Different takes today: SEC/B1G are becoing the Power 2 in Dan Wolken’s mind (and many others), would adding Florida open up recruiting to Big 12?, Fresno State AD explains why they didn’t apply to the Big 12, Southern Miss fans need to step up if they want to move up, and Marshall’s president seems to be happy in C-USA.
Program advantages matter, but the best coaches win championships. Right now, they are concentrating more and more in the SEC and Big Ten than anywhere else.
Could USF, UCF expand Big 12’s recruiting footprint into Florida?
They could have also pointed to recruiting rankings. Including Bradenton’s IMG Academy, Central Florida featured 22 four- or five-star recruits in the 2016 class and has another 22 in 2017.
Fresno State AD on lack of a pitch to Big 12: Timing wasn’t right
“I think Fresno State is every bit as warranted of getting into the Big 12 as anyone else is, but there’s also a right time to do it. You have to have staffing in place. You have to have budget in place. You have to have your marketing in place, your ticket office in place. You have to have your stadium done. Right now, we have a few things we have to do.”
Not the least of which is a fan base that, while chock full of passion and fervor, is lacking in numbers, especially in comparison to those schools that once called C-USA home. In other words, there haven’t been enough passionate and fervent Southern Miss fans to catch the eye of conferences looking to expand in recent years.
Herd ‘well-placed’ in C-USA
While the television dollars with the American Athletic Conference are significantly more than C-USA - $1.5 million in the AAC compared to just more than $200,000 in C-USA - the financial burden on Marshall to elevate its budget would also be significantly more in order to compete.