Topic: H-D: Middle Tennessee eager to switch to Conference USA

[ZackUSAF82]

TERESA M. WALKER
The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Middle Tennessee may not join Conference USA until July 1. That's not stopping anyone from thinking about how quickly the league can start playing games and tournaments in Music City, the Blue Raiders' home away from home.

Conference football games, bowl games, basketball tournaments.

Well, league commissioner Britton Banowsky mentioned LP Field, home to the NFL's Tennessee Titans, the new $500 million convention center opening in May and lastly the Bridgestone Arena across the street among Nashville's quality facilities. He noted the arena is busy hosting the Southeastern Conference men's tournament in 2013 and 2016.

"But '17 is open, so that's encouraging," Banowsky said.

Middle Tennessee is so happy to be joining Conference USA that school officials welcomed the league's commissioner to town to talk about what the Blue Raiders bring. University officials even got Pete Fisher, general manager of the Grand Ole Opry and a 1987 graduate, to present the commissioner with an enlarged invitation to the opry.

Link: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/marshall/x2070315368/Middle-Tennessee-eager-to-switch-to-Conference-USA

[svherd]

I tell ya, the more I hear about MTSU the more I really like the addition to our league. They will do well and fit well in the make up of the league. They will be tough to handle in football this fall - lots of starters and playing at their place.

I also saw where Charlotte beat #11 Butler last night. The Henry kid from SC had 17 points. He is having a great season for them. Did we recruit him?

I like where we are. Now all we have to do is win. How's that for a "Mr. Obvious" comment.  :D

[goherdies]

I tell ya, the more I hear about MTSU the more I really like the addition to our league. They will do well and fit well in the make up of the league. They will be tough to handle in football this fall - lots of starters and playing at their place.

I also saw where Charlotte beat #11 Butler last night. The Henry kid from SC had 17 points. He is having a great season for them. Did we recruit him?

I like where we are. Now all we have to do is win. How's that for a "Mr. Obvious" comment.  :D

Yes we did.

[goherdies]

We wanted him to play both. When that happens your scholarship is counted towards football. Anyway, he had a fallout with Doc and everybody moved on. See below......


"Known for his ability to drive to the basket and create in midair while avoiding traffic, Henry spoke about the equally wild 48 hours that led him to the 49ers and first-year Coach Alan Major.

"It was tough," Henry said of turning away the Thundering Herd. "With all due respect to Marshall's program, I won't talk negative about them. My only issue was that before I had my surgery I was going to take five different visits, and do what a lot of people in Charleston never have the opportunity to do, to visit schools in multiple conferences.

"The only thing about Marshall was that Coach Holliday said that if I didn't sign Wednesday they were going to pull the offer. My problem with that was that I wanted to enjoy this and keep my options open."

http://www.dailymail.com/Sports/201102031802

[Buffalo Bop]

"The Nashville market's an important market," Banowsky said. "It's a growing market. It's dynamic. They love college sports here in Nashville. That was helpful. It fit well with the strategy. We weren't just adding schools. We were trying to do it in a strategic way, and it fit well."

Nashville is a nice venue for the conference, and a good footprint in Tenn. Also, It looks like Middle is vying for the C-USA basketball tourney.

[iherdya]

Nashville is a nice venue for the conference, and a good footprint in Tenn. Also, It looks like Middle is vying for the C-USA basketball tourney.

I feel like a CUSA tournament in Nashville would be similar, in terms of Herd following, to the old days in Asheville.

[miltonherdfan]

"The only thing about Marshall was that Coach Holliday said that if I didn't sign Wednesday they were going to pull the offer. My problem with that was that I wanted to enjoy this and keep my options open."

I have no problem w/that stance by holliday.

[Rockin Herd Fan]

It's nice to have a school that is genuinely excited about being in C-USA.  I think they will be a welcome addition.   

[MUonium]

MTSU, in Murfreesboro (about an hr away from me with Nashville in between), has everything going for it right now, not only the largest undergrad population in TN. Nashville would be great for CUSA BB tourneys after 2014 and bowl contract after 2013 (currently Music City Bowl). I will certainly look forward to the FB and BB game/s (as I did Belmont last yr). I suspect MU will produce more fans down here than most others in CUSA.

[kjh]

MTSU, in Murfreesboro (about an hr away from me with Nashville in between), has everything going for it right now, not only the largest undergrad population in TN. Nashville would be great for CUSA BB tourneys after 2014 and bowl contract after 2013 (currently Music City Bowl). I will certainly look forward to the FB and BB game/s (as I did Belmont last yr). I suspect MU will produce more fans down here than most others in CUSA.

