Conference Realignment Winners and Losers

[Harry]

New Conference USA Members - Louisiana Tech, FIU, North Texas, Charlotte, Old Dominion – Louisiana Tech has been a geographic misfit in the WAC for years and will be a much better fit with the teams in Conference USA. North Texas and FIU are making the jump from the Sun Belt Conference and are located near two key television markets – Dallas and Miami. Charlotte is starting its football program in 2013, while Old Dominion recently restarted its program in 2009.

Read more: http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/college-football-realignment-winners-and-losers

[NM Green]

It seems like there were a lot of winners in this round, for a change. Take the Aggies. I get the Aggies email blast and they are settling into their new home getting ready for the unexpected. They will forge new rivalries, play in the best league in the land and finally get some Texas type exposure based on their BCS type matchup every single week.

TCU has come home to roost. I think roast but roost is the positive spin on it. I think TCU will be thrilled to be home after a great journey. I think they will middle of the pack it for a long time but they will be home and that is a great thing for their fans.

SMU and Houston get out of CUSA and get to rebuild the BE. They join forces with a power called Boise State and they will actually breathe some new life into that weak league. They get out of Texas and get to expose their program to the populated part of the nation.

The ugly bird on the riverwalk didn't even have to wait or go through the perils all programs do. Well they will when they get beat down early and often in the dome and on the road. But they win by bringing major college football to SAT.

We win after staying with our patient model of Southland - Big West - Sun Belt - CUSA. We have had ups and downs but invested and experienced success at a good time. We will now get those named programs into Denton and the local media. It will be a fun ride to go regional after being flung all over the place for the past 20 years.

La Tech also demonstrated great patience and will finally reap some local regional rivalry benefits.

Texas has their network. Enough said. They have been surprisingly quiet to the national folks but they are Texas and they will still get the majority of coverage in the Lone Star State. It will be interesting to see how long they stay excited to play Baylor, Texas Tech, West Virginia and TCU. I still think the Pac whatever opportunity may be too good to resist in due time. Having Texas Oregon, Texas USC and Texas OU matchups every year might be too juicy to not do down the road. Throw in the renewed rivalry with Texas Texas A&M and now you have a real schedule that rivals what the Aggies have now in Texas A&M Bama Texas A&M Auburn Texas A&M LSU Texas A&M Arkansas Texas A&M Florida Texas A&M South Carolina...

I just see a lot of winners with what has unfolded and now it will be interesting to see who executes.

GMG

[DeepGreen]

"SMU and Houston get out of CUSA and get to rebuild the BE. They join forces with a power called Boise State and they will actually breathe some new life into that weak league. They get out of Texas and get to expose their program to the populated part of the nation."

Agree almost all of your post, but I do take exception with SMU and Houston. I don't see people in the "hardcore" East getting excited about SMU and U of H coming to their stadiums. That's like UNT bringing in Texas Southern for a game.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Yes, another epistle:

I believe most of us would admit an admiration for TCU with their own multi-conference journey to the Big 12, but I believe their long journey to the Big 12 actually began during the Jim Wacker Era at TCU. Also sometimes attrition can help in such a journey and I think that part came about when their very well respected TCU President/Chancellor Tucker and AD (former TCU baseball coach) Frank Windegger (for lack of better words) simply got out of the way of progress and (in deed) both retired.

IMO......after the aforementioned 2 retired TCU started spending some serious money to promote their athletic product with new and expanded facilties becoming a huge part of that spending. Sometimes it just takes a few high level staff types getting out of the way of progress (retiring or just moving on) for a stagnant athletic pogram to be able to get from Point A to Point B. Some of you have mentioned a concern and question of do we have all the hosses in place to take North Texas to the next level; that is, to get us to a true level of CUSA competitiveness after so many recent years of non-success in SBC football, specificially. Well, our old friend Father Time will once again tell the tale on that and God only knows we've wasted much precious time in past decades on some whose presence on our payrolls would merely keep things from advancing. What is the saying about "doing the same old failed things over and over again and expecting different results?"

Back To TCU: There was really a time when Fort Worth could have cared less for TCU Horned Frog football, basketball, etc, etc, etc. Most of their best crowds from the 1960's on up were when the SWC Big Boys and all their traveling fans came to Fort Worth and without them TCU would have had some very embarrassing turnstile numbers, a la SMU. Fort Worth showed it would support a winner, but during our Mean Joe Greene and Fry Era's TCU (and many others) would never be found on our football schedules because during much of that era the Horned Frogs were sucking hind teat as far as a college football program was concerned.

