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#1 2020-09-29 12:12:36 - Southern Miss Athletics Reconstruction Plan...

Bleacher Eagle (44)
Member
Registered: 2018-07-18
Posts: 94

Southern Miss Athletics Reconstruction Plan...

Immediate needs:
For recruiting purposes, we need better facilities for the 2 revenue generating sports:
    An IPF for football.
    A major renovation of Reed Green, including a dedicated practice facility.
   
In order to pay for the above items we need increased revenue & decreased expenses (chicken & egg):

    To cut expenses: Leave CUSA immediately and join the Sunbelt. The Sunbelt is more geographically friendly and it's no worse than CUSA 3.0 in any sport. This will save on travel expenses for all sports.

    To increase revenue: Future non-conference football schedules should include 3 money games and 1 home game vs either Alcorn St or Jackson St. Of the 3 money games, schedule as many as possible with teams that are within bussing distance (LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Mississippi State, Ole Miss) to save on the expense of a chartered flight. Do the equivalent of this in basketball. We don't need to playing home and homes with North Florida, nor should we be hosting teams like Rust, Millsaps, Southeastern Baptist College, etc. These games neither generate revenue nor increase fan interest.
   
Phase II:
Once the finances to complete the facilities upgrades are obtained, go back to just 2 money games in football and replace the other game with home & home matchups with some of our former rivals: East Carolina, Memphis, Houston, Tulane, USF, etc. Continue to play an intriguing slate of basketball teams (NO non-D1 schools).

Conclusion:
In synopsis: Small travel footprint to reduce expenses. Better facilities to attract better recruits. More intriguing opponents in football & basketball.
  Better players + more intriguing matchups = more fan interest.
  More fan interest = more revenue.
  More revenue – expense savings = more capital to reinvest back into the programs/facilities/coaches.

Unlike pipe dreams of joining the AAC, ALL of this is within our control. If we decide to do it, it can be done and it can be done in the next handful of years. Continuing down the same path we’re on will just dig us into a deeper and deeper hole. Our leadership needs to make some bold decisions and take radical action now, before it’s too late to resurrect our athletic department from the pits of D1.

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#2 2020-09-29 12:46:07 - Southern Miss Athletics Reconstruction Plan...

AndreWhere (1252)
Member
From: Decatur, GA
Registered: 2017-08-24
Posts: 8,746

Re: Southern Miss Athletics Reconstruction Plan...

At least you're thinking about these things instead of just poor-mouthing. That seems to me to be the big divide among our fans.

The blueprint is out there, from the early 1980s and 1990s: play at P5 schools, use your home games judiciously (WTF does FIU at home do for anyone?), and build a brand around punching above your weight. Joining C-DOA was the pivotal moment when this plan was abandoned.

I remember thinking having a season with 4 home games was bad, but having wandered off and tried to do something different, I think having a few seasons like that now and again is just a part of USM's identity.


Bring back Reed V. "Pie" TurkPalmer Eustachy.

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#3 2020-09-29 16:08:30 - Southern Miss Athletics Reconstruction Plan...

Lloydlake (139)
Member
Registered: 2017-08-25
Posts: 274

Re: Southern Miss Athletics Reconstruction Plan...

You ain't bussing the foosball team to Tallymahassee.  350 miles.
Other than that I agree.

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#4 2020-09-29 16:27:16 - Southern Miss Athletics Reconstruction Plan...

Black Diamond Reb (418)
Member
From: Palmers Crossing, Mississippi
Registered: 2017-08-25
Posts: 1,302

Re: Southern Miss Athletics Reconstruction Plan...

220px-PurportedUFO2.jpg


"I don't think being in the 6th best conference is too bad."
"Look for Crickets Robertson to be one of the first 64 players chosen in the draft."
"Went to Starkville and came within one bad throw of taking the series."

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#5 2020-09-30 08:42:11 - Southern Miss Athletics Reconstruction Plan...

AndreWhere (1252)
Member
From: Decatur, GA
Registered: 2017-08-24
Posts: 8,746

Re: Southern Miss Athletics Reconstruction Plan...

Tulane sent their team to Houston on a bus not too long ago, and Bob Toledo complained publicly about it.

Last edited by AndreWhere (2020-09-30 08:51:04)


Bring back Reed V. "Pie" TurkPalmer Eustachy.

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#6 2020-09-30 17:16:22 - Southern Miss Athletics Reconstruction Plan...

Mao Tse-gore (412)
Member
Registered: 2017-08-29
Posts: 961

Re: Southern Miss Athletics Reconstruction Plan...

Bleacher Eagle wrote:

Immediate needs:
For recruiting purposes, we need better facilities for the 2 revenue generating sports:
    An IPF for football.
    A major renovation of Reed Green, including a dedicated practice facility.
   
In order to pay for the above items we need increased revenue & decreased expenses (chicken & egg):

    To cut expenses: Leave CUSA immediately and join the Sunbelt. The Sunbelt is more geographically friendly and it's no worse than CUSA 3.0 in any sport. This will save on travel expenses for all sports.

    To increase revenue: Future non-conference football schedules should include 3 money games and 1 home game vs either Alcorn St or Jackson St. Of the 3 money games, schedule as many as possible with teams that are within bussing distance (LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Mississippi State, Ole Miss) to save on the expense of a chartered flight. Do the equivalent of this in basketball. We don't need to playing home and homes with North Florida, nor should we be hosting teams like Rust, Millsaps, Southeastern Baptist College, etc. These games neither generate revenue nor increase fan interest.
   
Phase II:
Once the finances to complete the facilities upgrades are obtained, go back to just 2 money games in football and replace the other game with home & home matchups with some of our former rivals: East Carolina, Memphis, Houston, Tulane, USF, etc. Continue to play an intriguing slate of basketball teams (NO non-D1 schools).

Conclusion:
In synopsis: Small travel footprint to reduce expenses. Better facilities to attract better recruits. More intriguing opponents in football & basketball.
  Better players + more intriguing matchups = more fan interest.
  More fan interest = more revenue.
  More revenue – expense savings = more capital to reinvest back into the programs/facilities/coaches.

Unlike pipe dreams of joining the AAC, ALL of this is within our control. If we decide to do it, it can be done and it can be done in the next handful of years. Continuing down the same path we’re on will just dig us into a deeper and deeper hole. Our leadership needs to make some bold decisions and take radical action now, before it’s too late to resurrect our athletic department from the pits of D1.

First strong leadership must be acquired. And that means Mr. Potato Head has to be replaced. That is an impossibility, and thus the rest.


We still suck bigtime.
There's a big difference between optimism and an altered state of reality.
Not another dime, not another mile, not another minute.
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