There will be no raid of CUSA at the hands of the Mountain West in the foreseeable future. We can finally put all that nonsense to bed.

(10-15-2011 01:50 PM)HarborPointe Wrote:  There will be no raid of CUSA at the hands of the Mountain West in the foreseeable future. We can finally put all that nonsense to bed.

Although you may see UTEP shifted to the MWC side for football only to balance out the divisions if necessary.

(10-15-2011 01:53 PM)Inigo Wrote:  

(10-15-2011 01:50 PM)HarborPointe Wrote:  There will be no raid of CUSA at the hands of the Mountain West in the foreseeable future. We can finally put all that nonsense to bed.

Although you may see UTEP shifted to the MWC side for football only to balance out the divisions if necessary.

That would be my guess. Makes alot of sense.

(10-15-2011 01:55 PM)Knightsweat Wrote:  

(10-15-2011 01:53 PM)Inigo Wrote:  

(10-15-2011 01:50 PM)HarborPointe Wrote:  There will be no raid of CUSA at the hands of the Mountain West in the foreseeable future. We can finally put all that nonsense to bed.

Although you may see UTEP shifted to the MWC side for football only to balance out the divisions if necessary.

That would be my guess. Makes alot of sense.

Which adds to the awkwardness of this alliance. UTEP would play all of their conference football games against MWC teams and all of their conference Olympic sports against CUSA teams.

Sounds like a perfectly good reason for UTEP just to take the rest of their sports to the MWC if you ask me.

I think UTEP would take a complete move to the MWC if that was the case. Geographically it fits better anyway.

(10-15-2011 01:58 PM)MagicKnightmare Wrote:  Which adds to the awkwardness of this alliance. UTEP would play all of their conference football games against MWC teams and all of their conference Olympic sports against CUSA teams.

Sounds like a perfectly good reason for UTEP just to take the rest of their sports to the MWC if you ask me.

I won't even venture a guess as to what UTEP would want to do in that situation, but I am pretty confident they won't be moved for football unless there is no other practical option. They don't want to go, and I can't imagine the others would want to force them just for something as superficial as numerical balance.

My impression is that UTEP strongly prefers to remain in a conference with other Texas teams.

It doesn't necessarily make sense geographically, as El Paso is roughly equidistant between Houston and San Diego, but UTEP has a lot of alumni living in east Texas and wants to be perceived as a Texas school.

I think this will turn out to be one of the tougher problems the "alliance" will face. A primary objective is stability, and putting schools in divisions where they don't want to be is inherently destabilizing.

I still think 4 Pods of regional schools. Semifinals with the 4 Pod winners, then championship. And make lots of money... This will work out OK for you all, even even if a couple leave.

I've been to El Paso, and it struck me as purely western school. Nothing at all like SMU or UH. Not a bad thing, just different. I think they'd prosper in the MWC side of the alliance.

(10-15-2011 02:25 PM)USAFMEDIC Wrote:  I still think 4 Pods of regional schools. Semifinals with the 4 Pod winners, then championship. And make lots of money... This will work out OK for you all, even even if a couple leave.

That would be good, but I seriously doubt it would get approval from the NCAA.

Hell no their not going to go for that...best add two to MW side...

(10-15-2011 02:25 PM)USAFMEDIC Wrote:  I still think 4 Pods of regional schools. Semifinals with the 4 Pod winners, then championship. And make lots of money... This will work out OK for you all, even even if a couple leave.

You can't do that unless you get the rules changed or you give up a regular season game.

The MWC is just keeping its enemies closer.

(10-15-2011 02:23 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  My impression is that UTEP strongly prefers to remain in a conference with other Texas teams.

It doesn't necessarily make sense geographically, as El Paso is roughly equidistant between Houston and San Diego, but UTEP has a lot of alumni living in east Texas and wants to be perceived as a Texas school.

I think this will turn out to be one of the tougher problems the "alliance" will face. A primary objective is stability, and putting schools in divisions where they don't want to be is inherently destabilizing.

It's only destabilizing if the unhappy school has somewhere else to go. I truly believe shifting UTEP will be avoided if at all possible, but if it comes down to it, what's UTEP's alternative?