Yeah, there was definitely a "raid" in the works with the Big East/AAC and Mountain West. A pecking order thing that almost firmly established itself.

It's set up a perception thing now, after it all came and went. People can say that AAC > MWC...well, show me how MWC went over to the other side. And vice versa.

It's an interesting exercise to take the original MWC leftovers and combine them with the original Big East leftovers plus first phase of CUSA callups:

MWC: SDSU, UNLV, Wyoming, CSU, Air Force, New Mexico (minus BYU, TCU, Ewetes)

BIG EAST: UConn, Cincy, USF + UCF, Temple, SMU, Houston, Memphis

Add Navy, BYU, Boise St., and ECU and you have a pretty nice alignment:

WEST: SDSU, UNLV, Boise St., BYU, Wyoming, CSU
CENTRAL: Air Force, Navy, New Mexico, SMU, Houston, Memphis
EAST: UConn, Temple, Cincy, ECU, USF, UCF

*OR Substitute Fresno or Hawaii for BYU

** OR Shift New Mexico to WEST and add Tulane to the CENTRAL (no BYU)

I'm wondering what happens first: the Mountain West as it currently is goes into Texas for a CUSA or AAC school or if the Big XII implodes and there's a series of moves putting post-gutted MWC into the state.

This off-season can't end soon enough.

(08-21-2017 12:43 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  I'm wondering what happens first: the Mountain West as it currently is goes into Texas for a CUSA or AAC school or if the Big XII implodes and there's a series of moves putting post-gutted MWC into the state.

No one in the AAC wants to go to MWC. And once new TV deals are done, they will be even more solid AAC vs MWC.

The B12 will not implode any time soon.

(08-22-2017 07:10 AM)goodknightfl Wrote:  

(08-21-2017 12:43 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  I'm wondering what happens first: the Mountain West as it currently is goes into Texas for a CUSA or AAC school or if the Big XII implodes and there's a series of moves putting post-gutted MWC into the state.

No one in the AAC wants to go to MWC. And once new TV deals are done, they will be even more solid AAC vs MWC.

The B12 will not implode any time soon.

Agreed. The only way I see any AAC schools considering the MWC would be if the power conferences raid the more valuable members of the AAC (Cincinnati, Houston, Connecticut,...). Then I could see Tulsa and SMU considering it alongside Rice and UTEP.

(08-22-2017 09:59 AM)BePcr07 Wrote:  

(08-22-2017 07:10 AM)goodknightfl Wrote:  

(08-21-2017 12:43 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  I'm wondering what happens first: the Mountain West as it currently is goes into Texas for a CUSA or AAC school or if the Big XII implodes and there's a series of moves putting post-gutted MWC into the state.

No one in the AAC wants to go to MWC. And once new TV deals are done, they will be even more solid AAC vs MWC.

The B12 will not implode any time soon.

Agreed. The only way I see any AAC schools considering the MWC would be if the power conferences raid the more valuable members of the AAC (Cincinnati, Houston, Connecticut,...). Then I could see Tulsa and SMU considering it alongside Rice and UTEP.

Even then I could see scenarios where some MWC schools jump to the AAC.

Let's say Cincy, UConn, and Houston leave the AAC, this lineup might be better for the MWC defectors than the current MWC lineup.

WEST: Boise St., Air Force, CSU, New Mexico, Tulsa, Rice, SMU
EAST: Temple, Navy, ECU, UCF, USF, Memphis, Tulane

(08-22-2017 07:10 AM)goodknightfl Wrote:  The B12 will not implode any time soon.

"Soon" is relative. I don't disagree, but we're already a few years into this (and maybe at the halfway mark of when "the end" can be more freely discussed), and some of the business they've conducted is quite odd. It's probably the worst kept secret that the GoR and bylaws are scotch-taped onto the media deal, rather than anything sturdier or steadfast. It doesn't stand up very well.

Like, what happens with Baylor could prove to be another test. Even if given a punishment like Penn State's football program, you might have some governance issues not factored into the two arrangements that would speak to how damages or other impact would be overseen. Nothing to blow up the conference, but yet another window into its unhappy home, where no decision can be easily made.

I don't see the issue to the AAC if the MWC were to add UTSA or UTEP. The AAC has SMU and Houston, which I would guess have relatively concentrated fan bases in the Dallas and Houston markets. If the MWC were to add UTSA and UTEP, it would seem unlikely to impact the general interest of fans in those markets in SMU, Houston or the AAC.

