TULSA WORLD: Tulsa's conference future may clear up soon

IMHO, Tulsa will be changing conference affiliation. The only thing left to see is whether they head east or west. I would bet on east, if I were a betting man.

Tulsa shoud go east. I think they have more in common with. The east schools than they do west. Also they have had more success with an eastern based conference than they did while in the WAC.

(01-16-2013 08:13 AM)Southern Miss Alum Wrote:  TULSA WORLD: Tulsa's conference future may clear up soon

While nothing "new" is stated in the article and it plays out "what ifs", the only telling comment from almost 3 weeks ago that probably hints at where Tulsa would like to end up was the quote by Tulsa's President Upham below:

During a Dec. 29 interview, Upham said, "I also want to be in a conference that we can be proud of academically. Losing two of the private schools (SMU and Tulane) in Conference USA is damaging to me, in the way I think about the conference."

"Whether that forces us to take an action, I can't speculate. For one thing, it's not our call. We have to have an invitation."
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Everyone knows that SMU and Tulane are headed to the Big East...certainly seems that Tulsa's President would like to stay with SMU and Tulane in the coming years.

(01-16-2013 09:13 AM)99Tiger Wrote:  IMHO, Tulsa will be changing conference affiliation. The only thing left to see is whether they head east or west. I would bet on east, if I were a betting man.

Tulsa will go to whichever conference doesn't have SDSU. Probably the Big East.

(01-16-2013 09:27 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  

(01-16-2013 08:13 AM)Southern Miss Alum Wrote:  TULSA WORLD: Tulsa's conference future may clear up soon

While nothing "new" is stated in the article and it plays out "what ifs", the only telling comment from almost 3 weeks ago that probably hints at where Tulsa would like to end up was the quote by Tulsa's President Upham below:

During a Dec. 29 interview, Upham said, "I also want to be in a conference that we can be proud of academically. Losing two of the private schools (SMU and Tulane) in Conference USA is damaging to me, in the way I think about the conference."

"Whether that forces us to take an action, I can't speculate. For one thing, it's not our call. We have to have an invitation."
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Everyone knows that SMU and Tulane are headed to the Big East...certainly seems that Tulsa's President would like to stay with SMU and Tulane in the coming years.

I think this may play a bigger role than some may think - We have always wanted to position ourselves with other like-minded universities (one of the reasons we came to C-USA with Rice and SMU with Tulane already being here).

If/when Tulsa leaves, WKU better be the replacement.

Recent UTEP alum conversation with Stull (our AD) indicates that he has contact every day with other conference officials. (no link and no proof that this means a damn thing). I would bet that other old and new C-USA school AD's are also having these discussions.

I have a new opinion of where this is going. I think Tulsa is going to the BE regardless of what SDSU does. If SDSU stays with the BE I think Tulsa plus one other school will also join to make 14. If SDSU goes back to the MWC then Tulsa will be number 12 in the BE. I also think UTEP will join the MWC if SDSU stays in the BE and if SDSU goes back to the MWC I think it will be at least a year before the MWC goes to 14 and it will include UTEP and one other Texas school at that time.

Thats my very worthless opinion as of today. I reserve the right to have a different, but just as worthless, opinion either later today or at the latest, tomorrow.

(01-16-2013 10:03 AM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  Recent UTEP alum conversation with Stull (our AD) indicates that he has contact every day with other conference officials. (no link and no proof that this means a damn thing). I would bet that other old and new C-USA school AD's are also having these discussions.

I have a new opinion of where this is going. I think Tulsa is going to the BE regardless of what SDSU does. If SDSU stays with the BE I think Tulsa plus one other school will also join to make 14. If SDSU goes back to the MWC then Tulsa will be number 12 in the BE. I also think UTEP will join the MWC if SDSU stays in the BE and if SDSU goes back to the MWC I think it will be at least a year before the MWC goes to 14 and it will include UTEP and one other Texas school at that time.

Thats my very worthless opinion as of today. I reserve the right to have a different, but just as worthless, opinion either later today or at the latest, tomorrow.

That doesn't sound far-fetched at all... I could see all the happening.

(01-16-2013 10:03 AM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  Recent UTEP alum conversation with Stull (our AD) indicates that he has contact every day with other conference officials. (no link and no proof that this means a damn thing). I would bet that other old and new C-USA school AD's are also having these discussions.

I have a new opinion of where this is going. I think Tulsa is going to the BE regardless of what SDSU does. If SDSU stays with the BE I think Tulsa plus one other school will also join to make 14. If SDSU goes back to the MWC then Tulsa will be number 12 in the BE. I also think UTEP will join the MWC if SDSU stays in the BE and if SDSU goes back to the MWC I think it will be at least a year before the MWC goes to 14 and it will include UTEP and one other Texas school at that time.

Thats my very worthless opinion as of today. I reserve the right to have a different, but just as worthless, opinion either later today or at the latest, tomorrow.

