Conference USA & MWC Talking Merger

EagleGreen · September 20, 2011

" Also talking about a merger is the Mountain West Conference and Conference USA. Mountain West Conference commissioner Craig Thompson told the Idaho Statesman that he and CUSA commissioner Britton Banowsky "resurrected this consolidation concept with Conference USA from a football-only standpoint." A union between those schools could create one BCS automatic qualifying league, but there's no guarantee some of those schools won't also look elsewhere."

No talks of Sun Belt...

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/6993604/big-east-big-12-talking-possible-merger-sources-say

forevereagle · September 20, 2011

Or the MAC and WAC.

oldguystudent · September 20, 2011

So four super conferences (SEC, Pac-12, Big-10 and ACC)

One or two also rans who get to sit at the big boys table, but with a sippy cup. (CUSA/MWC, Big East)

One dissolved (Big-12)

Three left in the cold vying for crumbs tossed out into the snow (WAC, MAC, SBC)

So 64 super teams, 20ish sippy cups, making 84ish New D1A, leaving 40ish teams above FCS, but below the new semi-pros. 40 teams isn't really enough to merit its own division, so those teams either need to play up or step down. That is a frightening proposition.

UNT is in such a rough position. We loathe the idea of playing Sam Houston on a regular basis just as much as Texas loathes the idea of playing with us.

Bottom line, the invisible hand of the collegiate athletic free market is female dog-slapping 2/3rds of its members (including FCS schools). Yay profit!

island eagle · September 20, 2011

Or the MAC and WAC.

Maybe the Sun Belt ought to be exploring options with MAC, CUSA, and the WAC. Not saying its a solution, but it is beginning to look as though conferences better hang together or they'll hang separately.

cdizzle86 · September 20, 2011

Just preaching to the choir here, but we better be taking our destiny into our own hands as opposed to putting our faith in Wright Waters. At the end of the day we need to take care of ourselves.

JRock · September 20, 2011

No question, the conference realignment is like children all fighting for candy underneath a giant pinanta, with the lawyers holding the sticks and handing out the buckets. However, I trust UNT admins and RV are pulling some political strings to put our best foot forward to move up somewhere.

JRock

Wag Tag · September 20, 2011

" Also talking about a merger is the Mountain West Conference and Conference USA. Mountain West Conference commissioner Craig Thompson told the Idaho Statesman that he and CUSA commissioner Britton Banowsky "resurrected this consolidation concept with Conference USA from a football-only standpoint." A union between those schools could create one BCS automatic qualifying league, but there's no guarantee some of those schools won't also look elsewhere."

No talks of Sun Belt...

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/6993604/big-east-big-12-talking-possible-merger-sources-say

This would hurt UNT. I hate to say it but we need SMU to go to the Big East. We really don't want conf merging we need for them to loosing and adding members. ! Let SMU move and it will give us options to move.

ColoradoEagle · September 20, 2011

Well, if those two can play each other for an automatic bid, then we do the same with the MAC. I don't think either happens, though.

GrayEagle · September 20, 2011

I think oldguystudent is on the right track. But, instead of sippies, it may be possible that if those not included in the 64 were to reorganize into two 16-team conferences they might even get a seat at the playoff table. Those not included in the 96 would fall back into a reconstituted Division 1-AA/II.

If the four 16-team conferences happen there will still be nine spots to be filled. The consortium could force Notre Dame and Brigham Young to join a conference or be left out of any playoff considerations. Army and Navy would likely waive playoff rights. There are ten former AQ members (plus TCU) to fill those nine spots.

If things continue as they are now headed there will only be eight football conferences in a couple of years. The Big East and the WAC will be "all sports except football" conferences and the Big 12 goes away. I believe that if 32 of the remaining universities were selected for two new conferences they would deserve a place at the table as well. They would be chosen based on past history, market, size, attendance, budget, facilities and other factors.

The increase to 96 would add a week to a few teams schedule but might save an anti-trust suit since about 80% of the current FBS should gain from this arrangement.

PlummMeanGreen · September 20, 2011

" Also talking about a merger is the Mountain West Conference and Conference USA. Mountain West Conference commissioner Craig Thompson told the Idaho Statesman that he and CUSA commissioner Britton Banowsky "resurrected this consolidation concept with Conference USA from a football-only standpoint." A union between those schools could create one BCS automatic qualifying league, but there's no guarantee some of those schools won't also look elsewhere."

No talks of Sun Belt...

http://espn.go.com/c...ger-sources-say

Pardon this bit of earthy response, but I think they are fartin' in the wind; merely re-arranging the chairs on the ship deck but (unfortunately) still on the same deck level.

I am afraid there will be many soon to be former Big 6 Conference schools who will feel like many of us from UNT did the day NCAA D1-AA was born in 1982. Was not one of our red letter days by any means. Yet...all we can do is (still) just take of business at North Texas. Some things will just always be out of our control.

Edited September 20, 2011 by PlummMeanGreen