This is quite the mess if it comes true.....I hope Tulane can make it, but who knows. I didn't include Fresno State because it just doesn't seem realistic.

RowdyRoost Wrote:This is quite the mess if it comes true.....I hope Tulane can make it, but who knows. I didn't include Fresno State because it just doesn't seem realistic.

UTEP will not vote to kick Rice out. Rest assured of that.

Just say NO to La Tech!

Project O Wrote:Just say NO to La Tech!

Who else do you propose. Louisiana Tech is playing better football than anyone in the Sun Belt. Louisiana Tech and the Sun Belt schools are the only schools interested in joining.

Not trying to be a smart %^& here, but.......wouldn't it be more appropriate and respectful of our conference brothers to hope they get everything worked out instead of picking out their successor while they are unraveling all of the complex issues they have?

Jesus, can we cut this crap out?

This Tulane Death Watch thing is getting out of hand. Almost 100 posts on the subject in one day... and you know thats going to grow exponentially until someone puts a stop to it. You know that by tomorrow everyone's worst nightmare is going to surface: Hundreds of UNT, La Tech, ULL posters flocking here to make their case. Oh the humanity! What hath you wrought!

Represent your schools with some class, people.

Its not as if debating whether to add North Texas or ULL is a particularly invigorating or exciting topic that can't be postponed until it actually becomes relevant.

Basically ANY program within a reasonable distance to our footprint that is NOT part of a league with 5 bowls and our TV contract would kill to be part of Conference USA.

That step up would make an AD's career.

SPECoog518 Wrote:Basically ANY program within a reasonable distance to our footprint that is NOT part of a league with 5 bowls and our TV contract would kill to be part of Conference USA.

That step up would make an AD's career.

That basically leaves you with Louisiana Tech, NMSU, and all the Sun Belt schools. The MAC schools have made it clear they are not interested.

Where is the NONE of THE ABOVE catagory. None of those listed would add any glamour at all to CUSA. I cant see anyone in the MAC being brought in nor would I particularly want to see LaTech or Arkansas State , MTSU or North Texas, those names ring of 1-AA which is something Marshall fought all the time with MAC schools such as Buffalo, Eastern Mich, Northern Ill, and Central Michigan to name four.

I guess the only one of those listed that might be someone to consider might be Troy, however alot of people still think they are a 1-AA as well .

Personally I would go for Georgia Southern before any of those listed in the poll, again however thats a 1-AA program that would have to elevate to 1- A , that would entail building a new stadium for starters as what they currently have is fine for 1-AA but not 1-A.

Temple might be one to look at as well, outside of not being able to play football they do have good non rev sports and the basketball is generally very competitive. The Big East is just looking for an excuse to get rid of them , however it is a definite W on the rest of the Big East teams schedules ( football) or maybe Rutgers.

Im just not sold on the ones on the list due to again the 1-AA image they still have.

Just a suggestion.

OUGwave Wrote:exponentially

That word has too many syllables to be used on a sports board. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

I tell you. This seems like you just found out your wife might have a serious illness and you are already going over possible new brides with the rest of your family before you even know how sick your wife is. Just not right. :bang:

Not that I think Rice will be kicked out but I do know that if it does happen it will increase the chances of UTEP accepting a MWC offer and chances are that at some point that offer will come. I don't see UTEP agreeing to remain part of a far flung league with only one more TX school than what the MWC would have. Especially, with possibilities of a raid from the Big East.

I know this is a touchy subject, and it's a horrible time....but more than likely, it's about to become a VERY real topic. There's too much smoke for the rumors not to have something to them...and Banowsky will have to act super fast if he's wanting to keep his championship game.

LA Tech....no sir....not today, not tomorrow, probably not next week..

Out of the Sun Belt schools, I'd say Troy has the most upside....although they're a little out of the West Division footprint. That might require an East division school moving West...either us (dear Lord no..) or USM...

