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Here is the latest from Andy Katz.

3. The remaining Big East athletic directors will meet in Dallas on Jan. 11 to discuss their latest moves, including the update on the television negotiations. Tulsa and UMass have been discussed as possible additions if the Big East decides to expand, according to multiple sources. Rice and Southern Miss were also tossed around. Meanwhile, the Mountain West expects to move on San Diego State by the end of this week, according to a league source. The MWC has to decide if it will go to 12 or 14. The MWC has interest in SMU and Houston, but SMU has let it be known to the MWC it has no interest as the Mustangs and Cougars are set to go to the Big East. UTEP desperately wants to be in the MWC, according to a source, and is on the MWC list. BYU is the first choice for the MWC but at this juncture the Cougars want to remain independent in football, WCC in other sports.

The common denominator in all of this realignment talk is UAB is never, ever mentioned. UAB's football program has become the butt end of all C-USA jokes. We had our chance and failed, and some of that failure lies with the UA BOT hiring our previous coach. UAB's football program is leading UAB athletics right down the toilet. There are several other schools, new to football, that will quickly rise above UAB, such as UTSA and Charlotte.

Again, UAB football is the albatross around the neck of UAB's athletic department. We are drowning!

I'm not surprised, Kev. It's all part of the "grand design" to keep UAB athletics diluted. You may hear Tulsa and Southern Miss get a whiff of consideration for conference expansion/realignment before UAB. Sad but obvious, and our apathetic attendance in football and basketball (men's and women's) is not exactly helping matters any.

What part of "devoted to the CUSA" do you not understand?

Tulsa president has taken the opposite approach and said they will do what ever is necessary to get out of CUSA.

Know what?

I think I'll just keep going out to watch MY team play.

Why would we want to be mentioned for a league that will not be in existence in the near future? I would stop worrying about it because when it is all said and done we will have the same access to te playoff as every school mentioned there.

Btw is there any difference playing a home football game against SMU or UTSA? Are we rely gonna draw less for FAU than we do Tulane? Win football games and full the seats.

I'm with Smaug. I'm gonna go watch UAB.

(01-07-2013 10:35 AM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  Why would we want to be mentioned for a league that will not be in existence in the near future? I would stop worrying about it because when it is all said and done we will have the same access to te playoff as every school mentioned there.

Btw is there any difference playing a home football game against SMU or UTSA? Are we rely gonna draw less for FAU than we do Tulane? Win football games and full the seats.

I'm with Smaug. I'm gonna go watch UAB.

The Big East is not going away. They will continue to pick off schools from other conferences. These schools will have promising football programs, unlike UAB. What does Tulane have that UAB doesn't? The construction of an OCS.

Jesus, I've even said similar things as you about football and even I think you're being hysterical.

If tibber things you're being unduly pessimistic, then it may be time to take a few deep breaths.

Perhaps "committed to C-USA" means we can't spend millions just to go to the Little East. Maybe if it was a significant step up but I just don't see it that way any more. We're all on the outside looking in.

Most of us were upset when Solomon suggested that we move to the sunbelt, so its reasonable that we are upset that the sunbelt has come to us. UAB very well could be the only longtime C-USA member left in C-USA. Whether its advantageous or not to go to the Big East, never being mentioned says a lot about our athletics program.

Look, our football is sub par but it will be better in a few years. I am not sure why we are not getting any mentions in realignment talks, but I do know we have the tradition in basketball for a better conference than CUSA. If things keep going the way they are going then we will be the dominant force in CUSA, and this means a bid every year. The argument about football no longer makes sense as they added freaking Memphis before this year (granted they made a commitment to improve facilities and such...). Overall, I do not care where UAB plays as long as they are playing D1 sports.

(01-07-2013 10:57 AM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  Perhaps "committed to C-USA" means we can't spend millions just to go to the Little East. Maybe if it was a significant step up but I just don't see it that way any more. We're all on the outside looking in.

I hadn't thought of that.

Why commit scarce resources on something that's looking more and more like a lateral move daily.

(01-07-2013 10:35 AM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  Why would we want to be mentioned for a league that will not be in existence in the near future? I would stop worrying about it because when it is all said and done we will have the same access to te playoff as every school mentioned there.

Btw is there any difference playing a home football game against SMU or UTSA? Are we rely gonna draw less for FAU than we do Tulane? Win football games and full the seats.

I'm with Smaug. I'm gonna go watch UAB.

Totally agree.

(01-07-2013 11:09 AM)Smaug Wrote:  

(01-07-2013 10:57 AM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  Perhaps "committed to C-USA" means we can't spend millions just to go to the Little East. Maybe if it was a significant step up but I just don't see it that way any more. We're all on the outside looking in.

I hadn't thought of that.

Why commit scarce resources on something that's looking more and more like a lateral move daily.

The only thing that will suck if Southern Miss leaves is that we lose the rivalry with Southern Miss and Memphis. Now if those two schools continued to play us then I am just fine where we are currently located.

I was and am bummed about losing the Memphis rivalry, and it would suck a lot if we lost our other rival in USM, but the Big East quit being worth getting upset over when the Catholic schools left. Louisville, UConn and Cincy are bolting as soon as they can, making it even less worth it. You wanna talk about the viability of football, fine, maybe we should but panicking over this sideshow of a sideshow that is realignment is pointless.

(01-07-2013 11:14 AM)uab278 Wrote:  The only thing that will suck if Southern Miss leaves is that we lose the rivalry with Southern Miss and Memphis. Now if those two schools continued to play us then I am just fine where we are currently located.

I'm afraid we're going to lose USM to the Western division any way. :/

If other schools want to fork out $10 million to make a lateral move, so be it.

I would rather our money be dedicated to something else.

Everyone keeps saying lateral move.

How is it a lateral move when what is left is inferior. CUSA is replacing teams with schools I didn't even know had D1 athletic programs (UTSA)

Big east is toast.