Even if the MWC were to aggressively target those specific markets by adding UNT and Rice, I'm not sure it would have much of an impact. Neither of those programs seem likely to challenge the broader support that SMU and Houston have in their respective markets.

(08-22-2017 01:12 PM)orangefan Wrote:  I don't see the issue to the AAC if the MWC were to add UTSA or UTEP. The AAC has SMU and Houston, which I would guess have relatively concentrated fan bases in the Dallas and Houston markets. If the MWC were to add UTSA and UTEP, it would seem unlikely to impact the general interest of fans in those markets in SMU, Houston or the AAC.

Even if the MWC were to aggressively target those specific markets by adding UNT and Rice, I'm not sure it would have much of an impact. Neither of those programs seem likely to challenge the broader support that SMU and Houston have in their respective markets.

You think SMU has more support than North Texas in the Dallas market?

Have you been to either stadium on a game day? Or, compared the number of alums that live in the region?

The Texas schools mentioned: UTEP, Rice, SMU, N Texas, Texas State and UTSA would bring absolutely nothing to the MWC, the AAC might need these schools but the MW does not.


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I don't think it hurts to have Rice there. Having any of the former-majors isn't a bad thing. You get into eastern Texas, along the gulf. You get a school that, it seems, situates itself as a more western school.

The issue is, who goes with them that looks like another MWC school if the conference isn't keen on UTEP? Do you push east? LaTech? Heck, is this where you plug in USM?

(08-16-2017 06:07 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  UTEP should be in the MW. That group of schools is UTEP's historical group. But you can also note that El Paso is barely in Texas, and in fact is in the Mountain Timezone.

UTSA, Rice, and/or N Texas would be less obvious argument for inclusion in the MWC.

Why are UTEP and NMSU not in the MWC? The MWC doesn't need to go any farther East than UTEP.

(08-23-2017 02:17 PM)HoustonCajun Wrote:  

(08-16-2017 06:07 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  UTEP should be in the MW. That group of schools is UTEP's historical group. But you can also note that El Paso is barely in Texas, and in fact is in the Mountain Timezone.

UTSA, Rice, and/or N Texas would be less obvious argument for inclusion in the MWC.

Why are UTEP and NMSU not in the MWC? The MWC doesn't need to go any farther East than UTEP.

UTEP is an excellent fit---the only downside (and its significant), is UTEP doesn't really tap into the main population centers of the state. However, UTEP does have shared history with many MW members and are an ecellent cultural/geographic fit.

(08-23-2017 02:17 PM)HoustonCajun Wrote:  

(08-16-2017 06:07 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  UTEP should be in the MW. That group of schools is UTEP's historical group. But you can also note that El Paso is barely in Texas, and in fact is in the Mountain Timezone.

UTSA, Rice, and/or N Texas would be less obvious argument for inclusion in the MWC.

Why are UTEP and NMSU not in the MWC? The MWC doesn't need to go any farther East than UTEP.

Simple, have you looked at their football history? They both suck, NMSU is the 2nd worst FBS program in the country (Idaho the worst and they go FCS next year) and UTEP is not far behind. They do have decent hoops programs, but as we all know football is the main engine.


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(08-22-2017 09:27 PM)Jjoey52 Wrote:  The Texas schools mentioned: UTEP, Rice, SMU, N Texas, Texas State and UTSA would bring absolutely nothing to the MWC, the AAC might need these schools but the MW does not.


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The MWC is going to get their media deal whacked just like C-USA did. None of the C-USA Texas programs are going to leave the more geographic, and rivalry friendly C-USA West and spend more on travel just to be in a MWC that will be making around the same money, maybe less, do to Boise's special deal, and have late kickoffs when playing on the road.

(08-23-2017 09:13 PM)Side Show Joe Wrote:  

(08-22-2017 09:27 PM)Jjoey52 Wrote:  The Texas schools mentioned: UTEP, Rice, SMU, N Texas, Texas State and UTSA would bring absolutely nothing to the MWC, the AAC might need these schools but the MW does not.


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The MWC is going to get their media deal whacked just like C-USA did. None of the C-USA Texas programs are going to leave the more geographic, and rivalry friendly C-USA West and spend more on travel just to be in a MWC that will be making around the same money, maybe less, do to Boise's special deal, and have late kickoffs when playing on the road.

With the financial issues of ESPN, most conferences are going to get their media deals whacked. The networks just are not going to pay as much next go round.


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