If they have to pay an entrance fee and an exit fee and the money is less than $1mil per year better, what's the benefit?

Just asking for your perspective, not wanting to start a flame war, though I'm sure that's what will happen. I'd like Tulsa to stay and Tulane to come back, hopefully one of those will happen, though I'm not counting on it.

I think our administration will make a decision based on what’s best for the University of Tulsa, its athletic programs and the Tulsa community. There is much more that goes into a conference move than strictly just money; I’m sure Dr. Upham and Vice Pres Buck are weighing out all our options carefully in regards to all aspects of a conference change. If TU moves to the Big East, it’ll be because it is in our best interest, if we don’t go, then I will trust our administration doesn’t think it’s in our best interest and has a “plan B” in place for where TU goes from here.

Who knows what’s going to happen over the next week, month or year, but what I do know is that our administration will do what’s in the best interest of the University of Tulsa.

TV money

(02-13-2013 12:40 PM)goldenhurricane2 Wrote:  I think our administration will make a decision based on what’s best for the University of Tulsa, its athletic programs and the Tulsa community. There is much more that goes into a conference move than strictly just money; I’m sure Dr. Upham and Vice Pres Buck are weighing out all our options carefully in regards to all aspects of a conference change. If TU moves to the Big East, it’ll be because it is in our best interest, if we don’t go, then I will trust our administration doesn’t think it’s in our best interest and has a “plan B” in place for where TU goes from here.

Who knows what’s going to happen over the next week, month or year, but what I do know is that our administration will do what’s in the best interest of the University of Tulsa.

Sometimes the "best interest" du jour doesn't translate to future success...ask Tulane about the SEC

The new nBE TV contract tells you all you need to know. Sitting tight right now cannot hurt anyone in the lower tier conferences. Making a knee jerk move could be a potential death knell...none of us know right now and when it plays out, this board is really going to be interesting!

I think Tulsa is like USM in this issue, that conference is going to have to come up with some solid and impressive guarantees for a somewhat lengthy time period to make it worthwhile. Frankly, no school should commit to them at this point until it shows it can give the schools a better arrangement with a long term improvement, and so far I don't see where they can.

(02-13-2013 12:54 PM)SgtGoldenEagle Wrote:  I think Tulsa is like USM in this issue, that conference is going to have to come up with some solid and impressive guarantees for a somewhat lengthy time period to make it worthwhile. Frankly, no school should commit to them at this point until it shows it can give the schools a better arrangement with a long term improvement, and so far I don't see where they can.

..and they cannot...hence our points....this is survival mode and I like the 'wait and see' approach

Conference schedule more than anything. Who would you rather play?

FIU, FAU, UNT, UTSA, UNCC, UAB, Rice, ODU etc.

Or

UH, USF, UCF, UConn, Cinci, SMU, ECU, Navy, etc.

Which line up will sell more tickets? Generate more fan interest? 3 years ago almost all CUSA team fans would of lost there mind playing sunbelt and FCS startups.

Tulsa and USM need to roll out of CUSA just as quick as possible. The NBE may be nothing more than CUSA, but CUSA is nothing more then the sunbelt.

At this point unless there are some positive details about that TV deal that we don't know yet I can't say they should accept an offer right now.

(02-13-2013 01:05 PM)mwp1023 Wrote:  Conference schedule more than anything. Who would you rather play?

FIU, FAU, UNT, UTSA, UNCC, UAB, Rice, ODU etc.

Or

UH, USF, UCF, UConn, Cinci, SMU, ECU, Navy, etc.

Which line up will sell more tickets? Generate more fan interest? 3 years ago almost all CUSA team fans would of lost there mind playing sunbelt and FCS startups.

Tulsa and USM need to roll out of CUSA just as quick as possible. The NBE may be nothing more than CUSA, but CUSA is nothing more then the sunbelt.

No, that is where you are wrong...I take the former...especially what I think it will become in the future. So NO. Tulsa should say it even louder! Did I mention that Cincy and UConn will be gone in that three year period and there is no way Navy joins.....

Tulsa will most likely go MWC, but I hope not....they are a perennial power in CUSA west....we need that!

(02-13-2013 01:05 PM)mwp1023 Wrote:  Conference schedule more than anything. Who would you rather play?

FIU, FAU, UNT, UTSA, UNCC, UAB, Rice, ODU etc.

Or

UH, USF, UCF, UConn, Cinci, SMU, ECU, Navy, etc.

Which line up will sell more tickets? Generate more fan interest? 3 years ago almost all CUSA team fans would of lost there mind playing sunbelt and FCS startups.

