If Hawaii calls it quits, could cause the Mountain West Fits

Harry · August 23, 2014

WHILE I BELIEVE HAWAII FOOTBALL is safe I'd estimate a 5 percent chance it gets cut it's fun to think about how the Mountain West, which Nevada is a member of, would replace the Warriors, who are the league's lone football-only school. The top option would be BYU, but the Cougars seem unlikely to return to the conference they helped found. The other options aren't that attractive. Texas-San Antonio, UTEP, Rice, SMU, Texas State and North Texas all bring the league into the Lone Star State, but there's no guarantee any would make the jump. You could dip into the FCS ranks and try and lure a powerhouse like Montana or North Dakota State. You could also stay at 11 full members to get a larger share of the TV revenue. But, in the end, it's best for Hawaii and for the MWC for the Warriors to keep playing football.

Read more: http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/college/nevada/2014/08/22/week-words-hawaii-football-little-league-nate-burleson/14452325/

cdizzle86 · August 23, 2014

Interesting. If we were offered to become a member of MWC within the next year or two, I think we should accept. It would really help us maintain our upward trajectory regarding perception and I guarantee other conferences, recruits, and potential fans would take notice.

Mean Green 93-98 · August 23, 2014

I know many here would disagree, but I'd have to take the MWC over the present incarnation of C-USA. But I doubt Hawaii drops football anytime real soon, and BYU is likely going back to the MWC at some point if they can't work out something with the Big XII.

buff64 · August 23, 2014

Because of playing so many schools in western time zones and the loss of playing other Texas Schools , a move to MWC is a very bad idea.

meangreenthirteen · August 23, 2014

Because of playing so many schools in western time zones and the loss of playing other Texas Schools , a move to MWC is a very bad idea.

Agreed. Plus I think CUSA is in for a really good season. I believe the profile will be raised by this time next year.

UNTcrazy727 · August 23, 2014

0% chance we would accept

Mean Green 93-98 · August 23, 2014

Because of playing so many schools in western time zones and the loss of playing other Texas Schools , a move to MWC is a very bad idea.

Yep. Sure was an awful idea for TCU.

meangreenthirteen · August 23, 2014

Yep. Sure was an awful idea for TCU.

We are very clearly not TCU

Mean Green 93-98 · August 23, 2014

We are very clearly not TCU

Pretty clear. We wear green, they wear purple. Point being?

VideoEagle · August 23, 2014

Yep. Sure was an awful idea for TCU.

TCU was given a special deal. The MWC agreed to limit late game starts and give TCU other special treatment because they were in the Central Time zone. And multiple MWC schools later didn't like the special deal so I doubt they would make the same deal with us. Without the special deal, MWC doesnt make work.

Edited August 23, 2014 by VideoEagle

Mean Green 93-98 · August 23, 2014

TCU was given a special deal. The MWC agreed to limit late game starts and give TCU other special treatment because they were in the Central Time zone. And multiple MWC schools later didn't like the special deal so I doubt they would make the same deal with us. Without the special deal, MWC doesnt make work.

TCU played plenty of late games in the MWC. I maybe vaguely remember something about limiting late game starts, but how did that work? How would one school be allowed to have a late start when TCU came to play, but another school wouldn't? And what other special treatment did they receive?

We wouldn't be playing more than a couple games a year in the Pacific time zone. The difference with the Mountain time zone teams really isn't a hill of beans. I am sure if the MWC came dipping down into Texas, it would be because of serious need, and I'm sure they'd be willing to work with us. And if they came for us, they'd probably be taking another Texas team as well--maybe UTEP?

TCU knew that the Mountain West was a jump up from C-USA, and that was back when C-USA had a much better lineup than the revamped Sun Belt it is today.

MDH · August 23, 2014

Is it fun to play regional schools? Yes. Would it be fun to play in a conference with more prestigious and storied programs? Yes.

The two conferences offer different opportunities, depends what's important to you. I expect to see MWC try to grab a Texas school at some point, starting with UTEP. A lot of the MWC programs have been increasing their recruiting efforts in TX lately. If UTEP goes, I would want UNT to go along with. I would really like to see a UTEP, UTSA, UNT, Rice package.

Mean Green 93-98 · August 23, 2014

Is it fun to play regional schools? Yes. Would it be fun to play in a conference with more prestigious and storied programs? Yes.

