Forger Wac And Cusa

the real grad88 · January 16, 2007

I still have to believe that eventually the southern schools of the WAC, CUSA and Belt will all get together to form a revived Southwest Conference. Just what would it take to get the following schools together to talk about it...North Texas, SMU, Rice, Houston, LaTech, La La, Ark State, and Tulsa. Tell me why that conference couldn't become the top mid-major (I hate that term) conference in the country? Why...why...why will those schools not discuss the possibilities? Talk about the ease of travel and great recruiting ground. Every game would be a recruiter's dream. The entire conference is right in the middle of the greatest football recruiting territory in the country. Every game would be possible for fans to travel-by car! I think they should get a conference call together tomorrow!

the real grad88 · January 16, 2007

Sorry about the misspelling in the topic line...I can't find a way to correct it. It should say: "Forget CUSA and the WAC!"

ColoradoEagle · January 16, 2007

What's the incentive for CUSA West schools to drop UTEP, Southern Miss, Memphis, etc to pick up North Texas, ULL, and Ark State? What happens to Troy, MTSU, and Western Kentucky? Not to mention the real borderline schools, FIU, FAU, ULM?

Green Mean · January 16, 2007

I think UTEP is a vital school to have in your conference....its a good part of the state, has a lot of fan following, growing in school population and sells a lot of tickets to their football games. I"m not so sure why people never include UTEP part of the conversation. And if i'm not mistaken I believe they won 9 or 10 games a couple of years ago and were top 25.

the real grad88 · January 16, 2007

What's the incentive for CUSA West schools to drop UTEP, Southern Miss, Memphis, etc to pick up North Texas, ULL, and Ark State? What happens to Troy, MTSU, and Western Kentucky? Not to mention the real borderline schools, FIU, FAU, ULM?

Let's just include them too and have a 12 member southern conference. That would be a great conference!

emmitt01 · January 16, 2007

I want a pony daddy!!!!

ltudchi72 · January 16, 2007

I would love to see this as a conference:

Boise State

Fresno State

Hawaii

Nevada

SJSU

UTEP

North Texas

Tulsa

Rice

Houston

La Tech

Arkansas State/SMU

Championship game in Dallas or Vegas

Another possible alignment is:

ULL

La Tech

Ark State

Tulane

UAB/MTSU

Houston

North Texas

Tulsa

SMU

UTEP

NMSU

Rice

Championship game in Dallas, New Orleans or San Antonio

the real grad88 · January 16, 2007

I want a pony daddy!!!!

I'll tell you what I do want, and that is out of a conference with schools we have nothing in common with and no one around here even cares about...namely FAU and FIU and La Monroe that is struggling to stay IA in football.

emmitt01 · January 16, 2007

I'll tell you what I do want, and that is out of a conference with schools we have nothing in common with and no one around here even cares about...namely FAU and FIU and La Monroe that is struggling to stay IA in football.

Pony, pony, pony!!!!!!! Or I'm gonna hold my breath....

ColoradoEagle · January 16, 2007

There are three realistic situations, should there be a shakeup. The most likely situation, is that the Sun Belt and the WAC combine, and we stay right where we're at. The second most likely is that the MWC picks up North Texas as a travel partner for TCU, but necessary for that to happen is a new 40,000+ football stadium in Denton. The third, and least likely in my opinion, is NT ends up in CUSA.

I don't think this last option is very likely, because it would mean that the MWC would go to 12 and take UTEP. I don't think UTEP is their first choice for expansion otherwise they would have done it already (especially when the whole shuffle went down a couple years ago), which means that an expansion to 12 is likely the only event where UTEP goes to the MWC. That means that there are no open spots in CUSA West unless Tulane goes east, and they've made it known they don't want to go east.

Don't get me wrong, I think the WACBelt with NT in it is the greatest possibility in some sort of reshuffle. The MWC scenario is far less likely, and the CUSA scenario is the least likely of the bunch for a multitude of reasons.

Mean'n'Green07 · January 16, 2007

I still have to believe that eventually the southern schools of the WAC, CUSA and Belt will all get together to form a revived Southwest Conference. Just what would it take to get the following schools together to talk about it...North Texas, SMU, Rice, Houston, LaTech, La La, Ark State, and Tulsa. Tell me why that conference couldn't become the top mid-major (I hate that term) conference in the country? Why...why...why will those schools not discuss the possibilities? Talk about the ease of travel and great recruiting ground. Every game would be a recruiter's dream. The entire conference is right in the middle of the greatest football recruiting territory in the country. Every game would be possible for fans to travel-by car! I think they should get a conference call together tomorrow!

