A Glimmer of hope?

[dawg80]

Nothing official yet


UTEP denies Conference USA asked school to join

Darren Hunt
El Paso Times

UTEP and Conference USA officials said Friday that an Orlando Sentinel report stating the school will be invited to join the league was premature.

"This is the first time we've had any indication of that," UTEP Associate Athletics Director Mack Rhoades said. "We knew that Conference USA was certainly interested in us and a number of other schools. But at this point in time, we have not received any official invite and don't know that we will."

UTEP President Diana Natalicio could not be reached for comment. Athletics Director Bob Stull, in New York City on Friday with Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson negotiating the league's new television contract with ESPN, could not be reached for comment.

"It doesn't surprise me that UTEP may be the preferred choice" of Conference USA, Benson said. "But I think the WAC has much more to offer UTEP than Conference USA."

In 2005-06, Conference USA, seeking a 12th member after surviving several defections, will include East Carolina, Marshall, Central Florida, Alabama-Birmingham, Memphis, Southern Miss, Tulane, Houston and former WAC members Tulsa, SMU and Rice.

After next year's football and basketball seasons, the WAC would become a nine-team league with UTEP and new additions New Mexico State and Utah State. Other members are Fresno State, San Jose State, Nevada, Boise State, Hawaii and Louisiana Tech. Possible WAC additions include North Texas and Idaho.

"I don't know that (UTEP) is our selection," Southern Miss Athletics Director Richard Giannini said Friday. "I think that's a little premature. But they were one of several schools we discussed when we met in Dallas earlier this week."

Giannini added, "There were a lot of positive things discussed when it came to (UTEP). One of them is that it's a big area with more than 800,000-plus homes."

The UTEP men's basketball tradition and solid football attendance -- more than 29,000 a game the past four seasons -- also impressed Conference USA athletic directors, Giannini said.

"The biggest 'con' is the geographic location," said Giannini, who reiterated that no decision has been made. "We're getting to that point, but we haven't got there 100 percent."

Giannini added that there is "no question" UTEP is in the mix, "because they do bring some solid credentials. And I want to make sure if we add another member, it's one that brings value to the league."

University of Houston Athletics Director Dave Maggard said UTEP, Louisiana Tech and North Texas were given the most consideration.

"Everybody's still looking at the possible options in all this," Maggard said.

Maggard said he expects the expansion discussion between Conference USA athletics directors to continue through conference calls in the coming weeks and days.

Miner fans had differing opinions Friday on a possible move to Conference USA. An informal poll on KROD-AM's "SportsTalk" yielded 18 callers who favored leaving the WAC, while 12 said the school should stay put.

"I'd go with Conference USA," West El Pasoan Orly Mena said. "They might not ask us again, and the Mountain West may never ask. Hey, it's nice to be wanted. And I'd rather go to Orlando, Florida (Central Florida), than Logan, Utah (Utah State). I also like the fact that we stay with the Texas schools."

UTEP Alumni Association Dallas Chapter President Servando Enriquez pointed out Friday afternoon that the coming departures of SMU, Rice and Tulsa from the WAC will leave thousands of Miner fans in East Texas without the opportunity to see their team.

Unless, of course, UTEP is invited and accepts an invitation to join Conference USA.

"That would be absolutely fantastic," Enriquez said. "We have an opportunity here to promote UTEP as a product to a very large portion of the country that traditionally we have not addressed. There's a very popular alumni base out here. The support is incredible, and UTEP is starving for that kind of thing."

Darren Hunt may be reached at dhunt@elpasotimes.com; 546-6168.

[parisdog]

Maybe this was all just a left wing conspiracy.

[markay714]

Let's hope we all got alarmed too soon. I'd LOVE to eat crow over this one. I'm doing the Atkins thing, so it'd work fine in my plan.

[OLDBLUE]

HELLO:

Dawgbitten wrote:
.... the [glow=darkred:8314885f7c]meetings adjorned with no general consensus [/glow:8314885f7c]and the voting is to be left to the Presidents with three choices........ a Florida paper comes out and says that UTEP is the team ..................So which is it?

Again, Dawgbitten nailed it. Shut down the Worry for awhile.

[DawgFaninHous]

This El Paso article is much more in line with what I have heard out of Ruston. This ain't over folks. It is true that UTEP came out of right field on this and looks like the pick, but no one has said who the 'high priced' consultant reccommended. Who the school presidents are going to see as the best choice coming from the guy they payed no doubt 'big bucks' to tell them who they should ask. All of the AD's may have their own agenda and this may have been discussed(the UTEP invite) but who are the school presidents going to see when the final recommendations are in on the 30th. Also remember that it was the school presidents that came out in the papers as being for La Tech; not the AD's. Maybe they got their feelings hurt in that they were being left out of the decision and they felt they had to make some noise to show their own importance, who knows.

All I know is the 'fat lady' hasn't tuned up yet......I am personally discouraged, but not devistated. We still can pull this off.

DFIH

[1L_dawg]

I wish I knew how the AD's voted. If the vote was 5 for Tech and 6 for UTEP, then I might have a glimmer of hope. But, if the vote was 3 Tech (Rice/SMU/Tulsa) and 8 for UTEP, then we are done. While sifting through the numerous posts on this subject, I have read that only the old WAC three voted for us and, conversely, that UAB and Memphis carried UTEP through. Also, I read where Tulane supported us. Anyway, if all we need is one president to change his vote (only realistic possibility is UAB), then we might have a small chance. Otherwise, we are probably done.