The two conferences offer different opportunities, depends what's important to you. I expect to see MWC try to grab a Texas school at some point, starting with UTEP. A lot of the MWC programs have been increasing their recruiting efforts in TX lately. If UTEP goes, I would want UNT to go along with. I would really like to see a UTEP, ~~UTSA~~, UNT, Rice package.

Fixed.

emmitt01 · August 23, 2014

Is it fun to play regional schools? Yes. Would it be fun to play in a conference with more prestigious and storied programs? Yes.

The two conferences offer different opportunities, depends what's important to you. I expect to see MWC try to grab a Texas school at some point, starting with UTEP. A lot of the MWC programs have been increasing their recruiting efforts in TX lately. If UTEP goes, I would want UNT to go along with. I would really like to see a UTEP, UTSA, UNT, Rice package.

No! UTSA can stay behind and play with Texas State at the kiddie table

GrayEagle · August 23, 2014

Hawaii is fine at the moment. However, if increased costs and declining attendance become a factor they could throw in the towel due to distance from any other football school.

If that happened, we could very well be the first ones asked because of the size of the DFW market. Or, Houston is also a large market and Rice is a longtime Division 1/1-A/FBS member. Or, UTEP is geographically closer and would bring more BIS than us or Rice. Or, the MWC could be the first to go to 16 teams and bring in all three.

If they could talk BYU into returning their prestige points would rise. Then, Hawaii would likely stay regardless and the MWC would add UTEP, staying out of the Central Time Zone.

While I'm content to stay and build CUSA I think that an offer from the Mountain West would be hard to turn down.

Cerebus · August 23, 2014

With the new playoff system there is zero difference between any of the G5 conferences, except for the TV contract. The MWC TV payout is larger than the CUSA payout, but not large enough to make up for having to pay west coasts teams that most fans can't travel to and will bring no one to Denton, the reduced media coverage when our late games won't end before the newscast, or increased travel costs for all sports.

MeanGreenGlory · August 23, 2014

No! UTSA can stay behind and play with Texas State at the kiddie table

As much as UNT fans want think this way, we can't call them "kids" any more and feel entitled by our 100 years of football compared to their few.

Blame ESPN, university presidents, P5 commissioners, Benford, Dodge, RV, UNT90, Vizza, Ray, Vito, Tony's balls, the new Scrappy, "North Texas" script helmets, the Green Brigade's khakis, fraternity brothers on the hill, buckets of chicken, ponies, the city of Denton, the county of Denton, TCU, TWU, various shades of Green, Lee Jackson, first down runs, game times, Mother Nature, cheers and chants, 1988, or whatever you want...

But the reality of the situation is that UTSA has done an excellent job making itself an attractive program in a large market that is void of another major football team.

If North Texas wants to be a front runner for any future conference realignment (and there definitely will be), we need to continually out-do all of the other Texas G5 programs with the following:

Wins
Attendance
Donations & Revenue
Facilities
Alumni Support

Win those 5 metrics on a regular basis and North Texas will be invited to sit at a big boy table.

GMG!

Mean Green 93-98 · August 23, 2014

With the new playoff system there is zero difference between any of the G5 conferences, except for the TV contract.

You are only considering the financial side. Otherwise, there are significant differences between G5 conferences.

- Quality of athletics - The MWC is a better football conference than C-USA. There is a case to be made for ranking C-USA the lowest in FBS. But the MWC is at the top of the G5 (along with the AAC), and was on the cusp of being made a BCS AQ conference. Fresno State, Boise State, SDSU, and now Utah State have had recent success at a national level. They are also a better hoops conference--higher RPI, typically a 2-bid conference.

- Name recognition/conference perception. This obviously follows the above. But there is a certain respect accorded the Mountain West that no other G5 conference gets. People nationally know the schools in the Mountain West--people don't know FIU, FAU, Charlotte, Old Dominion, UT-San Antonio, Middle Tennessee, etc.

