Rice, UTEP Mentioned in Mountain West Expansion Discussion

Ben Gooding · December 11, 2015

There is no reason for the MWC not to expand to Texas--they have way more to gain than to lose by coming this way. UTEP is a no-brainer for this, especially if the get Rice with them.
When you compare the leagues, CUSA has one advantage for us--its cheaper to travel because of the Texas schools and La Tech.
The G5 conference hierarchy is the AAC and MWC, then CUSA and MAC, and then the SBC.
Rice gives the Houston, UTEP gives them El Paso, and the UTSA gives them San Antonio, and us DFW. If the 4 of us were in a division with UNM, Colorado State, AFA, and Utah State, that is a collection of 7 conference games that blows away what we have now in the revenue sports. Play two extra games a year against the MWC Western Schools, home-and-away, which is Boise State, Fresno State, Hawaii, San Jose State, San Diego State, Wyoming, Nevada, and UNLV and you have crushed it out of the park compared to games against CUSA East playing ODU, Charlotte, FAU, FIU, WKU, MUTS, and UAB. Not even close. Probably one game a year in the PST.

An option to travel to Hawaii (on a 1 every 3 or 4 year basis) has to be appealing to recruits.

Graddean · December 11, 2015

Being out west is probably going to cost McCaffrey the Heiisman.

UNTFan23 · December 11, 2015

Very few MWC games that are on TV start before 7 PM Central time.

Eagle-96 · December 11, 2015

It's a better conference and the administration would say yes to the MWC before the sentence was even finished. The MWC is higher up the food chain whether we want to believe it or not. We would travel just as far to play MWC teams(Sand Diego and San Jose) as we would AAC(Philadelphia and Connecticut) and who here would turn down the AAC? Starting games late is not an excuse. I would watch us play at 3 in the morning and so should you. The tv deals for the 2 conferences are similar but the NCAA tournament and bowl game payouts are better in the MWC.

UNT90 · December 11, 2015

Very few MWC games that are on TV start before 7 PM Central time.

Don't care. It's a step up. Steps we should be attempting to take.

Every day RV remains as AD is a day we lose ground to everyone else in college football.

Ben Gooding · December 11, 2015

Being out west is probably going to cost McCaffrey the Heiisman.

It will and it will be a disservice to the trophy. He is by far the best all around player in the country. Henry is the best physical specimen in the country. But the Heisman is and shouldn't be awarded to the best physical specimen in the country, but to the best player.

untjim1995 · December 11, 2015

The big thing is that the MWC and AAC could easily follow the current 14-team model for football and add two more teams to their mix. MAC teams and CUSA teams would be the places to get pulled from to get them each to 14. For the MWC, it would be UTEP and Rice. For the AAC, it would probably be MUTS in the east, along with NIU from the MAC.

If each league wanted to bump up to 16, its very possible that the MWC goes after UTEP, Rice, UTSA, and La Tech, while the AAC could go after NIU, MUTS, Marshall, and Ohio. If that occurred, we might as well fold up shop...

Edited December 11, 2015 by untjim1995

Ben Gooding · December 11, 2015

The big thing is that the MWC and AAC could easily follow the current 14-team model for football and add two more teams to their mix. MAC teams and CUSA teams would be the places to get pulled from to get them each to 14. For the MWC, it would be UTEP and Rice. For the AAC, it would probably be MUTS in the east, along with NIU from the MAC.

It will not be MUTS. They have 0 curb appeal. It would be Marshall or FAU (only for more of a Florida presence).

untjim1995 · December 11, 2015

It will not be MUTS. They have 0 curb appeal. It would be Marshall or FAU (only for more of a Florida presence).

MUTS gets you Nashville , a market you don't have any presence in, and they have solid football and basketball. No Florida school will do because of the current schools in USF and UCF. Neither F_U has any attraction above CUSA level.

Ben Gooding · December 11, 2015

MUTS gets you Nashville , a market you don't have any presence in, and they have solid football and basketball. No Florida school will do because of the current schools in USF and UCF. Neither F_U has any attraction above CUSA level.

Failed to mention Marshall in your "prove myself righteous" reply. If a conference is coming to peck a team out of CUSA east they are going to grab Marshall. Next topic.

BeliefBlazer · December 11, 2015

ODU with a new stadium is much more attractive to ACK than MTSU. Great recruiting area and good fan support.

Edited December 11, 2015 by BeliefBlazer

Eagle-96 · December 11, 2015

Conpletely disagree that the administration would jump to MWC.

Ok ok. A competent administration that has the schools best interests would.

untjim1995 · December 11, 2015

Failed to mention Marshall in your "prove myself righteous" reply. If a conference is coming to peck a team out of CUSA east they are going to grab Marshall. Next topic.

Yeah, above that, after I edited my response above before I noticed this reply, I mentioned Marshall being a program the East would want...see above.

I am not sure if that was a 'righteous' response, though...

ODU with a new stadium is much more attractive to ACK than MTSU. Great recruiting area and good fan support.

The AAC would be smart to look their way--no question.

GrayEagle · December 11, 2015

Probably on probation with CUSA.

