Tracking Where Players Come From

[Stallion]

there is an article on Rivals (that I think is availiable to non-subsribers) called Tracking Where the Players Come From concernimng where NFL players come from based on total numbers and percentages from each state. I think they place too much emphasis on NFL players for a college recruiting service because there are some outstanding college players who you can build a championship around who aren't NFL quality. Texas unquestioned position as Number one producer of talent is challenged by this article but when breaking the numbers down based on players per population base Texas' numbers are diluted by the fact that there are very few players South of San Antonio and West of Ft Worth that make it in either college or the NFL. Anyway they also take these numbers and graph onto a map of the United States. The maps look like a picture of CUSA. The Hottest National recruiting Hotbeds appear to be Miami, DFW, Houston and Los Angeles. DFW and Houston clearly are national recruiting hotbeds with great numbers of players within a tank of gas of SMU. Froggies might enjoy the fact that they are entering a vast wasteland that is MWC territory. Of course, the real challenge is not to be in state identified as producing great football players but instead for football players to identify your conference and school as an intriquing place to play. That is the challenge for CUSA-but it will take awhile to develop. What CUSA really offers is the Southern/Southwestern football alternative to the BCS conferences. You know to reinforce that concept I wonder whether a name change to The Conference of the South or the Big South really fits the image this conference wants to market and project to all those great athletes of the South. CUSA was fine for the far flung conference of prior years but I think the image out to reflect the schools Southern roots.

[Charleston Pony]

good point on the CUSA name. What ever happened to the idea of Army/Navy playing as "associate" members and being eligible for one of CUSA's bowl bids? If we're going to keep the CUSA name, I still think that's something the conference should pursue. Ans...CUSA will still cover 3 time zones, so I guess that's pretty good coverage.

[SWC2010]

there is an article on Rivals (that I think is availiable to non-subsribers) called Tracking Where the Players Come From concernimng where NFL players come from based on total numbers and percentages from each state. I think they place too much emphasis on NFL players for a college recruiting service because there are some outstanding college players who you can build a championship around who aren't NFL quality. Texas unquestioned position as Number one producer of talent is challenged by this article but when breaking the numbers down based on players per population base Texas' numbers are diluted by the fact that there are very few players South of San Antonio and West of Ft Worth that make it in either college or the NFL. Anyway they also take these numbers and graph onto a map of the United States. The maps look like a picture of CUSA. The Hottest National recruiting Hotbeds appear to be Miami, DFW, Houston and Los Angeles. DFW and Houston clearly are national recruiting hotbeds with great numbers of players within a tank of gas of SMU. Froggies might enjoy the fact that they are entering a vast wasteland that is MWC territory. Of course, the real challenge is not to be in state identified as producing great football players but instead for football players to identify your conference and school as an intriquing place to play. That is the challenge for CUSA-but it will take awhile to develop. What CUSA really offers is the Southern/Southwestern football alternative to the BCS conferences. You know to reinforce that concept I wonder whether a name change to The Conference of the South or the Big South really fits the image this conference wants to market and project to all those great athletes of the South. CUSA was fine for the far flung conference of prior years but I think the image out to reflect the schools Southern roots.

Thanks, Stallion. That's what my moniker (SWC2010) has been saying all along.

Between now & 2010, as the eastern schools fall aside, we have to:

[1] sway TCU back into the fold;
[2] consider NTSU a conference member;
[3] wait for Big XII to kick BU out.

[EastStang]

The eastern schools pretty much have no where to go unless the Big East splits apart, the SEC or ACC expand, or other schools move up to Division 1-A. ECU and Memphis probably want out (but only to join a BCS conference), Marshall likes being in (they just joined), UCF likes being in (they just joined), UAB, S. Miss and Tulane have some history together. If Tulane stays, then S. Miss and UAB would probably stay. I don't see ECU or Memphis for example wanting to join the Sunbelt. They have unjustified visions of the SEC, BE and ACC. Neither of those schools has the kind of success on the football field that would make the biggies drool. I really think that basketball is the driving force in the BE and they will stay together because of basketball and thus no split. I think it is far more likely that TT, Baylor, Texas and A&M would leave the Big XII before the BE splits. I gotta think that Horn and Aggie fans are longing for the days of National championships, and part of what got them there was having SMU, Rice, Baylor, TCU, on the schedule every year. There are too many places for UT to stub their toes in the Big XII. They can get through the regular season and then lose a championship game to the likes of Colorado. They have to beat OU to even get to the conference championship.