Big East football schools facing big questions

[Harry]

The nationwide division scenario: The teams could be scattered to the four winds -- and time zones. Assuming Boise State and San Diego State go back to the Mountain West, that increases MWC membership to 12. At least. SMU and Houston could also join but it's doubtful how much TV value those schools would bring. There are few options for schools ending up in Conference USA. By 2015, CUSA will be a 14-team league. Former members SMU, Houston, East Carolina, Central Florida, Tulane and Memphis might be in a cat fight to rejoin their old conference. At 14 teams, CUSA certainly isn't going to take back all six. Is it? The big winner might be the Sun Belt. The lowest-rated football conference could have some juicy options having just lost Middle Tennessee, Florida Atlantic, Texas-San Antonio, North Texas and Florida International to C-USA. Schools like Houston, SMU, East Carolina, Memphis and even Central Florida could come crawling on hands and knees, just needing a home. The problem is the Sun Belt has five years left on its TV contract. It is a contract that pays current members approximately $1 million per year. Best guess: With or without Boise State and/or San Diego State, the orphans make a go of it on their own. Without Boise as a foundation, the reconstituted league (Big Leftovers?) would have SMU and Houston as the flagships if for no other reason because of some TV market appeal. Read more: http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/21391349/hoops-exodus-leaves-big-east-football-schools-facing-big-questions

[UNT 90 Grad]

The article lost credibility by saying the Sun Belt (not WAC) lost UTSA to CUSA.

[MeanGreenGlory]

The article lost credibility by saying the Sun Belt (not WAC) lost UTSA to CUSA.

True...but at the same time there have been so many changes happening that I think everyone is a little lost to some degree.

[VideoEagle]

The low dollars left for the TV contract will make starting a new conference problematic. I don't see BSU or SDSU joining when the MWC is available. That really cuts into the $42 million left for those schools to divide up. And without Boise, that contract is not going to be $42 but significantly less. Lack of money is more of an obstacle than lack of auto-bids!

[trussbussdad]

well that is about as clear as a bucket of mud ... sounds like one of my high school geometry problems...if this than that, but if not that then this....not good for us with ADHD

[houstonmeangreen]

The article lost credibility by saying the Sun Belt (not WAC) lost UTSA to CUSA.

and by saying SMU and Houston go to sunbelt...really.?...never would happen.

[houstonmeangreen]

The article lost credibility by saying the Sun Belt (not WAC) lost UTSA to CUSA.

and by suggesting SMU and Houston would crawl to Sunbelt to join.

[mgfan]

I'm for sending mtsu, fau, fiu and odu and let the others rejoin

[Cerebus]

The article lost credibility by saying the Sun Belt (not WAC) lost UTSA to CUSA.

That is a terrible article. SMU/UH/etc are never going to the SBC.

SBC schools do not get TV payout of $1M a year, its closer to a tenth of that.

[mgfan]

I'm for sending mtsu, fau, fiu and odu and let the others rejoin

[Arkstfan]

The history of college athletics says no one is playing the prodigal and coming home. No one is moving down the perception ladder voluntarily. Things move flux and shift. Inefficiencies get cleared out. The SWC no longer made sense when it went away because the marketplace changed. Back in 1962 BYU, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico didn't think the Mountain States Conference (Skyline) made sense for them and left behind Denver, Colorado State, Utah State, and Montana behind. Joining those defectors were Arizona and Arizona State from the Border States. They left behind New Mexico State, UTEP, Hardin-Simmons, and West Texas A&M. Likely this was related to disappointment and dissatisfcation that Colorado had previously bailed for the Big 7 from the Mountain States, and Texas Tech leaving the Border for the SWC as well as New Mexico leaving the Border for the Mountain States. All be done before. The MWC spawning out of the WAC. The SEC emerging out of the Southern followed by the ACC emerging out of the Southern. The Valley basically spawned the old Big 8 but was also a pass through for the Metro and later CUSA. This all cycles. The Utah's eventually rise to the top, the Hardin-Simmons slide out, the rest jiggle around in pretty much the same spot they always were with a new conference name attached to what they are doing.

[Cougar King]

I can only post once a day, so I'll try to put everything in a nutshell.

I can't say too much but I can remind you guys that we were in this situation when the SWC broke up and we simply hooked up with SMU, Cincy, ECU among others and ended up creating CUSA. History may repeat itself, especially considering that the nBE schools + BYU/service academies are all the big dogs in NonAQ..

I'm also glad that nBE gets to keep its BCS bid for 2013.

Edited December 13, 2012 by Cougar King

[greenjoe]

CougarKing, Why won't you answer me ? When were you at the University of Houston and what was your degree awarded in ? By not answering you make me think you're hiding something.