http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball...-expansion

Clearly some geographic hurdles here but we have got to get out of this current dumpster fire of a conference. Excellent basketball as well.

This is a difficult one. We were in it before but kicked out. How is the MW in other sports such as Track, Tennis, basketball especially from the women side? We may have to take up skiing and drop golf. :)

(12-11-2015 01:43 PM)Orange County Owl Wrote:  http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball...-expansion

Clearly some geographic hurdles here but we have got to get out of this current dumpster fire of a conference. Excellent basketball as well.

Despite distances, remember than most MWC schools offer relatively easy airline access from Houston (San Jose, Albuquerque, Colorado Springs/Denver x2, San Diego, Vegas, El Paso assuming they go, even Honolulu).

Eastbound return travel/time zone is an issue, however (speaking from experience).

I think it would be a good move for both schools.

Pretty decent drop in terms of baseball conferences though, but we'd still be able to host regionals, IMO, assuming we had a talented enough team. I think the Mountain West is a step up overall, in the sense that we will be competing against some flagship state schools, as well as Air Force.

Is it time to bust out the sandwich boards?

But seriously, best news I have heard in a while.

Travel would be awful. And start times. But I agree overall I think it's an upgrade from what CUSA has become.

If this is true, I think we have to take it. Not sure if it is better competitively right now, but at least there are some name schools there. I believe this would be perceived as, and would actually be, a step up.

(12-11-2015 02:05 PM)OldOwl Wrote:  This is a difficult one. We were in it before but kicked out. How is the MW in other sports such as Track, Tennis, basketball especially from the women side? We may have to take up skiing and drop golf. :)

(12-11-2015 01:43 PM)Orange County Owl Wrote:  http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball...-expansion

Clearly some geographic hurdles here but we have got to get out of this current dumpster fire of a conference. Excellent basketball as well.

Boise State does well at track. CSU, Air Force, and Boise State tend to be nationally ranked at Cross Country. CSU has a decent record for women's BB.

MWC even has golf. Don't tell anyone, but the Front Range isn't Minnesota. The winters here are pretty nice.

Baseball isn't great though - and currently only 7 teams in the MW.

My favorite part of the article is how UTEP is ranked 10th in some publication's academic rankings, higher than the likes of Case Western, UNC, Michigan and MIT. I wonder how long the author had to search for a ranking that had just the right criteria needed to rank UTEP that high.

P5>>>>AAC>>MWC>CUSA

(12-11-2015 02:27 PM)Middle Ages Wrote:  Not sure if it is better competitively right now,

It is.

If you include MBB, it's a landslide.

UTEP would go from being our furthest division game to our closest.

100% yes if offered. Anything but C-USA.

(12-11-2015 02:30 PM)Sheffield Owl Wrote:  Baseball isn't great though - and currently only 7 teams in the MW.

Not too big of an obstacle. Gives us more weekends for high RPI series

(12-11-2015 02:38 PM)mrbig Wrote:  P5>>>>AAC>>MWC>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Sunbelt =CUSA

FIFY.

(12-11-2015 02:42 PM)Orange County Owl Wrote:  

(12-11-2015 02:27 PM)Middle Ages Wrote:  Not sure if it is better competitively right now,

It is.

If you include MBB, it's a landslide.

Yeah- if you include all sports you are probably right. I was just thinking football, and just this year. I think the CUSA top 5 of WKU, USM, LaTech, Marshall, and Middle Tennessee are all better than everyone in the MWC this year, save San Diego St and maybe Boise St.

I'd much rather have a division of Air Force, Boise, New Mexico, Colorado St., Utah St, an UTEP than where we currently are though. Better long term, and again, perceived as a move up I think

(12-11-2015 02:53 PM)Antarius Wrote:  

(12-11-2015 02:38 PM)mrbig Wrote:  P5>>>>AAC>>MWC>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Sunbelt =CUSA

FIFY.

Didn't someone say that our conference was ranked second in G5s? I don't think the gap is so great, overall.

I think we take the offer, if made, because of the perceived reputations of the MWC schools and the inclusion of Boise State. But they have plenty of stinkers. Regionally, we work much better with our current CUSA-West placement as compared the the MWC, but I'd prefer the inclusion of Air Force, Boise State, and Nevada to that. But there are still plenty of schools in the MWC that make me scratch my head and say, who?

I think though that the AAC is the G5 we would ideally be a part of due to the other members, and after this year, the perception of strength.

(12-11-2015 02:59 PM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  

(12-11-2015 02:53 PM)Antarius Wrote:  

(12-11-2015 02:38 PM)mrbig Wrote:  P5>>>>AAC>>MWC>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Sunbelt =CUSA

FIFY.

Didn't someone say that our conference was ranked second in G5s? I don't think the gap is so great, overall.

I think we take the offer, if made, because of the perceived reputations of the MWC schools and the inclusion of Boise State. But they have plenty of stinkers. Regionally, we work much better with our current CUSA-West placement as compared the the MWC, but I'd prefer the inclusion of Air Force, Boise State, and Nevada to that. But there are still plenty of schools in the MWC that make me scratch my head and say, who?

I think though that the AAC is the G5 we would ideally be a part of due to the other members, and after this year, the perception of strength.

This year, we are last. Atleast according to Sagarin.

IMO, perception is where there is the biggest gap. The MWC has more known state schools and less directional ones.

Who are the teams that make you go "who?"? The only ones that might do that for me are Utah State and Wyoming.. Other than that, I think they all have established names..