Would it help MSU is USM dropped football?

[Pokerdawg44]

Uab isn't the only team losing money

http://mweb.cbssports.com/ncaaf/writer/jon-solomon/24839675/uab-football-isnt-alone-in-losing-money-for-athletic-departments

[Drugdog]

I don't think it would matter. 20'years ago Yes. Now. No

[Todd4State]

I think it would help MSU as a University.

USM has fallen into the gulf of the current college football landscape. Their real issue is they aren't in a market like Memphis or NOLA. Back in the 80's and 90's we competed with them for players, but that was back when USM was an independent and they could claim that they were in the same conference as Florida State, Penn State, Notre Dame, and all of those other schools that were independent at that time.

For USM to be successful, they really need us to be bad. Dan has killed their football program by going after and taking the diamonds in the rough from Mississippi that USM used to get because Jackie wanted a ton of JUCO's and Croom had no clue what the hell he was doing. It's not a coincidence that their "fall" happened about four years after Dan took over and no it wasn't because of Ellis Johnson like they all want to believe. Monken hasn't been much better to date.

They've been on borrowed time for awhile now. I don't think they will fold like UAB, but I wouldn't be surprised if they dropped down to I-AA before long and joined the Southland Conference or something.

[SDDawg]

Consolidation is coming. Power 5 conferences are getting all of the money, attention and TV contracts. Small conferences for areas that don't get served by the larger schools/leagues will continue but there will be fewer of them. Schools will drop programs and it will ultimately benefit the bigger schools. Not sure that USM dropping football would help us all that much, but it certainly wouldn't hurt one bit.

[War Machine Dawg]

I think it would help MSU as a University.

USM has fallen into the gulf of the current college football landscape. Their real issue is they aren't in a market like Memphis or NOLA. Back in the 80's and 90's we competed with them for players, but that was back when USM was an independent and they could claim that they were in the same conference as Florida State, Penn State, Notre Dame, and all of those other schools that were independent at that time.

For USM to be successful, they really need us to be bad. Dan has killed their football program by going after and taking the diamonds in the rough from Mississippi that USM used to get because Jackie wanted a ton of JUCO's and Croom had no clue what the hell he was doing. It's not a coincidence that their "fall" happened about four years after Dan took over and no it wasn't because of Ellis Johnson like they all want to believe. Monken hasn't been much better to date.

They've been on borrowed time for awhile now. I don't think they will fold like UAB, but I wouldn't be surprised if they dropped down to I-AA before long and joined the Southland Conference or something.

U-LaLa and USA have taken a bunch of the recruits they used to get, too. Wish our BoT had the balls to shut down USM and most of the HBCU football programs.

[Todd4State]

U-LaLa and USA have taken a bunch of the recruits they used to get, too. Wish our BoT had the balls to shut down USM and most of the HBCU football programs.

You are correct and USM is shooting themselves in the foot also regarding Mississippi- they should be going after Minchew, Keenan Barnes, Trey Smith, etc.

[Irondawg]

They are going to do it to themselves. I was there Saturday and there were MAYBE 7,000 people there.

They do that another year or two and they financially won't have a choice but to drop down.

[wayneland5025]

They are going to do it to themselves. I was there Saturday and there were MAYBE 7,000 people there.

They do that another year or two and they financially won't have a choice but to drop down.

They must be using state general fund money to keep their athletic program going because they couldnt possibly be taking in enough to pay for all of their sports. I hope someone checks that out and stops it if it is happening.

[RC3]

well they are going to sell out at least one game next season. that will help matter for them from a financial stand point

[War Machine Dawg]

well WE are going to sell out THEIR stadium next season. that will help matter for them from a financial stand point

FIFY

Damn Ninja. No way in hell we should be playing them in a straight up home-and-home. 2-for-1 or GTFO.

[Todd4State]

They are going to do it to themselves. I was there Saturday and there were MAYBE 7,000 people there.

They do that another year or two and they financially won't have a choice but to drop down.

I think it's inevitable. We may help them stay afloat for a little while longer by playing them, but it's just delaying things. They have too many alumni and fans that pull for MSU/Ole Miss/Bama/LSU.

[Todd4State]

They must be using state general fund money to keep their athletic program going because they couldnt possibly be taking in enough to pay for all of their sports. I hope someone checks that out and stops it if it is happening.

I don't think that's the case. I think that this has been a gradual slippery slope. They never have drawn well, but my guess is they used to draw better when they were winning. I went to a few games there when Bower was the coach and there were way more than 7K there at that time. They've really only been losing big for three years. If Monken can't turn it around in the next year or two, I think they are toast.

[Todd4State]

FIFY

Damn Ninja. No way in hell we should be playing them in a straight up home-and-home. 2-for-1 or GTFO.

Financially it was a poor decision. From an image standpoint, us destroying them 49-0 (and it really should have been 63-0) probably put the final nail in their coffin and helped us tremendously. You don't hear about people talking about "the time USM beat one of our better teams 42-14 in 1980" any more.

Also, to be honest if we played Jackson State and Alcorn and not USM, we would look scared.

If we destroy them again in Hattiesburg, it will just reinforce things further.