Enter Jim Wacker: It was an exciting time for TCU until the late, great Jim Wacker got wind of some very powerful and influential TCU alums who were paying off TCU football players. Didn't most all of us still admire the late TCU coach for turning his own program in when you know good and well that he knew every other SWC school was doing the same darn thing? Yet during the Kenneth Davis era TCU Horned Frog football experienced a true revival with the "unbelieeeeeeeeeevalbe" Jim Wacker in charge. Their "Your Home Team" multi-year promotion began to also make headway as they hammered that theme to the locals not for just one year but on an annual basis. Sometimes sticking with what works really is a good idea, but sticking with things and personnel that don't work is probably not so wise but quite expensive.

Enough about TCU already but.................it is very easy for us to get all wrapped up in all re-alignment talk and maybe even have a few anxiety attacks as to how some of it would eventually affect our own school. Most would admit that North Texas caught an unexpected break when SMU left for the Big East because had they not we would be in the Sun Belt Conference for a very long time (which would not have been the end of the world), With UNT's CUSA membership (and Apogee Stadium) we have really advanced ourselves across the board at every level. Still........our leaders need to keep in mind (as Silver Eagle would say it) our "culture" to realize that not all in Denton, Denton County and Beyond share the same excitement that most all of us on GMG.com do and IMO a reason our UNT athletic leaders and ancillary staffs must almost immediately step it up triple time with all that they'be been doing at a much, much slower Sun Belt Conference pace. Like they say .................. "it's a whole new ball game."

The City of Denton and its citizens will not be shamed into coming to our football games so we can float the "look what San Antone' did for UTSA in one year" theme till the cows come home and the Denton most of us know and understand so well because many of us at one time lived there will not flinch and thus..........the reason North Texas athletics must promote Mean Green football (and basketball) as if there were a 1,000 other things our area alums could do on Game Day. Honestly, does UNT have any other choice but to change its entire recent philosophy on Game Week promotions but maybe should look seriously at adding other "get them out to Apogee" promos alongside all the other annual Game Week promotions already set in place?

Many of you have said it and I will repeat it but it's still a matter of..............North Texas just needs to take care of North Texas, but now the stakes of our doing that on the eve of our CUSA membership has a dramatic new meaning; that is, UNT taking care of UNT is now a neccessity rather than some pie in the sky by and by thing that we do way out there in the future.

GMG!

Edited July 2, 2012 by PlummMeanGreen

[shaft]

It seems like there were a lot of winners in this round, for a change. Take the Aggies.

You mean the school that threw away a century of tradition and rivalries for cash and chance to go 6-6 in a good year.

Edited July 2, 2012 by shaft

[casual fan]

Biggest winner is TCU. Say no more.

2nd biggest winner is UNT. We are finally in a good confence with local rivals that will lead to better sports coverage, attendance, and recruiting. Recruiting Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma just became much easier.

Biggest flop is smu. Will the move help their attendance? Are they going to recruit in the eastern US? How well can they recruit against Big East teams for DFW players. Their only local conference rival is now Houston.

[emmitt01]

"SMU and Houston get out of CUSA and get to rebuild sink with the BE. They join forces with get a yearly beat down from a power called Boise State and they will actually breathe some new life into tread water in that much weakened league. They get out lose the interest of Texas and get to expose their program to the will be largely ignored by the populated part of the nation."

Fixed

[Varsity]

Texas A&M and Missouri will never be heard from again.

They lose.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Mizzou is the biggest winner because they were marginalized in the Big 12. SEC gives them equal fuding and many great television opportunities that were not available in the Big 12.

TCU also get very lucky. They won't mind playing second fiddle to Texas and OU, and being pounded by them annually. They're the kid that is just happy to be allowed in the crowd.

[Harry]

TCU is interesting to me. Certainly being in the Big 12 will elevate their attendance and revenues, bowl opportunities etc. But this will be the first time they have been in a conference that they will not dominate talent wise since leaving the SWC. In the WAC, CUSA and Mountain West, TCU had the very best talent pretty much every single year. This won't be the case now. Their fans will flock to games in the first couple of years but will they continue say 5-6 years down the road if TCU stays in the middle of the pack and below?

