Benson Says Wac Still Looking...

[Mean Green Matt]

How badly would you want to?

Consider this. TCU left CUSA for the MWC and Horned Frogs posters on the MWC board refer to that other conference as C-DOA. Among other things CUSA includes schools like Tulsa and Rice which have student populations so small they can't possibly compete with schools like UNT in the TV world of the new millennium and it's more and more getting to be TV ratings which drive conference revenue. Aside from Memphis, CUSA is a lousy basketball conference and how many of its football teams are in the top 25 now? And how many CUSA teams have qualified for a BCS bowl? Answer: The same as the number of SBC teams which have played in a BCS bowl.

Despite all that, our attendance in all sports would increase. We win 5 football games in 3 years, and we get 23,000 fans for Rice. We are not doing terrible in the SBC, but for name recognition of opponents, CUSA would be a step up...plus it would force SMU to play us in all sports, which whether they admit it or not, would be a positive for both schools (assuming SMU was still in CUSA).

Edited November 18, 2010 by Mean Green Matt

[Adub4ever]

What's ya'lls take on the WAC?

its a conference with no identity. Atleast here in the belt we know we will always be the western most team in a South Eastern Region. the WAC has teams in Hawaii, Cali, Idaho, Utah, Louisiana? and now to teams from south texas. this is the most rag tag conference that i can ever think of

[Adub4ever]

ATTN: ALL NORTH TEXAS FANS!!!! WE WILL NOT BE JOINING THE WAC!!! PLZ STOP POSTING BECUZ ITS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN

[Cerebus]

You mean like he made THIS work?

http://www.sltrib.co...benson.html.csp

I can't talk about specifics but will say generally that "The Project" included pathetic attempts to get SDSU and UNLV to return to the WAC. Putting two and two together, the manner in which Mr. Peanut thought he could persuade SDSU to do that had about as much of a chance as I would of persuading Jennifer Anniston to move into my house and go to work to pay my bills so I could sit on the couch and drink beer and watch sports all day. Could it happen? Sure - but only in an alternate universe.

lovely Anniston

Angelina is wheels off

Brad Pitt chose poorly

[SleepingGiantsFan]

Despite all that, our attendance in all sports would increase. We win 5 football games in 3 years, and we get 23,000 fans for Rice. We are not doing terrible in the SBC, but for name recognition of opponents, CUSA would be a step up...plus it would force SMU to play us in all sports, which whether they admit it or not, would be a positive for both schools (assuming SMU was still in CUSA).

I can certainly understand that and I'm not saying it might not be a good move for you if CUSA offered. I'm simply saying that you can be aspiring to greater heights, meaning the MWC. The MWC is on the cusp of gaining AQ status - which would of course be hindered by TCU leaving for the Big East. I still think it might happen anyway if the dregs of the conference like UNM and UNLV pick it up. However, CUSA is nowhere near gaining AQ status.

You have a huge student population in a major metropolitan area and are about to open a new stadium in football crazy Texas. In other words, you may be behind Southern Miss, but you have considerably more long-term potential in my view. So I'm simply urging you to think big. Not unrealistic like thinking Mike Leach would come, but big meaning hiring the best available football coach that you can afford.

[SleepingGiantsFan]

lovely Anniston

Angelina is wheels off

Brad Pitt chose poorly

Boy do I agree. A buddy sent me an email with a link the viewing of which led me to the inexorable conclusion that Angelina is a skank.

But we digress . . .

[stebo]

Boy do I agree. A buddy sent me an email with a link the viewing of which led me to the inexorable conclusion that Angelina is a skank.

But we digress . . .

Link please

[Eagle1855]

Thoughts on UNT possibly moving to the WAC? Would C-USA be preferable? Just interested to hear some opinions.

[NM Green]

SDSU is a beast in bball and their programs are definitely on the rise. Still don't see them as big of an MWC force as the others I mentioned, primarily due to longevity.

Rebels match up tragically with SDSU and will again this year. However, I love the MWC and anything can happen - first up beat the Badgers!

R-E-B-E-L-S

R-E-B-E-L-S

R-E-B-E-L-S

with chop block in tow. Good win over Gonzaga - great for the conference.

