Yep, it’s been 20 years.
This is what we once had kiddos. Fairly regularly (7 of 10 years including this one, along with pretty frequent top 25 appearances).
I miss it.
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The day the music died….
Also Phil Dubois was named chancellor that day if I’m not mistaken.
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Yep, I remember I was in Atlanta for some work thing and got so hyped up during the first half. Then the second half happened.
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clt left hooters sad that day
Twenty years of “no dancing” by coach:
2005-10 Bobby Lutz
2010-15 Alan Major
2015-17 Mark Price
2017-18 Houston Fancher
2018-23 Ron Sanchez
2023-present Aaron Fearne
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I remember that team won every game they played in February that year. We were playing so damn well and then lost all 4 in March.
I was a junior at the time and man that loss stung for a long time. Now it hurts for a different reason.
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I really miss the late 90’s and early 2000’s.
My hope for a turnaround is dwindling under the current rules. Our only chance to make the tournament going forward is by winning the AAC tournament.
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I tore up all my Niner shirts that day.
Yep that Feb was a fun month. We got into the top 25. I went to our game at Louisville who was in the top 10. We played decent but lost to a good team.
Lost 2 days later at S. Florida I believe to end the regular season. Got “lucky” and drew Memphis in the conference tournament, which was played at Memphis. We lost. Then drew State in the first round and were hammering them in the first half, and of course, ended up losing. They beat #2 seed UConn in the 2nd round to go to the Sweet 16.
I just threw up my lunch.
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Yeah I remember listening to that South Florida game on the radio. Their fans stormed the court. It was the first time they had beat a top 20 team in like over 10 years or something. 
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I held out hope for a while that this version of the AAC just needed time to gel. As good as CUSA 1.0 was towards the end, there were several years before that where a conference tournament upset was the only thing that prevented Juan Bid from visiting again.
The NIL angle though makes it much tougher. Unless they expand the NCAA field and hopefully not just to make a round of G5 play in games (or are you all okay with that?) I think you may be right. It’s going to get harder, not easier, to make the tournament as payrolls keep climbing at the top programs.
If I read correctly, Duke’s basketball team cost them $22 million. Holy crap.
FWIW, that Duke figure is how much they spend on the entire program, not just payroll. My recollection is that Kentucky is often the top spender, with the Blue Devils usually 2nd or 3rd.
I read somewhere (May have been something Run posted) that you need to spend $6MM to be a Top 25 team. Our NIL budget at best is 10% of that amount and more than likely 5%.
Also, only 2 conferences (MWC and WCC) had multiple bids outside of the P5. The committee is making it harder for the non-P5 to get an at large bid also.
At this point, I only see getting Lucky or having a big donor (corporate or individual) step up to provide the financial support to the program.
20 years? Damn!
I saw 9 mil roster a few places.
Might be right. See that Flagg has an NIL valuation estimated to be over $4M.
And just a reminder that House will cap rev share at $20.5M for ALL athletes in a school’s entire athletic department.
That makes sense.
$9 million though is still a ton.
That cap won’t last without congressional action.
Will be challenged in court left and right from various angles.
Doubt Congress will ever do anything in spite of the performative subcommittee meetings. Courts will most likely decide.
And if Congress does legislate per the NCAA’s desire for an antitrust exemption, then the inevitable lawsuits will still have the courts ultimately deciding.
Either way, courts will decide in the end.