MWC: Expansion This Year?

Side Show Joe · September 4, 2016

Mountain West commissioner says expansion is possible

"I've challenged our membership to think about expansion — with or without losing [current] members," Thompson said. "Do we look east? Do we look at the state of Texas, for example? So that's probably going to be something we have to confront this year."

Perhaps the Mountain West now offers more to schools like Rice, UTEP, Texas-San Antonio and North Texas than it did previously. From the league's standpoint, the market-size and recruiting impact of any move into Texas are obvious.

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/4311746-155/mountain-west-commissioner-says-expansion-is

NorthTexan95 · September 4, 2016

I feel much better with Wren helping to make this decision (assuming there's a decision for us to make) than I was with RV.

cdizzle86 · September 4, 2016

2 minutes ago, NorthTexan95 said:

I feel much better with Wren helping to make this decision (assuming there's a decision for us to make) than I was with RV.

Amen

Hunter Green · September 4, 2016

So which would we all prefer if the opportunity to choose ever happened? The AAC or MWC? Give me the AAC.

Edited September 4, 2016 by Hunter Green

wardly · September 4, 2016

If we are looking for a conference that we can compete in check out Southland.

Travis · September 4, 2016

I would freaking love it if we were in the mountain west.

UNT 90 Grad · September 4, 2016

25 minutes ago, Hunter Green said:

So which would we all prefer if the opportunity to choose ever happened? The AAC or MWC? Give me the AAC.

I like, if those TX schools came with us. We've been the only TX school in a conference before.

NorthTexan95 · September 4, 2016

I would prefer the AAC but MW would be better than CUSA as long as some Texas schools came with us.

GrayEagle · September 4, 2016

I would prefer the AAC also but until Wren was hired I believed that we had ZERO chance of ever applying, let alone being accepted, into that conference. So, I set sights on the Mountain West. If they do expand by two I believe that they will choose two Texas teams, which they alluded to when the conferences began changing a couple of years ago.

Since we reside in the largest market and Houston is not far behind, I believe that a team from the two markets would be the favorites. I'd hope that we would see if Rice would be amenable to such a move. I realize that we've never been a partner to cozying up to anyone else but I believe that should we should start now and I believe that we finally have an AD+ who is a little more social in dealing with other universities.

UTSA Fan · September 4, 2016

My guess would be UTEP (because of their new helmets) and Rice (successfull revenue sports in a huge market). If that happens, CUSA should hold off on expansion, I don't think there is anyone that would add value to warrant an invite. Further splitting diminished revenues seems crazy.

Got5onIt · September 5, 2016

One thing we can say for sure, they sure as hell ain't looking at NT. The truth hurts, yeah I know....

Edited September 5, 2016 by Got5onIt

techdawg88 · September 5, 2016

4 hours ago, NorthTexan95 said:

I would prefer the AAC but MW would be better than CUSA as long as some Texas schools came with us.

lets be honest, CUSA would be better if UNT & some of the other TX schools started playing well

wardly · September 5, 2016

I just assume that if/when Houston moves to Big 12, Rice would move to AAC.Also, I don't know what UTEP brings to the table. New Mexico State brings nothing.I would think that their footprint would be West, but I don't see any D1 schools available.

Mean Green 93-98 · September 5, 2016

5 hours ago, Hunter Green said:

So which would we all prefer if the opportunity to choose ever happened? The AAC or MWC? Give me the AAC.

That's kind of a no-brainer, at least in their present configurations. And I don't think a choice between the two is likely to come at the same time. The likely choice would be between C-USA and the MWC, and I would lean pretty solidly toward the MWC.

UTSA Fan · September 5, 2016

32 minutes ago, techdawg88 said:

lets be honest, CUSA would be better if UNT & some of the other TX schools started playing well

Some? All 3 of them together wouln't reach 10 wins.

Edited September 5, 2016 by UTSA Fan

Ben Gooding · September 5, 2016

2 minutes ago, UTSA Fan said:

Some? All of them together wouln't reach 10 wins.

Truth be told, there really isn't a solid "G5" program in the state outside of UH and that is even a recent development. Smug, UNT, Tx St, Rice, utsa, and utep are all kind of teetering programs. I guess if one of these would be considered on an upward trajectory it is utep and it's a very small uptick with minimal room for error. Every program in the country is cherry picking the state and it can make things a little difficult for the lesser perceived programs.

UTSA Fan · September 5, 2016

it is excruciating watching and hoping for a break through when in reality it will take seasons, not weeks.

UNT90 · September 5, 2016

8 hours ago, cdizzle86 said:

Amen

If it required work, RV was out.

4 hours ago, GrayEagle said:

I would prefer the AAC also but until Wren was hired I believed that we had ZERO chance of ever applying, let alone being accepted, into that conference. So, I set sights on the Mountain West. If they do expand by two I believe that they will choose two Texas teams, which they alluded to when the conferences began changing a couple of years ago.

Since we reside in the largest market and Houston is not far behind, I believe that a team from the two markets would be the favorites. I'd hope that we would see if Rice would be amenable to such a move. I realize that we've never been a partner to cozying up to anyone else but I believe that should we should start now and I believe that we finally have an AD+ who is a little more social in dealing with other universities.

