Now wouldn't THAT be sweet? After all the crap their fans gave us...wow.Originally Posted by HogDawg
We (CUSA) should let SMU, UCF & Houston return, but tell Memphis to go to hell.
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Now wouldn't THAT be sweet? After all the crap their fans gave us...wow.We (CUSA) should let SMU, UCF & Houston return, but tell Memphis to go to hell.
HD
Big 12 has new commissioner so I could see Louisville and Cincinnati getting the nod. North ACC corridor of Syracuse, Pitt, and BC putting pressure on for UConn and Rutgers to solidify New York/New England area and to ward off Big 10 advancements. Big East would definitely be controlled by basketball schools--led by Georgetown. C-USA and Mountain West should be selling long term perspective to UCF, USF, SMU, Houston, Boise, and SDSU. This would create a powerful conference with major university enabling the political clout to be at the table with the other so-called AQ conferences when decisions are made. Clearly separated from the Belt and MAC. Memphis can drop football and remain in the precious Big East basketball league. If Notre Dame ever decides to join the Big 10, then Texas can slide on over with them and BYU can fill their Big 12 slot. Then maybe we can finanlly have some stability for awhile. The new C-USA/MWC alliance would have so much inventory that multiple media outlets become available. Have a scheduling alliance with Army and Navy. Hopefully the C-USA/MWC will be proactive in this situation and start raiding Big East rather than being raided.
Exactly!
I don't think Neinas was the reason that Louisville & Cincinnati didn't get the invitation last time around. He wasn't driving the bus, nor is the new guy. My understanding was that BC was an obstacle to rather than a booster for UConn. Both pretty consciously chose not to go beyond 10 and 14. On the list of things I am concerned about with regard to our new membership - and I'm always concerned about something - these do not rank that highly.
University of Houston '01. Any references to "we" or "us" likely refer to UH. Cheers!
Except for the possible return of Houston and SMU, which would be great, nothing good can possibly come out of more BE shake-up. Losing ECU, and USM, and....who knows whoelse, would force CUSA to fill those slots with the likes of Troy or MTSU.
...and that is my concern too. The appeal of C-USA, at least for me, is the reunion with Tulsa, Rice and UTEP...and the prospect of FINALLY aligning with USM and Tulane. Losing any of those would suck for us at LaTech.
I doubt the Big East would take ECU and USM. Their markets are smaller than ours. I bet Charlotte and UTSA would get looks before those 2.
Does anybody know what our exit fee is for CUSA?
Now that's funny.
Well, if Big 12 took Louisville, ACC took Rutgers and UConn, it might kill them off for good.
Then you would have a far-flung conference with few of the original football schools,
not sure the BB only schools would stick around for this setup, (nothing against the new schools, but it is not what the original schools signed up for)
not sure Boise/SDSU would stick around either and probably would be not attractive for all sports especially without the Catholics or AQ status,
ND would bolt,
not going to get much of a TV contract out of it,
and you would have essentially a CUSA that is only marginally better than the CUSA that they left and with more travel costs.
Chuck Neinas made the statement recently that there are only five power conferences now. The BE is on dangerous ground and not a lot options for them. They could take ECU or USM, but it is not going to help their market. They could go for FIU or Charlotte, but that reeks of desperation.
Could be the best option if the original scenario happens is merging the UH and company back into CUSA. Which would be great for the rest of us, but crappy for those guys that jumped. And Louisville, Rutgers, and UConn jumping, while not a certainty, does have a fair degree of probibility. Just a matter of time before Louisville goes and the ACC can get Rutgers and UConn whenever they want them. Of course the Big 12 could take a hard look at UH and SMU as well, but I am guessing that if they were high on the list, they would already be in the Big 12.
The basketball schools now have this conference under total control...
If they lose anyone, I seriously doubt they make a play for anyone else -
''Don't be a bad dagh..."
THIS!! They BB schools don't want more mouths to feed unless it upped the NCAA units. They won't be looking to add FB minded schools or even really care if the school fields a FB team.
I appreciate y'all's open-mindedness about having us back. Even under a doomsday scenario, though, I see it going in a different direction. Not too long ago, the MWC appeared poised to lose Utah and BYU. Boise State wasn't even a member yet. TCU's status in the conference seemed less than secure. There were some who thought that the WAC might swallow the MWC whole or at least gobble up the choicest tidbits. But that's not what happened. Instead, the MWC played divide and conquer. Who were the most desirable (for the MWC) teams from the WAC? Fresno and Nevada. Take'em. Now who's left? Hawaii? Take them. The MWC didn't have to be what it was, it just had to be better than the WAC. And between the two, the WAC had a lot more deadweight (the MWC has/had weak teams, but virtually everybody had something to offer).
So let's assume a doomsday scenario: Boise State, SDSU, Louisville, Cincinnati, Rutgers, and UConn all heading to new conferences. Navy goes back to independence. Even Temple goes back to the MAC/A-10. At that point, divorce from the basketball schools is inevitable (and probably not very ugly, the two sides simply have little to offer one another). You're left with only five schools: UH, SMU, Memphis, USF, and UCF. The thing about these five schools is that there is very little actual deadweight. Memphis football, that's about it, and they have that basketball program of theirs. If I were in charge, the first thing I would do is get the presidents and/or ADs of Tulsa, LaTech, USM, and ECU into a room and invite them over. Then, tell them that once they are on board, the nine schools pick the last three together.
Take those four out of C*USA, and who are you left with? Schools with potential, and deadweight. So the pitch would be: Come on over and you not only get four solid football programs and a great basketball program, but you get to leave behind the likes of UAB (unless you want them), Marshall (unless you want them), North Texas (errr, if you really want them), FIU (sorry, not going to happen), and so on. The geography of the new conference wouldn't actually be all that problematic (even if Cincinnati were left behind and a part of the mix). You could have the five remaining BE football schools plus whatever from Conference USA that seems prudent.
Do you think that LaTech would say no to this? I don't think that Tulsa or ECU would. Tulsa would be trading UNT, Rice, and UTSA for UH, SMU, and Memphis. ECU would be trading FIU for UCF and USF (and could likely bring along some combination of Charlotte, Marshall, UAB, or ODU if that's what it took). Take out those two, and I think that increases the incentive for LaTech and USM to hop on over. Who else is left (that couldn't also be brought over)? FIU?
But... divide and conquer. It would be far preferable, I think, to the C*USA expats than re-joining C*USA for an 18 or 20-team conference. It wouldn't be the conference that we just left to join, but it would still be better than the one that formed after we left. And that's the thing: whatever is left doesn't have to great. It just has to be better than the C*USA alternative.
(If it weren't for the TV dollars, I think those nine plus three would be a better home than the Big East. Maybe. I'd have to think about it.)
University of Houston '01. Any references to "we" or "us" likely refer to UH. Cheers!
Sheesh! some of you have such backstabbing, devious minds. Divide and conquer? Backroom deals?
Remind me to never enter into a partnership with any of you.
Parialex, interesting take on the "doomsday" scenario. I think the BB schools would fight to keep the BE name, and they can for all I care. But this would qualify as a new conference right? Something the NCAA is supposed not allowing at this point in time. But yeah, great for Tech if it came about like that. And no, we would not turn that offer down.
The "doomsday" scenario while possible, is not probable in my mind, unless one considers the the Louisville leaving as causing everything else to fall into place. Then yeah, it is very likely. Had to go to LU this morning to bring back my son's stuff from school, so I had 5 hours of sports talk radio to dwell on it and hear all this stuff over and over....
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