Great AD speak for fund raising I suppose. Hope he is right and that this doesn't come back to haunt him.Originally Posted by baw011
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Great AD speak for fund raising I suppose. Hope he is right and that this doesn't come back to haunt him.
I think Banowsky and many of the CUSA members really do want us. But I think the eastern members are either neutal or against us. All things being equal, I think we get in. But this conference realignment stuff is a real problem. I think the politics of the situation are such that if CUSA only loses 1 school out of the west, the eastern members will allow 1 western replacement. But from there, they'll block any move that grows CUSA to the west without equal growth in the east.
And that's the problem. My big concern is where Baylor lands if the Big 12 fragments. I don't want Baylor left out in the cold with only 1 opening in the western side of CUSA. We could have a real fight on our hands if that happens.
I'll hold my excitement until 2 things occur: 1) We actually get invited...and 2) We see who's left in the "new" CUSA. If through a sequence of events the "New" CUSA is basically the Sunbelt with a new name, I will NOT be excited.
If any combo of ECU, and UCF leave, and it's LaTech and Middle TN i'm cool, but if CUSA loses Memphis, ECU, UCF, USM, Tulane or the western schools, and they rebuild with Arkie State, North Texas, Laffy-ette and Troy, sorry...i'm just not that into it.
I think we all can agree with that. Sort of like Boise needing to be hesitant with MWC.
I hope so. I am definitely not in the "CUSA AT ANY COST" camp. Geography is a nice-to-have (okay, VERY nice to have), but not a have-to-have.
My gut tells me this "super-conference" alignment will set things up for YEARS to come. I, and probably most of us on here, really feel like it's now or never for our University.
I don't have the "now or never" thought, but I do think that there are some possibilities much higher than CUSA out there that we need to be seeking if things fall in a certain way.
The GOAL should be AQ. The step might be CUSA. We would be fools to want geography over AQ (even a conference that has a good chance to become AQ). Now, CUSA over other non-AQ conferences (that have no chance at AQ) is a no-brainer.
I want to know what things are going to look like. CUSA needs to be very similar to what it is now (especially in the west) for us to go for it.
Maybe the best case scenario is that the Big 12 and Big East are annihilated by the other AQ schools, the ACC picks off ECU and UCF, Marshall goes back to the MAC, and CUSA grows to 16 to match the others. The end result would look something like this:
East
Memphis
UAB
USM
Tulane
Cincinnati
Louisville
Tech
Iowa State
West
Tulsa
SMU
Rice
Houston
Kansas
Kansas State
Baylor
UTEP
Something like this might even be granted AQ status. Likely...no, possible...yes. With all of the scenarios out there, anything could play out.
I'd love that set up. Do you think the North Louisiana casual fan would get behind a conference like that?
The conference opponents alone open us up to MBB recruits we would have never thought of landing before.
Kansas, Louisville, Memphis and the Natti???? WOW!!
Damn, LFR, I was getting hot, took an extra blood pressure pill, all stirred up now!!JUST KIDDING!!!!!
I was trying to keep it going but it just wasn't in me!
I'm wondering where the Iowa State (Big 12) experience/contact in the AD's office is playing out in all these negotiations?? Don't see our move as anywhere near neutral. Either going to be outstanding or horrible.
Sorry DQD, wouldn't want to lose ya' when I was just funnin' around! I share your concern because I believe that our upside is "only" membership in a relatively intact CUSA (with which I would be very pleased), but the downside potential is much lower than the upside potential. All non-AQ's will be worse off after realignment (and I think that despite their hope, the MWC will not be AQ even if they add the Big 12 remnants) and what will result will be the equivalent of the previous Division I-A and Division I-AA. The non-AQ's will have a play-off system and a national champion but will no longer have a shot at a BCS Bowl, a la Boise. Eventually, I believe there will be an AQ play-off resulting in a national champion (driven once again by money) and eventually there could possibly be a championship game between the AQ and non-AQ champions, but it would be far in the future.
Regarding BVDV, I think his contacts will be crucial. He and Banowsky are personal friends, which will be a great aid when his input is solicited from the Presidents of the member schools. However, in the end it is the Presidents that make the call on membership.
If you didn't know what time of the year it was, like you just awoke from a coma, you would instantly say....must be summer, what with all this talk about conference re-alignment!
Some of you can save yourself some time simply by copying and pasting the same posts you made at this time last year, and the year before, and the year before that!
And that's what is going to make this interesting. We need to be very careful about what we are getting into if asked.
I agree, but a WAC without Boise St. makes the jump to CUSA really easy. We, like many others, are not in the driver's seat. Hopefully, we have an option. Folks like Nevada and Fresno must be wondering what their league will look like.
A no-brainer unless the Big 12 gets picked apart and we would be on their invite list. I could see CUSA West bolting and leaving CUSA very beltish looking, in that case. These are difficult negotiating times. Can't get left out, but have to go for the highest we can go. We should be talking to some other programs that we want to be associated with and making a pact.
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