Does Big East Hold Key To WAC Expansion

MeanGreen61 · July 18, 2011

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2011/07/18/wac-expansion-does-the-big-east-hold-the-key/

The Fake Lonnie Finch · July 18, 2011

I don't envy the WAC. But, they are having their crap kicked in by the illegal BCS-system, so I've got to grit my teeth and wish them success.

That being said, the Big East should extend us an invitation before it's too late and the Big 12 (with 10 schools) snaps us up.

MDH · July 18, 2011

2 roadblocks to C-USA:

1. C-USA maintaining a Florida school

2. SMU

NorthTexan95 · July 18, 2011

That's a lot of UNT talk in that article. I agree that SMU is a hurdle to joining CUSA. I don't see how CUSA would ever "close" the door on UNT when things are always changing.

THOR · July 18, 2011

2 roadblocks to C-USA:

1. C-USA maintaining a Florida school

2. SMU

and that FIU is improving quickly in football. other sports matter some, but football drives it.

Side Show Joe · July 18, 2011

If UCF is taken by the Big East, C-USA would almost certainly want to keep a team in Florida. The problem is I don't know if they really like FAU or FIU. Neither brings very good attendance. FIU would add the Miami market, but even the Caines have trouble filling their seats. Is Boca really a market C-USA covets?

Yes SMU may be an issue. The biggest thing we as fans can do is to fill the stands and travel well to regional games. We have to bring more fans to our games then SMU. If we can sell out our games, and average around 30,000 for the season, and travel well to near by road games, North Texas will be in the mix.

It starts with Houston. whether we win that game or not, selling it out, and showing Houston's administration what great pride we take in supporting our Mean Green, could go a long way towards swaying the opinion of C-USA in favor of North Texas. Remember C-USA is headquartered in DFW. I bet their commissioner will be here for the game.

The second part is the Mean Green Nation needs to travel to Tulsa and and help them post one of their top 2 attendance games of the season.

If we can do that, the C-USA office will notice.

UNTflyer · July 18, 2011

If UCF leaves, Florida is no longer a viable state for CUSA. It makes no sense to stay in that saturated market with no rivals for FIU.

UNT is the best option for CUSA if UCF leaves. It is a perfect fit for a Houston/SMU/Rice/Tulsa/UNT rivalry.

Green Mean · July 18, 2011

I'm glad to have all the doors shut for CUSA, MWC, SBC, and WAC if it means the Big East wants to consider us as a viable school to join them.

Adub4ever · July 18, 2011

IMO, the odds are better that UTSA & Tx St. jump ship and join the SB once the WAC is disbanded.... La Tech is holding this whole thing up.... Truth is La Tech is no better than Ark St., NM St., Troy, Unt, etc.. they just think they belong with SMU, TCU, Houston, Rice, Tulsa etc.... The Wac will disband, Sunbelt will poach Tx St. and UTSA and La Tech will go Indy ....

Anybody who thinks we are joining the WAC needs to look at a map.... we already did this once with the Big West, and it sucked monkey balls.... Sunbelt > WAC

KoldBeer · July 18, 2011

Anybody who thinks we are joining the WAC needs to look at a map.... we already did this once with the Big West, and it sucked monkey balls.... Sunbelt > WAC

I did grab a map (Google maps) and used it to get the distance between Denton and the Sun Belt schools and Denton and the WAC schools (distance is just Denton to city - I didn't enter specific addresses):

Sun Belt

UALR....337

ASU.....464

FAU.....1,312

FIU.....1,349

ULL.....428

ULM.....321

MT......713

USA.....625

Troy....729

WKU.....746

TOTAL...7,024

Avg.....702*

* Assumes teams would have to make a trip to every school. I doubt Sun Belt would adopt complete round robin in basketball but I don't know plans now that we are down to 11 teams. Also, football will vary since you only travel to half of schools in a given year.