Slight correction. No one has wanted to cozy with us, not the other way around.

Edited September 5, 2016 by UNT90

Mike Jackson · September 5, 2016

I think we need to stay put unless we are fairly certain CUSA will be lose some of its better members. The MWC shutdown its network operations 2013 so there is no advantage there. I like the prospects of playing Fresno State, San Diego State, Colorado State, Boise State and Air Force regularly. But if the conference loses more than one of those teams and we don't bring 3 teams from the western part of CUSA with us I am not interested.

MWC

EAST

Colorado State

Air Force

Wyoming

New Mexico

UTEP

North Texas

UTSA

Rice or La Tech (worst case scenario New Mexico State)

WEST

Boise State

Utah State

San Diego State

San Jose State

Hawaii

UNLV

Nevada

Fresno State

Got5onIt · September 5, 2016

Thanks for -'s you sunshine & puppydog MFers. ?

Edited September 5, 2016 by Got5onIt

UNTexas · September 5, 2016

I hate to break it to everyone but we bring nothing to the table as far as conference changes. Seriously? Embarrassing sports isn't a great selling point. We are a big school, in DFW, with renowned bad sports. Girls Soccer isn't going to get us to a better place. Giveme negative ratings all day. We need to win...

Edited September 5, 2016 by UNTexas

PlummMeanGreen · September 5, 2016

GrayEagle 2,274

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Posted 11 hours ago · Report post

I would prefer the AAC also but until Wren was hired I believed that we had ZERO chance of ever applying, let alone being accepted, into that conference. So, I set sights on the Mountain West. If they do expand by two I believe that they will choose two Texas teams, which they alluded to when the conferences began changing a couple of years ago.

Since we reside in the largest market and Houston is not far behind, I believe that a team from the two markets would be the favorites. I'd hope that we would see if Rice would be amenable to such a move. I realize that we've never been a partner to cozying up to anyone else but I believe that should we should start now and I believe that we finally have an AD+ who is a little more social in dealing with other universities.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Most always agree with you Jack.

AND WHILE MERELEY SPECULATING....Which G5 conference with the most name schools has the best chance of moving upward (if that ever becomes an option? Think about it, the Power Conferences are top heavy with conferences on the eastern seaboard & Deep South, might it need to consider balancing things out a bit with another P5 in the West & Southwest as in the "new" Mountain West Conference (with a Texas flavor)?:)

The MWC needs TV markets so the North Texas Metroplex and Houston (2 Top 10 markets) along with San Antonio would be 3 biggies to add for their future TV package. Somewhat a pipe dream, but those 3 cities have bowl tie possibilities for the MWC even if its a 2'nd bowl al la NO's Bowl for H-Town & the Alamo City.

:Yes: HAVEN'T WE REALLY ALREADY PASSED ONE MWC CRITERIA FOR SERIOUS CONSIDERATION & AGAINST ONE OF THEIR MEMBER SCHOOLS TO BOOT & OUR UNT PRESIDENT'S FORMER EMPLOYER, TOO? (ALL THIS HAPPENING ONLY 2 YEARS AGO SO WE'RE NOT TALKING ANCIENT HISTORY).

U of North Texas fans/alums showed the MWC officials our largest contingent of support ever for a football game at the HOD Bowl Game 2 years ago so they know when we win we have regional support. We won that bowl game before approximately 37,000 North Texas fans. Had the HOD Bowl people been able to deliver a Big 10 school for our opponent (of which none were eligible) that would have made things very interesting on that particular New Years Day & once again---just 2 years ago.

A winning North Texas gets a good share of the DFW TV market & good golly Miss Molly, one UNT publication says we now "ONLY
have a quarter of a million North Texas Exes who live in DFW alone.

Powder BC & Come Back Strong--Go Mean Green!

Come hell or high water I have a Saturday off for a change & will plan to be at "awesome" Apogee Stadium to support the Mean Green! Hope to bring a couple more alums with me matter a fact.

Edited September 5, 2016 by PlummMeanGreen
Dunno'...just did it for effect?

97and03 · September 5, 2016

Wow a Plummer sighting!!!

And yes MWC would be good.

oldguystudent · September 5, 2016

We are 5-20 since the HOD Bowl. Which is still inexplicably 43% better than the Dodge era. We've got quite a ways to go before we are attractive to anybody.

On the bright side, I think Wren Baker, backed by Smatresk will be considerably more aggressive should any opportunity arise.

CUSA very quickly went from exciting to "Oh no! We suck again!" And I don't think that was UNT's fault. I think it was Britton Banowsky who had the backbone of a jellyfish.

PlummMeanGreen · September 5, 2016

26 minutes ago, 97and03 said:

Wow a Plummer sighting!!!

And yes MWC would be good.

Howdy (again) 97and03!

For whatever heck the reason I've liked the MWC for years even when they were the old WAC. (Maybe it was my ever first trip to Colorado Springs when I saw the Air Force Academy's million dollar chapel back when a million dollars was significant). Family lived there at the time & I remember when my late brother in law took my (now grown) nephew to see Air Force host Notre Dame.

For MWC to work, though, we'd need to be in a division with at least 3 Texas schools & work out some kick-off time issues, too.

GMG!

Edited September 5, 2016 by PlummMeanGreen