QUICK TAKE: USF FOOTBALL

USF has fallen on hard times lately and is in search of its former winning self. With excellent recruiting grounds just a stones throw away USF's recent struggles are somewhat of a mystery. Now that the Bulls have lost their place at the buffet table( USF now part of the Gang of Five Schools) their turnaround is going to be that much more difficult. UCF, their in state rival, has the upper hand at the moment in terms of momentum and brand appeal

Former Head Coach Skip Holtz was at the helm for the start of the USF collapse while current Head Coach Willie Taggart seems just as lost as Holtz was.  If Taggart does not give the Bulls fans a Bowl game this year look for him to be let go at the end of this season.

While the Bulls have recruited well in the last few years, it remains to be seen if they can put all of the pieces together this year for a nice run in the AAC.  USF has all the tools necessary to consistently be a top  G5 school. Until that happens look for them to stay in the bottom half of the AAC this year.

Look for a complete AAC breakdown in the weeks to come. Stay tuned

MAC FOOTBALL RECRUITING ROUND UP

There is no better conference in College football for finding diamonds in the rough than the MAC. The teams in the MAC play good football in large part because the conference has a tradition of finding smart hard working football players. The MAC is the ultimate Blue Collar league in College football.

If you are a MAC fan or simply curious about the types of players the MAC is currently recruiting the following link is worth a click.  MAC recruiting .The guys who write for this page do a nice job of keeping MAC fans up date on the latest recruiting news for the league. Stay tuned.

EAST CAROLINA PIRATE FAN BASE SERVES AS A MODEL FOR GANG OF 5 SCHOOLS

ECU FANS MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD

G5 Blog original content

This summer we will look at  several different fan bases from the Gang of 5 Schools and explore  what makes each of them unique. We start today with what many consider to be the  top  fan model among the Gang of 5  Schools, East Carolina. 


HURRICANES AND HOPE

In 1999 Hurricane Floyd ravaged eastern North Carolina leaving behind in its wake a path of destruction and misery. Hurricane Floyd has been called the worst natural disaster to ever hit North Carolina. Lives were lost, families were up rooted and towns were left to deal with the devastation of  a  once in every 500 year flood.

One  eastern North Carolina town hit particularly  hard by Hurricane Floyd  was Greenville, North Carolina.  Greenville is home to  East Carolina University and its  26,000 student population.  East Carolina University serves as  a vital economic and cultural engine for the region and its people. East Carolina  football is also vital to the region as it provides both a financial and  emotional boost to those living in eastern North Carolina.

Both the University and its football team however, were dealt significant blows immediately after the storm. The flooding from Hurricane Floyd  was so substantial in Greenville, for example, that  it forced  ECU  to shut down classes for nearly two weeks. The damage also kept the Pirate Football team from returning home after their away game the previous week in which they played  and beat the USC Gamecocks in Columbia ,South Carolina.

The Pirates, who were scheduled to play the number 9 ranked Miami Hurricanes in Greenville  the following weekend,  had to move the  game to Carter Finely Stadium in Raleigh NC( two hour drive from Greenville), home to the North Carolina State Wolfpack.

On Sept 25, 1999, 46,000 thousand people, the vast majority of whom were ECU fans, packed Carter Finely stadium and watched one of the most important football games in East Carolina history. Many of the  fans who were in  attendance that night had lost their homes, personal belongings and means of income due to the ravages of the storm.  The fans who had traveled to Raleigh to see the Pirates play had traveled to witness  more than a  football game, they had also traveled to find a glint of hope. Time and time again ECU had beaten teams they were not supposed to beat and now more than ever the ECU faithful  needed  Pirate football to create a special form of  magic on the gridiron. Magic that could transcend the difficulties they were experiencing if only for a few hours on this Saturday evening in September into something more positive than the previous days storm drama.

Those who attended the game in Raleigh and those who watched it on  tv  had their loyalty rewarded with an  improbable  27-23 come from behind Pirate victory. More than just  a win over 9th ranked Miami , however,  the game also provided Pirate fans with a promise about the future. A promise to the people of eastern North Carolina that if ECU football could over come great odds and emerge from the chaos of Hurricane Floyd as winners, they could as well. ECU's victory over the "Hurricanes" of Miami( Hollywood could not have written a better script ) symbolized for the battered people of eastern North Carolina that rebuilding their lives from the terrible destruction of Floyd could and would be done.

ECU's win over Miami also put an exclamation point on a very long two weeks for the region and  culminated in what one North Carolina columnist called, "ECU's Gipper Game". In reality however, East Carolina had been winning Gipper Games for much of its football life.  The Pirates had learned early on that they were capable of competing at a top level of collegiate football even if they were constantly battling financial limitations and recruiting at a level that instilled little to no fear in the hearts of teams they often did battle with.