Of course sitting in our shoes these would be nice problems to have

[DeepGreen]

TCU will be interesting indeed. They sold out their general admission tickets already. http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/05/16/3966119/full-house-move-to-big-12-renovated.html What happens when they end up middle of the pack or below?

[buff64]

Mizzou is the biggest winner because they were marginalized in the Big 12. SEC gives them equal fuding and many great television opportunities that were not available in the Big 12.

TCU also get very lucky. They won't mind playing second fiddle to Texas and OU, and being pounded by them annually. They're the kid that is just happy to be allowed in the crowd.

Didn't TCU beat OU a couple of years ago ? Have you seen Texas play the last two or three years ?

[Hunter Green]

Didn't TCU beat OU a couple of years ago ? Have you seen Texas play the last two or three years ?

BINGO!

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Didn't TCU beat OU a couple of years ago ? Have you seen Texas play the last two or three years ?

TCU beat OU eight years ago by 7 points. OU then beat the by 25 three years later. OU will dominate TCU, just as they dominate everyone in the Big 12. The reason you remember the TCU win even though it was further away in years is that its not news when OU does its expected job and thrashes the TCUs of the world.

Texas is only down temporarily. And, by "down" we mean only winning 8 or 9 games for the Longhorns. Texas beat the Frogs by 21 in 2007. It will be the same. Again, you probably forgot this game because...ho-hum, Texas throttled TCU. Second verse, same as the first.

TCU now has to face OU and Texas in recruiting. Oh...and, the T. Boone Pickens' funded OSU Cowboys. Plus, every SEC school that will gain exposure even more exposure to Texas with the door A&M opened for them.

In short, TCU did a good job of thriving when they were kicked to the curb. It is to their credit that they didn't shrivel up and blow away. But, reality is reality. They will face, week in and week out, a much tougher slate than ever before.

OU and Texas will always have more weapons. While they may occassionally lose to TCU, it won't be often enough for the Frogs to create or keep any momentum towards conference championships. My bet is that TCU fans get accustomed to th mid-level bowl the Big 12 has ties to, in the years that the qualify.

The money and recruits that pour into OU, Texas, and now OSU, are too ridiculous for TCU to ever hope to compete well in the Big 12 consistently.

Edited July 2, 2012 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Also, Texas-TCU as a replacement for Texas-Texas A&M is a joke. The Longhorn and Aggie ADs should just admit that now, check their egos, and put the game back on their schedules. The interest nationally in watching Texas run roughshod over TCU every thanksgiving will be extemely minimal. Hell, the people in Austin may not even be all that interested in it.

Edited July 2, 2012 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

[ValleyBoy]

Also, Texas-TCU as a replacement for Texas-Texas A&M is a joke. The Longhorn and Aggie ADs should just admit that now, check their egos, and put the game back on their schedules. The interest nationally in watching Texas run roughshod over TCU every thanksgiving will be extemely minimal. Hell, the people in Austin may not even be all that interested in it.

A&M does not need Texas now that they are a member of the SEC. Alabama, LSU, Auburn, and Arkansas every year plus who ever they have to play from the SEC east. Yes I know Texas-Texas A&M is a tradition but who needs this game more now A&M or Texas. i say Texas is the one who needs this game more now not A&M.

[DeepGreen]

I haven't found an Aggie yet who is thrilled about not playing Texas each year and 100+ year old tradition going away.

[ValleyBoy]

I haven't found an Aggie yet who is thrilled about not playing Texas each year and 100+ year old tradition going away.

Aggie fans may not be thrilled now about not playing the Longhorns every year but I can tell you that they will get over it but it will take time. I grew up and Auburn fan and I know it was hard when Auburn first stopped playing GaTech each year when the SEC expanded there conference scheadule and GaTech joined the ACC. Then when the SEC went to two divisions to not play Tennessee every year. And on top of that to stop playing Florida .every year. But new traditions have been started with LSU and Ole Miss who Auburn very seldom played in the past, and with Arkansas when they joined the SEC.

Aggie Fans will get over Texas very quickly when right at 11,000 Bama, Auburn, LSU & Arkansas fans visit College Station when they play the Aggies. Each SEC school has to provide the visiting SEC school at least 10,800 seats for all conference games and each of the above schools from the SEC West will sell and bring there full allotment.

