http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoot...ders-expansion
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Seems like it would be a bad move for Rice unless it ups the TV contract like Boise did, but the article suggests it doesn't.
They should of stayed put in the WAC in 2005.
Current MWC map
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...Locations2.png
UTEP or Rice? If UTEP, they could be in the same situation that NMSU is right now. It would have been between UTEP and SJSU to get in to the MWC. Not sure how much I like those odds.
The only thing worse than losing two teams would be replacing them.
UTEP I could get over, but it'd be a shame to lose Rice (even UTEP has their basketball program).
But if they did leave, I'd want the conference to stick with 12 teams.
Wichita State is looking into adding football again. I would add them and UMass. Both bring solid basketball programs and CUSA could become 2-3 bid league year in and year out.
If they both go, don't add anyone. MT will just have to suck it up and move west with UAB.
Wichita State as a non-fb member would be okay for the AAC. From the article it seems that's what they inquired about, though I don't know that they aren't considering football.
If those two did go before UAB is operational, Conference USA may add Texas State for contractual reasons to be at 12 every season. Not sure of the contracts.
The consensus at CoogsDen seems to me that Rice absolutely should go. Which may mean my view is the outlier and that the ball may be in the MWC's court. It just seems to me like a bad move for Rice, which already has substantial profile issues to a far greater extent than TCU or UH. It seems like a sort of freak-out at being left behind and feeling the need to do something/anything. But I thought the same about TCU and the MWC certainly worked out well for them.
It seems like far from a slam dunk that they would be invited. When Boise and SDSU did what they did, it was cause for adding a rider to the TV contract. I don't think that's the case with Rice and UTEP and so it would be simply splitting the money more ways. The only thing that gives me a bit of pause on that is that there were rumors when they created the division that Boise was assured that they would ultimately end up in the western division. This seems like it could be the mechanism by which that occurs. If there was any truth to that rumor.
Personally, I could easily be for Tech stepping up conferences again to be attached to the MWC universities by going in with RICE. The MWC will get the much better deal come the next set of mergers.....i.e. to become the P6.
Parialex,
I suspect what this is about is the MWC looking for a school to pair with BYU when the Cougars enter the MWC after being passed over by the Big 12. I think that will eventually happen. The Big 12 would become somewhat of a laughingstock if its conference stretched from Utah to West Virginia. Their expansion will be east and won't include BYU.
I still believe what you heard from David Boren earlier this year about Big 12 expansion was a reaction to what I believe is inevitable - Big 10 expansion to 16, something Jim Delaney promised NewsCorp (Fox) back in 2009 that the Big 10 would eventually get to. Boren wants the Big 12 to have its pick of schools before the Big 10 expands first and starts the merry-go-round going again. Proactive rather than reactive.
As I said, I think BYU will end up in the MWC. They may have to make a concession or two to the MWC, but I think they will. They won't want to be locked out of the G5 Access bid if they have no other options. I think they'll be paired with UTEP. Rice will eventually end up in the AAC, and I think they know that.
We need to find a way to line up with Rice and move to the MWC. The west is our future.
East of Ruston has nothing for us....move west asap.
A quick scan of the message boards of UTEP, Rice, and MWC reveals that fans of UTEP are very supportive, Rice fans are broadly supportive, and MWC folks are more supportive of UTEP than Rice but mostly don't want to expand at all unless said expansion includes BYU and/or UH.
We will eventually have to move. I would like for us and USM to stick together, if possible. The West does seem move viable, though. It is all about perception and, let's face it, CUSA has 4 name teams - Tech, Rice, USM, and UTEP. I could throw in Marshall for good measure, actually.
MWC or AAC would be a good next move, since we are not getting into a P conference anytime soon. If you aren't moving forward, you are going backward and, as teams move out of CUSA, we would definitely be moving backwards if we stay. I like the time zone and travel of the AAC and CUSA better than MWC, though. The F-U's did nothing for our name recognition.