HornLakeTiger Wrote:I know this is a touchy subject, and it's a horrible time....but more than likely, it's about to become a VERY real topic. There's too much smoke for the rumors not to have something to them...and Banowsky will have to act super fast if he's wanting to keep his championship game.

LA Tech....no sir....not today, not tomorrow, probably not next week..

Out of the Sun Belt schools, I'd say Troy has the most upside....although they're a little out of the West Division footprint. That might require an East division school moving West...either us (dear Lord no..) or USM...

LA Tech pole-axed UNT yesterday. I'm quite sure they'd do the same to any Sun Belt school, including Troy.

charles Wrote:

SPECoog518 Wrote:Basically ANY program within a reasonable distance to our footprint that is NOT part of a league with 5 bowls and our TV contract would kill to be part of Conference USA.

That step up would make an AD's career.

That basically leaves you with Louisiana Tech, NMSU, and all the Sun Belt schools. The MAC schools have made it clear they are not interested.

That was before our contracts were done. They (like TCU) thought thaat realignment would be catostrophic for CUSA. If approached, they would join too or their admins would find themselves under fire and they likely would never find another job outside the MAC.

That said, I don't want any of em.

MTSU is the way to go because it it close to a huge media market - Nashville!

SPECoog518 Wrote:

charles Wrote:

SPECoog518 Wrote:Basically ANY program within a reasonable distance to our footprint that is NOT part of a league with 5 bowls and our TV contract would kill to be part of Conference USA.

That step up would make an AD's career.

That basically leaves you with Louisiana Tech, NMSU, and all the Sun Belt schools. The MAC schools have made it clear they are not interested.

That was before our contracts were done. They (like TCU) thought thaat realignment would be catostrophic for CUSA. If approached, they would join too or their admins would find themselves under fire and they likely would never find another job outside the MAC.

That said, I don't want any of em.

Well, if that is the case why is it that MAC fans laugh anytime somebody suggests that one of their schools join CUSA? I think the answer is because the geography does not work for them and CUSA is still a non-bcs league. Same reason why you won't get Boise State or Fresno State in here.

Tigeer Wrote:MTSU is the way to go because it it close to a huge media market - Nashville!

If that happens I'd rather join the MWC. Louisiana Tech is the best choice if Tulane drops. There is no reason to invite a Sun Belt school until we absolutely have to.

HornLakeTiger Wrote:I know this is a touchy subject, and it's a horrible time....but more than likely, it's about to become a VERY real topic. There's too much smoke for the rumors not to have something to them...and Banowsky will have to act super fast if he's wanting to keep his championship game.

LA Tech....no sir....not today, not tomorrow, probably not next week..

Out of the Sun Belt schools, I'd say Troy has the most upside....although they're a little out of the West Division footprint. That might require an East division school moving West...either us (dear Lord no..) or USM...

Too much smoke?

There are NO quotes in the report. None. There is nothing to lend credibility to his $200m figure. He didn't source a single piece of information.

This is a BIG story. If the Commercial Appeal had anything more than a RUMOR, probably third hand and bent around several times, they would have published a FULL article on the story that has redundant sources and with quoted officials. He doesn't even quote anyone on background. If he had anything substantial, trust me, they would have included it in a big article on this situation. That they published it in a gossip report tells you that there's NOTHING substantial to it.

Do you honestly think our coaches have nothing to do right now than talk to a Memphis sports gossip writer when we don't even play Memphis this season. Look at the way he worded it and you can TELL that he didn't talk to the Tulane coaches but is just publishing something he's heard second, third, fourth hand or worse.

There isn't even any smoke here. There's somebody kicking up dust and making it look like smoke.

Some of you are acting like you WANT to believe this is true.

No MAC school will EVER come here, so everyone needs to get that out of their heads...

They've been together for what, 80someodd years....why in the world would any of them leave every bit of their tradition and history behind for a league that is just barely better, and is completely out of their geographical footprint...?