Huntsville-area reactions to SHSU?s move to CUSA

[liebestraum]

I would say not all is sweetness and light in the Piney Woods.  While the AD seems pretty excited, KC Keeler (FB HC) commented that he?d rather play for a national championship than a boring bowl game.

I?ve also heard people wonder why SHSU is moving to a ?second-rate? conference (their words, not mine).   SHSU?s stadium currently holds about 15,000 and theoretically could add another 10,000 or so seats, but they?d all be pretty crappy (my opinion).

People have also voiced the opinion that SHSU is using CUSA as a stepping stone to an even better FBS conference down the line (the delusion is strong with those folks).

I am more concerned with how SHSU is going to pay for all the upgrades they?ll have to do for football.  They just renovated the field house, but now they need to find $$$ for the stadium.  Then there?s the money needed to fund 20 more FB scholarships and upping the coaches? salaries.  The basketball arena is fine and there?s a nearly brand new baseball/softball complex.

I am also not sold on how successful SHSU will be as a FBS team.  Former FCS teams such as Appalachian State and Georgia Southern have done OK, but no one really hears about them any more.  Texas State (formerly Southwestern Texas State) has never done well.

Finally, there are plenty of people put out that Stephen F Austin will no longer be a conference mate.  I?m sure they?ll still play games (the Battle of the Piney Woods game at NRG stadium easily draws 20K), but some of the atmosphere will be gone.

lieb

[SisyphusMiner]

All very true.  In fact calling it a second rate conference might be overly kind.

I suppose the AD probably does believe CUSA will be a stepping stone.  Will it?  The program has history of winning and of making good hires.  It might outpace us.

You're going from being a big fish in a small pond to being a very little fish in a very big pond.


I really wish the have-nots would just say screw you to the haves and form their own league with regional conferences and a sizeable playoff / championship. For all sports.  We can't compete with the Alabamas and UT's, and they continue to freeze us out so don't play their game.  I'm a huge fan of just upending the table when the game is unfair.

[Alaska Miner]

So let me get this straight... Sam Houston State fans are thinking they are "too good" for this conference? What world do they live in? I was shocked we even had to resort to Division 2 (even though it's not called that, anymore) in order to fill the spots left. They should be glad we even asked them. Who cares that they're "the best" of the second tier? That's like being the best ballerina in Montana... Nobody cares. What is in the water down there? 😂

[Minermojo]

All they had to do was say NO. It was that simple. If the fans because they're the elite of a second tier group think they're too good for cusa they'll be more Ps'ed off when they continue being the bottom of that lousy conference, (their words). If they are going to have a hard time with FBS budgets that alone should tell them that they don't really belong in the first place.

I'm sorry your delusional fans feel that way but I'm not just gonna grin and bear it, it's that simple.

[kyyote]

First, the conference is lousy.  It is barely alive and functioning.  So, saying you are joining a lousy conference is like saying you have an ugly wife.  Even if it is true, why would you point it out to others when she is yours?  I do like the attitude, though.  Come at me bro!  You may be a badass at the middle school but  here, you're a rambunctious punk until you show me different.  But, I want you to want to be a badass and not a punk.  We can talk after the action is over about what happened.  Talking about what is going to happen is WWE type shit.  Fun.  If you are going to commit to going to the bigs, it only makes sense to aspire to move up-a mind set that seems to have grown cobwebs at UTEP.  We are more into slow deaths and watching the maggots hatch.  Oh, and bowl games are only boring if you make it to them, otherwise you can watch the Miners kick your bare cats asses on the hardwood for some excitement.  You really shouldn't piss and moan about how shitty people are before you try some of them on to see how they fit.  We play tune up games against lower division teams.  Coaches are playing a very different team in a warmup against a lower division team than the same team taking the field for conference play.

[liebestraum]

You guys crack me up.  In my original post, I had one sentence about people thinking CUSA being a second rate conference and that is pretty much all you responded to (except maybe for Sisy).  Nothing about all the other stuff I wrote.

There are real and serious issues and yet SHSU going forward with this move.  At any rate, this article appeared in the local Huntsville paper yesterday.  The admins at SHSU are committed to making this move work and despite the obstacles they need to overcome.

lieb

https://www.itemonline.com/sports/sam_houston_state_university_bearkats/sam-houstons-move-to-conference-usa-brings-questions/article_261b6c39-b9d4-512f-89a0-a5bbb289473b.html

[kyyote]

I would say not all is sweetness and light in the Piney Woods.  While the AD seems pretty excited, KC Keeler (FB HC) commented that he?d rather play for a national championship than a boring bowl game.

I?ve also heard people wonder why SHSU is moving to a ?second-rate? conference (their words, not mine).   SHSU?s stadium currently holds about 15,000 and theoretically could add another 10,000 or so seats, but they?d all be pretty crappy (my opinion).

People have also voiced the opinion that SHSU is using CUSA as a stepping stone to an even better FBS conference down the line (the delusion is strong with those folks).

I am more concerned with how SHSU is going to pay for all the upgrades they?ll have to do for football. They just renovated the field house, but now they need to find $$$ for the stadium.  Then there?s the money needed to fund 20 more FB scholarships and upping the coaches? salaries.  The basketball arena is fine and there?s a nearly brand new baseball/softball complex.

I am also not sold on how successful SHSU will be as a FBS team.  Former FCS teams such as Appalachian State and Georgia Southern have done OK, but no one really hears about them any more.  Texas State (formerly Southwestern Texas State) has never done well.

Finally, there are plenty of people put out that Stephen F Austin will no longer be a conference mate.  I?m sure they?ll still play games (the Battle of the Piney Woods game at NRG stadium easily draws 20K), but some of the atmosphere will be gone.

The first three paragraphs are about looking down their noses at the new competition. Then, the second half is about the cost of playing at a level it seems that the locals consider to play in a conference that is shitty AND the team may not be able to compete successfully in.

So, to summarize, it sounds as though you have your fingers on the pulse of the locals, and they are not excited about the move.  They consider it to be a move that may be beneath the standards they have come to expect from their team.  But, that it is a start and just a stop on  the way up.  Confidence and optimism are great.  But, it is going to cost a lot of money and for little benefit, and the team may not just leapfrog everyone in the shitty conference that they are going to move up from.  Is that accurate?  I am wondering what the locals would say if they were moving up to the Sun Belt or the MWC?  Would they be thrilled and excited to spend the money to upgrade?

The Battle of the Piney Woods gets 20k.  The Miners put 31 thousand butts in seats to watch a conference game.  The players will have the chance to be seen by two or three times the number of people they're used to in just this shitty conference.  Humility is also a fine thing.  Ixnay on the bitching about the competition until you are in the position to be able to complain is a good start.  I am personally happy to know that the locals down there consider UTEP to be beneath them.  A rivalry is born.  I can hardly wait to play the Kats.