FOOTBALL IS MORE THAN FOOTBALL AT ECU

With the almost mystical experience ECU fans had with Pirate football in the after math of Hurricane Floyd and the history of ECU football playing the role of  David to someone elses Goliath( and winning their good share of these battles) it is fair to write that football at ECU is more than just football. While this is true at many schools, there seems to be a  symbiotic relationship between ECU football and the region that is hard to articulate but is palpable and present  none the less . A relationship that  not only permeates throughout the eastern part of the state  but one that consistently captures the imagination and loyalty of  the student body and alumni as well.

When students get to ECU for example, they are quickly immersed  into the  transcendent  like narrative of the team and are asked to become part of the story by participating  in the ECU narrative themselves. The strong bond that is created  between the team and the community can be  seen  in the attendance at footabll games. ( averaging a little over 44,000, down a bit from 50,000 a few years and second in the Gang of 5 behind BYU)  and in the  fact the East Carolina reports the largest student booster club in the country at 10,000 members.

A STORY WORTH EMBRACING

The two greatest obstacles facing Gang of 5 schools at the moment are monetary limitations and lack of brand excitement. Gang of 5 schools are constantly being asked to do more with less money and most are being asked to do more with  far fewer fans than they would like to have.

While ECU faces many of the same financial  issues that the rest of the Gang of 5 schools do, it does not share the type of attendance( of course attendance can always improve at most schools) and fan apathy issues that most of the Gang of 5 presently encounter.

In addition to the more emotional aspects of brand loyaly among ECU fans, there are some concrete steps that East Carolina has taken over the last 40 years that have put the school at the top of the G Five fan pyramid.

Steps that start with a commitment to win that begins with the school Chancellor and trickles down to everything the University believes in and stands for.

More than anything else however,the football team has given ECU fans a strong story to embrace. In return,ECU fans have given the team and the school their loyalty and trust.  In midst of this important process East Carolina has created a sports community that many G5 schools are hoping to emulate one day themselves. Stay tuned.

CUSA CONTINUES TO KEEP TIGHT REIN ON ONGOING TV CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS

RICE UNIVERSITY IS A KEY CUSA SCHOOL

QUICK UPDATE( CRICKETS) 

A few weeks ago I wrote an article(below) about  CUSA and the potential issues facing the league as it seeks to sign a new TV contract this year. While CUSA continues to negotiate and keep those negotiations a closely guarded secret, it is becoming clearer to me that the  American Television network may take a more official role with CUSA gong forward. This seems more and more likely as  Conference USA and Sinclair networks( owner of the American Sports Network) announced a few weeks ago that the American Sports Network  will once again broadcast a minimum of 30 CUSA games this year.

According  to the CUSA "Sinclair owns and operates, programs and provides sales services to 162 television stations in 78 markets, reaching approximately 40 percent of U.S. television households. It includes FOX, ABC, CBS, MyTV, CW, NBC, Univision and Azteca affiliates.".

As we continue to wait for the details of the new CUSA contract, here is the  the article I wrote concerning those contract issues a few weeks ago. Stay tuned



CUSA FACES CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES WITH NEW CONTRACT

CBS might be losing interest in Conference USA

Conference USA(CUSA) recently announced their television programming for the 2015-2016 season. The tv deal is very similar to the one last year as both Fox and CBS have agreed to air essentially the same amount of content as the previous season.  It is interesting to note however, that CBS is broadcasting a minimum of 4 less games this year than they did in 2013. This trend continues the  CBS pullback from C USA.

CBS Sports also made news this week when they announced  a deal with the MAC  to sublease  MAC games from ESPN.MAC and CBS(click to read story) With this announcement CBS seems to be saying two things: 1. The MAC is an attractive property for them right now. 2. CBS continues to find ways to put more G5  product on their network( AAC and MAC) while reducing their CUSA content.

The MAC/CBS partnership raises the interesting question about what this partnership means for Conference USA and their ongoing contract negotiations  with CBS. It seems highly possible that with CBS  reducing their   CUSA content over the last two years, and by picking up more MAC and AAC programing that they are  sending a clear message to CUSA,  a message that they are not as interested in the product as they used to be.

FOX still finds value in Conference USA

There is good news however, for C USA, in that the amount of programming that Fox network wants from C USA continues  to be consistent with the two previous years. In fact Fox Sports is actually showing more CUSA games this year than in 2013. In 2013 for example, CUSA announced that Fox Sports would be covering approximately 50 games. In their 2015 presser,  CUSA announced that Fox would be covering nearly 60 games during the 2015-2016 football season( some of the extra games however, are games that Fox is obligated to carry because of other contracts with different College Football leagues)

The downside of Fox Sports for CUSA is that the network continues to underperform relative to ESPN. Couple this with the fact that ESPN is in over 9 million more homes than Fox Sports and you have a  network struggling to find its identity with the  public.

