Theodore Roosevelt Wrote:The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Citizenship in a Republic

@DavidFox615: The only teams from 2004 C-USA that will not be in the Big East are TCU, UAB, Southern Miss and Army. As of today.

I know that baseball is not the driver for conference re-alignment, but maybe it is time to get our baseball royalty involved.

(11-27-2012 12:39 PM)At Ease Wrote:  What are the # of votes needed to dissolve the conference?

The departees now equal the # of untouchables.

Maybe RG's master plan is to stick it out in C-USA and simply collect our share of the exit fees every 2-3 years.

Of note, because Tulane and ECU are transferring for the 2013 season, Rice now (potentially) has 2 open dates that need to be filled for the 2013 football schedule (home game against Tulane and road game against ECU both gone).

Also of note, apparently BYU and Air Force continue to reject Big East overtures. There is the beginnings of a pretty interesting conference amongst the independents and service academies if those institutions had any interest.

(11-27-2012 01:28 PM)Baconator Wrote:  

(11-27-2012 12:39 PM)At Ease Wrote:  What are the # of votes needed to dissolve the conference?

The departees now equal the # of untouchables.

Maybe RG's master plan is to stick it out in C-USA and simply collect our share of the exit fees every 2-3 years.

Each departing school, a pillar of our new EZF!

If all it takes is a simple majority, then the BE just takes Tulsa or USM football, dissolves the conference, and thus eliminates all exit fees and NCAA MBB $$ credits coming our way?

(11-27-2012 01:33 PM)mrbig Wrote:  Of note, because Tulane and ECU are transferring for the 2013 season, Rice now (potentially) has 2 open dates that need to be filled for the 2013 football schedule (home game against Tulane and road game against ECU both gone).

Also of note, apparently BYU and Air Force continue to reject Big East overtures. There is the beginnings of a pretty interesting conference amongst the independents and service academies if those institutions had any interest.

This article says Tulane and ECU are going in 2014.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball...ish----byu

Previous articles I had seen said 2013 for Tulane and 2014 for ECU. Might have been wrong.

(11-27-2012 01:35 PM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(11-27-2012 01:33 PM)mrbig Wrote:  Of note, because Tulane and ECU are transferring for the 2013 season, Rice now (potentially) has 2 open dates that need to be filled for the 2013 football schedule (home game against Tulane and road game against ECU both gone).

Also of note, apparently BYU and Air Force continue to reject Big East overtures. There is the beginnings of a pretty interesting conference amongst the independents and service academies if those institutions had any interest.

This article says Tulane and ECU are going in 2014.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball...ish----byu

New Orleans Times-Picayune says 2013-14, that is what I was using.

(11-27-2012 01:41 PM)mrbig Wrote:  

(11-27-2012 01:35 PM)d1owls4life Wrote:  

(11-27-2012 01:33 PM)mrbig Wrote:  Of note, because Tulane and ECU are transferring for the 2013 season, Rice now (potentially) has 2 open dates that need to be filled for the 2013 football schedule (home game against Tulane and road game against ECU both gone).

Also of note, apparently BYU and Air Force continue to reject Big East overtures. There is the beginnings of a pretty interesting conference amongst the independents and service academies if those institutions had any interest.

This article says Tulane and ECU are going in 2014.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball...ish----byu

New Orleans Times-Picayune says 2013-14, that is what I was using.

Ok, there seems to be some confusion on it. But, it sounds like ECU is definitely 2014.

(11-27-2012 11:51 AM)d1owls4life Wrote:  Also shows that we had no shot b/c of UH.

Yes. I don't think anything Rick could have done would have changed that. If SMU or Tulane were in Houston they would most certainly not be going to the Big East.

(11-27-2012 12:46 PM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  If someone was willing to post a similar type email to the Parliament, I think it would make a great statement to have the Thresher run it in the Opinions section, ESPECIALLY, if we can get 50+ alumni to sign off on it.

Having a slight familiarity with the Thresher's editing timeline, I would recommend getting in touch with the opinions editor a.s.a.p. Circa 2009 the opinions section timeline was to be print-ready by Tuesday evenings/Wednesday, and the staff met to write the staff-eds Wednesday at either lunch or dinnertime.

I am so mad at our inept leadership right now

I'm sick to my stomach. I really am beginning to feel like Rice's best option now is to sell the MWC on a package deal that includes us, Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech, UTEP, Tulsa and UTSA. We could be in a division with New Mexico and Air Force. MWC could finally get a strong foothold in the state of Texas. CUSA is becoming less and less attractive by the minute. I really, really liked our association with Tulane and now we are losing our traditionally strongest eastern football team.

BUT AT LEAST WE DIDN'T WEAR A SANDWICH BOARD!

I'm not quite sure why I keep clicking on this thread. I have no expectation that the news is going to get any better but, like a rubbernecking driver looking at a wreck on the side of the road, I can't avert my eyes.

I am so tired of Rice being the school caught flat-footed. We're so ******* smart, with so much unconventional ******* wisdom. Once, ONCE, I'd like to see us apply it to athletics.

I think I need to take a break from this. Maybe I'll check in again in a few weeks to see if anything interesting has happened.

(11-27-2012 12:39 PM)Gravy Owl Wrote:  

(11-27-2012 12:20 PM)Pimpa Wrote:  Can someone do a photoshop of Slick Rick's head on Nero's body as he fiddles while Rome burns?

Leebron has been equally inconspicuous and conference alignment is really a president-level issue.

That is not a defense of Greenspan who has been a complete disaster.

Plenty of posters here have been eager to taunt UH and SMU for their supposed mistake without even looking one step ahead. I can't say I saw the Tulane move coming, but I was pretty sure from the get-go that the next move would not benefit Rice.

We should not look down our noses at the Sun Belt because that's about what we deserve.

Very good point

(11-27-2012 01:52 PM)Afflicted Wrote:  I'm sick to my stomach.

Really? This is more opportunity to align ourselves with an even tighter geographic footprint. I thought you'd be all over that.

(11-27-2012 01:53 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote:  I'm not quite sure why I keep clicking on this thread. I have no expectation that the news is going to get any better but, like a rubbernecking driver looking at a wreck on the side of the road, I can't avert my eyes.

I am so tired of Rice being the school caught flat-footed. We're so ******* smart, with so much unconventional ******* wisdom. Once, ONCE, I'd like to see us apply it to athletics.

I think I need to take a break from this. Maybe I'll check in again in a few weeks to see if anything interesting has happened.

Completely agreed.

The sad thing - all of my excitement for the bowl game has gone right out the window.

(11-27-2012 12:42 PM)Orange County Owl Wrote:  

(11-27-2012 12:39 PM)Gravy Owl Wrote:  

(11-27-2012 12:20 PM)Pimpa Wrote:  Can someone do a photoshop of Slick Rick's head on Nero's body as he fiddles while Rome burns?

Leebron has been equally inconspicuous and conference alignment is really a president-level issue.

That is not a defense of Greenspan who has been a complete disaster.

Plenty of posters here have been eager to taunt UH and SMU for their supposed mistake without even looking one step ahead. I can't say I saw the Tulane move coming, but I was pretty sure from the get-go that the next move would not benefit Rice.

We should not look down our noses at the Sun Belt because that's about what we deserve.

Note that the MWC currently has ten members. They are, in theory, keeping two spots open should Boise State and SD State decide to return.

If they do not, I suspect that UTEP and Tulsa are next on the list. That would make 12.

There would be very little reason to go to 13. This will get worse.

I feel very confident that the MWC would love to get the Houston and San Antonio markets as well. If we expressed interest, I'm sure they'd take us.