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The report on the Rice University athletics program commissioned by the Rice Board of Trustees is available online. Despite recent news reports, Rice's decision to maintain Division 1-A football in the Western Athletic Conference in 2004 and in Conference-USA in 2005 and beyond, is still to be made.
http://www.riceowls.com/sports/news/...ELEASE_ID=2593
Like many others, I predict this is just what Tulane did last year. I don't see Rice actually making the move.
Rice will come much closer to doing it than did Tulane. Rice does not have the support that Tulane has. Rice is populated by geeks and has been for at least 20 years. Their fan base is very small, and their appeal is limited in this city of 3+ million people. If Rice went 1AA or even lower it would not surprise me.
I'm an asshole! What's your excuse?
Even though I would love to get into C-USA and if rice did drop and they offered us a spot I know we would take it. How nice would it be for a spot to open (nothing against Rice) and Tech be to tell USA hey you didn't want us last time, so F off.
Wouldn't happen in a million years and I want the benefits from C-USA as much as anybody, but I also would like to see USA get a bit of there own medicine.
Why do you think CUSA would pick us in the next round, whether it's tomorrow or 5 years from now?
This subject is often broached during the Astros pre-game show. Lance Berkman is nearly always interviewed, and he is adamant in his position that it would be a huge mistake to drop down from 1-A football. My guess is that they are getting as many of the Lance Berkman types as they can to commit to this position, and then they are going to be asked to commit their money.
I can promise you that the adminstrators in CUSA are taking this very seriously. Rice, along with all of the private schools in the south are looking into whether D-1 college athletics and academics can co-exist. There was an interesting aticle in the Chronicle yesterday about Trinity University in San Antonio dropping into Division III and life there didn't end. Another option for them could be a 'Southern Ivy League' patterned after the Ivy League schools in the northeast. All of them compete in D 1-AA without athletic scholarships. I could see where Rice, SMU, Tulsa, Tulane, Baylor, Vanderbilt, along with Army & Navy could all make this a priority??????
This could become a real deal, whether Tulane did it or not.
DFIH
EJ,
I didn't say that I think they would. I actually don't believe they would choose us if Rice dropped. I was just putting a happy scenario out there. I want change at Tech, however that comes about, and I would like to see USA suffer for a little while for the foolish moves they have made in the past and present. From a sports admin/business approach they have not made moves to ensure stability or long term growth in their conference at almost any point in their history. Their "bigger is better" is not how it works for most conferences and businesses.
WHY would Vandy want to leave their SEC money? i don't see academics being a reason either. they aren't hurt by the SEC now so why leave?Originally Posted by DawgFaninHous
GNH,
I do not know that they would. My post was speculative in regards to the Southern Ivy League scenerio. I do remember that Rice, Tulsa, SMU, Tulane, Navy, & Army all met in Baltimore about a year ago to discuss common problems, etc...... My thinking about Baylor and/or Vandy is pure speculation based on how poorly they fit into the norm of the conferences they participate within. Reading the articles coming out in Houston, along with the rising costs of college athletics makes ones mind start to wander.
DFIH
Geeks are cool in today's world, and I have enjoyed our association with the Rice fans during our time in the WAC. I don't wish them ill just because we MIGHT benefit from that sort of move.
One "take" on the C-USA A.D.'s meeting which starts Sunday.
"The wide, wild world of bowl games will be on the verge of a dizzying shakeup. C-USA’s spot in the Liberty Bowl will be tenuous and you can kiss the Fort Worth Bowl bye, bye, bye."
http://wvgazette.com/section/Sports/2004051431
I just think Rice is pulling the same trick that Houston and Tulane have; hitting up the boosters and alums for cash to support the program and then warning of dire consequences if they don't. An infustion of cash will help, but Rice needs to have some kind of long term plan for their athletic programs to prosper.
This is another exacerbation and symptom of the divide between the BCS and non-BCS programs and why the BCS is bad for football. Only private schools with the misfortune of not being in the "Super Six" conferences are having these issues, it seems. You don't see these kinds of discussions going on at Syracuse, Miami, Duke, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Baylor, or Stanford. While some of these schools do lose money on athletics (Miami supposedly still finished $1million in the red the year they last won a national title in football) they don't lose money every season, and when they do, the losses are light, or at least acceptable. But Tulane and Rice are having issues because, year after year after year, they are losing upwards of $5million+ annually on their athletic programs. This cannot continue, and something must be done.
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