, have lead their teams to bowl wins and 10 game winning seasons.

PICK ONE

Carden and Cato are the two best QB's in the Gang of 5 right now and both are in the top 15 nationally. Carden has received more press of late and was picked by ESPN Insider as one of the best 8 QB's in the College Football.

If there is a knock on Cato, it would be his mental focus at times. He has been known to yell at his coach's on the sidelines  especially when Marshall has fallen behind in games. This might be the reason that Cato has been left off of some of the top lists Carden has found himself on this Spring and early Summer. Carden, is known for his clear head, and level temperament . He is also the undisputed leader on the ECU team. Cato's sometimes rocky relationship with Marshall Head Coach, Doc Holiday, makes Cato's field leadership more complicated than does Carden's.

Cato however, is more athletic than Carden. Cato also has great field recognition and can see multiple receivers at one time down the field.  Carden has an excellent short to medium passing game, in fact one of the best in College Football. Carden, however,  struggles with the deep ball, as does Cato at times.

So who do you want on your team? A great short to medium range passer, with excellent leadership skills or a superior athletic who can beat  you with his eyes, hands and feet?

Whichever one you pick, it is clear that both QB's represent the style of play and team philosophy of their respective Head Coaches.  Shane Carden is a Ruffin McNeill(ECU Head Coach) player from head to toe. McNeill who preaches selflessness , community and humility has found in Carden a mirror image of his coaching  ethos and vision. Rakeem Cato is a Doc Holiday( MARSHALL Head Coach), player all the way. Cato represents the uber  gifted, sometimes brash,  but overlooked  Florida athlete that Doc Holiday has made a living on for the past several years at Marshall.

CONCLUSION

The real test for both Carden and Cato will come this year. Both begin the season with high expectations,  talented rosters and seasoned coaching staffs. Carden  and  ECU join the AAC, a step up in competition from Conference USA, and Cato begins Conference USA with not so quiet tones of an undefeated season to come. Both will need to remain healthy and focused if they want to lead their teams to the type of season fans and supporters expect from each of them. In the end, who you choose as the better QB is ultimately a choice between styles and philosophy.

There is no disputing that Shane Carden and Rakeem Cato are among two of the best QB's to ever play in Conference USA. Both also, in many ways,  represent  the end of an era for Conference USA. A conference  that at one time, in its not so distance past, boasted teams that could consistently play on the national stage largely because of QB's like Carden and Cato.

Both Cato and Carden are poised to do very good things this year. Stay tuned to see which one is able to  live up to the high expectations that have been placed on them for their last year of collegiate play. The ultimate measuring stick between the two however, will most likely come in the form of their win/loss record at the end of  next season. It is going to be a  very interesting year to be a Marshall and ECU fan. Stay tuned.

ATHLON PREDICTS AN UNDEFEATED MARSHALL SEASON AND TOPS IN CONFERENCE USA

MARSHALL SHOULD WIN CONFERENCE USA EASILY

AAC HAS 23 PLAYERS TAKEN IN BASEBALL DRAFT

AAC BASEBALL 

CONFERENCE USA REALIGNMENT MONEY:ALMOST 40 MILLION ACCORDING TO CBS

CBS STORY ON CONFERENCE USA LINK

UL BEATS OLE MISS: HOUSTON ELIMINATED FROM SUPER REGIONAL

UL BASEBALL ON A ROLL

UL beat Ole Miss last night 9-5.  UL is one win away from the College World Series. GAME 2 tonight 8pm ESPN

G5 MINUTE: ESPN CONTINUES TO DOMINATE COLLEGE FOOTBALL MARKET

Original G5Blog Content

ESPN STILL THE GOLD STANDARD IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL

As chatter begins to pick up concerning the next television contract Conference USA will need to sign over the  next year , it might be helpful to take a quick look at just how dominate ESPN continues to be in the world of College Football. Like it or not the gold standard for College Football is ESPN by a wide margin. With this sports behemoth  playing such a dominate role in college football,  it would be wise for  Conference USA to give serious consideration to partnering with ESPN again. In fact, any G5 conference that does not have some form of partnership with ESPN does so at its own peril.

GAMES, MONEY AND SCHEDULE

We will begin this very brief  ESPN primer with a quiz. Care to guess how many College Football games ESPN broadcast last year during football season: .........okay if you guessed 450 your right. That's right, 450 games found a home on one of the multiple television channels ESPN owns and operates.

Not only did ESPN broadcast 450 games, they also made a fortune in the process of showing these games. Below,Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk, describes just how dominate a player ESPN is in College Football:

The powers-that-be in Bristol, who by virtue of their ownership by Disney ultimately answer to a board of directors and in turn to shareholders, need to stay the course that has made ESPN worth a whopping $40 billion.