UTEP and its huge fan base moving to the MWC would be a really big loss for CUSA in my opinion. CUSA has been very successful in reloading and will do so again, but programs with around 35-40K football and 10K basketball crowds when things are going well are hard to find today. I know those aren't the average attendance numbers today, but they have been in "good times."

Good luck to the Miners in their move it it comes about.

(01-16-2013 09:27 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  

(01-16-2013 08:13 AM)Southern Miss Alum Wrote:  TULSA WORLD: Tulsa's conference future may clear up soon

While nothing "new" is stated in the article and it plays out "what ifs", the only telling comment from almost 3 weeks ago that probably hints at where Tulsa would like to end up was the quote by Tulsa's President Upham below:

During a Dec. 29 interview, Upham said, "I also want to be in a conference that we can be proud of academically. Losing two of the private schools (SMU and Tulane) in Conference USA is damaging to me, in the way I think about the conference."

"Whether that forces us to take an action, I can't speculate. For one thing, it's not our call. We have to have an invitation."
------------------

Everyone knows that SMU and Tulane are headed to the Big East...certainly seems that Tulsa's President would like to stay with SMU and Tulane in the coming years.

Yes, it must be about academics. That's why Tulsa, Tulane, and SMU would leave behind by the top ranked university in the conference.

Let's make this fun and form a "Secret Conference". One in which none of the members actually know who the other members are. You will not even know your opponent until they walk through the tunnel. Make the teams play on neutral fields so playing at USM may or may not equate to playing against USM. Don't even tell the networks which teams they are getting. Switch up uniforms. Change the names on the backs. It'd be a hoot.

(01-16-2013 10:03 AM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  Recent UTEP alum conversation with Stull (our AD) indicates that he has contact every day with other conference officials. (no link and no proof that this means a damn thing). I would bet that other old and new C-USA school AD's are also having these discussions.

I have a new opinion of where this is going. I think Tulsa is going to the BE regardless of what SDSU does. If SDSU stays with the BE I think Tulsa plus one other school will also join to make 14. If SDSU goes back to the MWC then Tulsa will be number 12 in the BE. I also think UTEP will join the MWC if SDSU stays in the BE and if SDSU goes back to the MWC I think it will be at least a year before the MWC goes to 14 and it will include UTEP and one other Texas school at that time.

Thats my very worthless opinion as of today. I reserve the right to have a different, but just as worthless, opinion either later today or at the latest, tomorrow.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Here's my opinion. The BigEast admits UMass and Navy. And maybe
the MWC takes in Tulsa and UTEP.

Its my understanding that some MWC schools (UNM) want a Texas
school in the conference. IMO a problem with UTEP is that its more
geographically attached to NM than Texas. Looks like MWC would
want a school located somewhere near Houston, Dallas/FW, or Austin/SA.
Maybe UTEP and UTSA. As you say...just another worthless opinion.

(01-16-2013 10:28 AM)eltigre Wrote:  Let's make this fun and form a "Secret Conference". One in which none of the members actually know who the other members are.

I say that you do it by random lot every year :) Every year, just draw out 12 teams and that's your conference for the upcoming season. It makes a hell of a lot more sense than some of these other moves

(01-16-2013 09:30 AM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  

(01-16-2013 09:13 AM)99Tiger Wrote:  IMHO, Tulsa will be changing conference affiliation. The only thing left to see is whether they head east or west. I would bet on east, if I were a betting man.

Tulsa will go to whichever conference doesn't have SDSU. Probably the Big East.

Yep...and since I firmly believe SDSU will stay in the MWC instead of being a remote BE outpost, I predicted Tulsa would be in the BE soon.

Valid question I just saw on the BE board. Will the Big East invite Tulsa immediately? Navy won't be there until 2015. If they add Tulsa they still won't have enough teams for a title game until 2015.

(01-16-2013 10:52 AM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  Valid question I just saw on the BE board. Will the Big East invite Tulsa immediately? Navy won't be there until 2015. If they add Tulsa they still won't have enough teams for a title game until 2015.

Assuming SDSU goes back to the MWC, I think the BE will have a champ game no later than 2014 by adding Tulsa and two other school by this spring so that those schools can be in the conference for the 2014 season. They really would only need 1 of them to join by 2014 but I believe the BE will add 3. They really need to be at 14, like most other conferences that are at risk of losing a team or two along the way.

Another worthless opinion.

I don't know how much things have changed since the MWC was created but if I recall correctly, they reason why they left the WAC was because they didn't like the size of the conference.

I don't see MWC getting any larger than 12. If I'm not mistaken, for football they are already at 11. If SDST stays, then they won't be looking for any more teams.

...but are there 3 teams the BEast considers worth inviting? I'm not sure.

(01-16-2013 11:06 AM)Fitbud Wrote:  Another worthless opinion.

Isn't that basically what all message boards are?