I'm not sure how you can call it a revived SWC just because you included three bottom feeders from the old conference. I would like it if all of the mid major texas teams would create their own conference and also include a some other regional teams.

My ideal conference would go like this:

1. TCU

2. SMU

3. UNT

4. UTEP

5. UH

6. Rice

7. La Tech

8. Ark State

9. Tulsa

10. NMSU

11. Troy

12. ULL

ColoradoEagle · January 16, 2007

I'm not sure how you can call it a revived SWC just because you included three bottom feeders from the old conference. I would like it if all of the mid major texas teams would create their own conference and also include a some other regional teams.
My ideal conference would go like this:

West

Hawaii

Idaho

New Mexico State Aggies

San Jose State Spartans

Utah State Aggies

North Texas

Louisiana-Monroe

East

Middle Tennessee

Louisiana-Lafayette

Arkansas State

Western Kentucky

Troy

Florida Atlantic

Florida International

Ugly, but the most likely.

Edited January 16, 2007 by ColoradoEagle

NTPhiKap99 · January 16, 2007

West
Hawaii
Idaho
New Mexico State Aggies
San Jose State Spartans
Utah State Aggies
North Texas
Louisiana-Monroe
East
Middle Tennessee
Louisiana-Lafayette
Arkansas State
Western Kentucky
Troy
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Ugly, but the most likely.

So let me get this half the people here are proposing a regional Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, New Mexico Conference And now we get a plan that extends from South Florida to Idaho and Hawaii and we complained about travel costs in the Big West.

ColoradoEagle · January 16, 2007

No, everyone is proposing things that will only happen if given three wishes from a genie. In my two posts, I've laid out what's likely to unfold (if anything at all). And what I've typed is if there's a minor move. If, for example, Big East, MWC, CUSA, WAC, and the MAC all start changing things around, get ready for some nastiness.

Edited January 16, 2007 by ColoradoEagle

the real grad88 · January 16, 2007

Pony, pony, pony!!!!!!! Or I'm gonna hold my breath....

Give us a real post...give us your thoughts man.

January 16, 2007

It depends on what causes the shakeup as to where we might wind up.

First, let's say that this all happens in three years or more and we have a new stadium that seats 40,000 or more, are a Top 50 team, and average at least 25,000. Looking at some of the scenarios:

1. Big East splits basketball only schools from football schools and expands to twelve all-sports. Additions would likely come from eastern CUSA and/or Army/Navy leaving one, two, three or four openings to fill CUSA. I'd think that we'd have an excellent chance.

2. NCAA decides to crack down on attendance requirement. The greatest risk would be some teams of the MAC, Belt and WAC. Those three conferences would merge into two conferences if four or more teams were at risk. In that case, we'd be a part of the new conference alignments.

3. The Pac-10 decides to go to 12 teams, most likely by adding Utah and Brigham Young. The MWC must then add one, two or five teams if they justify it being cost effective. If it's one we might have a slight chance as a travel partner for TCU. If it's two, just to get back to nine, then I think that it's Boise State and Fresno State. If it's five, then again I think that we'd have a good chance unless UTEP decides to be a part of it in which case we might be able to take their spot in CUSA.

4. The MWC decides to expand to 12 teams, which would mean adding three. Boise and Fresno should be locks. The third team would most likely be Hawaii, but if the conference thinks that the travel costs would be too great, then we might slip in, again as a travel partner with TCU.

There are a few other remote possibilities such as one or more teams deciding to discontinue their football program, the Big 10 or Big East adds a team, etc. In that case, we likely would not be impacted.

ColoradoEagle · January 16, 2007

3. The Pac-10 decides to go to 12 teams, most likely by adding Utah and Brigham Young. The MWC must then add one, two or five teams if they justify it being cost effective. If it's one we might have a slight chance as a travel partner for TCU. If it's two, just to get back to nine, then I think that it's Boise State and Fresno State. If it's five, then again I think that we'd have a good chance unless UTEP decides to be a part of it in which case we might be able to take their spot in CUSA.