Take away 17 regular-season NFL games, and subscription fees in excess of $5 per month per home will drop. Take away 450 college football games, and the monthly charge plummets.

ESPN has built its empire in large part on college football.  If college football goes away, or if at a minimum becomes diminished, that hurts ESPN a lot more than the NFL ever could.

Okay, if you got lost in Florio's numbers, watch the five minute NY Times video story below. The video examines how every year the most powerful college football coaches in the country come to Bristol, Connecticut and pay homage to  ESPN. The coaches make a pilgrimage to ESPN because they know that the obscenely large television contracts their conferences have sighed with ESPN are not enough , they also need exposure and the best time slots for their games.

Exposure and determining  game times is where ESPN's director of scheduling  Ilan Ben-Henan comes into play. In fact the NYTIMES calls Ben-Henan the most powerful man in college  football nobody knows. Watch the clip :

College Football's Most Dominant Player? It's ESPN


Any talk going forward of Fox or even NBC becoming a rival to ESPN is premature.  If as the video indicates, College Football's most important players still believe ESPN to be the mecca for College Sports, then the G5 will  have to continue to deal with ESPN, like or not. Conference USA will need to keep open the real possibility of an ESPN partnership. Doing so of course, continues to give ESPN what it wants most of all, the title of King of College Football. Stay tuned.

This is the first of a two part series looking at the challenges facing Conference USA and their new tv deal.

GAME ON: UL VS OLE MISS IN SUPER REGIONAL: HOUSTON FALLS TO TEXAS IN GAME 1

OLE MISS FACES BIG CHALLENGE IN UL TODAY

G5 Blog Content

UL faces off against Ole Miss tonight at 7pm in the best of 3 series. This will be the fifth trip for Ole Miss to the Super Regionals since 2005.  This is the second time since 2000 the Ragin Caguns have made it to the Super Regionals.

UL has the bats and pitching to beat Ole Miss. This should be  UL's series to win. Stay tuned for updates. Game is on ESPN 2( 8 EST)


Meanwhile, Houston lost to Texas in a 4-2 decision last night. Houston finds itself against the wall and one game away from elimination. Game two begins at 2 pm(EST) today on ESPN.

G5 COACHING MINUTE: BILL CLARK AN EXCELLENT HIRE FOR THE UAB FOOTBALL PROGRAM

Original GNews Content

Last year UAB gave up a jaw dropping 43 points a game on their way to a dismal 2-10 season.  Oh, and don't bother asking Garrick McGee, UAB's head coach last year, how he plans to fix the program. Don't bother asking him because McGee bolted UAB last season faster than a rabbit running from a hungry Alabama hunter. McGee, who earned a paltry 5-19 record after two years as head coach, joined  the Louisville Cardinals as their offensive signal caller in January of this year.

Count this however, as a much needed blessing for the UAB faithful.( UAB FANS ) A blessing in the form of new UAB head coach Bill Clark.  Bill Clark is an excellent hire for UAB. He has coaching experience on the FBS , FCS and High School levels of play. More importantly however,  Clark has taught the programs he has been associated with how to win. In 2006 and 2007 for example, Clark won back to back Alabama High School State Football titles. Last year, he lead his alma mater, Jacksonville State to an impressive 11-4 record including a trip to the FCS playoff  quarterfinals.

Clark will not only bring his  winning record to UAB,  but he will also have an important list of connections  to High School football coaches in the talent rich state of Alabama. Clark will need to utilize both of these tools  if  he hopes to revamp  the  beleaguered UAB  program  in the next several years.

Finally, if you needed one more reason to be impressed with Clark how about the brief story that was published in the Trussville Tribune, an Alabama newspaper , in mid May about Clark.  The newspaper, reported that Bill Clark had been invited to serve as guest speaker for a gathering of local business men and politicians at the  Trussville Civic Center located in Trussville Alabama. At the meeting, Clark told those gathered that when he met the UAB football team for the first time he shared with them coaching legend John Wooden's famous pyramid of success. The Tribune wrote the following about that encounter:

"He(Clark) showed them UCLA basketball coaching legend John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success and delivered three rules. One: Always protect the team. Two: No whining, complaining or excuses. Three: Be ready.That first rule is about players representing themselves well on and off the field, because their actions reflect on UAB. The No. 2 rule is self-explanatory. The final rule is about being on time all the time. “We want to be known for great effort,” Clark said.

One quote of course, does not make for a coaching legend. It is hard however, not to be impressed with Bill Clark. Building a team on the foundation of John Wooden's successful pyramid gives some important insight into the coaching philosophy of  Clark. A philosophy that the UAB program desperately needs right now.

