I was reading the thread about the MWC conference and if they will expand again to increase their chances to become a potential BCS conference. IMO, the Big East has the media and political support in the East to never lose their BSC status. All they need to do is add more football schools that make sense for them, Use Memphis,East Carolina,Army, Navy or even lowly Buffalo as candidates, the BCS and Big East fans and schools would support them and embrace them.

If the Big East took CUSA schools, that would again cause possible shuffling in CUSA and the WAC and SunBelt. I would guess that N. Texas and La Tech would be invited to CUSA if two CUSA schools left. If that happens I would suspect that both S. Miss and UTEP would not be happy CUSA members. Who the WAC would invite to replace La Tech is anyones guess, maybe UTEP would want to return. Bottom line the Big East will do whatever is necessary to stay a BCS conference.

If Notre Dame ever joins a football conference it will be the Big East. What a great catch for the Big East.

SJSpartans&Sharks Wrote:If Notre Dame ever joins a football conference it will be the Big East. What a great catch for the Big East.

At the current lever of performance from Notre Dame, that would be the only conference they could join and actually have a chance of doing well.

UTEP is a Tejas school, although Houstonians may argue the point, and wants to participate in a conference with Tejas schools. They won't happily leave SMU, Houston and Rice unless forced to.

So . . . unless you have the BE taking Tejas schools away from CUSA, we aren't going to be seeing UTEP back.

More's the pity.

nwp Wrote:If the Big East took CUSA schools, that would again cause possible shuffling in CUSA and the WAC and SunBelt. I would guess that N. Texas and La Tech would be invited to CUSA if two CUSA schools left. If that happens I would suspect that both S. Miss and UTEP would not be happy CUSA members. Who the WAC would invite to replace La Tech is anyones guess, maybe UTEP would want to return. Bottom line the Big East will do whatever is necessary to stay a BCS conference.

Like I said in another thread....the WAC has a greater chance to be raided by C-USA than the MWC. Eventually, the Big East will expand by 10...inviting 2 C-USA schools....Memphis and Central Florida. C-USA will expand by inviting 2 schools....that way they can keep the championship game. Louisiana Tech and North Texas are the front runners....but I wouldn't be surprised if New Mexico State is invited before Louisiana Tech. NMSU would say yes to C-USA in a NY minute.....as long as UTEP is there. The WAC should contact Montana and Northern Arizona ASAP to move to Div 1-A. Montana has a strong FB tradition and Northern Arizona is less than 2 hours away from Phoenix (in Flagstaff). In some way....they can deliver the Phoenix market since most NAU alumni live in the Valley of the Sun. I'm sure the WAC would take advantage of that.

The difference between the WAC and C-USA is this. If C-USA is raided by the Big East it will have no shortage of candidates begging for admission. Every school in the Sun Belt plus Louisiana Tech is a candidate. If the WAC is raided it will have a hell of a time finding replacements because there aren't any 1-A schools that want to join. Also, C-USA could steal at least one WAC school(Louisiana Tech) but the WAC can't steal anyone from C-USA. So the WAC is subject to predation from not only the MWC but C-USA as well. The only conference that C-USA might get raided by is the Big East and at most we'd lose 4 members which means we'd still have a core of 8 to re-build and we have plenty of replacement candidates.

Freddy The Freshman Wrote:The difference between the WAC and C-USA is this. If C-USA is raided by the Big East it will have no shortage of candidates begging for admission. Every school in the Sun Belt plus Louisiana Tech is a candidate. If the WAC is raided it will have a hell of a time finding replacements because there aren't any 1-A schools that want to join. Also, C-USA could steal at least one WAC school(Louisiana Tech) but the WAC can't steal anyone from C-USA. So the WAC is subject to predation from not only the MWC but C-USA as well. The only conference that C-USA might get raided by is the Big East and at most we'd lose 4 members which means we'd still have a core of 8 to re-build and we have plenty of replacement candidates.

NMSU, Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Troy, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Arkansas State, Middle Tennessee State, Florida Atlantic, and Florida International are all candidates for C-USA membership if there is an opening in the future. Western Kentucky could also be a candidate if as expected they go to 1-A. All of these schools would accept a C-USA invitation at the drop of a hat.