GMG

[Arkstfan]

Playing Devils advocate here. Is the currently constructed WAC really that bad? Yes from a National Competitive standpoint I would say so, but from North Texas's standpoint maybe not. We would be in a conference with Texas State, UT San Antonio, Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State. That is 4 schools that are closer or about the same then any conference opponent we have now. If Hawaii leaves (witch if the rumors are true then they are) would our travel budget really increase? We already make trips to the East Coast now, so going to the West Coast wouldn't add much. If you had a conference of Idaho, Utah State, San Jose State, Hawaii, New Mexico State, Louisiana Tech, UTSA, Texas State and North Texas then the power of the conference would lie in and around Texas. Also, if Hawaii leaves then that would shift the balance of power if more to the Texas area.

Let me clarify that i am by no means advocating a move to the WAC, but I don't think it would be nearly the hit on the budget that some make it out to be, and in the end, it could possibly be a better fit then the Sun Belt.

Hear Johnny is saying join the WAC, we don't need no stinkin' automatic bid.

[Arkstfan]

The Sunbelt has no room for growth. The aspirations here are you dominate the league and maybe, thats a big maybe you get to go to CUSA when realignment comes around. In the WAC teams get picked for the most part because conferences WANT them, not because they need to fill in a vacant spot. Thats two completely different things.

Put up a team by team comparison, in all sports not just football and lets see how these two conferences really stack up.

To those talking about travel costs having the close block of NMSU, LA Tech, UTSA, TxSt will be enough for most fans to travel to. People don't travel to florida now so the same way people won't ravel to San Jose.

Also if UTSA and TxSt can handle the travel it would be embarrassing if we can't. Your going to tell me our great program can't keep up with these two startups?

I'm not saying lets go, but we need to see if anymore movement happens this summer like TCU to the Big East, (which is almost a guarantee) and see where we can move, but if no MWC or CUSA spot is available we should make a full analysis to see if this move would help us in both the long and short term.

UTSA and TxSt have never paid for that travel. Hell they've not paid the cost of 85 football scholarships yet. They had to have an invite to move to FBS under the NCAA rule. Their options were: Accept and pray they can pay for it OR Give up on FBS football. No other options there.

[Arkstfan]

Secondly, have you ever taken a trip to NMSU? Not exactly an "easy" trip.

Spoken like someone who never made the trip to Moscow, Idaho.

[wardly]

Thoughts on UNT possibly moving to the WAC? Would C-USA be preferable? Just interested to hear some opinions.

won't happen. we were in big west, and learned our lesson. closest rival is mnsu, which is 600 miles amd 11 hrs. from denton. i did not include la.tech, as they now have a choice of applying for admission to the belt,which i don't think will happen,or going independent in football, which may happen. it doesn't have to make sense, as we are talking about la. tech,a school with fans that live on the planet zeon and rarely beam down to reality. having said that, you must give benson credit. the wac has been on life support for years, and he still keeps it alive. yes, we would love to be in cusa, but won't happen as long as smu is a member. our best hope is that either they or tcu move on to greener pasters, which leaves a conference void in dfw market that we fill. the best thing we can do is to build our athletic program to the point we bring value to any conference. i firmly believe that we can accomplish this in the next 5 years, and hope to live long enough to see it. just an opinion.

[Harry]

won't happen. we were in big west, and learned our lesson. closest rival is mnsu, which is 600 miles amd 11 hrs. from denton. i did not include la.tech, as they now have a choice of applying for admission to the belt,which i don't think will happen,or going independent in football, which may happen. it doesn't have to make sense, as we are talking about la. tech,a school with fans that live on the planet zeon and rarely beam down to reality. having said that, you must give benson credit. the wac has been on life support for years, and he still keeps it alive. yes, we would love to be in cusa, but won't happen as long as smu is a member. our best hope is that either they or tcu move on to greener pasters, which leaves a conference void in dfw market that we fill. the best thing we can do is to build our athletic program to the point we bring value to any conference. i firmly believe that we can accomplish this in the next 5 years, and hope to live long enough to see it. just an opinion.