Tulsa and USM need to roll out of CUSA just as quick as possible. The NBE may be nothing more than CUSA, but CUSA is nothing more then the sunbelt.

actually we have played almost all those teams and they never really drew much of a crowd for us. The new teams coming in include La. Tech who has a long rivalry with USM that dates back to 1923 and even a name bestowed on it with a good football program to pit against us. Much better than Tulane. Middle Tenn. has played us in a bowl and beat us, and looking at where they have been and where they look to be headed, I certainly would rather play them in football than Memphis. As for the Florida teams they are no different than South Florida was and while UCF was a better program when it entered C-USA than these 2 are now, I really can see them fielding teams worth playing in the future. North Texas has a lot growing to do but they seem ready to commit enough to become a competitive opponent. Certainly the additions of La Tech and MTSU look good to USM and to have Marshall, UAB, and our none conference games against SEC, Big 12, ACC, and the other tier one teams, we don't have to worry about it too much.

At this point Tulsa's decision will be about association rather than TV money and geography. The only two C-USA schools left that Tulsa has any history with (less than 20 years though) are UTEP and Rice. Are those two powerful enough to have Tulsa stay in this conference or playing the likes of Houston, SMU, Memphis, etc are more attractive to the average Tulsa fan?

with the money involved, I don't see how any CUSA school could make a move to the BE now.

Is Houston and SMU still contractually obligated to leave CUSA?

(02-13-2013 01:17 PM)SgtGoldenEagle Wrote:  

(02-13-2013 01:05 PM)mwp1023 Wrote:  Conference schedule more than anything. Who would you rather play?

FIU, FAU, UNT, UTSA, UNCC, UAB, Rice, ODU etc.

Or

UH, USF, UCF, UConn, Cinci, SMU, ECU, Navy, etc.

Which line up will sell more tickets? Generate more fan interest? 3 years ago almost all CUSA team fans would of lost there mind playing sunbelt and FCS startups.

Tulsa and USM need to roll out of CUSA just as quick as possible. The NBE may be nothing more than CUSA, but CUSA is nothing more then the sunbelt.

actually we have played almost all those teams and they never really drew much of a crowd for us. The new teams coming in include La. Tech who has a long rivalry with USM that dates back to 1923 and even a name bestowed on it with a good football program to pit against us. Much better than Tulane. Middle Tenn. has played us in a bowl and beat us, and looking at where they have been and where they look to be headed, I certainly would rather play them in football than Memphis. As for the Florida teams they are no different than South Florida was and while UCF was a better program when it entered C-USA than these 2 are now, I really can see them fielding teams worth playing in the future. North Texas has a lot growing to do but they seem ready to commit enough to become a competitive opponent. Certainly the additions of La Tech and MTSU look good to USM and to have Marshall, UAB, and our none conference games against SEC, Big 12, ACC, and the other tier one teams, we don't have to worry about it too much.

perfect...especially the FLA teams...I could see MTSU and La Tech becoming our best home draws in conference....we will always turnout for Tulsa and Marshall....the rest have to make it happen...hence, the potential...and I like our chances.

Let's see...Tulane..no...SMU...no....UH...okay...MEM...not really...UCF...okay...ECU...yes, we will miss that one

In totality I don't see how USM doesn't like the future prospect of how this could play out

(02-13-2013 01:25 PM)dakar1 Wrote:  with the money involved, I don't see how any CUSA school could make a move to the BE now.

Is Houston and SMU still contractually obligated to leave CUSA?

If I'm not mistaken (and somebody please correct me if I'm wrong) Houston, SMU, UCF and Memphis already withdrew from C-USA. Tulane and ECU however have not (at least to my knowledge but I might be wrong).

(02-13-2013 01:25 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  At this point Tulsa's decision will be about association rather than TV money and geography. The only two C-USA schools left that Tulsa has any history with (less than 20 years though) are UTEP and Rice. Are those two powerful enough to have Tulsa stay in this conference or playing the likes of Houston, SMU, Memphis, etc are more attractive to the average Tulsa fan?

...is the way it should've been all along...but those illusions of grandeur...

(02-13-2013 01:32 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  

(02-13-2013 01:25 PM)dakar1 Wrote:  with the money involved, I don't see how any CUSA school could make a move to the BE now.

Is Houston and SMU still contractually obligated to leave CUSA?

If I'm not mistaken (and somebody please correct me if I'm wrong) Houston, SMU, UCF and Memphis already withdrew from C-USA. Tulane and ECU however have not (at least to my knowledge but I might be wrong).

That's if you believe Chuck Landon (and I'm quite hesitant to ever believe a thing he says). As for Houston and SMU they would never come back anyway. They'd either stay with the Big East or go to the MWC. C-USA added so many Texas replacements that they'd never really want to be with.

(02-13-2013 01:05 PM)mwp1023 Wrote:  Conference schedule more than anything. Who would you rather play?

FIU, FAU, UNT, UTSA, UNCC, UAB, Rice, ODU etc.

Or

UH, USF, UCF, UConn, Cinci, SMU, ECU, Navy, etc.

Which line up will sell more tickets? Generate more fan interest? 3 years ago almost all CUSA team fans would of lost there mind playing sunbelt and FCS startups.

