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Western Athletic Conference Commissioner Karl Benson said Wednesday it's possible that UTEP, the WAC's senior member, could receive a formal invitation to join Conference USA as soon as this weekend.

"Everybody knows that the Conference USA board of directors is meeting on Friday and their agenda has to do with membership," Benson said Wednesday from Phoenix, where he was attending Bowl Championship Series meetings along with UTEP Athletic Director Bob Stull. "I know that Conference USA is considering both UTEP and Louisiana Tech. But everything else is still just pure speculation at this point."

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broncobob Wrote:<a href='http://www.borderlandnews.com/stories/sports/todaysstories/20040429-111552.shtml' target='_blank'>http://www.borderlandnews.com/stories/spor...29-111552.shtml</a>

Western Athletic Conference Commissioner Karl Benson said Wednesday it's possible that UTEP, the WAC's senior member, could receive a formal invitation to join Conference USA as soon as this weekend.

"Everybody knows that the Conference USA board of directors is meeting on Friday and their agenda has to do with membership," Benson said Wednesday from Phoenix, where he was attending Bowl Championship Series meetings along with UTEP Athletic Director Bob Stull. "I know that Conference USA is considering both UTEP and Louisiana Tech. But everything else is still just pure speculation at this point."

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BroncoBob if indeed UTEP is gone, who would you perfer, or how would you want the domino's to fall

My opinion is a very unpopular one! I would like to take the best 4 teams from the Sun Belt to form a 2 division 12 team WAC.

West Division
Boise State
Fresno State
Hawaii
Nevada
San Jose State
Utah State

East Divsion
Arkansas State
Louisiana
Louisiana Tech
New Mexico State
North Texas
Troy State

This conference would have four Bowl affiliations:
Hawaii
Silicon Valley
New Orleans
MPC Computer

I know most western fans dream of an all west conference, but there are not enough western teams to do this with UTEP going East.

Just my 2 cents.

With UTEP leaving more than likely, your plan has more merit than ever. Dissapointing that this crap keeps happening and we can't settle into a good solid conference affiliation. If your plan could gurantee that I would support it 100%

Now...just one more team needs to move...

I think the biggest looser in this is NMSU. We are going to be stuck in the eastern division playing teams the fan's really don't care about(except NT if they come aboard). No offense to those teams but this is one of the reasons the Aggies went to the WAC was to play teams in a more geographical area. I guess we may still do that every two years?

azaggieone Wrote:I think the biggest looser in this is NMSU. We are going to be stuck in the eastern division playing teams the fan's really don't care about(except NT if they come aboard). No offense to those teams but this is one of the reasons the Aggies went to the WAC was to play teams in a more geographical area. I guess we may still do that every two years?

yeah, you guys would get boned...

Isn't it funny how schools in the WAC, the Belt, etc are worried about instability, so they go looking for other conferences... which just perpetuates the whole instability thing?

TUfan Wrote:Now...just one more team needs to move...

And Which Team would that be?????????????????????

azaggieone Wrote:I think the biggest looser in this is NMSU. We are going to be stuck in the eastern division playing teams the fan's really don't care about(except NT if they come aboard). No offense to those teams but this is one of the reasons the Aggies went to the WAC was to play teams in a more geographical area. I guess we may still do that every two years?

Aggies would still play 3 western football teams and probably all of the western basketball teams plus most western teams in the olympic sports. I know it is not what the Aggies sign up for, but it would still be better than the all sun belt scenario.....

Cane Gang Wrote:

azaggieone Wrote:I think the biggest looser in this is NMSU. We are going to be stuck in the eastern division playing teams the fan's really don't care about(except NT if they come aboard). No offense to those teams but this is one of the reasons the Aggies went to the WAC was to play teams in a more geographical area. I guess we may still do that every two years?

yeah, you guys would get boned...

Isn't it funny how schools in the WAC, the Belt, etc are worried about instability, so they go looking for other conferences... which just perpetuates the whole instability thing?

The Big Domino Theory until there is "the last man standing"! Teams will be left behind and there will always be a conference that is considered the worst d1a conference......

broncobob Wrote:

TUfan Wrote:Now...just one more team needs to move...

And Which Team would that be?????????????????????

I don't care which it is-- just one of the remaining 6 (assuming UTEP to CUSA). My reasoning is selfish,cut-throat and business like. If half of the WAC leaves at once (5 teams), TU (and actually all teams) retains its units earned from the NCAA basketball tourney, which over their remaining life are worth close to an estimated million dollars, IIRC. Sorry. Sometimes I can be a little...ah...harsh.

