What would this mean for the AAC if this came to pass?

My first thoughts would be the MWC would severely weaken their CFP payout, while CUSA would gain a marginal advantage (from not having to split their capped payout more ways).

However, CUSA loses a program that's the only show in the town. UTEP somehow manages to draw 30-40k a per game per season. They easily have the #1 attendance in C-USA, which would only rise playing UNM and NMSU yearly + other schools that share a geographic culture with them.

How do we want this to play out?

MWC isn't expanding

Bad for cusa and bad for mwc... El Paso is such a tiny market, I don't understand why the mwc will even consider extending such invite if approached by utep.

mwc would get a big basketball boost from it...
utep would be top 5 in atendance in the MWC, it would allow boise to go to west division (which it wants too)

c-usa would lose another team with a somewhat known brand, but atleast would be even now..
c-usa is in the middle of a tv deal negotiation in the next 5 months to 1.5 years, if its before that, c-usa could lose millions from the "instability" and the lose of one of its top bball brands which are a negotiation tol for the networks ..if its after it could be a benefit if the network doesnt care and decides to keep the deal the same (like with its current deal/old members)

i dont think itll happen though, mwc doesnt gain too much ...and it has a big "oppurtunity cost" (for my economics folks)...this would kill the chance of getting houston and smu down the line, which the mwc have already offered, and might get if the AAC is raided...

it wont affect the AAC much besides slightly stabilizes it a bit more as it eliminates the mwc secondary raid posibility (which wasnt likely to begin with)

in all honesty this wouldnt be that big a move for all party involved...c-usa isnt even so losing 1 isnt a big deal and makes the league a bit more fair...mwc gains above average bball teams but nothing to brag home about ..

the only legit teams hurt would be ndsu and montana and their potential of a fbs jump

If Im the MW, I sit tight. If the AAC gets hammered again, then I make another run at Houston, SMU, along with 2 more Texas schools (UTEP could be one, but I'd take Texas St and UTSA--huge public schools with very high ceilings). Go big in Texas.

The east division would be the Texas 4 with AF, NM, Wyoming, and Colorado St.

(03-18-2015 11:37 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  If Im the MW, I sit tight. If the AAC gets hammered again, then I make another run at Houston, SMU, along with 2 more Texas schools (UTEP could be one, but I'd take Texas St and UTSA--huge public schools with very high ceilings). Go big in Texas.

The east division would be the Texas 4 with AF, NM, Wyoming, and Colorado St.

I wouldn't mind the Houston SMU/Dallas idea to the mwc but only if the AAC lost members to other conferences... Oh, but only Houston and SMU though.

Who cares???

Doesn't matter to us, doesn't matter to me

I have always thought the MWC should add UTEP and NM State. Would have some great rivalries and grow fan interest with combination of Wyoming, Colorado State, and Air Force then add New Mexico, UTEP, and New Mexico State. That is a lot of good football rivalry in one conference. Plus SD State, Fresno State, and San Jose State. This would also force Idaho to drop to FCS which would make Boise State happy.

Las Cruces and El Paso are way too close in proximity - especially for such relatively small markets.

IMO, UTEP would make a great replacement for Hawai'i. The Miners have WAC history with the four other I-25 schools and make sense geographically. Move Boise to the West division and get to 12 teams for Olympic sports.

NMSU replaces UTEP in C-USA.

The MWC concurrently signs a 4-game deal with newly-independent Hawai'i and keeps the Hawai'i Bowl in the MWC lineup (shared with Hawai'i). This way, MWC West teams aren't required to travel to the islands every other year. It would turn into a once every 3 or 4 years deal.

I honestly think that Hawai'i football would survive better as an independent. With the 4 MWC games as a base, the Warriors could easily grab 2 games per year against PAC 12 opponents and get a good helping of BYU and Army. That's 8 games. Add an FCS home opponent, a nice payday game or 2-for-1 against the Big Ten and 2 more games against C-USA, Sun Belt, and MAC.