UAB fans are ready for some good news with their football program. Clark may be just the man to deliver their program from the murky underbelly of college football. The hiring of Bill Clark was a smart choice , lets just hope the UAB leadership gives him everything he needs to be successful at UAB. Stay tuned.

TRIBUNE STORY ON BILL CLARK

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FANIQ: TEMPLE FOOTBALL 4-8 FOR 2014

       FANIQ TEMPLE PREDICTION

G5BlogContent

The sports blog "FANIQ", has predicted a 4-8 finish for Temple this year. Looking at Temple's schedule and a few of the issues the OWL's have this year, 4-8 does not seem that unreasonable. The Memphis game however, is probably a toss up and if the OWL's can muster a defense, they may even beat Tulane. 

A big plus for Temple was the play of freshman P.J. Walker last year. If he continues to develop into the player that OWL fans believe he can be, then Temple should go bowling sooner than later. This year , however, looks like to many obstacles for Temple to overcome to make it to a bowl.

It's not inconceivable  that the Owls get on a hot streak in 2014 especially with the type spread offense they run. Temple for example, was one of the top teams in the nation last year for forcing opposing defenses to make solo tackles  The Owls might well surprise many in the AAC this year.

Temple has been recruiting very well of late, which means that if the 2014 is a disappointment, the 2015 season maybe the breakout year Temple needs and its fan base is looking for. Stay tuned.

NOTE: The G5 News and Issues blog will have an AAC pre-season pick later this summer.  

UCF'S GEORGE O'LEARY: "I THINK COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS IN REAL TROUBLE"

Original G5 News Content

"They sound like the South during the Civil War, if they don't get their way they are going to secede and start their own country"said UCF's George O'Leary, speaking to a reporter at the Orlando Sentinel on Tuesday.  These comments come in response to the SEC's latest statement about the creation of  a so called Division 4 in College Football. The SEC threatened  to create a Division 4 last year as well.  What is different  this time, however,   are the comments made by  UCF head coach George O'Leary in response to the latest SEC threat. O'Leary , in the interview, also stated that  college football is in trouble largerly because of statements like the ones made by the SEC and its  commissioner Michael Slive.

O'Leary's thoughts  no doubt reflect the opinion of thousands of fans who support G5 teams. Fans who believe that the new landscape of college football has taken a drastic and damaging turn  for the worst.  While it seems likely that George O'Leary's words will fall on deaf ears among the P5 policy makers as well as the NCAA, it is hard not to  applaud Coach O'Leary for speaking his mind about the current state of College Football .

We are in the midst of an unprecedented grab for power and money in College Football. Some in the  P5 continue to push for and demand  rules and regulations they claim will  help their student athletes. This sudden concern for the welfare of these student athletes ,  athletes who have made millions for their respective universities ,  seems dubious at best.

Simply put,  if something is good for a student athlete or fan in a P5 conference, then it should also good for a student athlete or fan in a G5 conference. O'Leary's willingness to vocalize his displeasure with  the current state of college sports, especially College Football is refreshing. At this point anything that sheds light on the dark cloud that is hanging over a sport that millions of fans love to watch and support is a step in the right direction. Stay tuned

O'Leary Story Link

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G5 MINUTE: SOUTH ALABAMA TURNING HEADS IN SUN BELT WITH THE MOST PRESEASON ALL CONFERENCE PICKS

G5 BLOG ORIGINAL CONTENT

Earlier this month G5 News and Issues profiled South Alabama head coach, Joey Jones, in a Coaching Minute feature. Here is what I wrote about Jones:

"Jones has a winning  record with the  Jaguars and has lead South Alabama's short transition from startup in 2009  to full FBS member  in  2012.  Jones has built South Alabama into a hard working competitive program. He has done a remarkable job starting a college football program from scratch and having it receive an invite to the Sun Belt Conference. Jones has built the program in talent rich Alabama one recruit at a time. Jones has good upside for the team and has proven he knows how to win".

Jones hard work is starting to pay off, as Phil Steele, in his annual  All Conference Preview, named 18 South Alabama Jaguars to his Sun Belt list. The most of any team in the Sun Belt. Included in that 18 were 4 first team all Sun Belt selections.

The Jaguars who finished 6-6 last season, including a 4-3 Sun Belt Conference record, are beginning to take advantage of strong recruiting and good coaching. The 2014 season for South Alabama is hard to predict as they need to replace much of the front seven on defense and QB Ross Metheny. The good news for the Jaguars however, is that they return the majority of their offensive line and still maintain a very good WR Corps.

