Definitely seem weaker because of perceptions of SB and FCS? True.
SBC additions will be very competitive with the CUSA 2.0 leftovers? True. And in fact, I'd even add, they'd be competitive with most CUSA defectors as well.
Sooooo...
There's a step down in perception, but the games will be practically as difficult to win as what we've been experiencing.
Ummmm... and the the benefit to us in that?
Put it this way... if the talent level and competition is fairly stout in comparison to the defectors (and again, I agree that it will be comparable), the TRUTH IS, we are practically as unlikely to go undefeated in 3.0 as we did in 2.0, and certainly unlikely to dominate the conference as so many seem to imagine.
So, you have to think about this... if given the choice to lose to MTSU, ODU and Charlotte, or to lose to Houston, SMU and Tulsa, which is less respectable?
(Well, at least you could drive to see us lose to those schools, though, eh?)
If given the choice to beat ECU, UCF and Memphis, or to beat North Texas, UTSA and La Tech, which is going to garner us greater attention and respect on the Saturday football shows?
And yet...
CUSA 3.0 will be just fine in football.
Hmmmm...
Well, if one's definition of "fine" is merely the quality of the competition, I'll agree.
But if "fine" is that narrowly defined, the term is almost meaningless, in light of all of the other ways that one would ordinarily evaluate the situation if s/he didn't have prejudice toward a certain conclusion that they want to arrive at...
Indeed, how is it "fine" when...
(a) we have reason to expect, at best, 50% of the TV revenue currently enjoyed...
(b) we have reason to expect to fall behind MWC, C-TBN, and arguably, MAC in likelihood of filling the lone BCS berth...
(c) we have reason to expect about the same national regard as a Sun Belt or MAC, ie an after thought...
(d) we have reason to expect even worse TV exposure, and...
(e) we have reason to expect a Sun Belt-like slate of fewer bowl opportunities.
This is ridiculous, really.
Weeks of these conversations, and if you look back, practically every reply to my posts is a deflection... most often, a personal swipe at me, but sometimes abandoning the line of reasoning in a discussion to hop to some other track, or an attempt to introduce something anecdotal, or to introduce something that, in reality, has little bearing on the topic in term of the advancement of our program--ie, revenues, opportunity for the BCS berth or general prestige.
You guys deserve what you might be about to get.
The MAC fans were right about you. You only needed to experience some sustained mediocrity to become one of them.
And "you," by the way, isn't everyone here. ("You" might not include, DJ, either... seems to me he's still debating with himself.) You know who "you" are, though. After decades of admirably high expectations, you're now consciously accepting being pushed down the NCAA football hierarchy. You are premature in your assumption, and making it easy for administration to re-prioritize their agenda to fit with the bottom 20% of the bottom 50% of all NCAA FBS football.
God help us that Kopp is looking out for us, and in spite of little prompting from the fan base, doing all he can to keep us from this quicksand being called CUSA 3.0.