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Thread: How it all unraveled . . .

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    How it all unraveled . . .

    The Salt Lake Tribune has a fantastic story today that chronicles how the whole BYU/WAC thing unraveled. They obtained emails from USU that shows conversations with Karl Benson and the other schools, including Nevada and Fresno, that show how this whole thing went from riches to rags.

    It's great stuff -- no wonder Benson called Nevada and Fresno traitors!

    http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/...enson.html.csp

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    Re: How it all unraveled . . .

    awesome story. must read

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    Re: How it all unraveled . . .

    Hard to believe USU would be extended an invite to MWC after reading that. I hope we skull drag Fresno and Nevada . . . Benson isn't the sharpest spoon in the drawer, but stabbing him in the back just hours after you were helping to finalize the deal is as dirty as you can get. I've got no respect for those ADs.

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    Re: How it all unraveled . . .

    Quote Originally Posted by RougeDawg View Post
    Hard to believe USU would be extended an invite to MWC after reading that. I hope we skull drag Fresno and Nevada . . . Benson isn't the sharpest spoon in the drawer, but stabbing him in the back just hours after you were helping to finalize the deal is as dirty as you can get. I've got no respect for those ADs.
    Man talk about drama, drama, drama. That would make a decent movie!

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    Re: How it all unraveled . . .

    Great read...

    Can't believe the Fresno pres was primary in the deal and yet betrayed them just as it was going down

    I still believe they had a UTEP swap for Tech under the table after all this went down.

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    Re: How it all unraveled . . .

    Quote Originally Posted by revf View Post
    Great read...

    Can't believe the Fresno pres was primary in the deal and yet betrayed them just as it was going down

    I still believe they had a UTEP swap for Tech under the table after all this went down.
    I do too. You think we are worried. UTEP is more so. I am convinced they cannot stay in CUSA any more than we could have stayed in a western heavy WAC. They have to be hurting and hurting bad.

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    Re: How it all unraveled . . .

    Quote Originally Posted by Soonerdawg View Post
    I do too. You think we are worried. UTEP is more so. I am convinced they cannot stay in CUSA any more than we could have stayed in a western heavy WAC. They have to be hurting and hurting bad.

    I still don't understand how UTEP thought it was a good idea to go to CUSA, at least when we joined the WAC we had Tulsa, SMU, and Rice nearby.

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    Re: How it all unraveled . . .

    Quote Originally Posted by GermDawg View Post
    I still don't understand how UTEP thought it was a good idea to go to CUSA, at least when we joined the WAC we had Tulsa, SMU, and Rice nearby.

    Same reasons we thought the WAC was better than the SB. More bowls, more tv money, schools with (arguably) bigger names. Plus, this way they get more press in Houston and Dallas (which is big for them).

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    Re: How it all unraveled . . .

    Quote Originally Posted by inudesu View Post
    Same reasons we thought the WAC was better than the SB. More bowls, more tv money, schools with (arguably) bigger names. Plus, this way they get more press in Houston and Dallas (which is big for them).
    When we joined the WAC, we had Rice, SMU and Tulsa.

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    Re: How it all unraveled . . .

    Quote Originally Posted by Soonerdawg View Post
    When we joined the WAC, we had Rice, SMU and Tulsa.
    When UTEP joined the CUSA, they had the same schools.

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    Re: How it all unraveled . . .

    Quote Originally Posted by inudesu View Post
    When UTEP joined the CUSA, they had the same schools.
    Those schools are a billion miles away from UTEP.

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    Re: How it all unraveled . . .

    Quote Originally Posted by Soonerdawg View Post
    Those schools are a billion miles away from UTEP.
    Right. But NMSU wasn't in the WAC yet, and it isn't like Boise or Nevada or SJSU were right in their backyard. If you're UTEP, you're not close to anyone (except NMSU). So you pick your poison.

    ULM, UNT, ULL, and ASU are closer to us than SMU, Rice, Tulsa, and UTEP but we chose the later group because of the money, prestige, recruiting locations, and overall direction of the conference at the time. Same thing for UTEP in 2004.

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    Re: How it all unraveled . . .

    If BYU had come to the WAC and New Mexico and UNLV would have followed, UTEP would have been all over that arrangement. The problem is, if the MWC had fallen apart, TCU may have felt like CUSA was their best short term home.

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    Re: How it all unraveled . . .

    Quote Originally Posted by inudesu View Post
    Right. But NMSU wasn't in the WAC yet, and it isn't like Boise or Nevada or SJSU were right in their backyard. If you're UTEP, you're not close to anyone (except NMSU). So you pick your poison.

    ULM, UNT, ULL, and ASU are closer to us than SMU, Rice, Tulsa, and UTEP but we chose the later group because of the money, prestige, recruiting locations, and overall direction of the conference at the time. Same thing for UTEP in 2004.
    Good point. The economy was better then too. The prestige bubble has burst, obviously.

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    Re: How it all unraveled . . .

    Like sands through an hour glass.....
    So are the Days of our Lives.

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