Like many of you I wanted UH to be in the Big12 or a P5 conference. I have donated and bought season tickets for 16 years. I have poured my soul into the program in hopes that we would be on the same level or considered as the same level as my Aggie, Longhorn, Baylor, and Tech peers. However, ESPN has deemed us not worthy and even proactively denied us recently in the Big12 debacle. So being as that may I suggest that we adjust our expectations. We should focus all our efforts in being the best G5 program we can be. Dominate G5 competition. Win championships NY6 Bowls. Win Basketball and baseball championships. Win Golf tournaments etc… And we should take great pride in those wins. I do not know what the end result will be but I am sure it might be what we have wanted all along.
I agree that we should focus on what we can do “today” but the expectation should remain that we will rise to the highest levels of competition on the field and in the classroom and laboratories.
Dollar wise we cannot compete with the money P5 teams are getting. In fact we are losing a lot of money in Athletics.
We need to compete and try to win a New Year’s six spot each year until the next big reorganization comes. We will be wanted then and no B12. I still think we would be a great fit in the ACC.
It’s not that ESPN considers us “not worthy”. Rather, we are a bargain for ESPN. By that I mean we produce huge television numbers for ESPN, which generates dollars for them, but we only carry an AAC cost. That makes us a bargain during a time of dwindling revenue and viewership numbers. ESPN will fight to keep that bargain, until such time as the next round of conference-a-go go comes around circa 2024.
Very good point. So again I say if we keep winning it should take care of itself.
The only two expectations that I see for us is win and get into a P5.
Win? Finish the season undefeated
P5? Start suing or start the initial process to get ONE P5 to get us in. Utah did it with the BCS & got into the PAC12. The question should be to the CFP that they guarantee a G5 entry into the CFP with equal bowl revenue sharing.
Strengthening our non-revenue sports and basketball should be a priority. P5 conferences want strong programs across the board, not just football.
It goes back to the CUSA days that the expectation should be to dominate the conference in every sport. Control what we can control.