That's a good schedule mix for Hawai'i - competitive balance and better gate revenue from annual PAC 12 opponent in Honolulu and BYU and Army. And, when Hawai'i is bowl eligible, they essentially get a home game - which allows them to keep all the bowl money (no sharing with the MWC) with few bowl expenses. Win-win.

(03-18-2015 10:53 PM)Kruciff Wrote:  What would this mean for the AAC if this came to pass?

My first thoughts would be the MWC would severely weaken their CFP payout, while CUSA would gain a marginal advantage (from not having to split their capped payout more ways).

However, CUSA loses a program that's the only show in the town. UTEP somehow manages to draw 30-40k a per game per season. They easily have the #1 attendance in C-USA, which would only rise playing UNM and NMSU yearly + other schools that share a geographic culture with them.

How do we want this to play out?

Ummmm. Ok

(03-18-2015 10:53 PM)Kruciff Wrote:  What would this mean for the AAC if this came to pass?

My first thoughts would be the MWC would severely weaken their CFP payout, while CUSA would gain a marginal advantage (from not having to split their capped payout more ways).

However, CUSA loses a program that's the only show in the town. UTEP somehow manages to draw 30-40k a per game per season. They easily have the #1 attendance in C-USA, which would only rise playing UNM and NMSU yearly + other schools that share a geographic culture with them.

How do we want this to play out?

If the MWC added both UTEP and NMSU to go to 14 teams, I think there is a good chance that Boise St. and SDSU and a couple others come to the AAC begging to join.

I'm not necessarily saying that the AAC would care, but I do think the MWC growing to 14 teams, and one of those teams is NMSU, then you would have some mutiny.

As I mentioned in another post, UTEP is a good fit for the MWC Mountain division.

(03-19-2015 04:44 PM)YNot Wrote:  

(03-18-2015 10:53 PM)Kruciff Wrote:  What would this mean for the AAC if this came to pass?

My first thoughts would be the MWC would severely weaken their CFP payout, while CUSA would gain a marginal advantage (from not having to split their capped payout more ways).

However, CUSA loses a program that's the only show in the town. UTEP somehow manages to draw 30-40k a per game per season. They easily have the #1 attendance in C-USA, which would only rise playing UNM and NMSU yearly + other schools that share a geographic culture with them.

How do we want this to play out?

If the MWC added both UTEP and NMSU to go to 14 teams, I think there is a good chance that Boise St. and SDSU and a couple others come to the AAC begging to join.

I'm not necessarily saying that the AAC would care, but I do think the MWC growing to 14 teams, and one of those teams is NMSU, then you would have some mutiny.

As I mentioned in another post, UTEP is a good fit for the MWC Mountain division.

Almost makes more sense for NMSU to go independent with the SEC decision today.

I try not to worry about G5 schools.

UTEP seems more of a western fit. The AAC will take Air Force and Army

And we gain a P5 school Army! Everyone wins

(03-19-2015 09:06 PM)KNIGHTTIME Wrote:  UTEP seems more of a western fit. The AAC will take Air Force and Army

And we gain a P5 school Army! Everyone wins

It would be the first time a P5 school went to a G5 conference. Lets make history!

(03-19-2015 09:11 PM)HarmonOliphantOberlanderDevine Wrote:  

(03-19-2015 09:06 PM)KNIGHTTIME Wrote:  UTEP seems more of a western fit. The AAC will take Air Force and Army

And we gain a P5 school Army! Everyone wins

It would be the first time a P5 school went to a G5 conference. Lets make history!

Hahaha.........trendsetters!

From what I used to hear from UTEP fans while we were in CUSA, it's what they want. It would be good for them (if it's indeed what they prefer), but it wouldn't change anything in the grand scheme of things.

It wont happen....ever. Kinda a dumb proposition considering it brings no economic value to the conference. Overlapping markets in New mexico and Utep sucks balls in everything. They wont even bring in enough money to cover their own expenses.