[NM Green]

Agree with Valley. This is a whole new ballgame for Texas A&M, and I have not been this interested in watching what transpires in College Station since my Sister was there in the 90's. People who think A&M will drop off the map are not thinking clearly. I know they hate losing the Texas game, but I am sorry having the Gators and Tigers of LSU drop into Kyle Field with their throngs of RV's, rabid fans and SEC tailgates is flat out exciting. The Texas TCU game is silly. I am glad that Thanksgiving now has sports options because I won't be tuning into this game. I don't like either team so no need to watch.

Texas A&M has a lot of work to do to get ready for their new life. I know I am the minority here, but I am really excited to introduce the SEC to Texas football. Gig'em!

GMG

[emmitt01]

I think everyone who expects TCU to sink in the Big XII are letting their emotions get the best of them. TCU has fielded nationally competitive teams while recruiting to the MWC and CUSA. They've had to turn RB's into dominant DE's (1st round NFL pick DE's). They've consistently done "more with less" as opposed to having "#1" recruiting classes and doing...well, you know. What do you think Patterson and company can do now with Big XII on their patch? Texas would not have beaten Wisconsin two years ago. No longer will UT, Tech, OU or OSU be able to say "TCU can't play for national titles." now TCU can tell kids "If we run the table, we're in."

Edited July 2, 2012 by emmitt01

[MeanGreenTexan]

Aggie fans may not be thrilled now about not playing the Longhorns every year but I can tell you that they will get over it but it will take time. I grew up and Auburn fan and I know it was hard when Auburn first stopped playing GaTech each year when the SEC expanded there conference scheadule and GaTech joined the ACC. Then when the SEC went to two divisions to not play Tennessee every year. And on top of that to stop playing Florida .every year. But new traditions have been started with LSU and Ole Miss who Auburn very seldom played in the past, and with Arkansas when they joined the SEC.

Aggie Fans will get over Texas very quickly when right at 11,000 Bama, Auburn, LSU & Arkansas fans visit College Station when they play the Aggies. Each SEC school has to provide the visiting SEC school at least 10,800 seats for all conference games and each of the above schools from the SEC West will sell and bring there full allotment.

Texas VS Texas A&M ≠ Auburn VS GA Tech.

Texas VS Texas A&M ~ Auburn VS Alabama.

Could you imagine Auburn VS Alabama going away?

Believe it or not, Texas VS Texas A&M is probably bigger than Texas VS Oklahoma... and there is not a school in the SEC that Aggie fans would rather beat more than Texas. That will never, ever change because you have never seen "traditions" before until you've seen the Aggies.

[LongJim]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWe8EhUiAUM&feature=youtu.be

Edited July 3, 2012 by LongJim

[GrayEagle]

Everyone that moved advanced or they wouldn't have paid the fee. In a sense there were only two losers...New Mexico State and Idaho. Even if the conference was weakened I don't see anyone taking much of a cut in TV revenue. If you didn't advance; there's an old adage that says you can't lose what you didn't have. The airlines even win as each conference becomes more widespread. Is this a great country, or what?

[cwb]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWe8EhUiAUM&feature=youtu.be

LongJim, that was worse than being Rickrolled. It was pure aggy. Will they ever be able to get out of thier own way? I almost felt pity for them. Don't know what else to add other than that was one of the worst fails that I have witnessed on the world wide internet. And that is saying something.

Think I will now go search for the video if that South Carolina beauty pageant contestant.

Edited July 3, 2012 by cwb

[Arkstfan]

I disagree with Athlon on a number of points.

Big XII and the Champions Bowl is a coup, but they lost TAMU and perennial "almost" Mizzou (TCU this will be your role most likely). West Virginia is a quality team but so far out of the footprint that they eventually will be forced to add at least one school out there for the health of the league (see ACC needing to do something about Boston College). The Big XII was too big to fail but they aren't a winner because of realignment, they are a winner because OU and UT stayed.

Boise State, jury is out for me. If they hit their estimates on TV money, Boise will survive the damage done to the other sports. Basketball may not drive the bus, but it is a significant part of an athletic department. It is the only sport other than football that doesn't cost a school to have and pours over money to support the other programs. A lot of Boise's new found wealth be invested in Title IX compliance where you start behind the eight ball with the other sports in an inferior league than they were in. Maybe it works out but I don't think it is a lock. If Boise stumbles in football they can be a force to radically de-stablize the Big East.

