NM Green

Nothing like a straight-forward name Emmitt. I think we have a winner and thank you for all those years! Maybe next year the university could support the effort as part of all the tours they give over the heated months. Meanwhile the 28th will be a great day for UNT and the community. GMG

I think flagship means they are the first to leave should that CUSA spot open up. I think Nashville is a missing link in our future conference footprint. I have no ill will toward the Sun Belt or MTSU and if I recall the Belt used to get some nice wins over CUSA every year. I won't look down on anyone and will actively root for the Belt when we are not playing each other. GMG

Agree with Valley. This is a whole new ballgame for Texas A&M, and I have not been this interested in watching what transpires in College Station since my Sister was there in the 90's. People who think A&M will drop off the map are not thinking clearly. I know they hate losing the Texas game, but I am sorry having the Gators and Tigers of LSU drop into Kyle Field with their throngs of RV's, rabid fans and SEC tailgates is flat out exciting. The Texas TCU game is silly. I am glad that Thanksgiving now has sports options because I won't be tuning into this game. I don't like either team so no need to watch. Texas A&M has a lot of work to do to get ready for their new life. I know I am the minority here, but I am really excited to introduce the SEC to Texas football. Gig'em! GMG

It seems like there were a lot of winners in this round, for a change. Take the Aggies. I get the Aggies email blast and they are settling into their new home getting ready for the unexpected. They will forge new rivalries, play in the best league in the land and finally get some Texas type exposure based on their BCS type matchup every single week. TCU has come home to roost. I think roast but roost is the positive spin on it. I think TCU will be thrilled to be home after a great journey. I think they will middle of the pack it for a long time but they will be home and that is a great thing for their fans. SMU and Houston get out of CUSA and get to rebuild the BE. They join forces with a power called Boise State and they will actually breathe some new life into that weak league. They get out of Texas and get to expose their program to the populated part of the nation. The ugly bird on the riverwalk didn't even have to wait or go through the perils all programs do. Well they will when they get beat down early and often in the dome and on the road. But they win by bringing major college football to SAT. We win after staying with our patient model of Southland - Big West - Sun Belt - CUSA. We have had ups and downs but invested and experienced success at a good time. We will now get those named programs into Denton and the local media. It will be a fun ride to go regional after being flung all over the place for the past 20 years. La Tech also demonstrated great patience and will finally reap some local regional rivalry benefits. Texas has their network. Enough said. They have been surprisingly quiet to the national folks but they are Texas and they will still get the majority of coverage in the Lone Star State. It will be interesting to see how long they stay excited to play Baylor, Texas Tech, West Virginia and TCU. I still think the Pac whatever opportunity may be too good to resist in due time. Having Texas Oregon, Texas USC and Texas OU matchups every year might be too juicy to not do down the road. Throw in the renewed rivalry with Texas Texas A&M and now you have a real schedule that rivals what the Aggies have now in Texas A&M Bama Texas A&M Auburn Texas A&M LSU Texas A&M Arkansas Texas A&M Florida Texas A&M South Carolina... I just see a lot of winners with what has unfolded and now it will be interesting to see who executes. GMG

I wish Cuban would just let Carlyle go out and develop some talent. Why try to buy the primadonna talent. I just think the Spurs methodology is completely underrated. GMG

Wild regionally it does not make sense, it is a good move for Boise. If they can replicate dominence in the BE while sharing their brand to the East Coast that could be a huge windfall for them. They could take their brand national much faster than other programs not named USC, Texas, Ohio State or Florida. It would be something to see bronco gear being worn around the Big Apple, but it will if they consistently go out east and kick tail. The same could have been said for SDSU had they moved their bball programs with them. I think the Big West will be bad for them. Driving through Utah it is weird to see BYU in the WCC for hoops and Utah virtually falling into Pac 10 oblivion. I know it is early but USA is about to be back and the desert will warm up with Rodriguez. I guess the same could be said for SMU and Houston as well. In fact it might be easier to sell successful Pony gear in the east than it is in East Dallas. GMG

Godspeed to Margie and you are in my prayers. BMV

I know I am in the minority here, but I really enjoyed our Sun Belt brethren and will always support them in 2012. The only time I might root against in 2013 and beyond is when they are playing CUSA and I may have to hold my nose with the ugly bird known as UTSA. GMG

I personally think that the state of Texas storming into the SEC should have been the cover of this magazine. That is a bigger story than TCU coming back to the fold in my opinion. GMG

I am just ecstatic that we are not going into the Tigers Den to only grab our paycheck. GMG

Good luck to UTA. I think they are in a better position that New Mexico State. GMG