I'd like to see some sort of standards to maintain membership based on three consecutive years of poor attendance and/or record. If you didn't average at least 20,000 in one of those three years or escape being the last place team during any three year period, then you should drop down a division. The third year would be the probation year.

But, that's just my opinion. I believe that it would make each conference more competitive and enhance TV contracts.

UNTFan23 · December 11, 2015

Don't care. It's a step up. Steps we should be attempting to take.
Every day RV remains as AD is a day we lose ground to everyone else in college football.

Are you (and a few others) still going to piss and moan over 9 PM start times? Good money says that would be the case.

ColoradoEagle · December 11, 2015

Ok ok. A competent administration that has the schools best interests would.

Because of what? I used to be a huge proponent for joining the MWC 10 years ago. Being in the same conference as TCU, Utah, and BYU would've been great. Now? Who are these name schools in the MWC that some posters are clamoring for? Boise State for sure, but after that, maybe Fresno State? How is Fresno State any more attractive in DFW than Southern Miss or Marshall? F_U isn't any less attractive than Wyoming or SJSU, because none of those are attractive.

If there's a massive shift in conferences, of course we should be open to it. If you're comparing either current CUSA or MWC with UNT as a member, CUSA is a far better fit.

untjim1995 · December 11, 2015

Because of what? I used to be a huge proponent for joining the MWC 10 years ago. Being in the same conference as TCU, Utah, and BYU would've been great. Now? Who are these name schools in the MWC that some posters are clamoring for? Boise State for sure, but after that, maybe Fresno State? How is Fresno State any more attractive in DFW than Southern Miss or Marshall? F_U isn't any less attractive than Wyoming or SJSU, because none of those are attractive.
If there's a massive shift in conferences, of course we should be open to it. If you're comparing either current CUSA or MWC with UNT as a member, CUSA is a far better fit.

By ourselves, there's no doubt you are correct. But if it was with three other Texas teams, it would be completely wrong, in my opinion.

MDH · December 11, 2015

Eh, I dunno. Maybe San Jose St. or Fresno St. is about to pull a UAB? I can't understand how they are staying afloat with the Education funding issues in CA. You'd know more about that than me though.

Fresno St gets a ton of revenue from ticket and merch sales. On bad years like this last one they'll still put 28k butts in the seats and sell a crap ton of merch. SJSU on the other hand...

UNT90 · December 11, 2015

Are you (and a few others) still going to piss and moan over 9 PM start times? Good money says that would be the case.

Maybe you didn't read correctly.

I DONT CARE.

Eagle-96 · December 11, 2015

Because of what? I used to be a huge proponent for joining the MWC 10 years ago. Being in the same conference as TCU, Utah, and BYU would've been great. Now? Who are these name schools in the MWC that some posters are clamoring for? Boise State for sure, but after that, maybe Fresno State? How is Fresno State any more attractive in DFW than Southern Miss or Marshall? F_U isn't any less attractive than Wyoming or SJSU, because none of those are attractive.
If there's a massive shift in conferences, of course we should be open to it. If you're comparing either current CUSA or MWC with UNT as a member, CUSA is a far better fit.

More money. Multiple bid BBall conference. New Mexico, Nevada, and San Diego State are more attractive than ODU, Charlotte and the F_U's. CUSA is turning into the Belt Redux at this point especially if Rice and UTEP leave.

UNTFan23 · December 11, 2015

Maybe you didn't read correctly.
I DONT CARE.

Perhaps you don't care (although I beg to differ as you threw a fit over a 4 PM homecoming kick-off time) but I do care about having to stay up past midnight to watch my team play games.

untjim1995 · December 11, 2015

Perhaps you don't care (although I beg to differ as you threw a fit over a 4 PM homecoming kick-off time) but I do care about having to stay up past midnight to watch my team play games.

So you'd rather enjoy an 11am kickoff at Charlotte or Old Dominion?

ColoradoEagle · December 11, 2015

More money. Multiple bid BBall conference. New Mexico, Nevada, and San Diego State are more attractive than ODU, Charlotte and the F_U's. CUSA is turning into the Belt Redux at this point especially if Rice and UTEP leave.

The money would get eaten up by travel costs. Their very good basketball does nothing to bring up our awful basketball. New Mexico might hold a little more appeal locally than the CUSA schools you mentioned, but that's not really a fair comparison. La. Tech is a better comparison there, and I'm sure they bring as many or more. Nevada, SDSU, F_U's, and Charlotte...nobody in DFW cares about any of those. "I wasn't going to watch North Texas, but now that I know they're playing Nevada, I'm definitely going!" said no one, ever.

UNTFan23 · December 11, 2015

So you'd rather enjoy an 11am kickoff at Charlotte or Old Dominion?

Sure, I can still have my Saturday evening to do whatever I want. Besides, there is nothing to stop North Texas from hosting San Jose State at the same time. #JustSayin

Edited December 11, 2015 by UNTFan23

UNT90 · December 11, 2015

Perhaps you don't care (although I beg to differ as you threw a fit over a 4 PM homecoming kick-off time) but I do care about having to stay up past midnight to watch my team play games.

I didn't know we played homecoming on the road, but I guess with this AD, anything is possible...