ODU basketball, soccer would be competitive in C-USA

[Harry]

Old Dominion’s move to Conference USA seems more inevitable by the hour, no matter the financial and competitive challenges. The Monarchs’ long-time home, the Colonial Athletic Association, is just too fractured, even if VCU and George Mason decline overtures from the Atlantic 10.

With that in mind, let’s glance at how Conference USA membership could affect ODU’s headline sports.

FOOTBALL: In each of the past two seasons, a pair of C-USA teams has finished among the Associated Press’ top 25 -- No. 18 Houston and 20 Southern Mississippi in 2011, No. 21 Central Florida and 24 Tulsa in 2010. That’s a far cry from 2000-09, when no league team cracked the AP’s season-ending poll.

Now Houston and UCF are among four C-USA schools bailing for the Big East, and none of the five replacements announced Friday – Charlotte, North Texas, Louisiana Tech, Texas-San Antonio and Florida International -- has ever been a national force. But Florida International and Louisiana Tech have fared well recently in the Sun Belt and Western Athletic conferences, respectively.

Coached by former Miami offensive tackle Mario Cristobal, FIU has played in a bowl each of the last two years. Louisiana Tech is the reigning WAC champion and is the alma mater of three Pro Football Hall of Famers: quarterback Terry Bradshaw, defensive lineman Fred Dean and offensive tackle Willie Roaf.

Safe to say, C-USA would be an exponential upgrade for ODU’s fledgling Championship Subdivision program.

Read more: http://www.dailypress.com/sports/teel-blog/dp-teel-time-odu-basketball-cusa,0,1403162.story?track=rss