Green Otaku

"Texas ties" is the most overused phrase on this board when it comes to coaching. A great recruiter will be successful in any part of the country.

I have no doubt that CUSA will collect every dollar owed to them, dissolve means the conference would not exist in any way, shape, or form. Look at the WAC, while it's no longer an FBS conference it is still around. The only way I can see CUSA dissolving is if every team finds a new home and leaves the conference, and CUSA cannot get a single other team to join. Reports say Marshall and ODU would be joining the SBC leaving UTEP, FIU, LA Tech, MTSU, and WKU. If WKU and MTSU do something like join the MAC then maybe I can see the conference disbanding. But for the 3 remaining teams that's 33 million in payouts, so it gives them an incentive to hang around and at least collect a check before they move on.

The departing schools lose their votes on all conference matters as soon as they announce they are departing so it is not possible for them to vote to lower the exit fee. The only way we do not pay an exit fee is if the conference dissolves.

I'm interested what the plans are for getting the budget up to 50-60 million range. We need to be able to compete and big $$$ are a big part of it.

Yup, IIRC the exit fee is 3 million? We likely forfeit our conference revenue for this year and next, then pay the difference before our time is up.

I think both are true regarding the entrance and exit fees. I doubt it will be upfront. What would be the point of an 18 month notice to leave the conference? If schools were required to pay it all up front they would want the right to leave immediately.

From what I understand the exit fee is paid for by forfeiting conference revenue. Someone else can chime in if that is incorrect.

Part of it is the exit fees from the 3 departing schools, and the reduced payouts to the new schools. I think it was reported as 2 million per new school, and I wonder how long that deal continues for. The details of the new contract will be really interesting.

I also think it's possible that any additions would not increase the media payout and they weren't willing to split the pie by 2 more pieces. The AAC has the luxury of big buy out money to bolster their losses while the MWC doesn't.

I'd be really interested to know how far those talks got. Did the MW really decide to stay at 12 or did AAC beat them to the punch?

Let's be honest, no one expected this. Thinking SMU would be enough of a presence in DFW for the conference was the logical train of thought. No one thought the AAC would take 6.

Conference tourney in Las Vegas would have been a lot of fun.

What's the vibe coming from the SMU fan side from all this news? Give it to us straight, no need to sugarcoat it.

I think it's good to see it from their perspective. Let's say we get stuck in CUSA and we replace 2/4 teams with NMSU(to help out UTEP), Georgia State, UL, and Texas State leaving some better options like App, Coastal, Liberty, and JMU.

It doesn't make sense for them and I doubt the presidents of those schools would go for it. The reason I brought it up is to show that their fans see this news as the conference adding too many teams with poor on-field results and the MW is now a better conference in their eyes.

True. Just saying they don't seem too happy about the news and it also speaks to how they view the MW.

Over on the AAC board it seems like fans of Memphis, Tulsa, and SMU are saying they are hoping their respective school are looking at the MWC.

Like I said I wouldn't be surprised if this is more of a leak of which teams will submit their case to the AAC. I want these sources to clear up if this is only who is being considered.

2 options for them. Reload with FCS schools like Liberty, JMU, Missouri St., or add in NMSU just to keep the conference alive. Or just disband and head to the SBC, they would have some nice divisions and have a good geographic fit. LA Tech I could see going independent as I don't see them wanting to be with the UL schools.

I'm still weary if this is true. Let's not get ahead of ourselves until we see something more substantial. If you think about it adding 3 more Texas teams seems like a big question mark.

Same, I can't keep feeling that if we do get into the AAC it will be a replay of CUSA, where we get to the league and all of the teams we wanted to play are gone. MWC is more stable and has a chance of being the best G5 league.

I can see Boise for the reasons you said. As far as SMU maybe, but it doesn't make sense for them to pay 10 million, plus entrance fees to the MWC, and go to a league with a similar payout. They would also be moving away from their small private peers like Tulane and Tulsa.

Whoops, that's actually a mistake on my part. I thought they had 10 teams left, not 8. So for FB that would make 14. But I do think we have to be weary of more teams leaving the AAC. It seems like Memphis and 1 other are surely gone of the Big12 wants to take more teams. I don't see where else they can really draw from. Maybe Boise St.

I don't think anyone here has noticed some hidden details. What's worrying is if this isn't some typo/wrong info adding 6 would mean the AAC loses 2 more? So they are losing Memphis/USF/SMU or someone else? And who's to say it's to the Big12? *edit* apologies I thought the AAC had 10 teams, I didn't realize they had 8.

I'm still hoping we end up in the MWC.