As of right now. I still think UTEP and Tulsa and maybe Southern Miss could leave.
East
FAU
FIU
Marshall
Old Dominion
Charlotte
Western Kentucky
Middle Tennessee
UAB
West
Southern Miss
La Tech
Tulsa
North Texas
Rice
UTSA
UTEP
NM State
As of right now. I still think UTEP and Tulsa and maybe Southern Miss could leave.
East
FAU
FIU
Marshall
Old Dominion
Charlotte
Western Kentucky
Middle Tennessee
UAB
West
Southern Miss
La Tech
Tulsa
North Texas
Rice
UTSA
UTEP
NM State
Just looking at the names of the schools it looks like a strong basketball conference.
I don't want to lose USM
I hate it when I'm right....about bad things.
I predicted this would happen. Which is why I didn't join in the Yippee! party when we got in CUSA. And yeah, it will get worse.
Bet UTEP wishes they gone to the MWC when they had a chance! Talk about stoooooooooopid!
Oh well....this is how I see it. This year we were left in a depleted WAC and still finished 3rd! So, whoever is in our conference, even if it's Girl Scout Troop #37, just win!
I like where we are and don't feel tormented one bit. Is that wrong ?
USM is not going anywhere, they are in the same boat we are in...
Metro areas remember...
Tulsa on the other hand
Not so fast.
Conference USA
The conference in its current form: EAST: East Carolina, Marshall, Memphis, Southern Miss, UAB, UCF. WEST: Houston, Rice, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa, UTEP
The conference in 2015 form, as of right now: Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, Southern Miss, Tulsa, UAB, UTSA, UTEP
What's happening? Get comfortable and take a deep breath. East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, SMU, Tulane and UCF are all moving to the Big East. Charlotte and Old Dominion will be independents for a few years before becoming full members in 205. Florida Atlantic, Florida International, North Texas and Middle Tennessee are coming in from the Sun Belt, while UTSA is joining after spending one year in the WAC.
Wacky rumor and scuttlebutt Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech are destined for the Big East, and a slew of Sun Belt programs are getting ready to make the jump.
Throw-it-at-the-wall guess on what's going to happen Conference USA will be the land of misfit programs taking all the stars from the Sun Belt to make up for being a staging area for the Big East.
http://cfn.scout.com/2/1244796.html
Big East still needs one more team by 2015 to balance Navy coming in. They will take a western team (CUSA West or Mountain West team). I think they will take a Mountain West team to keep BSU & SDSU happy. the Mountain West will then pluck UTEP, Tulsa, or UTSA (or possibly a combination of these) from CUSA. Then CUSA will pull from WKU, NMSU, Arkansas State, or an FCS team. As long as the 5 cartel conferences are done plundering each other and the Big East, we should be done with realignment until this summer or after the 2013 season ends.
OK, how's this look? Tech and S Miss to the Big East. Tulsa and/or UTEP to the MWC or just UTEP leaves for the MWC. The BE and MWC put a merger type agreement in place for strength and power (plus become a semi-"have"blocking the smaller "have not" guys). Then the Champions of the BE and MWC play each other for a big boy BCS Bowl slot. Just for MD and HD.