WAC

Idaho....1,976

La Tech..291

NMSU.....688

SJSU.....1,656

Utah St..1,360

Denver...758

Seattle..2,162

TSU-SM...257

UTA......41

UTSA.....307

TOTAL....9,496

Avg......950

Not only does the WAC require more travel, it is harder to get to Idaho and Utah St than it is to FIU and FAU. Plus, some schools are two time zones removed from UNT.

WAC's Dream (from story)

Eastern Division (play every school)

La Tech...291

TSU-SM...257

UTA......41

UTSA.....307

ULL......428

Sub-Total...1,324

Other Div 4,300 (3 games - total of distance for other schools divided by two)

Total....5,624

Avg......703

Even divisional play only puts us in the same position we are in the Sun Belt. Now the WAC does have 4 schools closer than our closest team in the Sun Belt, but the rest of the conference is so far away.

MeanGreenTeeth · July 19, 2011

2 roadblocks to C-USA:

1. C-USA maintaining a Florida school

2. SMU

You know... I'm not so sure SMU is going to oppose us. They are on an upswing in football and I don't know that they would consider us much of a threat to their interests even if we were in the same conference. It would give them a local game and more regional press. Also..consider this...I don't think SMU,Houston, Rice, UTEP, and Tulane would be too happy with a chance of a conference comprising in part UNT, TSU, UTSA, Lousiana Tech, ULL, and NMSU competing with them for TV $ and recruits. Taking us would help guard their flank.

MDH · July 19, 2011

You know... I'm not so sure SMU is going to oppose us. They are on an upswing in football and I don't know that they would consider us much of a threat to their interests even if we were in the same conference. It would give them a local game and more regional press. Also..consider this...I don't think SMU,Houston, Rice, UTEP, and Tulane would be too happy with a chance of a conference comprising in part UNT, TSU, UTSA, Lousiana Tech, ULL, and NMSU competing with them for TV $ and recruits. Taking us would help guard their flank.

They also oppose our academics.

MeanGreenTeeth · July 19, 2011

They also oppose our academics.

Sure. However, none of the other possible choices would be any better in this regard.

SilverEagle · July 19, 2011

I don't envy the WAC. But, they are having their crap kicked in by the illegal BCS-system, so I've got to grit my teeth and wish them success.

That being said, the Big East should extend us an invitation before it's too late and the Big 12 (with 10 schools) snaps us up.

Hayden Fry would be proud of you...... :thumbsu:

SilverEagle · July 19, 2011

I don't envy the WAC. But, they are having their crap kicked in by the illegal BCS-system, so I've got to grit my teeth and wish them success.

That being said, the Big East should extend us an invitation before it's too late and the Big 12 (with 10 schools) snaps us up.

Hayden Fry would be proud of you...... :thumbsu:

SilverEagle · July 19, 2011

I don't envy the WAC. But, they are having their crap kicked in by the illegal BCS-system, so I've got to grit my teeth and wish them success.

That being said, the Big East should extend us an invitation before it's too late and the Big 12 (with 10 schools) snaps us up.

Hayden Fry would be proud of you...... :thumbsu:

wardly · July 19, 2011

assume that big east adds cfu. both ecu and marshall have been pushing for cusa schools closer to them.neither unt nor latech fit the bill. we are too close to smu, and latech is too close to ? [it has no real market].they have 4 texas schools already, and the rest of the conference probably is not so hot on a 5th. i don't know who would make the csua cut, but i am afraid who won't. if we look down the road, and cusa door is forever closed on us and latech, then the wac might look a little better. bigger question is whetehr nmsu,sjsu,and idaho are going to stay 1a? utah state probably will, but the wac might look a lot different in a few years.

Legend500 · July 19, 2011

End this now. Be willing to be the bad guy, and invite NMSU and Texas State. Done.

As for the standard SMU-is-the-reason-why-we-can't-have-nice-things line, it belongs in the same place grunge rock belongs - the 20th century. It's simply not true, and even if it was, we should be looking for other friends instead of pissing off potential ones down the road.

wardly · July 19, 2011

End this now. Be willing to be the bad guy, and invite NMSU and Texas State. Done.

