(06-29-2019 08:25 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(06-29-2019 08:11 PM)TodgeRodge Wrote:  

(06-29-2019 07:02 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(06-29-2019 06:21 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  Consider that ECU was one of the masterminds and sponsor for ODU in CUSA. I doubt that support is gone. Temple will likely push for UMass but may also try other former running mates or nearby places. I could see them pushing hard for a football-only school and an A10 member for hoops.

Rice probably gets nixed by Houston and SMU, and while Buffalo seems trendy, does a mostly southern conference want late fall and winter trips up to Buffalo?

I'm not so sure. Houston welcomed TCU, Rice, SMU, and UTEP to C-USA in the past. I think the school profiles are so totally different that it doesn't matter, plus it helps with travel cost.

I could see Tulane, SMU, Tulsa, and Navy (whatever that is worth) going to bat for Rice. Houston is a wildcard. But why would Houston want another large, public university in Tejas to share that unique position with?

I am struggling to find a larger block of schools for one single university. Of course, I am not considering BYU and Army, which are both not realistic at this point.

they did not have a choice in CUSA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conference_USA

they were a wallflower when TCU joined and no one cared what they thought and when the others came they were losing Cincy, Louisville, USF, Army and TCU plus a number of basketball members......no one was worrying about what they thought then either they were looking for warm bodies

if people cared what they thought back then they would have been able to leave to the BE or the MWC like the rest were doing

So what's your point? I still don't see a reason Houston would be opposed to Rice. It seems they compliment each other and reduce travel costs for the entire league.

Granted, Rice only makes sense if they make a contractual commitment to spending some geld on athletics. That would require some hefty, monopoly man donors stepping up to the plate; this is their time to shine.

my point is back when the CUSA was adding teams Houston was a wall flower that sat in the room and just voted like everyone else for whatever teams were offered up

now they think they are a big power player in a conference they hype as having significant advantages to other similar conferences and that they are helping to ruin (by trying to be a power player while having one foot kicking on the closed P5 elevator)

they are not interested in "travel partners" or "strengthening a market" or "getting an old conference mate back".......they are interested in trying to do the exact things they criticize the Big 12 for and especially some members of the Big 12

but of course the AAC is in a much different place than the Big 12 especially right now