25 million people live in Texas. And now you want to get rid of them? Geeze. If that's the prevailing mindset, no wonder Rice, Tulsa and UTEP feel compelled to climb through the Rocky Mountains.

(12-06-2012 04:27 PM)NBPirate Wrote:  

(12-06-2012 04:25 PM)T_Won1 Wrote:  UTEP should go, but not Tulsa. They would want to come back eventually. You have to think long term.

Come back to what? This?

Of course they would......do you know how much an apartment over looking the streets like that would cost you anywhere else?????

(12-06-2012 04:27 PM)NBPirate Wrote:  

(12-06-2012 04:25 PM)T_Won1 Wrote:  UTEP should go, but not Tulsa. They would want to come back eventually. You have to think long term.

Come back to what? This?

To be fair, this is what all non P5 conference (except the MAC) look like now...

Tulsa and UTEP would fit well in the MWC...I would have preferred Tulsa in the BE over Tulane...but oh well.

(12-06-2012 03:56 PM)herdfan2013 Wrote:  East
Marshall
ODU
Charlotte
UAB
FAU
FIU

West
USM
LaTech
Arky St
MTSU
WKU
UNT

Not sure I understand that alignment, specifically WKU in the west and UAB in the east. Granted I didn't double check, but pretty certain that in that scenario the only east schools UAB is closer to than Western would be are the two Florida schools and the only west school western would be closer to than UAB would be is Middle Tennessee.

Jeebus. Even Rice might be leaving? When Rice and Tulane start jumping ship it is time to get nervous

(12-06-2012 04:38 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  Jeebus. Even Rice might be leaving? When Rice and Tulane start jumping ship it is time to get nervous

(12-06-2012 04:38 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  Jeebus. Even Rice might be leaving? When Rice and Tulane start jumping ship it is time to get nervous

(12-06-2012 04:38 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  Jeebus. Even Rice might be leaving? When Rice and Tulane start jumping ship it is time to get nervous

The reality is that a lot of insight is provided when C-USA's 2 wealthiest schools, neither of whom were looking to leave until last spring (and since then they both have been) decide that enough is enough.
But such is the new mindset in C-USA; completely changed from market size, major research universities (exceptions made for football power).

(12-06-2012 04:33 PM)mufanatehc Wrote:  

(12-06-2012 04:27 PM)NBPirate Wrote:  

(12-06-2012 04:25 PM)T_Won1 Wrote:  UTEP should go, but not Tulsa. They would want to come back eventually. You have to think long term.

Come back to what? This?

To be fair, this is what all non P5 conference (except the MAC) look like now...

Nope, this is the BE $ wise compared to the rest:

(12-06-2012 03:57 PM)Blazer88 Wrote:  

(12-06-2012 03:56 PM)herdfan2013 Wrote:  

(12-06-2012 03:50 PM)BamaScorpio69 Wrote:  

(12-06-2012 03:48 PM)KNIGHTTIME Wrote:  The sunbelt will be finished if that happens.

Not necessarily. I wish Bano would think outside of the box for the next additions. You're only going to get so much from football at this point and I think CUSA has tapped out in that regard. Bano has got to add quality and not just TV markets.

What do you suggest? Arkansas St and WKU are locks IMO if those four leave. Where would you go after that? To the MAC? I would love to pick off the top tier of the MAC, but I'm afraid they won't leave unless someone big comes calling. Right now, I don't even think most of them would leave for the BE. Not because they'd wouldn't get huge TV deals in the BE or more bowl berths, because they would. They just don't care. It's not what matters to them.

So, stay at 12 in that scenario?

East
Marshall
ODU
Charlotte
UAB
FAU
FIU

West
USM
LaTech
Arky St
MTSU
WKU
UNT

Sorry new guys, but that doesn't look very attractive in any way.

WTF has happened to us?

What's happening is that Marshall, UAB and USM will basically be pushed down to the Sun Belt without ever leaving CUSA. Oh, and we add ODU and Charlotte to the mix.

