SMU and Houston to Big East

Harry · November 1, 2011

The Big East Conference will invite Boise State, Navy and Air Force for football only and SMU, Houston and Central Florida for all sports, a source with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.

The conference's member presidents, meeting in Philadelphia, voted unanimously Tuesday to extend invitations to football-only and all-sports members. Commissioner John Marinatto declined to name the schools being targeted.

He did say he expected the targeted schools to accept, but added that there are still details to work out with each institution.

"As we've learned over the last two months, don't believe anything anybody tells you. Nothing's done until it is over," Marinatto said. "So I'm obviously being very cautious and that's why I'm reluctant to say names of schools.

He did acknowledge the league intends to expand west.

Read More: http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/7177969/big-east-announces-unanimous-vote-invite-new-members

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Mean Green Matt · November 1, 2011

UNTFan23 · November 1, 2011

Harry · November 1, 2011

First off, I congratulate SMU and Houston as this is good news and I always felt they got the raw end of the SWC demise as compared to Baylor. Good for both of them.

I have stated this before, but this is the BEST case scenario for North Texas in terms of conference realignment. There are a lot of chips that still need to fall our way, but with SMU out of the picture it makes our case much stronger for CUSA inclusion.

Conference USA will have to consider UNT as the replacement for SMU and the DFW television market. Television sets will trump all else in the considerations. Beyond that, our airport access and numbers of CUSA alumni located here will be considered. Recruiting is a secondary consideration, as the teams in the CUSA West already recruited Texas and the teams in the East rarely get down here. Power rankings are not as critical for CUSA as they were for the Big East (Boise) because CUSA does not currently have a auto BCS bid to protect.

It should get really interesting to see how quickly CUSA moves. My guess is they are reviewing possibilities as I type this and probably long before. Clearly they will look to either FIU or FAU and I might do both. UTSA is another interesting possibility. La. Tech from the Wac and some of our other Sun Belt Bretheren could be in the mix as well.

Last time we came up short and I am so pleased that this time around we have righted the facility issue which had been a thorn in our side. Keep your fingers crossed...GMG!

forevereagle · November 1, 2011

What happens if CUSA decides to stay at 10?

Green Mean · November 1, 2011

It will be an effing travesty if we don't get an invite from either CUSA or MWC at this point.

untcampbell · November 1, 2011

I defer to the sports geniuses on this board (no sarcasm):

I understand this is a move to an AQ conference, and with it the implicit national publicity, etc, and that might be enough, but what other tangible advantages does this move hold for SMU and Houston?

I suppose the AQ conference guarantees pay for the cost of non-rev sport travel all over the country...from Boise to the East Coast!

From a fan perspective, I value a conference where, among other things, I can see my team play other teams for which I have some connection, i.e. that I care about, and that are close enough that I can travel to with relative ease and limited expense.

Not many teams in the Sunbelt qualify.

Lots of teams in C-USA qualify.

Probably just a question of perspective. I would love to make the move into C-USA. For SMU and Houston, this is the logical next step, and I suppose they are banking on a future Big 12 invite to rectify the travel concerns.

GMG

untbowler · November 1, 2011

I defer to the sports geniuses on this board (no sarcasm):

I understand this is a move to an AQ conference, and with it the implicit national publicity, etc, and that might be enough, but what other tangible advantages does this move hold for SMU and Houston?
I suppose the AQ conference guarantees pay for the cost of non-rev sport travel all over the country...from Boise to the East Coast!

From a fan perspective, I value a conference where, among other things, I can see my team play other teams for which I have some connection, i.e. that I care about, and that are close enough that I can travel to with relative ease and limited expense.

Not many teams in the Sunbelt qualify.
Lots of teams in C-USA qualify.

Probably just a question of perspective. I would love to make the move into C-USA. For SMU and Houston, this is the logical next step, and I suppose they are banking on a future Big 12 invite to rectify the travel concerns.

GMG

Boise, Navy, and Air Force are football only. I would assume Air Force and Boise stay MWC for other sports or drop to WAC.

Navy probably stays in Patriot League for non-revenue sports

SMU, UH, and UCF are all sports and makes sense as they are travel partners or for UCF they have USF as travel partner

MeanGreenTeeth · November 1, 2011

I'm very curious if Boise will accept. I have to imagine their non-football sports would hate to leave the MWC. I would think that they have enough leverage to request an all-sports invite, though travel would be prohibitive for the olympic sports.

UNTFan23 · November 1, 2011

What happens if CUSA decides to stay at 10?

Aren't they losing 3? Central Florida, SMU, and Houston?

