You make too much sense Miner Time. I've been saying the same thing but I was shut down. :(

(11-29-2012 05:58 PM)RaiderDoug Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 05:43 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  Yes, because they have legitimate major college football history, and because CUSA is a sinking ship.

Ok, I get Fresno, Hawaii.

But San Jose State has legitimate major college football history? Utah State? Wyoming? UNLV?

I know they're new to FBS, but I'd buy stock in the next 20 years of ODU and FIU football rather than jump in with those dogs.

Wyoming has played in the Sugar Bowl way back when. Utah St will be bowling for the 2nd straight year and are finally showing a lot of life as a program. I have no doubt that all the new additions to C-USA are going to do well but I think some fans are just going thru a mourning process after losing their long time rivals.

(11-29-2012 05:58 PM)olliebaba Wrote:  You make too much sense Miner Time. I've been saying the same thing but I was shut down. :(

Yesterday, I was on the same boat as everyone else and I kinda still am. We all want what is best for our school, but we also got to look at all this realistically and see that moving right now, might cost our school quite a lot..literally.

We all want our rivalries back with the MWC schools, but how much is our school willing to pay and give up to go back to the old WAC?

(11-29-2012 04:57 PM)MinerTime Wrote:  I hope I'm wrong, but I have a feeling that we won't be going to the MWC anytime soon.

Here are my reasons:
1. The MWC now makes about $800k per school/per year with their current tv contract, so lets say if UTEP and Tulsa move over to the MWC, then each school will make even less than $800k per year. In C-USA we will make about double than what they currently make.
2. A move to the MWC would cost our school a $5 million exit fee and we potentially lose out on millions of $$ coming from the exit fees from Memphis, UH, SMU, ECU, UCF, and Tulane! So lets say the 6 exiting schools will pay us about $30 million to leave, that will be some nice cash that will be split between the leftover schools.
3. Entrance fees from the incoming schools, All 8 incoming schools will pay us as well to join our conference, so that will also add to our existing members coffers.
4. C-USA West doesn't look that bad when you look at the lineup we will have if everyone stays put. We will still play current C-USA schools in Tulsa, Rice, and possibly USM. Plus with schools like UNT, UTSA, and La Tech in our division, we will still have games that the majority of our fans and alumni can go to.
5. MWC (like C-USA) is still a potential target for future raids by the BE. If lets say that Fresno, UNLV, and/or AFA decide to leave the MWC in the near future to join the BE, then the MWC will be weakened even more so than we are. BSU, SDSU, both are saying that they are not wavering and will stay with the BE, so they are going to have to get some schools closer to them to appease them soon. The MWC would probably have to take NMSU and Idaho if it gets raided again, and people here get mad because we might get stuck with NMSU in C-USA, well the same thing can happen, but with us both in the MWC.

So even though I would like for UTEP to join the MWC right now, especially when you compare the two conferences at this point. I still think UTEP will tough it out a bit more in C-USA, wait for things to stabilize some more, collect our fees ($$$), and see if the future MWC TV contract will get better or worse to see if we can make the jump later.

That certainly is a big problem with moving to the MWC. You are right. I can't see UTEP, Tulsa, Rice, or Southern Miss leaving all that money behind. But, would that still be the case in 2014?

(11-29-2012 05:39 PM)MinerTime Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 05:25 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 05:20 PM)MinerTime Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 05:07 PM)the1sttransport Wrote:  Fantastic post. Lots of perspective I hadn't considered - the CUSA West isn't near the disaster of it's East counterpart.

(11-29-2012 05:10 PM)Fear The Frog Wrote:  very well put about 10 million to make lateral move.. Ain't happening for couple years at lease..

Thank you both.

I really would like for us to move conferences at this point, but realistically I just don't see it happening in the near future. In a few years down the road maybe.. but not until things are more clear for us.

And after we collect our bling-bling of course..

I have to concede that you are likely right. I too was hoping for a move west soon but since you had to go and use common sense then we're staying for a while.

Yeah its a bummer, but UTEP can use all that cash that will coming our way if we stay put. I still think it would be better for us long term if we left, but since money is driving everything these days in college sports, I just think UTEP's officials will decide to stay here.

Now if the MWC could actually get a decent TV contract.. then I think our school would think about it more, but 800k?? Man, that sux!

Well, the new thread on C-USA exit fees and the bylaw covering them sheds a totally different light on things. Apparently the exit fee is $500k plus any damage done to the tv contract. Since there has been no reported damage to the tv contract due to the exit of 6 current schools, I hardly think a couple more schools would do any damage either. So if UTEP would only owe $500k by giving at least one years notice of departure, I say go for it if the opportunity arises.

(11-30-2012 11:28 AM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 05:39 PM)MinerTime Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 05:25 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 05:20 PM)MinerTime Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 05:07 PM)the1sttransport Wrote:  Fantastic post. Lots of perspective I hadn't considered - the CUSA West isn't near the disaster of it's East counterpart.

(11-29-2012 05:10 PM)Fear The Frog Wrote:  very well put about 10 million to make lateral move.. Ain't happening for couple years at lease..

Thank you both.

I really would like for us to move conferences at this point, but realistically I just don't see it happening in the near future. In a few years down the road maybe.. but not until things are more clear for us.

And after we collect our bling-bling of course..

I have to concede that you are likely right. I too was hoping for a move west soon but since you had to go and use common sense then we're staying for a while.

Yeah its a bummer, but UTEP can use all that cash that will coming our way if we stay put. I still think it would be better for us long term if we left, but since money is driving everything these days in college sports, I just think UTEP's officials will decide to stay here.

Now if the MWC could actually get a decent TV contract.. then I think our school would think about it more, but 800k?? Man, that sux!

Well, the new thread on C-USA exit fees and the bylaw covering them sheds a totally different light on things. Apparently the exit fee is $500k plus any damage done to the tv contract. Since there has been no reported damage to the tv contract due to the exit of 6 current schools, I hardly think a couple more schools would do any damage either. So if UTEP would only owe $500k by giving at least one years notice of departure, I say go for it if the opportunity arises.

Thats true MIW, hopefully our school's admins are doing their homework on this one and see that it is worth it to head out West. Nothing against the current schools and against the incoming schools (OldD.,Charlotte,etc) , but seeing that we are a basketball school, I'd rather we play some basketball schools and former rivals in the West. I'd rather see BB conference games against schools like UNLV, UNM, Nevada, Utah St., Wyo, AFA.

I know most of the Miner fans would rather see games against our ex-WAC mates. Who knows if that will happen though. I think we will in the future, just not sure how long til the move happens.