No disrespect meant for the Sun Belt because they had a great football season this year, but that's not typically the norm. In my mind, the non-AQ conference "pecking order" has gone as such:

1) MWC (Utah, BYU through 2011, Boise State for a couple years)
2) CUSA/WAC (Boise State leading the pack for WAC with some solid seasons from Fresno State, Hawaii and Nevada thrown in there)
3) MAC
4) Sun Belt

Sure, there has been shifting amongst those 5 every year but that's my own personal view of things the past several years. With that being said, after this, I think it breaks out like this:

1) MWC (Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada will each have a good season between the three of them and Utah State is doing well lately)
2.1) MAC
2.2) CUSA
2.3) Sun Belt

There is tons of parity at the bottom now, I think. MAC leads based solely on this season's successes but I think those bottom 3 conferences will bounce around in that ranking every year with no clear pecking order in perceived superiority anymore.

Here we go again with all of these rumors!!!

(12-06-2012 04:52 PM)RedParallax Wrote:  What's happening is that Marshall, UAB and USM will basically be pushed down to the Sun Belt without ever leaving CUSA. Oh, and we add ODU and Charlotte to the mix.

Shouldn't gotten cold feet about the MWC-CUSA merger. The majority of C-USA (and Banowsky) did, then went toward regional expansion, and that means sunbelt, which is really better than the MAC in most ways but without its stability.

NBPirate is such a class individual

UL has got to be in the discussion if you lose Tulsa and Rice.

Once you look past the market size, the Cajuns bring a lot to the table. I just think we'd be the perfect replacement for Tulane leaving the New Orleans market out of CUSA... the Ragin' Cajuns have a much bigger presence in New Orleans that many realize. We have a ton of alumni there and you can even see advertisements for the Ragin' Cajuns in NOLA because we have a contract with Cox Sports to broadcast our football games in that market.

It would also bring back a natural rival for LaTech and Southern Miss.

The Ragin' Cajuns also always have a great baseball and softball team, and basketball has been to multiple Big Dances, just none since 2005... but the Cajundome is a legitimate arena to add to CUSA as well.

Lots of positives here.

ULL would be awesome in CUSA-Sunbelt.

I honestly dont see this shaping out that bad for USM. They have a conference they can win (should be favored to win) and provided they can get past their OOC have an easier shot to the BCS than anyone in the MWC 16 or the nBE.

(12-06-2012 03:48 PM)BamaScorpio69 Wrote:  

(12-06-2012 03:46 PM)eagleriffic Wrote:  Since market is the driver look for Rice. Common sense says UTEP. I said in another thread they should go 14 with Tulsa, Rice, UTSA & UTEP.

This. CUSA should be out of Texas period.

I've seen some dumb suggestions, Scorp.. but that takes the cake. One of the hottest recruiting beds in the country, but hey, we dont' need anything in that area?

(12-06-2012 04:58 PM)Beagleagle23 Wrote:  NBPirate is such a class individual

I'm just trying to fit in.......Louisville fans told me this is what you're suppose to do

Oh please god let it be Tulsa and UTEP.

I would also love to keep USM and even UAB with us, as I respect USM's football and love the new found rivalry with UAB in bball. But, that doesn't seem likely...

(12-06-2012 05:03 PM)panicstricken Wrote:  ULL would be awesome in CUSA-Sunbelt.

I honestly dont see this shaping out that bad for USM. They have a conference they can win (should be favored to win) and provided they can get past their OOC have an easier shot to the BCS than anyone in the MWC 16 or the nBE.

USM is losing every team they've been in a conference with since the late 1970s, except for UAB (and that started in the 1990s). There are many other reasons I would think why it sucks for them, but that one right there is sufficient. I hope they get to the BE or MWC.

(12-06-2012 05:10 PM)EdisonDoyle Wrote:  

(12-06-2012 05:03 PM)panicstricken Wrote:  ULL would be awesome in CUSA-Sunbelt.

I honestly dont see this shaping out that bad for USM. They have a conference they can win (should be favored to win) and provided they can get past their OOC have an easier shot to the BCS than anyone in the MWC 16 or the nBE.

USM is losing every team they've been in a conference with since the late 1970s, except for UAB (and that started in the 1990s). There are many other reasons I would think why it sucks for them, but that one right there is sufficient. I hope they get to the BE or MWC.

So basically bring back the Gulf States Conference? (Which was basically, ULL, La Tech, USM, and ULM (I think ULM) for most of the 40's through 70's?)