A major point not discussed is basketball. I know football pays the bills; however, C-USA can't sugar coat losing Louisville, Cincinnati, Depaul, Marquette plus TCU, Charlotte, St.Louis and USF. Louisville and Cincinnati, DePaul, and Marquette are four of the more storied programs in the nation. You have to be on crack to think that C-USA is better without those four schools. UTEP is a good team; however, they aren't even in the same league as those four teams that left. Heck, Charlotte is better than UTEP. C-USA has Memphis as the only great program left. They will walk through C-USa every year at 23-7 or 24-6 and get in every year. UTEP and UAB may be regulars in the dance or NIT every year. After those three it looks like may be another nit bid at best(Houston) then 8 teams doing nothing every year. I don't see more than 3 bids from C-USa ever again to the NCAA tourneyment. The MAC, MVC, A-10, WCC, MWC, WAC, C-USa are each 2-3 bid leagues after the moves. Teams like UAB and UTEP better plan on improving those OOC schedules if they think a 20 win season makes them a lock for for the dance. Gone is the RPI power of C-USa. Even Memphis would be bubble if they don't win the Conference tourney. Welcome to life as a mid-major Memphis. Memphis is like Gonzaga and Utah. A power program in a mid-major league. Southern Illinois is having sucess lately, but is more like St. Joseph's or Xavier-top 25-30 every year but not a national power. The Horizon, Sun Belt and MAC elite change so often and teams like Kent State, Miami, Dayton, Butler, Hawaii, Western Kentucky that can't seem to reach the next level after some solid years and then start to drift back a bit. Some teams are one year wonders behind a rare player that is NBA material. Ohio with Trent, Loyola Marymount with Bo Kimble and the late Hank Gathers and Central Michigan with Chris Kaman. Reality will set in with C-USa. When the Big East gets 8 or 9 bids and the ACC 7 or 8 bids bids next March and the C-USa gets 2 just like the MAC and A-10. I do worry about 10 bids from the BE; however, Marshall rpi won't hurt the MAC next year so C-USA will get the shaft.
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