UTEP in a Bad Spot

[Harry]

n the midst of uncertain times around Conference USA, it has been widely rumored that the University of Texas at El Paso was making an attempt to leave the conference for the Mountain West. While that may or may not be the case, with more conference expansion news breaking today, UTEP may be stuck with no place to go.

First, it has been reported by ESPN that, per sources, the Mountain West Conference will reinstate San Diego State University as a full member, possibly as early as Wednesday afternoon. The move comes only days after Boise State's decision to return to the conference.

Assuming this is the case, the Mountain West will now have a total of 12 football members, and 11 overall, with Hawaii being the lone football only member. For UTEP, that's not a very good thing. In fact, it's likely the worst possible scenario for their hopes to make a move into the MWC.

Read more: http://www.minerrush.com/2013/1/16/3883704/conference-expansion-utep-in-a-bad-spot

[shaft]

Bad spot? They are in the exact same confernce they were in with 3 other Texas teams.

Everyone know the MWC wanted Boise, BYU, SDU, UTEP in that order.

[eulessismore]

n the midst of uncertain times around Conference USA, it has been widely rumored that the University of Texas at El Paso was making an attempt to leave the conference for the Mountain West. While that may or may not be the case, with more conference expansion news breaking today, UTEP may be stuck with no place to go.

First, it has been reported by ESPN that, per sources, the Mountain West Conference will reinstate San Diego State University as a full member, possibly as early as Wednesday afternoon. The move comes only days after Boise State's decision to return to the conference.

Assuming this is the case, the Mountain West will now have a total of 12 football members, and 11 overall, with Hawaii being the lone football only member. For UTEP, that's not a very good thing. In fact, it's likely the worst possible scenario for their hopes to make a move into the MWC.

Read more: http://www.minerrush.com/2013/1/16/3883704/conference-expansion-utep-in-a-bad-spot

Man, just trying to figure out the meaning of the sentences being constructed has made me think the whole thing is not worth following. I'm having problems understanding this:

"a total of 12 football members with 11 overall, with Hawaii being the lone football only member".

Does this mean:

"12 members total, 11 all sports, and Hawaii only for football"?

I do think the whole Big East thing either means that (1.) some people have finally figured out how to read a map, which is a good thing, or (2.) it really took some people a long time to learn how to read a map, which is a bad thing.

[Rudy]

I do think the whole Big East thing either means that (1.) some people have finally figured out how to read a map, which is a good thing, or (2.) it really took some people a long time to learn how to read a map, which is a bad thing.

Wow, I think that's great that Miss South Carolina 2007 has been able to find a job.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Bad spot? They are in the exact same confernce they were in with 3 other Texas teams.

Everyone know the MWC wanted Boise, BYU, SDU, UTEP in that order.

Really? Exact same conference? They were in a conference with schools including Memphis, Houston, Tulsa, ECU, UCF, and SMU, and those schools are going to replaced with such juggernauts as UTSA, UNCC, FIU, FAU, and MUTS. If you can't see the downgrade, I don't know what to tell you.

[wardly]

It has been my understanding that UTEP wanted a presence in DFW and Houston to reach more alumni,and that UTSA was an added bonus. While UNT is not SMU,nor Rice the University of Houston,neither is The University of Texas at El Paso The University of Texas at Austin.

[eulessismore]

It has been my understanding that UTEP wanted a presence in DFW and Houston to reach more alumni,and that UTSA was an added bonus. While UNT is not SMU,nor Rice the University of Houston,neither is The University of Texas at El Paso The University of Texas at Austin.

Well, one thing I agreed with in the linked article was the comment that "wherever they end up, they need to start winning". Sounds like somebody I know.

[GrayEagle]

Well, if we lose Southern Miss as well then maybe we should consider hooking up with UTEP in an expanded Mountain West. I wouldn't be happy being the easternmost but I know that Thompson has stated at least once that he'd like to be in Texas. The DFW market is our only valuable chip. It would work much better with a couple of winning seasons.

[Mean Green 93-98]

It has been my understanding that UTEP wanted a presence in DFW and Houston to reach more alumni,and that UTSA was an added bonus. While UNT is not SMU,nor Rice the University of Houston,neither is The University of Texas at El Paso The University of Texas at Austin.

That has been bandied about on message boards, and there might be a bit of truth to it. I know that the president made a comment a few years ago that he wanted UTEP to "stay with the Texas schools," but I'm sure he had those particular Texas schools in mind, as in Houston, SMU, and Rice. As far as UTSA, I have only heard from UTEP sources that they absolutely did not and still do not want to be in a conference with them.

Edited January 17, 2013 by Mean Green 93-98

[shaft]

CUSA 3.0 = CUSA 2.0 as far as UTEP is concerned.

Their league payouts are the same. Same Texas markets to travel to, plus San Antonio.

None of the East Coast teams do anything for a school in the Mountain Time Zone.

[Harry]

They are the University of TEXAS at El Paso --- they have tons of alums who live and work in - you guessed it - the state of Texas!

would they really go to a conference without one other Texas school in it? I don't think so.

[wardly]

They are the University of TEXAS at El Paso --- they have tons of alums who live and work in - you guessed it - the state of Texas!

would they really go to a conference without one other Texas school in it? I don't think so.

plus 1

[Aquila_Viridis]

I bet that most UTEP alums outside EP proudly wear burnt orange and don't even care whether UTEP has a team.