This underperforming reality is highlighted in the excellent article dealing with the ratings woes of Fox Sports, written by Matt Zemek. In the article Zemek speculates that the weak ratings of Fox could have far more significant ramifications than just losing to ESPN, it could cost the network its Big Ten partnership.   Zemek points out that  the Big Ten may take their business to ESPN where they know they will get better ratings. He also writes that the disappointing numbers the Big East drew on Fox this season, in spite of having an outstanding year.(Big East sent 6 teams to the NCAA tournment this year) could lead Big Ten Commish Jim Delaney  to " want no part" of these low numbers for his conference.(Fox Sports low TV viewership)

Any potential Big Ten/Fox Sports drama could actually spell opportunity for CUSA. If Fox Sports is honestly worried about the Big Ten taking their business elsewhere, it could motivate  the beleaguered network to not only keep CUSA as a partner but also  offer a nice raise for doing so. One word of caution however on any raise C USA might receive from Fox. With the Big East 500 million dollar contract not creating ratings numbers like the execs at Fox had hoped for, it might spook the bean counters enough to make low ball offers to CUSA. If this happens, look for some unhappy CUSA AD's and Presidents. It is already rumored that ODU is not pleased with the current CUSA tv deal that puts them on national television far fewer times than schools like Marshall and La Tech.

Final Thoughts

As I wrote many months ago, the next tv contract C USA signs  will be the most important  in its history. CUSA can boast some very solid football programs in Marshall, La Tech, Rice, UAB*(unclear how soon UAB football returns) and Southern Miss. These schools make up a good core of schools  and one that should allow the conference  to sell its self as a collection of gritty competitors. CUSA though must also convince its next tv  partner that newly acquired Sun Belt teams, WKU and North Texas are worth the price tag of a new contract.( here I am referring specifically to the lack of fan support both schools have  and in the case of North Texas, an under performing sports department)

One of  the biggest hurdles CUSA faces in its contract negotiations however is that has two new FBS schools, Charlotte and ODU to contend with. It is also now looking like UAB football is at least two years away from competing on the gridiron.( it is also unclear if UAB will have to spend a year at the FCS level before moving back to the FBS) While UNC Charlotte and ODU both have tremendous upside, it remains to be seen if Fox Sports finds enough value in these two schools as well as having enough patience for the UAB to return to football to give CUSA a healthy dollar amount for their product. Couple this with the fact that CUSA is one bid basketball school and things look uncertain for the league going forward.

In short, CUSA finds itself at a real crossroads. In many ways the group of schools has an unknown value and this might be cause for alarm within the CUSA head quarters in Dallas. With a shaky relationship with ESPN( it seems unlikely ESPN will bid for CUSA given the lawsuit that was settled a few years ago) and a Fox Sports network on the downward curve, there are more questions than answers heading into the new tv contract season. Couple this with  an NBC Sports channel that only seems interested in College Football if Notre Dame is part of the equation, and you have for some nervous times for CUSA and its fans.  CUSA Commish Britton Banowsky has at times , proven he is more than capable of steering the CUSA ship to calm waters. He will need to do so again this time around with the new tv contract if the conference hopes to stay competitive among the G5. Stay tuned.

G5 NEWS, ISSUES AND SPORTS HAS REACHED 60,000 PAGE VIEWS

Dear G5 Sports,  News and Issues Reader,

A big THANK YOU finding this web site and spending a little bit of your time here. In less than two seasons you have helped this site reach over 60,000 page views. While this represents a very small section of the sports world, it does speak volumes about the commitment and fan support that is found among the Gang of 5 Universities. It also says that there is a real market for television and radio to cover the schools in these sports leagues. 

THANKS AGAIN.

RANKING THE G5 IN SPORTS 2015

Ranking the GFive IN SPORTS:

Yes it's that time of the year again. It's ranking season. Hate it, love it, dismiss it or simply don't care for it, it is upon us like the summers oppressive heat and uncomfortable mosquito bites. This year, like last year(2014 G5 Rankings) the G5 get ranked. This year the MWC takes the top spot away from the AAC and the Sun Belt find its self in the dog house.

( Not in the mood to read( we are sports fans after all) then why not  listen to the rankings on this podcast. Just click and listen:G5 Rankings Podcast no subscription needed)

1. MWC 

 Last year I ranked the AAC as the best  among the G5. This year that distinction goes to the Mountain West. With Boise State winning the Access Bowl and the Mountain West  sending 3 teams to the NCAA basketball tournament it is hard to argue against the MWC as the top of the G5.  With Boise State looking like the  Access Bowl front runner again this year and with good football being played by  Utah State, Colorado State and Nevada it will be difficult to knock the MWC from its top perch. MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson has his conference in tip top shape at the moment. Look for another good year for the MWC in 2015-2016.

