The America 12 Conference

shaft · March 8, 2013

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/9028021/big-east-eyes-america-12-new-conference-name-football-schools-sources-say

What a horrible name. Talk about being CUSA 2.0.

Bad news it looks like Tulsa is the 12th.

NT91 · March 8, 2013

How about dirty dozen conf.

untjim1995 · March 8, 2013

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/9028021/big-east-eyes-america-12-new-conference-name-football-schools-sources-say

What a horrible name. Talk about being CUSA 2.0.

Bad news it looks like Tulsa is the 12th.

Its not any different than the new CUSA now being SBCUSA. I hate to say it, but Tulsa wants to be associated with their private brethren in SMU and Tulane. I'm sure Rice would prefer it, too, but I doubt they'll ever get to leave since UH is in that conference now.

We definitely have gotten a better conference setup than we ever have had, even if Tulsa leaves. Getting La Tech, UTEP, Rice, and UTSA as conference mates is so much better than anything we have ever known. BUt SMU and UH, along with Tulane and ECU, and probably Tulsa soon, basically dropped trips to Hattiesberg,MS, Huntington, WV and El Paso for Cincinatti, Tampa, Orlando, Philly, and Connecticut. Even if they don't play Boise State, SDSU, Syracuse, Rutgers, Louisville, and Pittsburgh like they had hoped, I still think getting USF, Cincy, UConn, Temple, and Navy as conference mates is a step up from what they had. If they get Tulsa to join, they still have UCF, UH, SMU, Memphis, ECU, and Tulane, which is a better sell to folks in Houston and Dallas than they had before. Just as many people care about playing Southern Miss in football as they will Cincy, same goes for playing Marshall against UConn. Sure, playing Temple in football isn't gonna move the needle much for SMU or UH attendance, but it will be about the same as it was when UAB came to town. I still think they came out ok in all of this, just like I feel that way for UNT, La Tech, and UTSA.

My biggest fear for the future of CUSA membership is that UTEP gets invited to go back west to the MWC and that the MWC decides to get back even more into Texas and they go with either Rice or UTSA, instead of us. Neither would make a lot of sense over us, but that has never managed to work out for us before, so I'm not going to hold my breath expecting it to somehow work for us in the future. I have said this for a long time, but I would do backflips to get into the MWC, especially if it was with another Texas school like UTEP. I just think that playing Boise State, SDSU, Fresno State, Nevada, and AFA in conference games at Apogee would be unreal. Getting home basketball games with New Mexico, UNLV, Colorado State, and Utah State would be awesome. Yes, we played a lot of those teams as conference mates before in the Big West, but Boise State, Nevada, and Utah State were nowhere near the programs they are today. I guess the MWC has been my favorite place to eventually land just becasue I watched TCU do unthinkable things while a member of that league. TCU was a doormat for 30+ years in the SWC, but when they got to play teams that they were more comparable with, they ended up going to two BCS games and finishing #2 in the country. I have my doubts that TCU will ever get there again in the Big XII, but they will find the $$$ they get from the AQ league to be enough to compensate for this (see Baylor). But the same competitive situation that existed for TCU with their MWC brethren still exists today--we could take advantage of being the team in the DFW area that hosts these programs and hopefully that would be the thing that helped increase our recruiting. I doubt that this will ever happen, though, even if I believe completely that it would be the one chance we have to really give our program a shot in the arm and separate from the other non-AQs in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. I've said this before, but I think the only chance for us to move up is that a conference is going to have to look at all of the advantages we COULD have here and say to themselves that UNT would soar if we got them in a conference like this (similar to USF in the Big East or UTSA in CUSA), rather than focusing only on the results on the field or the amount of spending on athletics that the univesrity has done --or not done--over the last 20 years.

Edited March 8, 2013 by untjim1995

Harry · March 8, 2013

Its not any different than the new CUSA now being SBCUSA. I hate to say it, but Tulsa wants to be associated with their private brethren in SMU and Tulane. I'm sure Rice would prefer it, too, but I doubt they'll ever get to leave since UH is in that conference now.

We definitely have gotten a better conference setup than we ever have had, even if Tulsa leaves. Getting La Tech, UTEP, Rice, and UTSA as conference mates is so much better than anything we have ever known. BUt SMU and UH, along with Tulane and ECU, and probably Tulsa soon, basically dropped trips to Hattiesberg,MS, Huntington, WV and El Paso for Cincinatti, Tampa, Orlando, Philly, and Connecticut. Even if they don't play Boise State, SDSU, Syracuse, Rutgers, Louisville, and Pittsburgh like they had hoped, I still think getting USF, Cincy, UConn, Temple, and Navy as conference mates is a step up from what they had. If they get Tulsa to join, they still have UCF, UH, SMU, Memphis, ECU, and Tulane, which is a better sell to folks in Houston and Dallas than they had before. Just as many people care about playing Southern Miss in football as they will Cincy, same goes for playing Marshall against UConn. Sure, playing Temple in football isn't gonna move the needle much for SMU or UH attendance, but it will be about the same as it was when UAB came to town. I still think they came out ok in all of this, just like I feel that way for UNT, La Tech, and UTSA.