[HogDawg]

This El Paso article is much more in line with what I have heard out of Ruston. This ain't over folks. It is true that UTEP came out of right field on this and looks like the pick, but no one has said who the 'high priced' consultant reccommended. DFIH

Okay DFIH, you sound like you know something. Do you know who the high paid consultant (Chuck Ninas) recommended to CUSA?

Also, I've noticed that Dwayne has been unusually quiet. I think BOTH of you guys know something and neither of you are talking. What's the deal?

HD

[Bossdawg]

What I got from the whole article that stood out to me was the UTEP AD was in NY with Carl Benson renegotiating the ESPN TV contract.

Does that speak to anybody else but me, I still say screw CUSA for the way they have dragged our name in the mud, we need to make the WAC economically feasable for us, and possibly drag Tulane and Houston away from CUSA and add UNT or ULL.

[DawgFaninHous]

[quote:cfd3616ffb="DawgFaninHous"]This El Paso article is much more in line with what I have heard out of Ruston. This ain't over folks. It is true that UTEP came out of right field on this and looks like the pick, but no one has said who the 'high priced' consultant reccommended. DFIH

Okay DFIH, you sound like you know something. Do you know who the high paid consultant (Chuck Ninas) recommended to CUSA?

Also, I've noticed that Dwayne has been unusually quiet. I think BOTH of you guys know something and neither of you are talking. What's the deal?

HD[/quote:cfd3616ffb]

HD,

I am just a dumb 'redneck from La. Tech' so I don't know nuthin.... I will say this, I would be willing to bet you anything that if the 'so-called' expert sport writers would dig a little deeper and do some fact checking they may find that Ninas probably will make a very persuasive presentation to give the school presidents on the 30th including financial advantages of each prospect. I believe that we probably made a better presentation to his people than everyone gave us credit for. Shreveport may have done their part as well. Either way, I am not going to buy any caps or t-shirts that say U-TEP is a member of C-USA just yet.

I love reading the C-USA board now, however, and see how they have annointed the Miners as the second coming. Especially how they all are picking out their cross divisional rival; but it is funny no one wants UTEP and everyone wants Tulane to get to go to New Orleans. It is also very funny how Marshall is touting how they should have been included in the last Big East expansion. The 12th team hasn't been named and they are already talking about jumping ship. If only the school presidents could see how their fans really feel. They may think about the importance of stability, especially for 'Deep South' stability. I still think we can buy our 'Greyhound passes' soon. We will just have to be patient.

DFIH

[champion110]

I believe that UTEP will not be chosen and, if they were, they would not accept.

[TechsasDawg]

...Also, I've noticed that Dwayne has been unusually quiet. I think BOTH of you guys know something and neither of you are talking. What's the deal?

HD

I think Dwayne is getting ready to eat some crow, and he'll be very glad to do so. I was pretty sure we would all know for sure on the 15th, but that did not happen. Just hang on, guys, and you'll see that ole TD has been the one with the accurate crystal ball since back in October.

TD
~~

[Dawgbitten]

Does anyone hold writers accountable for what they write? This story was picked up by our local news, other CUSA city papers etc.! It was circulated as fact (with sources unnamed) and now it is being discredited by an El Paso paper.

Does anyone else recall the Fresno Bee reporter who reported that HI and Fresno were leaving the WAC or something to that effect last year?

I am quickly losing respect for the journalist profession. Aub, what is going on?

I think that we are all telling ourselves what we want to hear or make us feel better. UTEP is the choice and we all know it. The geography thing is the only thing we have going for us but if UTEP is going to be in the same division as SMU, Tulsa, Houston, Rice and Tulane then travel is going to be that bad. Besides its much more diffcult to get to Ruston than El Paso. Furthermore, Ruston is more of an eyesore than El Paso. The only thing we have going for us is if UTEP rejects the invitation which is not likely to happen since CUSA gives them a chance to start anew.

Upon receiving the information that UTEP has accepted the invitation to CUSA, Oakes and Reneau should send a message to Karl Benson thanking him for giving us an opportunity to play in his league. The WAC has been good to us after all is said and done. However, we will be a geographic nightmare for the WAC with no teams to build an Eastern WAC. Therefore, we should contact Wright Waters about entry into the Sunbelt and prepare to build rivalries with North Texas, ULX'ers and others. If we all would just tak a step back and be truthful with ourselves for a change, we would realize that the Sunbelt is our natural home filled with teams that are our equals economically for sure. We have held our noses high in the air long enough t the sunbelt teams which has caused us to stumble right on to them. Prepare for the Sunbelt because us remaining in the WAC makes just as much sense as some of you criticize CUSA for wanting UTEP.

[markay714]

I sure do wish we'd get the IGNORE key again. Geedawg irritates me bad and it makes me mad that I can't resist reading the stuff he spews out. Its one thing if you know the angle somebody's taking - what school they support, but to be such a weanie that you pretend to be a Tech fan is another thing all together. Ugggh.

[Cal&Ken]

geedawg - you're no TECH fan! Go back where you came from.