BB I don't see that Troy has the Budget to survive in the West. My opinion, the MAC takes them in along with Middle Tenn. . As unpopular of a statment this may be if you want to go to 12 I think you will have to take Idaho in. In may not be the best option of teams but it balances out the conf. .

HerdZoned Wrote:BB I don't see that Troy has the Budget to survive in the West. My opinion, the MAC takes them in along with Middle Tenn. . As unpopular of a statment this may be if you want to go to 12 I think you will have to take Idaho in. In may not be the best option of teams but it balances out the conf. .

True, The WAC may have to take Idaho!

But they are the last option, just before La-Monroe!

Is the MAC trying to go to 16 teams?

TUfan Wrote:

broncobob Wrote:

TUfan Wrote:Now...just one more team needs to move...

And Which Team would that be?????????????????????

I don't care which it is-- just one of the remaining 6 (assuming UTEP to CUSA). My reasoning is selfish,cut-throat and business like. If half of the WAC leaves at once (5 teams), TU (and actually all teams) retains its units earned from the NCAA basketball tourney, which over their remaining life are worth close to an estimated million dollars, IIRC. Sorry. Sometimes I can be a little...ah...harsh.

A little harsh..??????..Never hurts to look out for number 1!!!!!!!

broncobob Wrote:

HerdZoned Wrote:BB I don't see that Troy has the Budget to survive in the West. My opinion, the MAC takes them in along with Middle Tenn. .&nbsp; As unpopular of a statment this may be if you want to go to 12 I think you will have to take Idaho in. In may not be the best option of teams but it balances out the conf. .

True, The WAC may have to take Idaho!

But they are the last option, just before La-Monroe!

Is the MAC trying to go to 16 teams?

No the MAC will only be at 12 after Marshall and UCF leave.

Middle Tenn.
Troy St.

Would be good pick ups all sports for the MAC right now. That brings them up to 14 and they could actually stop there if they wanted to, I have yet to hear anything out of Bowling Green KY about an Invite and nothing out of Philly has been rumbling about a football only.

Troy avgs 21 K right now and just upgraded their football stadium. If the MAC took them in and C-USA lost someone to the BE/MWC then C-USA would be stupid not to take Troy first.

Even if WKU and Temple are taken they are only partial members.

broncobob Wrote:

TUfan Wrote:

broncobob Wrote:

TUfan Wrote:Now...just one more team needs to move...

And Which Team would that be?????????????????????

I don't care which it is-- just one of the remaining 6 (assuming UTEP to CUSA). My reasoning is selfish,cut-throat and business like. If half of the WAC leaves at once (5 teams), TU (and actually all teams) retains its units earned from the NCAA basketball tourney, which over their remaining life are worth close to an estimated million dollars, IIRC. Sorry. Sometimes I can be a little...ah...harsh.

A little harsh..??????..Never hurts to look out for number 1!!!!!!!

Well, I was going to say the b-word, but thought that it'd be inappropriate.

Quote:Even if WKU and Temple are taken they are only partial members.

Temple for Football Only and the Hilltoppers for all other sports. Together, they equal one team!!!!!!

Wasn't Troy State a Division 2 team a short while ago??? How big is their school?

TUfan Wrote:

broncobob Wrote:

TUfan Wrote:

broncobob Wrote:

TUfan Wrote:Now...just one more team needs to move...

And Which Team would that be?????????????????????

I don't care which it is-- just one of the remaining 6 (assuming UTEP to CUSA). My reasoning is selfish,cut-throat and business like. If half of the WAC leaves at once (5 teams), TU (and actually all teams) retains its units earned from the NCAA basketball tourney, which over their remaining life are worth close to an estimated million dollars, IIRC. Sorry. Sometimes I can be a little...ah...harsh.

A little harsh..??????..Never hurts to look out for number 1!!!!!!!

Well, I was going to say the b-word, but thought that it'd be inappropriate.

The b-word would be "a little harsh"!

How many times can we keep quoting messages until we run out of room?????

broncobob Wrote:

Quote:Even if WKU and Temple are taken they are only partial members.

Temple for Football Only and the Hilltoppers for all other sports. Together, they equal one team!!!!!!

Wasn't Troy State a Division 2 team a short while ago??? How big is their school?

DIV I same as us, just I-AA.

I really think the best bet if Temple wants to move foward with their football program they first have to take a step back. And thats not just moving to the MAC. Thats dropping I-AA, I think that would be the best thing for them. Drop I-AA, build their program back up, and move back to I-A, that is if they have a committment to football.