Troy may be known in the south but do we know how well Rice is known in Texas? They may better known for their baseball program than anything else but I still think people know Rice and more people known Marshall than they would FAU or Troy.

If the big teams in CUSA do depart you can bet that they will replace them with other good football programs. Like I said, I wouldn't be surprised if WKU and 3 MAC teams got an invite.

"Oh and UTSA is not yet I-A and gives away tickets with KFC purchases"

FAU should do the same thing! Howard used to give away tickets for free when he was at Louisville all the time. Say they give away 10,000 free tickets, even if 10% of the people said hey I really had fun I want to come to another game, that's another 1,000 tickets sold.

10,000 free tickets also means a lot more money in concessions. I won't even count parking in case parking is included with the tickets. But these people still want to eat and drink and will spend money while they're at the game. Plus they may buy merchandise

Oh the MAC - the attendance-less conference. Ugh. WKU in football is sort of an attendance embarrassment as well, but it has promise.

I remember when FIU moved over, the FAU blogs ( TON and OA ) were filled with " so what, we don't need to move " or "we are better off where we are". This move is HUGE for FAU. Mostly from a financial point of view and a future growth point of view.  This administration, AD, coaches, and teams are moving this University into the big time. I know we will compete on the baseball diamond, but we need to steadily move forward with our Football and Basketball programs. The coaches that are out recruiting need to use this news any way they can. Bring in a QUALITY starting QB and work on both sides of the line. We can compete with anyone at the other positions. Great news. GO OWLS !

I'd have to agree with the poster who said this is a lateral move, any better teams that were in CUSA are leaving and in the end I don't think it will be any better, or worse, a conference than the belt.  I think TV contracts and revenue sharing will all change as the bigger names of the conference are gone and replaced with teams no one cares about, us and FIU included.  With that said it is still a conference change which is a good step forward, and I'll be excited to see what happens in the next 2 years. 

Lateral is still better than backwards and to me the Belt in not being able to retain it's best MEDIA markets and by adding ONLY FCS programs, is remaining an entry level conference. Not where you want to be to me.

UCF, SMU, USF, Houston - All gone. Ok I get that but in 3-4 years you can have FAU, FIU, UNT, UTSA as the best teams in the conference and likely see at least 1 or 2 ranked in the top 25.

Houston became a well known school because they were BCS busters and were beating AQ schools on a regular basis. The TV markets aren't leaving the Florida and Texas area to give it to Troy, AL or Jonesboro, AR

CUSA just added two FCS (actually one FCS and one market with no team). The Sun Belt added the better of the up-and-coming programs with USA, Texas State and Ga. State.

There is no pecking order amongst the non AQ conferences any more. Look at the WAC, which used to be a major player and is now dead, literally.

TV markets are B.S. It ought to be about program strength, possibilities, facilities and growth.

What size markets do you suppose Gainesville, Tallahassee, Lincoln, Athens, Tuscaloosa and are? CUSA will quickly discover that schools like FIU, Old Dominion and UNT do not bring millions of Miami, Richmond and Dallas viewers. It ought to know that already based on UAB's "success" in Birmingham. My guess is, Memphis is not exactly bowling over the ratings, either.

BTW, Troy gets a bad rap on TV market. It shares the Montgomery (state capital) and Dothan (fast-growing metro area near Florida) markets and has some Columbus, Ga. overlap.

BMarkey said

TV markets are B.S. It ought to be about program strength, possibilities, facilities and growth.

What size markets do you suppose Gainesville, Tallahassee, Lincoln, Athens, Tuscaloosa and are? CUSA will quickly discover that schools like FIU, Old Dominion and UNT do not bring millions of Miami, Richmond and Dallas viewers. It ought to know that already based on UAB's "success" in Birmingham. My guess is, Memphis is not exactly bowling over the ratings, either.

UF joined the SEC in 1932! That's 4 years after the television made it's first ever broadcast in the U.S. don't think they were too worried about TV revenue back then.

FSU has been a member of the ACC since 1978

Nebraska joined the Big 6 conference, which eventually went on to become the Big 12 in 1928

You can call TV revenue B.S. all you want but how do you think this whole thing started? It'sall about the tv. Texas said we want the long horn network and no one else in the Big 12 can be on it, so A & M said ok, see ya! we're going to the SEC and then it has all been a domino effect from there

Media markets are based upon "potential" viewers, that is how they price and sell the advertising to pay the contracts. why else would they add a Charlotte with NO football team at the time - no stadium ground even broken and NO team practiuces even held yet. It was about the available media market.

Does the Big10 really want Maryland football for its product ON the field or for recruiting - in MARYLAND? No, expanding the "footprint" of the brand to make more money in the media deal! The D.C and Baltimore media markets are what the Big10 wants!