2. AAC

 This time last year the AAC roared into the 2014 Football season with Tostitos Bowl Champion UCF, and with strong football schools in ECU,Houston and Cincy. The season started strongly for the AAC with a ranked ECU looking like it would easily claim  the newly formed Access Bowl slot for the league. When the Pirates hit a few road bumps mid way in the season ,  no one in the AAC stepped forward to take the baton from ECU and capture the Bowl game. Basketball also proved to be less than stellar as the AAC sent only two teams to the NCAA tournament. It is safe to say that  last year produced disappointing results for the conference. While the AAC still  has tremendous potential  they will need to win the Access Bowl slot in order to regain their number one position among the G5.  For more on the AAC click here: AAC Issues

 3. CONFERENCE USA

The only thing keeping Conference USA from claiming  the number two spot in the rankings  this year is their lack of competitive basketball . Until the league can send more than one team to the NCAA tournament it will struggle to be seen as the  top dog. In terms of football, Marshall carried the league last year and missed the Access Bowl largely because they lacked competitive teams  on their schedule. Last year I was critical of the conference as I believed they would not be able to rise above the significant  hit they took during realignment.  I was wrong  as the league  proved it belonged as a top contender among the G5 .  They now need Southern Miss, UAB(basketball) and new comers ODU and WKU to make noise on a national level.

4. THE MAC

 The MAC continues to do what the MAC does best, that is they are the very model of consistency. The MAC has never been  sexy or glamorous  and this seems quite alright with its member schools. They have earned their place as mid week football darlings and ESPN loves them for it. It is not as if the MAC is without good football. With schools like NIU and Ohio, the MAC can hold their own with many if not most of the other G5 schools. The problem for the MAC  is that slow and steady  rarely wins the race at the collegiate level. In the end, none of this probably matters to MAC schools or the conference leadership as they are virtually guaranteed stable if not great tv income from ESPN win or lose. As long as they are willing to play on Tuesday night, they can be as slow and steady as they want.  

5.THE SUN BELT

This was my biggest ranking mistake last year. I gave the Sun Belt the number 3 spot which turned out to be to high. I was wrong and owe Conference USA an apology.  While I still believe the Sun Belt has great potential and  that they  have more football centric schools than the MAC or Conference  USA, they simply did not perform well last year. While there were a couple of stand outs, noticeably Georgia Southern(See Georgia Southern)their most promising football school  ,ULL(See ULL,) missed the mark. Call me a glutton for punishment but I still believe the  Sun Belt can be a very good conference and I believe that  they will make a nice rebound this year. With App State poised for a good year, and Ark State as one of my  dark horse Access Bowl candidates, the Sun Belt can certainly do better than they did last year. Until that happens however, I am going to keep them at number 5.

(*G5 News and Issues has the distinction of being the first blog solely dedicated to covering G5 sports. With over 45,000 web hits since its inception we have a dedicated and loyal base of readers. Thank you for finding us and sharing your thoughts. Thank you also for being patient as there are times when content is limited.)

UTAH STATE READY FOR MWC TITLE RUN THIS SEASON

UTAH STATE IS POISED FOR A MWC CHAMPIONSHIP RUN

The 2015 edition of the Utah State Aggies finds itself in an excellent position to capture the Mountain West Title this year. With 11 Senior starters returning and 12 Juniors in the two deep rotation the Aggies are looking to make a legitimate run for the MWC Championship this season.

In addition to Utah State returning 11 Senior starters, they also received word in late March that their talented QB and team leader Chuckie Keeton had been granted an extra year of eligibility. Keeton will enter the 2015 College Season as one of the top rated QB's in the country. Look for Aggies Head Coach Matt Wells to find ways to protect his injury prone QB this year. Wells fully  understands that Keeton is the key to  any Championship aspirations Utah State might have this year.

Utah State however, faces one of the most difficult schedules in the MWC so they will need Keeton to stay healthy and their  extensive Senior leadership  to guide the rest of the squad through the most difficult phases of the schedule.  For more on Utah States schedule click here:Utah State 2015 Schedule

Look for more on the  Mountain West Conference  later in the summer. Stay tuned.

AAC STRUGGLES FOR IDENTITY AS THE 2015 COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON APPROACHES

UCF HAS BECOME AN IMPORTANT ASSEST FOR THE AAC

G5 News and Issues original content

AAC Faces Questions: PodCast linkAAC Challenges



SOPHOMORE SLUMP OR SOMETHING ELSE?

The AAC  experienced a banner inaugural year in  both football and basketball.  UCF won the Tostitos Bowl manhandling a Baylor unit they were supposed to embarrassed by and UCONN won the men's NCAA Basketball Championship.  AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco understood the good fortunate of the league often remarking that he hoped the league had not peaked in its first year. Heading into the summer of 2014 it was easy an decision pick the AAC as the best G5  among the group and even speculate that the AAC might have the chops necessary to  make the jump to the power leagues.