Wag Tag · November 1, 2011

This is awesome ! UNT, Tulsa, Rice, Utep, Memphis, La Tech, Tulane n CUSA west. CUSA playoff with the CUSA east and then a playoff with the MWC. We could come out better than the SMU move by having travel partners to fill up stadiums !! :thumbsu:

eppy4life · November 1, 2011

While this does look great for us, it's now set up to be a complete slap in our face if we don't get the invite. Let's hope RV isn't getting this Saturday off!

kalebschumann · November 1, 2011

This is awesome ! UNT, Tulsa, Rice, Utep, Memphis, La Tech, Tulane n CUSA west. CUSA playoff with the CUSA east and then a playoff with the MWC. We could come out better than the SMU move by having travel partners to fill up stadiums !!

Those are mostly games I could go to! I would much prefer staying in-state to play away games- as opposed to leaving the time zone. (I know UTEP is in a different time zone- but same state, so I'm cool with that.)

oldguystudent · November 1, 2011

This is awesome ! UNT, Tulsa, Rice, Utep, Memphis, La Tech, Tulane n CUSA west. CUSA playoff with the CUSA east and then a playoff with the MWC. We could come out better than the SMU move by having travel partners to fill up stadiums !!

I like this list. Explain to me how travel partners work. That's a basketball thing, not football, right?

eppy4life · November 1, 2011

I like this list. Explain to me how travel partners work. That's a basketball thing, not football, right?

Please keep basketball questions in the basketball forum.

Wag Tag · November 1, 2011

I like this list. Explain to me how travel partners work. That's a basketball thing, not football, right?

Get off the sofa and drive to Tulsa, Houston, Sheveport . Southwest to Little Rock and drive to Memphis ( go thru Jonesboro sorry ark state :rolleyes: ) Southwest to New Orleans and El Paso.

As they will come to our market !!!

MeanGreenGlory · November 1, 2011

This is awesome ! UNT, Tulsa, Rice, Utep, Memphis, La Tech, Tulane n CUSA west. CUSA playoff with the CUSA east and then a playoff with the MWC. We could come out better than the SMU move by having travel partners to fill up stadiums !!

This would be very, very cool.

TIgreen01 · November 1, 2011

Hopefully this turns out well for us, but please allow me to barf at the thought of SMU "deserving" or "earning" this invitation to an AQ conference. Please. Their own players publicly lament the complete lack of fan/community support that they have. I just don't understand continuing to turn over the DFW market to a school that has, both recently and historically, never been able to garner legitimate fan support worthy of what is expected of an AQ conference school, despite the fact that they've been given every opportunity and advantage.

Should we not move on and up from this, it will be a nut kick to end all nut kicks.

untgeorge · November 1, 2011

What happens if CUSA decides to stay at 10?

The $64 question. And they might. (Actually 9.)

untgeorge · November 1, 2011

This is awesome ! UNT, Tulsa, Rice, Utep, Memphis, La Tech, Tulane n CUSA west. CUSA playoff with the CUSA east and then a playoff with the MWC. We could come out better than the SMU move by having travel partners to fill up stadiums !!

It is my understanding that under existing rules a conference cannot have two playoffs - can they?

Given a playoff with the MWC and what I "think" is the fact one conference cannot have two playoffs, what incentive does CUSA have to go to 12? Same question for MWC - what incentive to go to past what they have?

Wag Tag · November 1, 2011

Hopefully this turns out well for us, but please allow me to barf at the thought of SMU "deserving" or "earning" this invitation to an AQ conference. Please. Their own players publicly lament the complete lack of fan/community support that they have. I just don't understand continuing to turn over the DFW market to a school that has, both recently and historically, never been able to garner legitimate fan support worthy of what is expected of an AQ conference school, despite the fact that they've been given every opportunity and advantage.

Should we not move on and up from this, it will be a nut kick to end all nut kicks.

For us to be attractive for a conf we have to have a potential mkt. With SMU gone we now have DFW as one of our bargaining chips. The champion of CUSA MWC gets an AQ !! The future is a playoff n college football. :sword:

wardly · November 1, 2011

What happens if CUSA decides to stay at 10?

they are losing 3 schools. i can't believe they would not want a presence in DFW,San Antonio, and Florida.

Wag Tag · November 1, 2011

It is my understanding that under existing rules a conference cannot have two playoffs - can they?

Given a playoff with the MWC and what I "think" is the fact one conference cannot have two playoffs, what incentive does CUSA have to go to 12? Same question for MWC - what incentive to go to past what they have?

Timing !! They better get what they can get now. DFW is opened now who is knocking on the door . Hopefully CUSA AND MWC. Go to 12 u would create more regional comp. and actually save on travel cost and create a Championship game more $. Eq Tulsa to Denton or to Marshall ! This could b our homerun !!

UNTLifer · November 1, 2011

Good for Houston, as they have earned the right, IMHO,to move up to an AQ league, but SMU deserves to be in the Lone Star Conference.

wardly · November 1, 2011

the Big East wants to go to 12 football schools. they now have 8 in all sports, losing 3, and adding 3 in all sports plus 3 for football only. if my math is correct, they need one more for football only. Temple is 1st choice, but Nova is against their admission nor wanting to share Philly. fall back is ECU, so CUSA could lose 4 members.