Larger than UT Vols? No way.

[wesnky]

According to this website MTSU has slightly more Undergraduates than UT.

http://education-portal.com/articles/Tennessee_%28TN%29%3A_Overview_of_Tennessee%27s_Colleges_and_Universities.html

[wesnky]

http://blogs.dnj.com/subtlesparky/2013/02/14/c-usa-commish-i-like-western-kentucky/

Commish likes WKU


subtlesparky
Skip to content
C-USA commish: ‘I like Western Kentucky’
Posted on February 14, 2013 by Subtle Sparky   

If Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky had any intentions of calming the talk that Western Kentucky ultimately will jump to his league, he didn’t show it.

Banowsky was asked about Western Kentucky possibly joining MTSU in moving from the Sun Belt Conference to C-USA during a media luncheon to kickoff his visit to MTSU. The event was at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. Here is Banowsky’s answer:

“I do think there is room for more growth. I have a lot of respect for Western Kentucky, and the leadership up there is great. The university is really nice. I don’t know if you’ve been there (to a TV reporter), but it sets up really well. There is potential for more growth in the conference, and you never know in this day as college athletics change. We are poised to move forward if we need to. I like Western Kentucky.”

One possibility: Banowsky was being polite to a mostly Nashville contingent of media members, who also cover WKU at times. But if that’s the case, why not just pass along a couple of compliments and not even hint at being “poised to move forward?”

The more likely possibility is that Banowsky knows there is a decent chance C-USA could have at least one more school plucked away in the not-too-distant future, perhaps Tulsa, and he is ready for the next step, if needed.

Much of Banowsky’s comments on Wednesday were about the great potential for C-USA in Nashville — including making a play for Bridgestone Arena for the C-USA basketball tournament in a few years, as well as other opportunities.

WKU has made a case that it and MTSU bracket the Nashville media market. Is that accurate? Whether WKU does or doesn’t serve that purpose does not matter. What matters is how Banowsky and the C-USA leadership see it, which by the way will soon include four defecting Sun Belt members (MTSU, FAU, FIU, North Texas). Would such schools help or hurt WKU’s chances at moving to C-USA?

Well, if Banowsky wanted to calm such speculation, he didn’t do it. If realignment strikes C-USA again, keep eyes peeled for Bowling Green.

- Adam Sparks (sparks@dnj.com & Twitter.com/AdamSparks)
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[herdman22]

I have to say I am looking forward to the new CUSA.  I still think there is alot more upside to this than the Big East, especially after UCONN and Cincy bolt.  Don't see any advantage to leaving.  Plus a CUSA tournament in Nashville would be great.

[shilolg]

Nashville is growing all the time!  To hold conference matches there is many sports would be great!  And I think more centrally located than where we hold most conference championships.

[luvherd]

I like the new CUSA. Other than ECU I won't miss any of them. Memphis is a nice basketball school but they were really catered to in that sport.

[tnherdfan]

Larger than UT Vols? No way.

Oh yes, and widening the gap every year. I went to the MTSU - Vandy game at Bridgestone Arena during the Christmas Holidays and MTSU had over 8,000 blue clad fans there. They outnumbered Vandy by 8 to 1.

[GreenBison]

I like the new CUSA. Other than ECU I won't miss any of them. Memphis is a nice basketball school but they were really catered to in that sport.

Stop reading my mind  ;D

[FlyHawk98]

I mean honestly...I really like the new CUSA. We've all complained about how we like the national exposure but hate how we don't have regional conference games to drive to. Well now we can have our cake and eat it too.

Just hope that we all stick together and grow this thing.

BTW, IMO if we lose Tulsa then we invite 3 more teams. WKU, Ark St, and NMSU. But thats just my opinion. Have two 9 team divisions.

[IM4DHERD]

Posted this in another thread ...  Detail on Charlotte -


Golf team was ranked #1 in the country in 2007 and won 6 straight conference championships from '06-'11.

Soccer played in the national championship game in '11 and was in the tourney in '09, '11' and '12.  Women's soccer to the NCAA 3 times since '03 and 3-time defending conf champs.

Basketball beat #11 Butler the other night, has played in the Final 4 and has been to the dance 3 times in the last 10 years, the NIT another 2.  These guys will make noise across CUSA.  Remember that they have been playing basketball in a league with Butler, VCU, St. Louis, Xavier, UMass, Temple, etc.  Women's basketball to the dance in 2003 and 2009 and to the WNIT in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 (WNIT Final Four) and 2012.

Baseball has been to the NCAA tourney 3 times since 2007 and won the conference 4 of the last 6 years.