This past year, however,    the young league experienced a let down in both football and men's basketball . AAC football , although solid , fell short of the Access Bowl (something it expected to land) and the 2 teams the league sent to the NCAA tournament came home early  disappointing both fans and conference officials.  

The results of this past year  indicate that the AAC still has a long way to go if they hope to cross the divide between power and non power distinction.  In fact at the moment the AAC is slightly behind the Mountain West  in terms of G5 hierarchy .  The results of this  past year raise some fundamental questions for the AAC and its leadership  going forward.

In the spirit  , I want to suggest that one of the essential  questions  facing the AAC in its current state is this:   Was the previous year in the AAC a  classic sophomore slump or do the results indicate a  more fundamental problem for the league?  A problem grounded in the reality that the league may simply never  reach  the level  Commissioner Mike Aresco and the School Presidents are hoping it will. 

AAC IS A CONFERENCE OF HAVE AND HAVE NOTS

On the surface the AAC has the most promise and potential of all of the G5. With Basketball schools  UCONN, TEMPLE, MEMPHIS, SMU and CINCINNATI and football schools  ECU, UCF, USF and CINCINNATI the league has teams in both sports that already compete or have the ability to compete  at Power 5 levels. No other G5 group has the type of fire power at the top of the  that the AAC does.( MWC of course has Boise State, but the quality of the league drops quickly after the Broncos)

The AAC however,  has enough teams in the league to  remind themeselve that they are still very much a non power group. So while the AAC is very good at the top  in  both football and basketball   the middle and lower half of the field is as bad as any among the  G5.

Herein lies one of the major problems for the AAC. It is essentially a Power conference at the top and a non power group at the bottom. It is a group of schools with a split personality. One of these  personalties is a well dressed professional  sporting an upward trajectory while the other personality struggles to find a vision and long term plan. The AAC is divided between the very good at the top, and the not so good at the bottom. All of this, among other issues(including the fact that the top schools want to be in P5 leagues) leads to an identity problem for the league. 

DEFINING THE AAC

There is little question that Mike Aresco took what he believed to be the best schools from Conference USA and the Mountain West( the Mountain West teams have since returned to MWC ) when forming his new league. It is also hard to question that UCF, ECU, HOUSTON, MEMPHIS and SMU(basketball) were great choices for the league. Combine these schools with UCONN, CINCY and USF and you have a very competitive nucleus. 

As I stated earlier in the blog entry however, the question remains if  these schools can move beyond the average year they had last year and become the league that Commish Aresco and its School Presidents want it to be. The league is of course in its infancy, and because of this ( among other issues), the AAC is suffering from an identity crisis. What  for example,  does  the AAC brand mean in the sports world? What do the schools in the AAC mean to each other? What rivalries  will eventually become worth watching on tv?

The AAC has more pressure at the moment to succeed than any other G5  largely because of it's excellent tv deal with ESPN ( a contract that ends in 2020)and because it is perceived by many to be the top G5 in the bunch.   In essence the next 3-5 years are essentially audition years to convince  ESPN  that the AAC  is worth the exposure the powerful network has given them with their current tv deal( AAC-ESPN contract linkAAC TV CONTRACT)

FINALLY

The AAC  emerged out of the ashes of the old Big East. It will have to prove that it can thrive and survive in a way the Big East was unable to do. With a savvy Commissioner  in Mike Aresco and a collection of schools that sit at the top of the G5 food chain  has much to be excited about going forward.

The AAC however, will have to prove that it is more than just a collection of good schools in name only. The league will have to prove that last year's slump was an anomaly , not the norm. The league is under pressure to show its tv partner ESPN, that it is worth the exposure of its current contract. 

In order to solidify its place as the G5 gold standard and not simply wish it were so, the league will have to have  outstanding football and basketball seasons this year and win the Access Bowl on a regular basis. The  AAC also needs a cohesive identity to bind the conference schools together.

The AAC has tremendous potential on paper, it will now have to prove that it is also a group of schools that can perform and win the games that it needs to win. The AAC will have  to decide if it wants to be a  paper tiger  or a league of Champions. At this point it is unclear which of these options the conference will embrace. Stay tuned.

APPALACHIAN STATE FOOTBALL: COACH SCOTT SATTERFIELD AND THE RETURN OF MOUNTAINEER SWAGGER

G5 Blog Original Content

( Click here for Appalachian State PodcastApp State Podcast)



Leadership, leadership, leadership

Let me first start with a  piece of advice for the head football coaches in the Sun Belt : Do not let the boyish looks and down home charm of Appalachian State Head Coach Scott Satterfield lull you into believing that he is not a fierce and talented  competitor . On the contrary, the new found hope being felt by Appalachian State football fans around the country can in large part be credited to the 3rd year head coach in charge of the Mountaineer program.  Coach Scott Satterfield is an intense competitor who does what all good football coaches do, he gets the most out of his players and has installed a winning attitude among those players and those directly associated with the program.  The former Appalachian State QB was a home run hire for the App State program. A hire that College football fans are just now getting to know.