S OU THERN SouthernmississippiUSM! GMG

I truly believe people have heard of Marshall because of the movie. They have heard of UTEP because they are in Texas. They have heard of UTSA if they know anything about the big Texas cities. They have heard of Tulane because of excellent academics. They have heard of LA Tech because they have made some national splash. They have heard of Rice and associate it with brains and Houston. They will not have heard of ODU because most Texans do not like basketball. They will not have heard of Southern Miss. Just mention Brett Favre to jar their memory. They think they have flowing through Florida International. They know Tulsa is in Oklahoma but have yet to realize they possess a college and field teams. They will ask you to stop calling them Charlotte and they will tell you they knew there was a North Carolina and a South Carolina but they never knew there was an East Carolina! However, if we are only going to get fans to come see SMU, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor, Texas A&M and Texas we have much larger problems than trying to bump up our football attendance to 25,000 per game and basketball 7,000 per game. GMG

I guess its the fact they have all recently kicked out butt over the past few years have scored some solid out of conference wins, MTSU lives in a large market and fields some solid bball programs. I just think they have done enough and with Memphis leaving we should strive to secure a presence in another large market. I like LaLa and Arkie State but they are not first on my list to invite. GMG

I saw the UTSA band at the Fiesta Flambeau parade on Saturday night. They are crazy spirited and loud. Instead of marching and playing they stopped turned to both sides of the street and started dancing and playing. They are a mix of Grambling and UT - very loud and fun. We need to take the Green Brigade to San Antonio and I bet inside that Alamodome will be one of the best atmospheres in our new league. Throw in their 35,000 and our 5,000 - 7,000, two bands - incredible. Now to quench the curiosity I want to go to West Virginia. I went to Morgantown last year and it was beautiful! I bet Marshall U with their statue tribute to the 70's team and mountain backdrop will be awesome. GMG

No presence in Tennessee is almost like having no presence in Florida - its a big hole in the footprint. If ODU falls out I think MTSU should be an immediate grab. Now thats a footprint: Texas 4, Louisiana 2, Alabama 1, Mississippi 1, Tennessee 1, North Carolina 2, West Virgina 1, Florida 1, Oklahoma 1. GMG

My hope is that T-Shirts are already being made to be sold in droves at the bookstores and football games. It took TCU two minutes to print a TCU Big XII shirt that I saw in their bookstores. GMG

I asked myself one question - who do i despise most - only one school came to mind and their mascot is an ugly bird. Further their little entitlement demeanor and meteoric rise has left a disgusting taste in my mouth. I respect Tulsa. I respect La Tech almost as much. Rice is Rice. UTEP is going to be fun. Tulane lives near delicious beignets. So there is only one program left:) GMG

Agree. I started following NT in '86 and SWT and NTSU had some battles back then. UTSA is living a dream but those do come to an end as well. Things will not always be that easy. Texas State is getting a raw deal indeed. I already want to beat down UTSA effective 4.30.12. GMG

Lots of emotion over there. They are about to feel like what UNT has felt like being the odd program out at least for awhile. Further neither UTSA nor TSU realizes just how hard they are going to get beat down in the early going. The Bobcats can plan on getting shallacked by Troy, drilled by an angry MTSU, crushed by Arkie State and thumped by Louisiana Monroe! Throw in the drubbing by ULL and they will quickly realize that they need to set their sights on competing in the Belt and then going bowling in the Belt. UTSA is going to be a delicious treat for all of us long timers who have paid our football dues. The ugly bird is going down hard and often in the coming years. GMG

They can try to run it up on us but we are bringing it this year! Take that whole day off! GMG

I will say that at the Fiesta parade last night the UTSA band blew away the Texas Longhorn band. The crowd also went into a frenzy doing the roadrunner sign as the band roared by. This really is about UNT and I am beyond thinking they needed to marinate in the SBC. We need to come into CUSA and do our part to make the conference a national force. Like the MWC was national power over the last decade, it is time for CUSA to step up. Lets make this our decade! I think you rotate bball conference tournaments between New Orleans and San Antonio. We need a secondary Alamo bowl in SAT for the league. This will replace the Memphis presence. We should also have a secondary bowl game in Dallas or Houston. I am glad UTEP is staying if they do because they have alums in Houston, Dallas and SAT. We have alums in Houston and SAT. It is time to bolster these chapters so every trip to these markets has a party and strong Mean Green presence. GMG

Can you imagine the condition of the fans at 11:00am in New Orleans? That is a hideous start time for the game. Further that is 9:00am on the west coast! So much for any left side of the country viewership. With the evening kickoff you had all time zones watching. I remember being in the Aria sportsbook watching that monumental finish last year. San Diego State fan went from a Hangover high to a sad low all in one minute. GMG

There in lies the reason that we cannot turn down any invite whether it comes from CUSA or MWC. I think when SDSU and Boise return to the MWC you are going to have a league that is much stronger than CUSA. I know geographically CUSA looks more appealing and the Texas ties would be great, but a very strong bball and solid fball league out west that wants some DFW presence has to be considered. Lets just get an invite, any invite, preferably before December 20, 2012. GMG