KingMiner Wrote:

Freddy The Freshman Wrote:The difference between the WAC and C-USA is this.  If C-USA is raided by the Big East it will have no shortage of candidates begging for admission.  Every school in the Sun Belt plus Louisiana Tech is a candidate.  If the WAC is raided it will have a hell of a time finding replacements because there aren't any 1-A schools that want to join.  Also, C-USA could steal at least one WAC school(Louisiana Tech) but the WAC can't steal anyone from C-USA.  So the WAC is subject to predation from not only the MWC but C-USA as well.  The only conference that C-USA might get raided by is the Big East and at most we'd lose 4 members which means we'd still have a core of 8 to re-build and we have plenty of replacement candidates.

NMSU, Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Troy, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Arkansas State, Middle Tennessee State, Florida Atlantic, and Florida International are all candidates for C-USA membership if there is an opening in the future. Western Kentucky could also be a candidate if as expected they go to 1-A. All of these schools would accept a C-USA invitation at the drop of a hat.

C-USA already has a list of candidates it can pick from if it needs replacements. The WAC doesn't have the luxury of being able to raid any other 1-A leagues so it needs to have schools in 1-AA that are ready to move up at a moment's notice in case it gets raided and needs replacements.

What is desperately needed is more posts on this topic, preferably from people from conferences other than the WAC. A friend of a friend told me they heard a rumor that someone knows someone who knows a veterinarian's 2nd cousin who said that, from the description they were given, there is a slim chance that this horse may not quite be dead yet.

Central Florida has a good shot at the Big East, but I don't know that they have the support. A school of 40,000 students in a city the size of Orlando, and yet they only get 1283 average to their basketball games this year. This coming off of back to back 20 win seasons and an NCAA tourney the year before. 1283 this year for a team that won 24 games, football was at 19,952. They might be in a "major market" but no on seems to follow them. Then again the Big East invited S. Florida and their 5 year old football program pretty much solely on potential and location so who knows, I could see it happening again.

KingMiner, I seriously doubt all those Sun Belt teams are up for C-USA. There's no way. Some of those teams are the most miserable football teams in I-A right now. Tech doesn't group with them at all right now.

Ktulu7 Wrote:KingMiner, I seriously doubt all those Sun Belt teams are up for C-USA. There's no way. Some of those teams are the most miserable football teams in I-A right now. Tech doesn't group with them at all right now.

Well, they are all within the southwest-southeast footprint of the new C-USA and all would accept if invited so technically they are candidates. I do agree with you that some of those schools have almost no shot at being invited.

Ktulu7 Wrote:KingMiner, I seriously doubt all those Sun Belt teams are up for C-USA. There's no way. Some of those teams are the most miserable football teams in I-A right now. Tech doesn't group with them at all right now.

This the way I see it.

Frontrunners:Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Troy
Possible darkhorses:NMSU, Louisiana-Lafayatte, Florida Atlantic, Western Kentucky
Longshots:Arkansas State, Florida International, Middle Tennessee State, Louisiana-Monroe

Freddy The Freshman Wrote:

Ktulu7 Wrote:KingMiner, I seriously doubt all those Sun Belt teams are up for C-USA.  There's no way.  Some of those teams are the most miserable football teams in I-A right now.  Tech doesn't group with them at all right now.

This the way I see it.

Frontrunners:Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Troy
Possible darkhorses:NMSU, Louisiana-Lafayatte, Florida Atlantic, Western Kentucky
Longshots:Arkansas State, Florida International, Middle Tennessee State, Louisiana-Monroe

That is a pretty good list IMO. I think if CUSA lost a couple of teams (likely eastern teams), La Tech & New Mexico State would be the first two invited. I think Troy, N. Texas, and FL Atlantic would be in the running as well. New Mexico state would be a primary rival of one of the leagues flagship universities left (UTEP) with their basketball and football prospects on the rise, I think they would get the bid. La Tech got considered the last go round. N. Texas just because CUSA is now pretty much Conference Texas anyway. Troy is solid and FL Atlantic is in Florida and seem to be doing some nice things their with Shellenburger and Doherty.

USU78 Wrote:UTEP is a Tejas school, although Houstonians may argue the point, and wants to participate in a conference with Tejas schools. They won't happily leave SMU, Houston and Rice unless forced to.

So . . . unless you have the BE taking Tejas schools away from CUSA, we aren't going to be seeing UTEP back.

More's the pity.

True UTEP is a Texas school, but just imagine what would of happened if the WAC was the one who took Houston or Tulane and split into a East - West conference of their own???