Scott Satterfield takes charge of the  Appalachian State Program

In December of 2012, Appalachian State Athletic Director Charlie Cobb approached the microphone at the Don and Pat Phillips Club House to announce that Appalachian State had found their new Head Coach. After 24 years the face of the App State program,  Coach Jerry Moore was gone. Coach Moore, who had led the school to three  National Championships and with those championships national prominence, had been let go after the 2012 season. AD Cobb found himself in front of reporters, boosters, administrators  and fans to  announce that the former App State QB  and current App State Offensive Coordinator,  Scott Satterfield, had been hired as Moore's replacement.

In introducing Scott Satterfield as the new coach,  App State Athletic Director Charlie Cobb described Satterfield as a winner  and as a  "developed leader".   When it was  Satterfield's turn to speak he made it clear that he was at Appalachian State to win Championships.  In fact he made it a point  to remind the Mountaineer faithful that he expects  to win because as he noted, "they always have been, they always will be(winners)". App State fans listened to Scott Satterfield's words with great interest. After all Satterfield had become a familiar fixture around App State football spending time in Boone  as both a successful QB and then later as an assistant Coach.  A fixture that grew up soaking in the vibe that is Appalachian State football. A vibe nurtured by the  winning style of former head coach Jerry Moore and a fan base that has come to expect an exceptional product on the gridiron. In fact, Scott Satterfield,a  native of North Carolina, had  essentially grown up in this atmosphere of great expectations and great  pressure to win.

For some people this type of pressure stymies productivity and growth. For others it creates a deeper desire to win and compete. We are betting that Scott Satterfield falls into the latter of these categories, that a review of his playing history and coaching reveals someone who flourishes in the tension of competition, something App State fans should be glad to hear.

REGAINING THE SWAGGER

College programs that consistently  win have a swagger about them that is hard to miss. The swagger permeates the fan base, the players and even the administration. It's a force that is hard to quantify cognitively, but when you are around it you simply know what it is.  App State fans have been no stranger to  this feeling throughout the very successful FCS history of their  program.  Over the course of several seasons however, this potent and almost euphoric emotion has been all but non existent.

There is good news for App Fans though, as 3rd year head coach  Scott Satterfield looks to have the necessary ingredients  to recapture much of the lost Mountaineer swagger.   Ingredients that point to  Satterfield as a coach who knows how to win and compete at the collegiate level.   More importantly however,   is that Satterfield has proven that he knows how to win as a Mountaineer. In fact he did both as a player( 1995 Qb leading App State to a 12-1 record) and as a coach( 2005-2009 QB coach credited with helping to lead the team to winning records during these years) Coach Satterfield  also has a successful track record away from App State  as his two years as OC at FIU were very fruitful ones helping to lead the Panthers to back to back bowl games.

Want to know, however,  what I like best about Coach Satterfield? Here it goes: he has  winning in his DNA. Look at his time as a player and as a coach and you will see someone who wins wherever he goes. App State fans were treated to a prime example of Satterfield's winning moxie last year when, after a disastrous start of the season( including a disappointing lose to FCS opponent Liberty),he rallied the team to  finish the year on a 6 game win streak( this came after losing 5 of the first 6 games ).Mid year turn arounds of this nature are rare in sports and require strong leadership from  everyone, especially the Head Coach.  Satterfield treated the App State fans last year to the rarest of all of types of leadership, the type that gets players to  believe in themselves.

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FINALLY

After a few  disappointing seasons App State looks to be back on track.  With 20 returning starters, a returning QB(Taylor Lamb) with some experience under his belt, a very good offensive line and some talent at the RB position( Junior Marcus Cox had 19 TD's last year) Appalachian State looks to be a force in the Sun Belt this year. In fact I have them as a top 3  team in the Sun Belt and my pick as a dark horse Sun Belt Champion.

Look for Appalachian State  to put the rest of the Sun Belt on notice this season that they are ready to compete for Championships again. Led by a young and gifted head coach  in Scott Satterfield, a squad with very good returning talent , and a favorable home schedule and you have a  dangerous challenger in the Sun Belt this year. If App State can  stay healthy  and take advantage of playing their toughest competition on their home turf(  Ga Southern, ULL and Ark State all play in Boone this year),   do not be surprised to see them capture the Sun Belt Championship this season. Stay tuned.