Regardless of how the 2014 season ends for South Alabama( perhaps as high as 3rd in the Sunbelt) they are beginning to turn heads in the Sun Belt Conference. By making the most of the talent in their  area the Jaguars are  building a program that can and should be a real contender in football for many years to come. Retaining Joey Jones as Head Coach should be at the top of any priority list for the South Alabama AD.

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SEVEN WKU PLAYERS ON PHIL STEELE'S ALL CONFERENCE LIST

7 HILLTOPPERS ON PRE SEASON ALL CONFERENCE USA LIST

PLAY BALL! : UL AND HOUSTON BASEBALL HEADED TO SUPER REGIONALS

UL BEATS MSU TO MOVE  TO SUPER REGIONAL

SB NATION: WHICH PROGRAM IS AHEAD BOISE STATE OR BYU?

BYU VS BOISE STATE(link)

5 SCHOOLS THE AAC OR MWC SHOULD INVITE AS POTENTIAL REPLACEMENT SCHOOLS

(original G5blog content)

These five are in addition of course to BYU


ARKANSAS STATE: With only one other FBS school to contend with in Arkansas, the Red Wolves should be at the top of any ones expansion list. If the MWC were looking to go south, a one two punch of Ark State and UL could prove very beneficial for the MWC. Ark State like UL, lacks a big television market. This should matter less and less however,  in the new post P5 world. Conferences that concentrate on winning programs rather than markets, will be the winners in the new G5 conference arrangement.

UL: There is no hotter team in the G5 right now than the Ragin Cajuns. With great baseball, a football team on the rise and a fan base that can show up in great numbers, UL should be an obvious choice for the MWC or the AAC. It seems likely however, that as long as Tulane is in the AAC, UL will have to put its eggs in the MWC basket.  The G5 conferences  will need to look for  winning programs  not simply ones in large markets if they want to thrive. UL, given the right television exposure and resources, could become a long term player in the G5 world . If however, La Tech can get its football act together, they could press UL for the spot in the MWC or the AAC. Until that happens, UL should be  sitting pretty in the realignment game.

SOUTHERN MISS: Southern Miss, in spite of its recent football woes, should still be counted as one of the better programs in the G5 world. The Golden Eagles crashed and burned at precisely the worst time possible as G5 realignment came and went leaving Southern Miss on the sidelines. Don't expect for Southern Miss to stay down for long, as it is still considered a good place to play football in the recruiting world. The AAC would be the most likely landing spot for Southern Miss as the Golden Eagles already have a long history with many of the programs in the American Athletic Association.

ARMY: Yes Army has struggled in football recently. Yes Navy and Air Force are two steps ahead of the West Point program at the moment. The truth however, is that in spite of these two realities, Army still carries a national footprint that can  help both the MWC and the AAC.  The Army-Navy game is still one of the hottest tickets in town and Army will always have an aura of patriotism and good will from fans everywhere. With the hiring of former Georgia Southern coach, Jeff Monken, look for Army and their style of the Wing-T to make a strong comeback .The AAC seems like the most likely landing spot for Army. Don't count out the MWC though

ODU: ODU is a program that was born to win. With a rich recruiting area, alumni ready to spend money on the program and an administration that understands the value of a winning football team, ODU is a great candidate to move up in the G5 world. The AAC seems more likely to  land  ODU than the MWC does.  ODU however, will need to prove that it can win at the FBS level before they are a sure thing. If they do struggle and sputter out of the gate,  then they would be the first school to come off  of this list.





HONORABLE MENTIONS;

GEORGIA SOUTHERN: If the MWC ever wanted a southern division in their conference Georgia Southern is a good candidate. With a strong winning tradition and  good fan base, Georgia Southern could become one of the better G5 teams in a hurry.

LA TECH: The former WAC school, now finds itself in Conference USA. La Tech is in a rich recruiting state and has shown that they know how to win. If Tulane gives the green light, La Tech would be a good candidate for any AAC need down the road.

MARSHALL: Marshall is one of the top G5 football programs at the moment. They also have a great prop program. It is unclear however, how they would perform without this program, which is why they are not in the top 5 expansion list. Most likely conference: AAC

NIU: The MWC would be a likely landing spot for NIU. NIU will have to prove though, that they can continue to win without their standout QB Jordan Lynch.

UL BASEBALL: CARDIAC KIDS! BEATS MSU AND FORCES WINNER TAKE ALL GAME

UL BASEBALL LIVES ANOTHER DAY(LINK)

ECU QB SHANE CARDEN READY TO MAKE THE PIRATES A COMPETITOR IN THE AAC

ECU's  SHANE CARDEN READY TO LEAD ECU IN THE AAC(LINK)

MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL PREVIEW POD CAST TONIGHT AT 10(ET) VIA SB NATION

2014 MWC PODCAST PREVIEW 10 PM VIA SB NATION ( LINK)