You think this would of been tough Conference??

EAST
SMU
RICE
Houston
TULSA
UTEP
NMSU

WEST
FRESNO
BOISE
NEVADA
SJSU
NMSU
UTAH STATE


I am sure you would have had to look at Tulane for the EAST and if the did say yes, then you would have either NMSU or UTAH STATE looking from the outside...

You would have 3 teams in the top 30 for football this year with FSU, BSU and UTEP.... Have a championship game just like CUSA and it seems everybody is happy. I am sure it would be a lot harder for the MWC to pry teams from the WAC if this would have happened!! :bang: :bang:

MINER51 Wrote:

USU78 Wrote:UTEP is a Tejas school, although Houstonians may argue the point, and wants to participate in a conference with Tejas schools.  They won't happily leave SMU, Houston and Rice unless forced to.

So . . . unless you have the BE taking Tejas schools away from CUSA, we aren't going to be seeing UTEP back.

More's the pity.

True UTEP is a Texas school, but just imagine what would of happened if the WAC was the one who took Houston or Tulane and split into a East - West conference of their own???

You think this would of been tough Conference??

EAST
SMU
RICE
Houston
TULSA
UTEP
NMSU

WEST
FRESNO
BOISE
NEVADA
SJSU
NMSU
UTAH STATE


I am sure you would have had to look at Tulane for the EAST and if the did say yes, then you would have either NMSU or UTAH STATE looking from the outside...

You would have 3 teams in the top 30 for football this year with FSU, BSU and UTEP.... Have a championship game just like CUSA and it seems everybody is happy. I am sure it would be a lot harder for the MWC to pry teams from the WAC if this would have happened!! :bang: :bang:

The only problem with your example is that Houston didn't want to join the 16 team WAC. SMU, TCU and Rice all joined. But Houston said forget about it. Sure things may change now, but I think Houston is happy being a "western" school in an eastern time zone based conference.

MINER51 Wrote:

USU78 Wrote:UTEP is a Tejas school, although Houstonians may argue the point, and wants to participate in a conference with Tejas schools.  They won't happily leave SMU, Houston and Rice unless forced to.

So . . . unless you have the BE taking Tejas schools away from CUSA, we aren't going to be seeing UTEP back.

More's the pity.

True UTEP is a Texas school, but just imagine what would of happened if the WAC was the one who took Houston or Tulane and split into a East - West conference of their own???

You think this would of been tough Conference??

EAST
SMU
RICE
Houston
TULSA
UTEP
NMSU

WEST
FRESNO
BOISE
NEVADA
SJSU
NMSU
UTAH STATE


I am sure you would have had to look at Tulane for the EAST and if the did say yes, then you would have either NMSU or UTAH STATE looking from the outside...

You would have 3 teams in the top 30 for football this year with FSU, BSU and UTEP.... Have a championship game just like CUSA and it seems everybody is happy. I am sure it would be a lot harder for the MWC to pry teams from the WAC if this would have happened!! :bang: :bang:

There wasn't a snowball's chance in hell of that happening. I have to agree with these folks, I don't know why you keep bringing that up. You used to also do that on the other WAC board constantly, then again you were like the only miner fan who wanted to stay in the WAC. The WAC was destined to lose the eastern schools(including UTEP and eventually Louisiana Tech as well) because they wanted to join and play with schools in their state and region. Rice, SMU, and Tulsa were simply not going to refuse a C-USA invitation no matter what and when those 3 left it meant UTEP was gone as well. It also means Louisiana Tech won't stay very long in the WAC either.

There wasn't a snowball's chance in hell of that happening. I have to agree with these folks, I don't know why you keep bringing that up. You used to also do that on the other WAC board constantly, then again you were like the only miner fan who wanted to stay in the WAC. The WAC was destined to lose the eastern schools(including UTEP and eventually Louisiana Tech as well) because they wanted to join and play with schools in their state and region. Rice, SMU, and Tulsa were simply not going to refuse a C-USA invitation no matter what and when those 3 left it meant UTEP was gone as well. It also means Louisiana Tech won't stay very long in the WAC either. [/quote]
I have come to the fact that what UTEP did was best for them! But, you also have to understand that the WAC will always have special meaning to me regardless of the schools in it because we were WAC members during my playing days at UTEP. True it is not the same WAC without the old schools, but still it has a special place in my heart!