*G5 News and Issues has the distinction of being the first blog solely dedicated to covering G5 sports. With over 45,000 page hits since its inception we have a dedicated and loyal base of readers. Thank you for finding us and sharing your thoughts. Thank you also for being patient as there are times when content is limited.)

AMERICAN SPORTS NETWORK ANNOUNCES THEY WILL TELEVISE 30 CON. USA GAMES THIS YEAR

MTSU will benefit from having their football games on the American Network

G5 Original content

Yesterday the American Sports Network announced they will produce 30 Conference USA games this year over the course of the 2015-2016 football season. The 30 games match the amount of games the American Network produced last year for the conference.(American Network announces Conference USA Football broadcast games)link

It is all but certain that the American Network will play an important role in the new Conference USA contract that the conference needs to sign this year. It also seems likely that the American Network will replace CBS ( traditionally a strong Conference USA network partner) on some level for Conference USA going forward. Stay tuned

MEMPHIS TIGER Football 2015

Memphis QB Paxton Lynch looks to make a throw

Coach Justin Fuente has built Memphis into a solid football contender. The Tigers finished last season with a tough brawling( shameful play on word brawl) win against BYU in the inaugural Miami Bowl. Coach Fuente however, looks to have a more difficult year ahead of him as the Tigers will have to replace the majority of its very good defense from last years team.

Memphis fans however, are just happy to have a contender again. I think Memphis struggles greatly on the defenseive side of the ball this year and will finish in the last half of the AAC.  I have them winning only 6 games this year. Look for a complete AAC break down in the months ahead. In the meantime here is a good write up about the 2015 Memphis team from Sports Illustrated. Memphis Tiger Preview 2015

HOUSTON COUGAR FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Houston Football has been heating up the recruiting trail lately. New Head Coach Tom Herman is proving that he  has not lost his recruiting mojo since coming to the Cougar Program. I believe that Houston has a chance to be a dark horse AAC Conference Champion this year. The follow preview from Tyler Waddell( Today's U) is a good read on the upcoming Houston Cougar team. Houston Preview

APPALACHIAN STATE LOOKS TO BE MUCH IMPROVED THIS YEAR

After struggling  the last two seasons, App State looks to turn the corner this year. With some nice returning talent and good players at skill positions the Mountaineers look to rebound this year. We will take a closer look at Appalachian State later this summer. For now, enjoy this article from the Fayetteville Observer   APP STATE RECEIVING SOME LOVE

CONFERENCE USA TV CONTRACT UPDATE PODCAST

G5 blog Original Content

With the Conference USA TV contract set to expire this season, we take a closer look at some of the issues the conference will have to contend with as they seek to resign their television contract. Here is the link for today's podcast:CONFERENCE USA C USA PODCAST     link)

Here is the story in print.


CBS might be losing interest in Conference USA

Conference USA recently announced their television programming for the 2015-2016 season. The tv deal is very similar to the one last year as both Fox and CBS have agreed to air essentially the same amount of content as the previous season.  It is interesting to note however, that CBS is broadcasting a minimum of 4 less games this year than they did in 2013. This trend continues the  CBS pullback from Conference USA.

CBS Sports also made news this week when they announced  a deal with the MAC conference to sublease  MAC Conference games from ESPN.MAC and CBS(click to read story) With this announcement CBS seems to be saying two things: 1. The MAC is an attractive property for themright now. 2. CBS continues to find ways to put more G5 conference product on their network( AAC and MAC) while reducing their Conference USA content.

The MAC/CBS partnership raises the interesting question about what this partnership means for Conference USA and their ongoing contract negotiations  with CBS. It seems highly possible that with CBS  reducing their   Conference USA content over the last two years, and by picking up more MAC and AAC programing that they are  sending a clear message to Conference USA,  a message that they are not as interested in the product as they used to be.

FOX still finds value in Conference USA

There is good news however, for Conference USA, in that the amount of programming that Fox network wants from Conference USA continues  to be consistent with the two previous years. In fact Fox Sports is actually showing more Conference USA games this year than in 2013. In 2013 for example, Conf USA announced that Fox Sports would be covering approximately 50 games. In their 2015 presser,  Conf USA announced that Fox would be covering nearly 60 games during the 2015-2016 football season( some of the extra games however, are games that Fox is obligated to carry because of other contracts with different College Football leagues)

The downside of Fox Sports for Conference USA is that the network continues to underperform relative to ESPN. Couple this with the fact that ESPN is in over 9 million more homes than Fox Sports and you have a  network struggling to find its identity with the  public.

