With Britton Banowksy stepping down as Conference USA leader in October the league will have to hire a new Commissioner in the coming months. With this in mind, here are 4 agenda items the new CUSA Commissioner should begin to address from day 1 on the job:
1. TV CONTRACT: With rumors that the Conference USA tv contract is not receiving the financial numbers it wants, the new Commish will have to convince TV partners that CUSA is worth a monetary investment that puts it ahead of the Sun Belt and MAC.
2. INCREASE FOOTBALL ATTENDANCE: While CUSA is not at the bottom of football attendance, it is darn close. Tv partners are increasingly under financial pressure from changing cable tv habits. This means they are becoming choosier about how and who they spend their money on especially as it concerns non power leagues. No TV exec wants to see an empty stadium on Saturday afternoon, especially in HD. Schools like FIU FIU Fan Issues, FAU and RICE to name a few, need extra work in getting fans on board with their sports product.
3. MERGE WITH THE SUN BELT: Britton Banowsky was a big proponent of the use of scale to reduce costs and create efficiencies . The new CUSA Commissioner should start negotiations with the Sun Belt for a full merger and create divisions based on geographic lines and interest. If tv financial numbers prove to be as low as many expect them to be , then there will be little reason for CUSA to set itself apart from the Sun Belt. A combined league would solve many travel problems and help create regional rivalries that fans actually care about seeing.
4. CREATE THE BEST DIGITAL NETWORK IN COLLEGE SPORTS: Cable tv is changing rapidly. No one really knows how sports will be broadcast in the next two decades. Instead of waiting for the tv networks to sort things out, why not use existing technology and take control away from the unknown. CUSA should endeavor to create the best digital network in all of College Sports.
Use the guaranteed revenue from the College Football Playoff and cut the cord from traditional tv contract providers. At the very least create a combination of the two. Much like what has happened in the airline industry in the last 15 years, there will be few "legacy" conferences left standing in the next 15 years. The Gang of 5 Conferences are going have to evolve into what amounts to no frills airline companies and find leaner and meaner ways of functioning. By creating a world class digital network CUSA can sell and keep its own ad revenue, distribute product on its own terms and keep fans happy with consistent high quality broadcasts. Stay tuned.
While I do enjoy your blog, I don't agree with the premise of your agenda item #3 concerning a merger with the Sun Belt (a conference I greatly admire and follow closely through the year).
ReplyDeleteSure, I've seen the idea of more regional conferences come up in the past, but not in this way. You propose that this is one of 4 "agenda items that the new Commissioner should begin to address on day 1." But, I'm not sure that I agree with discussing a merger/consolidation of the two conferences.
Yes, there are similar footprints, but I think what is most needed is stability in both conferences; giving our schools a chance to grow into their potential. For C-USA, our conference would be greatly enhanced if schools like FIU, UTSA, ODU (to name only three of several) grow into their full potential. With only one way game per year with a member of the West Division (or vice-versa) our structure is already regionalized to a great extent. And our basketball structure would also take a hit. We have strong BB talent on both sides of the Conference. I wouldn't want to change it.
I honor your opinion, but don't agree, and I hope its not an idea under any kind of serious consideration.
Charles, first great to hear from you. I had to take a hiatus last football season, but glad to be back writing and have your thoughts again. I should have made a better case for the merger by saying I think it only works if the money from the Conf USA contract is similar to the Sun Belt tv contract. In truth, I could easily say the same thing about the AAC and the MWC as I believe the ESPN/cable issue is a bigger deal than most people know. Interestingly enough, I think the only Gang of 5 conference that is safe in the coming 5-6 years in terms of contract money is the MAC.( only because they are willing to do whatever ESPN tells them to do and ESPN loves the mid week tv matchups)
DeleteI have had one discussion with an AD who believes the regional model is the only model that is going to save the Gang of 5 schools. The problem for Conf USA is that without Marshall, UAB(basketball and market), La Tech and Southern Miss(Conf USA really needs a strong Southern MIss) and UTEP the Conference from a tv/brand perspective looks a lot like the Sun Belt. This is not a criticism of either league as both conferences have great potential. This is one of the reasons that it is rumored that CBS has lost some interest in Conference USA.
Conference USA is in a difficult spot because they are the first conference to negotiate a tv deal in the midst of so much _P5/G5 separation talk. In 5 years the AAC is going to be in the same spot. In fact, the AAC has a very small window to prove to ESPN that they are worthy of the coverage they are receiving. If the AAC does not perform well in the next several years, then that conference will be in the same boat as Conference USA and I will be writing about the need for an AAC merger with someone else.
Merge with the belt?? are you kidding? I can see taking some of the more known teams of the belt maybe, and try to convince a few from the MAC to consider adding to a northern end. That can be done in an attractive way but merge a whole conference for the sake of it, that is asinine, provides limited or no value, actual devalue more than likely. More teams from CUSA would beat down the AAC's door and some to the MWC like UTEP if this was to happen.