Good post Wardly I agree. +1

[Green Lantern]

Thoughts on UNT possibly moving to the WAC? Would C-USA be preferable? Just interested to hear some opinions.

I heart you.

[oldguystudent]

Secondly, have you ever taken a trip to NMSU? Not exactly an "easy" trip.

1) Go to gate 9 in Love Field

2) Hop on 90 minute Southwest flight to El Paso

3) Rent car a mere 40 feet from baggage claim

4) Step outside of terminal, immediately get into car

5) Turn right on Interstate 10, drive for 40 minutes

6) Arrive in Las Cruces

7) ????

8) Stop off and enjoy some sinfully delicious steak at Billy Crews on the drive back

9) Profit

See? Not THAT hard!

[Cerebus]

1) Go to gate 9 in Love Field

2) Hop on 90 minute Southwest flight to El Paso

3) Rent car a mere 40 feet from baggage claim

4) Step outside of terminal, immediately get into car

5) Turn right on Interstate 10, drive for 40 minutes

6) Arrive in Las Cruces

7) ????

8) Stop off and enjoy some sinfully delicious steak at Billy Crews on the drive back

9) Profit

See? Not THAT hard!

trips to Las Cruces

always included the smell

of much cow poo poo

[Cerebus]

won't happen. we were in big west, and learned our lesson. closest rival is mnsu, which is 600 miles amd 11 hrs. from denton. i did not include la.tech, as they now have a choice of applying for admission to the belt,which i don't think will happen,or going independent in football, which may happen. it doesn't have to make sense, as we are talking about la. tech,a school with fans that live on the planet zeon and rarely beam down to reality. having said that, you must give benson credit. the wac has been on life support for years, and he still keeps it alive. yes, we would love to be in cusa, but won't happen as long as smu is a member. our best hope is that either they or tcu move on to greener pasters, which leaves a conference void in dfw market that we fill. the best thing we can do is to build our athletic program to the point we bring value to any conference. i firmly believe that we can accomplish this in the next 5 years, and hope to live long enough to see it. just an opinion.

Wardly speaks the truth

the Big West was a cluster

why look to repeat?

[eulesseagle]

I always found the BEST part of Las Cruces was seeing Welcome To Las Cruces in my rear view mirror.

The best bars in Las Cruces are at the top of Oregon Pass....you know that big mountain that separates Las Cruces from White Sands Missle Range just east of town. Worth the trip....get some good authetic Mexican food up there too.

[forevereagle]

1) Go to gate 9 in Love Field

2) Hop on 90 minute Southwest flight to El Paso

3) Rent car a mere 40 feet from baggage claim

4) Step outside of terminal, immediately get into car

5) Turn right on Interstate 10, drive for 40 minutes

6) Arrive in Las Cruces

7) ????

8) Stop off and enjoy some sinfully delicious steak at Billy Crews on the drive back

9) Profit

See? Not THAT hard!

I don't see turn around and leave.

[oldguystudent]

I don't see turn around and leave.

I think we've found the missing step to the profit formula.

[Green Otaku]

With Hawaii gone this changes the whole situation. With a name like Hawaii, pretty much their only pillar that was left, no one else has the credentials to keep that conference respectable. They might be able to rebuild but its going to be a hard long road.

What I would like to do now is take two teams from LaTech, NMSU, TXst, UTSA. This is a good chance for the Sunbelt to add some good regional rivals and kill off the WAC. Just do it. Its one less FBS conference to share BCS money with and would make us look stronger for raiding another conference.

[Rudy]

1) Go to gate 9 in Love Field

2) Hop on 90 minute Southwest flight to El Paso

3) Rent car a mere 40 feet from baggage claim

4) Step outside of terminal, immediately get into car

5) Turn right on Interstate 10, drive for 40 minutes

6) Arrive in Las Cruces

7) ????

8) Stop off and enjoy some sinfully delicious steak at Billy Crews on the drive back

9) Profit

See? Not THAT hard!

It is when you have to take a charter bus with the premodonna cheerleaders who HAVE to stop at Applebees instead of tailgating, which ends up getting you to the game too close to kickoff to tailgate.