Speechless.

Scott Kushner ‏@ScottDKushner
Source very close to #Tulane says today's 1 p.m. press conference is to announce its entry into the Big East conference.

(11-27-2012 11:36 AM)Orange County Owl Wrote:  Speechless.

Scott Kushner ‏@ScottDKushner
Source very close to #Tulane says today's 1 p.m. press conference is to announce its entry into the Big East conference.

The New Orleans market. I'm not surprised.

Wow, just wow.

I don't really know if going to Big East benefits the group of 5 now (UCF, UH, SMU, Memphis, Tulane) long term under the Big East brand, because that conference is still on shaky ground depending on what ACC, BIG, SEC, Big 12 do. What I do know is if the Catholic basketball schools in the Big East do decide to secede, the remaining football schools in the Big East (the group of 5 plus Boise and SDSU) could then pick off the best remaining schools from the MWC, CUSA and Sun Belt to form a sort of top tier mid major conference, one that I fear Rice would be left out of.

If Tulane, TULANE, one of the worst sports schools in C-USA (sure baseball was/is good) can get an invite to the Big East while there isn't even a PEEP about Rice making a move somewhere, something has to happen to our Athletic Department.

It's unacceptable to start being left behind when schools who are somehow below us athletically on nearly ALL fronts (maybe not on WBB?) are being taken ahead of us.

Not that the BE is a strong conference, but still.

I am quite confident that our AD has a secret plan to move Rice in a better direction. We just need to be patient for several more years.

I'm over all of this. Wake me up in 20 years and tell me how it turned out.

(11-27-2012 11:44 AM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  If Tulane, TULANE, one of the worst sports schools in C-USA (sure baseball was/is good) can get an invite to the Big East while there isn't even a PEEP about Rice making a move somewhere, something has to happen to our Athletic Department.

It's unacceptable to start being left behind when schools who are somehow below us athletically on nearly ALL fronts (maybe not on WBB?) are being taken ahead of us.

Not that the BE is a strong conference, but still.

+100

And this is why I'm actually happy to hear this. Tulane getting a call up may be just what Rice needs to wake up and get their butt in gear.

But I also think that the Big East as we know it will go away soon.

Make that a "super secret" plan.

(11-27-2012 11:46 AM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  I am quite confident that our AD has a secret plan to move Rice in a better direction. We just need to be patient for several more years.

(11-27-2012 11:40 AM)Pan95 Wrote:  

(11-27-2012 11:36 AM)Orange County Owl Wrote:  Speechless.

Scott Kushner ‏@ScottDKushner
Source very close to #Tulane says today's 1 p.m. press conference is to announce its entry into the Big East conference.

The New Orleans market. I'm not surprised.

True, just wow. Getting desperate. Also shows that we had no shot b/c of UH.

I am so glad we hired Greenspan, taking advantage of all his connections for realignment.

(11-27-2012 11:49 AM)ranfin Wrote:  Make that a "super secret" plan.

(11-27-2012 11:46 AM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  I am quite confident that our AD has a secret plan to move Rice in a better direction. We just need to be patient for several more years.

ECU on suicide watch? Apoplectic, at least, I'd have to guess.

How do we effectively voice our collective displeasure with this?

If anything, Rice needs to make some sort of public statement about bettering our position.

To have Tulane leave us behind is ABSURD.

(11-27-2012 11:53 AM)Brookes Owl Wrote:  ECU on suicide watch? Apoplectic, at least, I'd have to guess.

Yup.

No more UH, SMU or Tulane in conference play anymore? Maybe we grab Tulsa and UTEP and head out to the Mountain West? That's all I got.

We go through this every time realignment strikes close to home, and every time we get nothing but silence from the administration.

(11-27-2012 11:55 AM)Pimpa Wrote:  No more UH, SMU or Tulane in conference play anymore? Maybe we grab Tulsa and UTEP and head out to the Mountain West? That's all I got.

This would be our best option right now ... but I have no confidence that the MW is interested. At a minimum, they're in a short-term holding pattern waiting to see if Boise and SDSU come crawling back.

My fear is that they, at some point, invite Tulsa and UTEP only.

But, again - I am over this.

(11-27-2012 11:46 AM)Orange County Owl Wrote:  I'm over all of this. Wake me up in 20 years and tell me how it turned out.

Agree 100%. It's hard to be a fan and feel like I care more about Rice Athletics than Rice Athletics cares about Rice Athletics.

(11-27-2012 11:59 AM)Barrett Wrote:  

(11-27-2012 11:46 AM)Orange County Owl Wrote:  I'm over all of this. Wake me up in 20 years and tell me how it turned out.

Agree 100%. It's hard to be a fan and feel like I care more about Rice Athletics than Rice Athletics cares about Rice Athletics.

So, so sad.

Because it's so true.

(11-27-2012 11:59 AM)Barrett Wrote:  

(11-27-2012 11:46 AM)Orange County Owl Wrote:  I'm over all of this. Wake me up in 20 years and tell me how it turned out.

Agree 100%. It's hard to be a fan and feel like I care more about Rice Athletics than Rice Athletics cares about Rice Athletics.

It's just hard to be a fan of college sports period right now with all this ridiculous crap going on.

I will always support the Owls though. Always.

Couldn't hurt that they are building a new on-campus stadium. Just flat out are getting it done despite issues raised unlike Rice with the EZF.


Greenspan, hello? Anybody in there?

Good for Tulane though. As uncertain and lower-profiled as the nBE looks, it's still more stable than the constantly picked apart C-USA.