G5 fan survey results: Conference pride, realignment targets and TV deals
The Group of 5 sits in an unfamiliar position right now, but fans have strong opinions about their leagues' trajectory entering 2023.
theathletic.com
About CUSA
CUSA (Roughly 85 responses)
How happy are you with CUSA’s membership of schools? (Kennesaw State will join in 2024)1: 35.3 percent (Not happy)
2: 17.6 percent
3: 36.5 percent
4: 8.2 percent
5: 2.4 percent (Very happy)
If CUSA adds more schools in the future, who should it add? (Select all that apply)
Stephen F. Austin: 44 percent
Eastern Kentucky: 32.1 percent
Missouri State: 31 percent
Incarnate Word: 22.6 percent
McNeese State: 19 percent
Austin Peay: 19 percent
Tarleton State: 16.7 percent
Central Arkansas: 13.1 percent
(All write-in candidates got one vote)
How would you rate commissioner Judy MacLeod’s performance?
1: 29.1 percent (Poor job)
2: 20.9 percent
3: 34.9 percent
4: 11.6 percent
5: 3.5 percent (Great job)
How happy are you with CUSA’s TV situation?
1: 28.2 percent (Not happy)
2: 25.8 percent
3: 29.4 percent
4: 11.8 percent
5: 4.7 percent (Very happy)
Where would you rank CUSA among the G5?
1: 2.2 percent (Best league)
2: 7.7 percent
3: 22 percent
4: 28.6 percent
5: 39.6 percent (Worst league)
Who will win CUSA this year? (Sam Houston and Jacksonville State not eligible)
Liberty: 43.3 percent
WKU: 37.1 percent
UTEP: 9.3 percent
New Mexico State: 4.1 percent
Louisiana Tech: 4.1 percent
Middle Tennessee: 2.1 percent
FIU: 0 percent
The feelings on the league’s membership and the job of MacLeod remain the same as last year, but there is much more positivity around the new TV deal, which gets CUSA back on ESPN, including midweek games in October. In last year’s poll, 22.7 percent of voters rated the TV situation from 3-5. This year, that’s more than 45 percent.
In the question about potential additions, I kept the listed options largely regional and was surprised to see Stephen F. Austin took home the most votes. Perhaps that’s a product of the addition of rival Sam Houston to CUSA this year. My read on things has been that SFA likely doesn’t have the resources to make such a jump, but MacLeod told me last week they’d like to get to 12 members, and that will likely come from the pool of options here.
Readers accept CUSA’s position and have looked for the positives:
“Difficult situation in 2021, but the league has made every correct move since.”
“Easily the worst conference in the country yet still boasts one of the best G5 teams this year in WKU.”
“The league has potential. Liberty just lost too much production from last year and an all-new coaching staff may mean a slow start. WKU has the far better QB and WRs. Chadwell will get it going but it may not be this year.”
“TV situation is much better starting this year but interested to see how all of the October midweek games affect teams and certainly fans. Midweek games ARE NOT for fans. It’s a conference and school advertising on an ESPN network for three hours.”
“WKU needs to get out of this conference ASAP.”
