C-USA, MWC merger hits snags...

[Harry]

THE CLOCK ticks on the 16 Conference USA and Mountain West Conference presidents attempting to conglomerate into the nation's most . . . um . . . national league in college sports.

Or alliance. Or association. Or something.

I've always said things can get dicey when more than two (a) English professors, ( high school principals or © college presidents occupy the same room. And so it may be with this C-USA/MWC rendezvous.

Word came out in the past week that the merger has hit a few potholes, perhaps ones that should have been spotted months ago.

It seems the presidents have figured out, or should have, that dissolving the conferences and forming a new one would cost a bunch of money. Central Florida, Houston, Southern Methodist and Memphis have to pay C-USA $500,000 to leave after 2012-13, plus their share of television rights revenue, a figure pegged north of $6 million.

If C-USA technically dissolves, those schools have a valid argument for keeping their money. And Memphis would have an argument for keeping the money off its NCAA tournament units.

Read more: http://wvgazette.com/Sports/Marshall/201204010173