This underperforming reality is highlighted in the excellent article dealing with the ratings woes of Fox Sports, written by Matt Zemek. In the article Zemek speculates that the weak ratings of Fox could have far more significant ramifications than just losing to ESPN, it could cost the network its Big Ten partnership.   Zemek points out that  the Big Ten may take their business to ESPN where they know they will get better ratings. He also writes that the disappointing numbers the Big East drew on Fox this season, in spite of having an outstanding year.(Big East sent 6 teams to the NCAA tournment this year) could lead Big Ten Commish Jim Delaney  to " wants no part" of these low numbers for his conference.(Fox Sports low TV viewership)

Any potential Big Ten/Fox Sports drama could actually spell opportunity for Conference USA. If Fox Sports is honestly worried about the Big Ten taking their business elsewhere, it could motivate  the beleaguered network to not only keep Conference USA as a partner but also  offer a nice raise for doing so. One word of caution however on any raise Conference USA might receive from Fox. With the Big East 500 million dollar contract not creating ratings numbers like the execs at Fox had hoped for, it might spook the bean counters enough to make low ball offers to Conference USA. If this happens, look for some unhappy Conference USA AD's and Presidents. It is already rumored that ODU is not happy with the current Conference USA tv deal that puts them on national television far fewer times than schools like Marshall and La Tech.

Final Thoughts

As I wrote many months ago, the next tv contract Conference USA signs  will be the most important  in its history. Conf USA can boast some very solid football programs like Marshall, La Tech, Rice, UAB and Southern Miss. These schools make up a good corp of schools  and one that should allow the conference  to sell its self as a collection of gritty competitors. Conference USA though must also convince its next tv  partner that newly acquired Sun Belt teams, WKU and North Texas are worth the price tag of a new contract.( here I am referring specifically to the lack of fan support both schools have  and in the case of North Texas, an under performing sports department)

One of  the biggest hurdles Conference USA faces in its contract negotiations however is that it has two new FBS schools, Charlotte and ODU to contend with. It is also now looking like UAB football is at least two years away from competing on the gridiron.( it is also unclear if UAB will have to spend a year at the FCS level before moving back to the FBS) While UNC Charlotte and ODU both have tremendous upside, it remains to be seen if Fox Sports finds enough value in these two schools as well as having enough patience for  UAB to return to football to give Conference USA a healthy dollar amount for their product. Couple this with the fact that Conference USA is a one bid basketball school and things look uncertain for the conference going forward.

In short, Conference USA finds itself at a real crossroads. In many ways the conference has an unknown value and this might be cause for alarm within the Conference USA head quarters in Dallas. With a shakey relationship with ESPN( it seems unlikely ESPN will bid for Conference USA given the lawsuit that was settled a few years ago) and a Fox Sports network on the downward curve, there are more questions than answers heading into the new tv contract season. Couple this with  an NBC Sports channel that only seems interested in College Football if Notre Dame is part of the equation, and you have for some nervous times for Conference USA and its fans.  Conference USA Commish Britton Banowsky has at times , proven he is more than capable of steering the Conference USA ship to calm waters. He will need to do so again this time around with the new tv contract if the conference hopes to stay competitive among the G5. Stay tuned.

UNC-CHARLOTTE RECEIVES 3 TELEVISED GAMES THIS YEAR WITH CONFERENCE USA TV CONTRACT

The Charlotte 49er's are set to make their FBS debut this season. As a welcome to the FBS gift, Conference USA announced that the 49er's have received 3 tv games via the  Conference USA television  partners, Fox and CBS.49er TV(link)

The 49er's face an uphill battle this year as they make the jump from FCS to FBS in what is a  relatively short time frame. Look for the 49er's to struggle this year as they learn to compete on a much more difficult and talented football plane. We will have a more in depth look at Charlotte in the weeks to come.
Stay tuned.

(*G5 News and Issues has the distinction of being the first blog solely dedicated to covering G5 sports. With over 45,000 web hits since its inception we have a dedicated and loyal base of readers. Thank you for finding us and sharing your thoughts. Thank you also for being patient as there are times when content is limited. Follow us on twitter at @GFiveConf 

EASTERN MICHIGAN FOOTBALL PLACES 4 ON PRE SEASON ALL MAC TEAM

One of the reasons College Football is so intriguing has to do with the many Universities that take pride in their teams, even if those teams rarely make headlines. If you need any further proof of this check out the remarkable response UAB fans had to the dismantling of their beloved Blazer squad. A response that has seen the UAB football team receive a commuted death sentence largely because of the passionate and  devoted UAB fan base.

In this spirit , today we are happy to mention the Eastern Michigan Eagles in the G5 News and Issues Blog. Did you even know that Eastern Michigan was in the MAC? Well they are and they have a proud football tradition with a very loyal fan base.

Eastern Michigan placed 4 players on the Preseason All Mac Team. To find out who these players are just click here:EMU HAS FOUR PLAYERS ON MAC LIST. Look for an article on Eastern Michigan in the weeks to come. Stay tuned

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UAB FOOTBALL RETURNS!

CONGRATS TO UAB FANS. UAB FOOTBALL IS BACK!