Conference USA defectors. UCF and Memphis are the clear winners. UCF aligns with USF. Memphis gets a basketball schedule their hoops crazy fans will truly appreciate. Houston and SMU primarily win in aligning with a group closer to them in committment. Rice, Tulane, UAB each have their own quirks that made it difficult for them. They have football coaches being paid around the Sun Belt median. Houston and SMU are in what looks a lot like the OLD Missouri Valley or the old CUSA but the difference is getting away from those who frustrated the efforts to raise CUSA even higher.

Mizzou just changes who keeps them from winning the league but after pursuing the Big 10 hard and then being threatened with desolation when the powers flirted with the Pac-12, Mizzou is in a better place.

New CUSA. UNT gets three in-state opponents plus Tulsa. That's a win. La.Tech gets to play Tulane. That's a win. UTSA (see UNT). ODU and Charlotte change their timetables but they get their FBS plans on track. Wins all around.

Notre Dame. Right now a loser in my book. They were affiliated with one of the elite leagues. Now all you hear is talk of the "Big 5". The Big East is an incredible hoops league pre or post realignment but the perception that most ND sports aren't affiliated with a league consistent with their perception is a loss.

Pitt and Syracuse. Clear winners. Life doesn't get much tougher in basketball or football than it was but the ACC doesn't the have the damaged goods mash-up feel of the Big East.

TCU. Will the fan base still come with dominance fading away? Big question but Oklahoma State has shown you can crack the UT/OU monopoly.

Temple. BIG BIG winner. Hoops finally in the Big East and that's the important part. The new Big East doesn't have Miami, VT, BC, WVU, Pitt and Syracuse to kick them in around in football. Tougher sledding for football than the MAC but not like it was before.

TAMU. Winning the SEC will be a much more daunting task, but the recruiting situation in Texas has changed. Before they could rattle off all the things they had and UT would respond by showing something better. Now going head-to-head with UT, the message to recruits is simple. We are in the conference that wins national titles, they are in the conference that watches the national title.

WVU came out ahead but it isn't going to be fun for the fans who used to be able to travel and help negate home field advantages.

Texas State. They escape the WAC and get in the league they had initially targeted along with UTSA. They aren't in NMSU's or Idaho's shoes.

USU and SJSU. Welcome back to the Big West uh WAC uh MWC. Back with some old foes and some schools they long wanted to align with, no looming trips to Texas.

ACC winner for now. They have made a strong move to dethrone the Big East as best in basketball. They did nothing to help flagging football.

Big East lives to fight another day but they have taken an unstable mess and made it bigger and more unstable. Rumors are swirling that Navy won't even play a full league schedule and will count Army and AFA as designated league games.

CUSA. By most accounts still looking to expand. The league is a picture of contrasts. On one end UAB, Rice, Tulane on the other ECU, USM, Tulsa. ODU and Charlotte are bets on the future. La.Tech doesn't fit their traditional models. Biggest problem is that the Big East is unstable and if it tear apart CUSA will feel the impact.

ECU got most of what they wanted in the CUSA expansion (FIU, ODU, Charlotte), they didn't get in the Big East but may have better positioned to be considered if the Big East blows up.

Idaho is dead meat unless the MWC has a change of heart. On the upside Big Sky wants them, they have old rivalries there, they've been knocked out of the top division twice before and made it back so they can survive if something doesn't break loose.

Louisville by mulitple accounts was the consensus #11 for Big XII they just never found a consensus #12. Short-term losers, they stand ready if the ACC goes to 16 or Big XII raids the ACC or the Big XII doesn't raid ACC but needs to solve the WVU problem.

MWC. You don't lose BYU, Utah, TCU, Boise and come out ahead. Unlike C-USA doesn't have much to pick from to improve the state of the conference.

Sun Belt. Down to three schools really serious about athletics. After Arkansas State, MTSU, Louisiana, it gets thinner. WKU attendance in football is built on deep discounting. Troy appeared to plateau in fan base development before last year's stumble. FAU is a mixed bag.Jury is out on TxSt, USA, and GaSt committment. ULM is just a mess.

NMSU it appears Sun Belt has ruled them out. MWC remains a hope but if MWC doesn't pan out they don't have a neighborhood FCS league to provide a place to land.