cexeko

Hate to break it to you, but there are no more Utah teams in the MWC. Travel isn't much better because: Reno, Fresno, Boise, Albuquerque, Hawai'i, Laramie, Colorado Springs, and Fort Collins. So you get Las Vegas and San Diego, big whoop. I guess what I don't understand is why the MWC is any better of a deal that the WAC, other than name recognition.

OK, so let me pose this question: The MWC is looking to expand to a 12th team for a Championship game. If SMU or Houston were to turn down invites to stay in the C-USA, would UNT accept an invite to the MWC? Now before you answer, let's look at a few things. UNT didn't want to go to the WAC because of the travel. However, the MWC is just as diverse in it's footprint and now has (possibly) Hawai'i in football. Does the travel expense somehow become overlooked since its the MWC? Also, conference TV deal. MWC does not have an ESPN contract, actually a very sub-standard CBS deal along with their own "the Mtn" network. Do these two things alone still proclude UNT from wanting to make a conference change?

I wanted UNT there when Boise State was there. Its not that Boise State wanted to leave a bad conference, they wanted to be in a more centralized conference like the MWC is. Sending all of their sports to LaTech and Hawai'i was a killer for a team in Idaho. It's about moving up, and anything but the Belt is a move up.

Well, I know the WAC landscape is changing, but SJSU is a great opportunity to start recruiting the Bay Area. And with the added Texas teams the WAC already has pulled in, the WAC will start to recruity more heavily in the state of Texas as well. The WAC/ESPN contract has the possibility of being saved with potential for TV markets. UNT would give a presence in Dallas/Ft. Worth TV markets, along with UTSA and Texas St in other Texas TV markets. With Hawai'i gone, the major money-eating away game is gone, and no TV deal is going to completely pay for a school's athletic budget (as a non-AQ).

Anyways, I'm not a Mean Grean fan per se, but a Boise State fan. I have been saying for years now that UNT should take the invite to the WAC, and I still stick by it. I'm an outsider looking in at your program, and I think it would do the University wonders. That's my stance.

Indy's get to keep all of their BCS money, and don't have to share with the other Non-AQs. Sounds like a plus to me then.

Benson also said the WAC is not in danger of losing its BCS status, and he is very confident that proposed NCAA legislation doing away with the continuity of membership requirement will pass in January. If it does pass, that means the WAC would continue to receive its automatic bid to NCAA tournament events.

The ESPN/WAC deal isn't going anywhere.

Why are you worried about bowl games? When was the last time UNT made a bowl game? And maybe there is a reason why those teams didnt have winning seasons. I think they are named Boise State, Nevada, Fresno State and Hawai'i. They aren't there any more. This would be UNT chance to be in a more competitive league with more exposure.

Also, according to Sagarin there are four Div. 1-AA conferences that are better than the Sun Belt. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbc10.htm

Sun Belt Sagaring Rankings by team: FIU - 134 Troy - 148 AR St - 174 FL Atl - 153 LA-M - 152 UNT - 186 MTSU - 185 W KY - 196 ULL - 195 Leftover WAC Sagarin Rankings by team: Idaho - 86 LaTech - 91 UT St - 102 SJSU - 173 NMSU - 149 TX St - 170