Originally Posted by
Dawg06
I'll start with Tulane's trump card: Tulane is an AAU member. No school in Louisiana has academic credentials in Tulane's realm.
FBS AAU schools not in big money conferences:
- Rice
- Tulane
- Buffalo
New Orleans isn't the biggest market, but in the words of UCF's president, New Orleans is an "important" market. New Orleans hosts up to three bowl games per season including the BCS Championship every fourth year. New Orleans has hosted MBB and WBB Final Fours, and if they aren't hosting the Final Fours, New Orleans is usually a regional or sub-regional host site. New Orleans can host any conference event. New Orleans is rich in recruiting talent. New Orleans is a tourist destination 365 days a year that fans from all over the country enjoy traveling to.
Tulane's president Scott Cowen has very powerful voice in college athletics and academics. He took on the BC$ to fight for the non-AQ schools, and he's president of the AAU.
$150 million in athletic facilities improvements since Katrina
Brand new football stadium: In progress
Total renovation of basketball arena: Check
Brand new baseball stadium: Check
Brand new basketball/volleyball practice facility: Check
Brand new "athletics village": In the works
Brand new indoor practice facility: In the works
And the list goes on...
Before Hurricane Katrina hit, Tulane won more C-USA championships than any other school in the conference. Tulane's excuse for their lack of competitive success is that they are still in recovery mode from the hurricane.
And Tulane is in the American. The Big XII won't take a school from C-USA, and they certainly won't take one from the Belch. Any additions to the big money conferences will come from the Mountain West, American, or BYU.