Trickle Down Effect - Utep And Cusa

[MeanGreen61]

http://www.minerrush.com/2010/6/5/1501588/trickle-down-effect-what-does-a

[UNTflyer]

Just keep getting our name out there guys. We need people to realize the potential UNT would bring to their conference, despite our recent record.

[NT71]

Folks

Do not forget that our AD came from Southern Mississippi area which is in the C-USA. I would think two different options will come about if in fact the Big 12 splits up. A new conference emerges as was stated in a previous post which would be Texas schools, Tulsa, Tulane and of course one of the Texas schools is UNT. The second option would be that CUSA picks up UNT along with two other schools.

In the next few weeks the conferences as we know them today will change but the question will be into what. The next question will be is the US Congress or Dept of Justice going to look at the consolidation of conference as an anti-trust violation. If that occurs then who knows what will happen because how would the anti-trust be remedied? It could force them back into the same conferences or the revenue stream would be modified to benefit the other conferences.

Just my thoughts

[UNTflyer]

Don't count on Congressmen, federal judges, or Justice Department attorneys to do anything that would harm their alma maters.

[GrayEagle]

As much as the writer carefully weighs his thoughts as to what could happen, there are so many possibilities that weren't covered that no one can have enough degree of certainty to get it close to right.

For instance, he didn't even mention the SEC or ACC. The SEC is the premier conference now and they won't sit idly by while other conferences become 16 member conferences and do nothing. They would likely cherrypick the southern ACC (Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Miami) which would leave them the top dog. Then the ACC fills with the remainder of the Big East (5 teams) and adds 3 from the eastern CUSA (my guess is ECU, Memphis, and UCF).

At that point it becomes impossible to figure. The following are the leftover teams as I see it:

1. Marshall

2. Florida Atlantic

3. Florida International

4. Western Kentucky

5. Middle Tennessee

6. UAB

7. Troy

8. Southern Miss

9. Arkansas State

10. Louisiana Tech

11. ULM

12. Louisiana

13. Tulane

14. Tulsa

15. North Texas

16. SMU

17. Houston

18. Rice

19. UTEP

20. New Mexico State

21. Utah State

22. Idaho

23. Nevada

24. Fresno State

25. San Jose State

26. Hawaii

Of those 26, two would likely become members of the MWC, which is now a major conference. My guess right now, and it's purely a guess, would be Houston and Fresno State.

I have not included the 13 member MAC or the 3 independents. The 24 remaining teams are part of 3 (WAC, CUSA, SBC) conferences. If all are to be kept then they should be split into two conferences of 12 teams each for economic purposes. Under those circumstances we would go to the WAC along with Hawaii, San Jose State, Nevada, Idaho, Utah State, New Mexico State, Tulsa, SMU, Rice, Louisiana and Louisiana Tech. That makes a fairly weak conference with a lot of travel. Not the most glorious picture for us but I'm afraid that it may be reality.

[GrayEagle]

Sorry, I had to leave without totally thinking this through.

In my rush, I missed UTEP. Instead of Louisiana, UTEP would be one of the 12 Western teams. Make that Hawaii, San Jose State, Nevada, Idaho, Utah State, and New Mexico State in the west and UTEP, Tulsa, North Texas, SMU, Rice, and La Tech in the east. The remaining CUSA/Sun Belt teams would be Louisiana, Tulane, Southern Miss, Arkansas State, UAB, and ULM, in that league's west and Marshall, Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, Troy, FAU and FIU in the east.

I did this leaving Notre Dame as an independent. If they want to, the former Big 10 could make their life a living hell. They could refuse to schedule games with them meaning that the closest opponent could be members of the MAC conference plus Army and Navy. They must decide because it would be awkward to say the least to try to make them a 17th member. Should they acquisce that would reduce by one Big East team taken, pushing them to the ACC. The ACC would not like to be at 17 either so one of their pickups would move out of the major conference.

[ParksAndRecRick]

One thing I can promise you.... UNT and SMU will never be in the same conference. SMU would NEVER let that happen@!

[oldschoollefty]

Snobbery aside, I just can't get my arms around why SMU wouldn't tolerate being in a conference with us. They have a stadium that regularly sits half empty and a visit from UNT every other year would put butts in seats, period. College football is littered with "backyard brawls" i.e., Pitt/Penn St., USC/UCLA, Rice/Houston, SMU/TCU, Cal/Stanford etc.

I know the silver spoons sticking out of their mouths seem to prevent clear thinking on certain matters, but on paper, this is a no-brainer. Fans on both sides come out ahead and don't we both need that now?

[GrayEagle]

Snobbery aside, I just can't get my arms around why SMU wouldn't tolerate being in a conference with us. They have a stadium that regularly sits half empty and a visit from UNT every other year would put butts in seats, period. College football is littered with "backyard brawls" i.e., Pitt/Penn St., USC/UCLA, Rice/Houston, SMU/TCU, Cal/Stanford etc.

I know the silver spoons sticking out of their mouths seem to prevent clear thinking on certain matters, but on paper, this is a no-brainer. Fans on both sides come out ahead and don't we both need that now?

Although I can pretty well predict what the SMU fans would think the administration usually has cooler heads. I recall that a few years back the fans said that they would NEVER play North Texas. That was soon followed by a two game series and another six-game series that starts in 2014. Besides, SMU only has one vote.

[MeanGreen61]

Although I can pretty well predict what the SMU fans would think the administration usually has cooler heads. I recall that a few years back the fans said that they would NEVER play North Texas. That was soon followed by a two game series and another six-game series that starts in 2014. Besides, SMU only has one vote.

SMU is joined at the hip with Rice, Tulane and Tulsa. The "private block" has the votes.

[oldschoollefty]

SMU is joined at the hip with Rice, Tulane and Tulsa. The "private block" has the votes.

So how do Rice, Tulane, and Tulsa feel about sharing a conference bed with us?

[MeanGreen61]

So how do Rice, Tulane, and Tulsa feel about sharing a conference bed with us?

Who knows, but they would probably take their cue from SMU since they seem to be cozy bedfellows.

[Travis]

I often forget how spread out CUSA is until you see that map.