The PAC-10 will never take BYU or Utah. Ever.

Everything else sounds plausible.

NTPhiKap99 · January 16, 2007

The PAC-10 will never take BYU or Utah. Ever.
Everything else sounds plausible.

I disagree I see BYU and Utah as the two most logical additions to the PAC 10. They both offer reputable programs in both football and Basketball. The other option is to only look at football then you would have to open up to Boise State and Hawaii.

ColoradoEagle · January 16, 2007

I disagree I see BYU and Utah as the two most logical additions to the PAC 10. They both offer reputable programs in both football and Basketball. The other option is to only look at football then you would have to open up to Boise State and Hawaii.

Neither of them do anything to help the PAC10, and Utah schools are very...odd. There's a reason why they haven't been added so far. If the PAC10 were to expand, it would be to take Colorado/Colorado State, Texas/Texas A&M, or Texas/Colorado.

risinggreen · January 16, 2007

I'm not sure how you can call it a revived SWC just because you included three bottom feeders from the old conference. I would like it if all of the mid major texas teams would create their own conference and also include a some other regional teams.
My ideal conference would go like this:
1. TCU
2. SMU
3. UNT
4. UTEP
5. UH
6. Rice
7. La Tech
8. Ark State
9. Tulsa
10. NMSU
11. Troy
12. ULL

As unlikely as it sounds at the moment, I wouldn't take Baylor completely out of the mix in a major conference shuffle. With all of the dissent still going on at that school, they could eventually come to their senses and decide that their current situation isn't the best fit. Things can change very quickly.

Mean'n'Green07 · January 16, 2007

As unlikely as it sounds at the moment, I wouldn't take Baylor completely out of the mix in a major conference shuffle. With all of the dissent still going on at that school, they could eventually come to their senses and decide that their current situation isn't the best fit. Things can change very quickly.

I doubt Baylor would be kicked out of the Big XII. They are very competitive in all sports besides mens basketball and football.

I wasn't being realistic with that line up of teams, I would just love to see all the mid-major teams out of texas merge into one conference instead of being spread out. I think if you look at it from a perspective of travel costs, local media coverage and attendance figures, this conference really makes sense for everyone. If this conference did happen and Baylor did join, they might actually be able to make it into a bowl game instead of being the laughing stock of the Big XII every year.

ADLER · January 16, 2007

The PAC-10 will never take BYU or Utah. Ever.
Everything else sounds plausible.

The logical choices for the Pac 10 expansion if it were to expand would be Utah and Nevada. They'd both deliver statewide followings, and wouldn't come with the BYU baggage.

The roadblock to expansion would be the the Pac 12 splitting into 2 divisions. The northern 4 and Arizona schools want to retain the games against the California schools. Nobody is ready to budge.

NT80 · January 16, 2007

The logical choices for the Pac 10 expansion if it were to expand would be Utah and Nevada. They'd both deliver statewide followings, and wouldn't come with the BYU baggage.
The roadblock to expansion would be the the Pac 12 splitting into 2 divisions. The northern 4 and Arizona schools want to retain the games against the California schools. Nobody is ready to budge.

Nevada is still too small-time for the PAC10. UNLV gets most of that state's attention. But, if BYU is out of the expansion possibility for them then I suggest they would go after Utah and Colorado. They could follow the Big10(11) format and not split into divisions but play rotating teams each year.

UNT_playmaker · January 16, 2007

NT

SMU

TCU

ARK ST

TULSA

HOUSTON

RICE

UTEP

LA TECH

TULANE

emmitt01 · January 16, 2007

Ok, as requested here are my thoughts.

It'll never happen. Even if you could convince all of the schools to set aside egos, grudges etc. where would the money come from? Is there a TV network that would partner with this new "Southwest Conference" when it doesn't include any of the big name Texas or Oklahoma schools? Which bowl tie-ins could we bring with us?

I think we are best off hoping for CUSA or building the belt. Even a combination of WAC and Sun Belt schools would be difficult with the travel costs involved. San Jose CA, Moscow ID, Hawaii, Fresno CA? I know that the trips to Florida are tough but this would be a nightmare if you added these other destinations...especially when you consider that you are now picking up trips to New Mexico and Logan UT again.