My biggest fear for the future of CUSA membership is that UTEP gets invited to go back west to the MWC and that the MWC decides to get back even more into Texas and they go with either Rice or UTSA, instead of us. Neither would make a lot of sense over us, but that has never managed to work out for us before, so I'm not going to hold my breath expecting it to somehow work for us in the future. I have said this for a long time, but I would do backflips to get into the MWC, especially if it was with another Texas school like UTEP. I just think that playing Boise State, SDSU, Fresno State, Nevada, and AFA in conference games at Apogee would be unreal. Getting home basketball games with New Mexico, UNLV, Colorado State, and Utah State would be awesome. Yes, we played a lot of those teams as conference mates before in the Big West, but Boise State, Nevada, and Utah State were nowhere near the programs they are today. I guess the MWC has been my favorite place to eventually land just becasue I watched TCU do unthinkable things while a member of that league. TCU was a doormat for 30+ years in the SWC, but when they got to play teams that they were more comparable with, they ended up going to two BCS games and finishing #2 in the country. I have my doubts that TCU will ever get there again in the Big XII, but they will find the $$$ they get from the AQ league to be enough to compensate for this (see Baylor). But the same competitive situation that existed for TCU with their MWC brethren still exists today--we could take advantage of being the team in the DFW area that hosts these programs and hopefully that would be the thing that helped increase our recruiting. I doubt that this will ever happen, though, even if I believe completely that it would be the one chance we have to really give our program a shot in the arm and separate from the other non-AQs in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. I've said this before, but I think the only chance for us to move up is that a conference is going to have to look at all of the advantages we COULD have here and say to themselves that UNT would soar if we got them in a conference like this (similar to USF in the Big East or UTSA in CUSA), rather than focusing only on the results on the field or the amount of spending on athletics that the univesrity has done --or not done--over the last 20 years.

We've been out west before; so has SMU and Houston and neither are excited about going there again. SMU in fact has stated they have no interest in MWC. The travel stinks and our fans can't get to most of the games. UTEP is not leaving for the Mountain West -- they have too many alumni in Dallas and Houston. TCU did unthinkable things because they were the only Texas team in the conference and had highly superior talent. TCU also joined because BYU and UTAH were a part. Boise has now become a powerhouse so it would be harder to dominate.

I would much prefer having an entre into Houston (Rice) and San Antonio (UTSA) than long flights out west with games starting at 9pm or later...

Let's focus on trying to be successful in C-USA before we start yearning for other destinations... that in itself will be challenging as hell! Think what a huge coup it would be to get to the C-USA championship game and win!

Part of me wishes that Tulsa would make a decision one way or another because I am more than ready to put this realignment stuff behind us and focus on the game.

wardly · March 10, 2013

We've been out west before; so has SMU and Houston and neither are excited about going there again. SMU in fact has stated they have no interest in MWC. The travel stinks and our fans can't get to most of the games. UTEP is not leaving for the Mountain West -- they have too many alumni in Dallas and Houston. TCU did unthinkable things because they were the only Texas team in the conference and had highly superior talent. TCU also joined because BYU and UTAH were a part. Boise has now become a powerhouse so it would be harder to dominate.

I would much prefer having an entre into Houston (Rice) and San Antonio (UTSA) than long flights out west with games starting at 9pm or later...

Let's focus on trying to be successful in C-USA before we start yearning for other destinations... that in itself will be challenging as hell! Think what a huge coup it would be to get to the C-USA championship game and win!

Part of me wishes that Tulsa would make a decision one way or another because I am more than ready to put this realignment stuff behind us and focus on the game. PLUS ONE!

NTXCoog · March 11, 2013

We've been out west before; so has SMU and Houston and neither are excited about going there again.

Actually, UH has never been out west.

Lone Star Conference (1946-1948)

Gulf Coast Conference (1949-1950)

Missouri Valley Conference (1951-1959)

Independent (1960-1975)

Southwest Conference (1976-1995)

CUSA (1996-2012)

When the SWC split, Rice, TCU, and SMU went west, but UH decided to be founding members of CUSA instead.

greenjoe · March 11, 2013

It sounds like that old Saturday night Live skit:

"And here are some partial scores: America -12......"

CUSA. Home Sweet Home

GO MEAN GREEN

Harry · March 11, 2013

Actually, UH has never been out west.

Lone Star Conference (1946-1948)

Gulf Coast Conference (1949-1950)

Missouri Valley Conference (1951-1959)

Independent (1960-1975)

Southwest Conference (1976-1995)

CUSA (1996-2012)

When the SWC split, Rice, TCU, and SMU went west, but UH decided to be founding members of CUSA instead.

Good point! My mistake!

NTXCoog · March 11, 2013

Good point! My mistake!

Doesn't negate your point though. UH has never really shown a desire to go west. I'm sure that's one of the reasons UH started out in CUSA instead of going to the WAC. Rumors have been around for years that UH could have joined the MWC. Don't know if that's true, but the rumors have been there.