I'm with Gray Eagle in that C-USA is a pretty good place for us to be now. But if we have the opportunity to better ourselves--even if it isn't a huge leap into the P5--we ought to do it.

foutsrouts · August 23, 2014

We are very clearly not TCU

TCU was pretty much a 40 year doormat before they began their close to 15 year Wacky, CUSA, MWC run with Patterson. We'll see how things shake out in their new stomping grounds. As far as the MWC is concerned, I'd like to see the terms before definitively throwing out my hot sports opinion. I do believe that it would at least be a partial step up in national recognition, and I do love it out west, but the natural regional rivalries we're working on right now aren't too bad. If we took a fellow Texas team or two with us I'd probably be inclined to go for it.

pastorgrant · August 23, 2014

As much as UNT fans want think this way, we can't call them "kids" any more and feel entitled by our 100 years of football compared to their few.

Blame ESPN, university presidents, P5 commissioners, Benford, Dodge, RV, UNT90, Vizza, Ray, Vito, Tony's balls, the new Scrappy, "North Texas" script helmets, the Green Brigade's khakis, fraternity brothers on the hill, buckets of chicken, ponies, the city of Denton, the county of Denton, TCU, TWU, various shades of Green, Lee Jackson, first down runs, game times, Mother Nature, cheers and chants, 1988, or whatever you want...

But the reality of the situation is that UTSA has done an excellent job making itself an attractive program in a large market that is void of another major football team.

If North Texas wants to be a front runner for any future conference realignment (and there definitely will be), we need to continually out-do all of the other Texas G5 programs with the following:
Wins
Attendance
Donations & Revenue
Facilities
Alumni Support
Win those 5 metrics on a regular basis and North Texas will be invited to sit at a big boy table.

GMG!

You forgot Denia

GrandGreen · August 23, 2014

Yes,the MWC is marginally better than CUSA. However, IMO not near good enough to make it an attractive conference for NT. Boise State, San Jose St., UNLV, Air Force, Nevada, Wyoming, San Diego State, Fresno State, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Utah State. Wouldn't be making a lot of road trips in that league.

It CUSA solidifies I can see them catching up with the MWC in a relative short time.

GrayEagle · August 24, 2014

If North Texas replaced Hawaii, the six teams in the east would be Utah State, Wyoming, Colorado State, Air Force, New Mexico and North Texas. All except us are in the Mountain Time Zone. In the other division, San Diego St., UNLV, Nevada, Fresno St., and San Jose St, are in the Pacific Time Zone while Boise is in the Mountain. We'd be looking at 9 o'clock starts for only a few games each year in football.

If they kept the same format North Texas would play two Eastern Division members at home and three Western members at home one year with a reversal the next year. None of the Eastern cities are more than a thousand miles from Denton. That's not Southland Conference close but flying makes it doable. It would also give some of our alumni who live in the West a chance to see the Mean Green that they would not get otherwise. We'd still see five of those teams at home each year. Travel would definitely cost more but trips to Huntington, Norfolk, Charlotte, Miami and Boca Raton aren't cheap either. And I do believe that the conference payout would be greater.

Edited August 24, 2014 by GrayEagle

pastorgrant · August 24, 2014

Outside of Boise, I dont get the appeal. And Marshall is a better team right now anyway.

VideoEagle · August 24, 2014

I don't remember the exact details of TCUs deal. Glancing back over a couple of old schedule, they only had 1 game a year start later than 7 central/5 pacific those years, but I didn't look in depth. I remember it was a special deal to help compensate for what the MWC agreed would be lowered press coverage in DFW compared to what TCU had in CUSA.

But more importantly, Hawaii is NOT dropping football with 15k season ticket holders!

Edited August 24, 2014 by VideoEagle

MDH · August 24, 2014

Outside of Boise, I dont get the appeal. And Marshall is a better team right now anyway.

Boise, Fresno, Nevada, and Utah St have all made more noise over the last decade than the top 4 teams remaining in CUSA. Like, considerably more. Marshall is ok but nowhere near where those top MWC teams have been lately. UNLV, SDSU, USU, UNM, CSU have rabid bball fanbases and storied programs. Having grown up attending WAC/MWC games at Fresno, and a few roadies, there's no comparison in attendance, atmosphere, and competition to what's left in CUSA. I will say that I'm much happier now than in the Sun Belt. Part of that is attributed to drivable games, but another part is the step up in prestige.

I'll say this much, how many times have you heard "North Texas" and "small school/program?". I just don't hear that out of the MWC schools because of the attention they've received and the # of players they've put in the NFL.