Actually because if the first four hadn't chasing the two birds in the bush.. we wouldn't be even HAVING this conversation to start with. if those 4 had said "thanks, but no thanks".. what do you think the landscape will be?

So don't start the "strawman argument" to C-USA school fans that we wouldn't have any interest 3 years ago... Because 3 years ago, none of this was being discussed among C-USA schools.

As for selling tickets. I take it, you've never seen a UConn game on TV? They're not Tulane-bad in attendance.. but there are times, when they're AWFULLY close in regards to "sold" empty seats (at least on TV appearances) .

UTSA for instance, has shown they can put up good attendance numbers.. now they have to prove to the rest of their C-USA brethren they can keep it up now. (Trust me, if they drop, they'll be getting lambasted by every C-USA fan here (even UAB ones )

The MUTtS? No worries there.. and I expect them to travel well pretty much everywhere on the central matchups. (USM, UAB, UTSA, UNT, (and Marshall)

La Tech? Bullies? Absolutely, there almost as fanatical about football as USM fans are... I have no worries about their ticket sales.

So trust me when I say, I'll miss some of the teams who are leaving... We're more than covered in terms of the opportunities that have presented themselves to C-USA.

USM will leave if invited. Same with Tulsa......while there are good points for staying there are good points for leaving.

Tulsa can go to the Mtn West & be more stable than the nbe or cusa. But do they want to play west coast time zone games?

I have said it before....perception is reality. Playing "potentially" good teams like uncc, f_u, n texas & so on does not have the name recognition smu, houston & ecu do. The new teams are percieved to be lower tier than our lost teams. So we are now concidered a lower tier school/conference. Reguardless of how u feel about thw nbe or mtn west an invite (even though it would be a lateral move) would be seen as a move up in the sports world.

(02-13-2013 01:36 PM)DaSaintFan Wrote:  

(02-13-2013 01:05 PM)mwp1023 Wrote:  Conference schedule more than anything. Who would you rather play?

FIU, FAU, UNT, UTSA, UNCC, UAB, Rice, ODU etc.

Or

UH, USF, UCF, UConn, Cinci, SMU, ECU, Navy, etc.

Which line up will sell more tickets? Generate more fan interest? 3 years ago almost all CUSA team fans would of lost there mind playing sunbelt and FCS startups.

Actually because if the first four hadn't chasing the two birds in the bush.. we wouldn't be even HAVING this conversation to start with. if those 4 had said "thanks, but no thanks".. what do you think the landscape will be?

Well I agree if all the C-USA schools could have seen the future that everyone but UCONN, Cincy, and USF would be gone and the league would only be worth 2 million I suspect they all would have said no. However that wasn't reasonable to predict. Once the first 4 left it came down to a decision for ECU and Tulane which group looked better for the long term, but even they had to assume the money was going to be better than it appears to be. ECU and Tulane have their bet hedged right now anyway it appears, so it is what it is.

Based on what I have seen, Tulsa's best interests are with CUSA.

When TU accepted the WAC-16 invite, Tulsa did not do its home work. Many existing WAC schools did not want expansion, and those that opposed expansion, opposed it vehemently. The WAC-16 played together for only two years, the second year was after the split which occurred at the end of the first year. Sound familiar?

Tulsa was the last school invited to WAC-16 and only got an invitation because Houston U thought it was SEC bound (those guyz never learn, do they). Now, Tulsa is the last school invited to Nbe-12. TU only got an invitation because BSU said this is crap, get me the hell out of here. Then SDSU left. There is a very NEGATIVE message in this Nbe invite to Tulsa, and I hope that message is not lost. Never, in my wildest imagination, did I think Tulsa would again see a replay, call in Denver Airport II, just like JAWS II.

Yes, TU has had a relationship with Houston and SMU. But Tulsa also has had a long relationship, just as long, with Rice, Louisiana Tech and UTEP....and don't forget TU played UNT when the Mean Green were in the old Mizzouri Valley. So there are 4 schools in CUSA/West TU has had a long relationship with compared to 2 in Nbe.

I don't buy the academic argument either regarding SMU and Tulane, both fine schools. What about Rice and LaTech...and the public funded education at UNT, UTSA, and UTEP is among the strongest in the nation.

Panic is the only reason for TU joining Nbe at this time. When it is known (like WAC-16) that you have potentially 4 schools (UConn, Cincy, USF, and UCF) that urgently want out of Nbe, want something better.....the emphasis by TU should be on stability.

No doubt CUSA and Nbe will be playing each other in a number of bowls. In the final end, the only issue is which side of the stadium your team will sit on during these many CUSA/Nbe bowl games.

IF TU accepts this invitation, it will be an emotion driven decision based on false suppositins....the same thing that has given this Nbe expansion clustersmuck life. It will be a decision TU will come to regret.