ReplyDeleteFirst, glad you found the blog. The merging of the two leagues is indeed out of the box. I as I said to an earlier poster, I should have been more clear and stated that this only works if the CUSA tv money is equal to the Sun Belt's. Banowsky believed in economy of scale and to some degree I think he is correct.
ReplyDeleteYour point about a merger of the best teams from the Belt and Mac is actually an idea that I think should be on the table if CUSA money in their new contract is much less than it is now( in truth I am not convinced it will be much different than it is now) I will be writing a blog post soon in which I name 10-12 teams that given the right circumstances, could create a league that puts it in a position of strength. Thanks again for your thoughts.
Honestly, I have no issue with someone writing what you wrote. The best scenario has come and gone with CUSA and the MWC merging, good idea but vacating NCAA credits screwed that up. The issue with some of the better known belt schools is most already occupy the same territory as many CUSA schools, such as La-Laf vs. La Tech, or South Alabama and USM or UAB (Troy is included here). CUSA has already taken on a few newbies and really cant take a hit with more. The common fan still has no clue that App State is now 1A as well as GA Southern. We are currently fighting that with ODU and Charlotte and to be honest FIU should not have been taken, lack of drive in the AD and horrible facilities prove as much. FAU will grow, has the drive so they were a good ad even if their name will take time to take hold in the common viewer's mind. So what's left in the Belt that could suit the bill, Ark St.? CUSA scatters Texas so Texas State can be thrown out. Ok look at the MAC, you have Toledo, NIU, Ohio U. (even if they are close to Marshall), I really want to say Akron but the news on them is not good at this point, which is a shame considering the nice stadium they have, just no drive to advertise and gain attendance. I want to saw Bowling Green but Toledo would knock them out. I want to same Miami Oh, but no one watches them or attends unless they are having a good year, not many of those lately and its sad cause they have a Cincy market. The only other school I would shoot for would be Western Mich., they have history and not shabby facilities.
DeleteTo be honest there are many in the G5 that have no business playing at the highest level, UAB found out real quick that their lack of support over the years was used against them. Akron is facing the same thing and don't get me started on some of the belt teams and Eastern Mich. Not every school who has ambitions to play at this level has the means to compete. I always thought that the NCAA attendance rule would weed out the ones who do not belong, and it was a good idea but enforcement never seemed to happen. While there are some that will belong given time that just moved up, there are several that have been here a long time and need to just give it up and move down a level, just my honest opinion.
So an attractive CUSA to me would be Toledo, NIU, Ohio, Marshall, USM, FAU, WKU, MTSU, ODU, Rice, LA Tech, Charlotte (the drive and funds to be a good contributing member though time is needed to be competitive), UAB (if they can build a stadium), UTEP, UNT, Ark St.
I am not sure any setup can help with TV negotiations, basketball lags too much to help that.
Your thoughts?
I think you make some excellent points. I think until we know what value CUSA has in the eyes of tv networks the league and its schools are in a bit of limbo. I also think you are on the right track in terms of the CUSA you have suggested in your comments. At this point, if CUSA receives the same amount of money it did in its last tv contract ( which is entirely possible) hen I think the conference maintains status quo and fights to be on par with the AAC and the MWC. If the tv money however resembles what the Sun Belt is receiving, then I think all options are on the table, including radical mergers. CUSA happens to be the first G5 Conference negotiating in the new G5/P5 tv climate. As I said in my other comment, the AAC and the MWC could very well find themselves in the same boat in a few years.
DeleteI'd rather see the AAC and CUSA just reshuffle members in a more geographically logical fashion. I think this has a much better chance of happening once UConn and Cincy are gone. Make a north/east conference and a south/gulf/texas conference. UMass, Temple, Navy, ODU, Marshall, Memphis, Charlotte, ECU, WKU, MTSU, USF & FAU would be great in a league together as would La Tech, Houston, Rice, So Miss, Tulane, No Texas, Tulane, UTSA, UCF. Send UTEP to the MWC and split up the Florida schools and it makes perfect sense.
ReplyDeleteFirst, glad you found the blog. Good thoughts. I think if/when Uconn and Cincy leave the AAC( I am not sure this will happen at all, and if it does we are probably looking at 6-7 year window but who knows) then the AAC is playing in a different ball game. If ESPN does not like the loss of those two schools and reduces its contract exposure and money then the AAC is going to have some serious pressure to re align itself. Right now the AAC has little incentive to do anything differently because they have ESPN's backing. The exposure the AAC receives right now is head and shoulders above anything the Sun Belt and CUSA have. Losing two marquee schools however, will almost certainly change the status the AAC has with ESPN ( for worse) . The next 5 years are going to be crucial ones for the AAC as ESPN is going to want to see progress and a good report card both on the grid iron and basketball court to justify the type of coverage it has given the AAC. If the AAC fails to impress ESPN then it is entirely plausible that we might be looking at all of the Gang of 5 schools playing in regional conferences. Right now, it is more a question of what schools get there first.
DeleteReally this is a good blog for sports news. Get more Sports News
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