As for the standard SMU-is-the-reason-why-we-can't-have-nice-things line, it belongs in the same place grunge rock belongs - the 20th century. It's simply not true, and even if it was, we should be looking for other friends instead of pissing off potential ones down the road.

nmsu isn't interested in moving east for same reason we don't want to go west, plus they have major financial problems simulat to ulm.

PlummMeanGreen · July 19, 2011

You know... I'm not so sure SMU is going to oppose us. They are on an upswing in football and I don't know that they would consider us much of a threat to their interests even if we were in the same conference. It would give them a local game and more regional press. Also..consider this...I don't think SMU,Houston, Rice, UTEP, and Tulane would be too happy with a chance of a conference comprising in part UNT, TSU, UTSA, Lousiana Tech, ULL, and NMSU competing with them for TV $ and recruits. Taking us would help guard their flank.

Concocting these cookie cutter conferences sometimes merely turns into a re-arranging of the deck chairs. No matter where you put the chairs, they are all still at the same mezzinine level and still on the same ship. Jumping ship as Boise State did years ago I wish would become UNT's model, although I don't think that on our present agenda with our present crowd. A new stadium was an unexpected surprise to many albeit necessary for UNT to stay in the football business.

Green Mean · July 19, 2011

End this now. Be willing to be the bad guy, and invite NMSU and Texas State. Done.

As for the standard SMU-is-the-reason-why-we-can't-have-nice-things line, it belongs in the same place grunge rock belongs - the 20th century. It's simply not true, and even if it was, we should be looking for other friends instead of pissing off potential ones down the road.

Once again this board blames SMU for our own eff ups.

UNTLifer · July 19, 2011

They also oppose our academics.

They may have better reputation, but their grads I've had contact with are nothing to brag about.

Quoner · July 19, 2011

Hayden Fry would be proud of you......

One night I dreamed a dream.

I was walking along the beach with Hayden Fry. Across the dark sky flashed scenes from Mean Green football DVDs. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to me and one to Coach Fry.

When the last scene at Fouts flashed before me I looked back at the footprints in the sand. There was only one set of footprints. I realized that this was at the lowest and saddest times of the program. This always bothered me and I questioned Coach about my dilemma.

"Coach, You told me when I decided to follow You, You would coordinate conference advancement and refusing to lose all the way. But I'm aware that during the most troublesome periods of our program there is only one set of footprints and a few empty beer cans in the coaches office. I just don't understand why, when I need You most, You leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love the Mean Green more than Iowa and that crap hole SMU and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you."

letsgiveacheer · July 19, 2011

They also oppose our academics.

Other than CUSA's private schools, particularly Rice, I see North Texas as at least an equal to any of their state schools. Plus, I suspect we have more top rated programs than any of them and not just including music.

GrayEagle · July 19, 2011

I don't know whether the Big East holds the key to the WAC expansion or not but they may be a factor in the WAC survival (football-wise).

None of the eight in the Big East that play FBS football are Catholic universities. Notre Dame, who plays all other sports in the Big East, could have saved the conference before TCU was invited but they chose to stay with their big, fat contract and screwed the conference and the NCAA.

Now the Big East has announced intentions of expanding to twelve. Based on attendance and a reasonable product on the football field it seems to me that UCF and East Carolina should be two of the three but the other isn't as easy. If they take those two it's likely that the third would also come from CUSA. That would trickle down affecting the Sun Belt as the more likely replacements to CUSA since they are geographically closer.

Also, don't forget that the Big XII and the MWC are looking for two each at some point in time and the Sun Belt might also need one or more replacements or additions.

Where will these replacements come from? Other than possibly Temple, they will likely come from the WAC or BCS teams moving up. I only see three or four of the WAC teams that might be attractive to other conferences (look at attendance, accessibility, and market). I hate to say it but I see the WAC as a basketball-only conference in a few years.