AntiG
1st String
Posts: 1,409
Joined: Dec 2012
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I Root For: Rutgers
Location: NYC
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RE: Banowsky states more realignment coming. Confirms CUSA Exit Fee.
(03-11-2013 11:38 AM)Tallgrass Wrote: (03-11-2013 11:30 AM)laxtonto Wrote: (03-11-2013 11:15 AM)CalallenStang Wrote: Quote:It is somewhat funny to hear the concerns of the alumni base when I was at Ford last weekend for the Patriot Cup on the 3rd. None are as happy as people here try to spin it
You are absolutely right. I am refusing to say that we moved forward, although playing Connecticut and Cincy in basketball for 2-3 seasons (which is how long the NBE will last) will be nice. SMU fans are not happy at all. However, going to a conference that includes UTSA is not an option, as dropping football would fit our larger academic goals better than aligning with UTSA. Some suggest that Houston and SMU could go to the MWC, but I highly doubt that will happen given that the MWC gave Boise a preferential deal and Boise's president Kustra rubbed UH and SMU presidents Khator and Turner the wrong way.
SMU is pretty much stuck. There is just no real "good" option and there is no putting the genie back in the bottle at this point. Without massive upheaval SMU is headed to the BE and I am more worried about all sports not football than football itself. A 6/6 split for football is acceptable for travel, but the other sports are going to see a noticeable increase in both overall travel and "bad" weather travel that plays havoc to student athletes.
The best "compromise" for all parties involved would see UTSA, UTEP, Tulsa and TSU move the the MWC, UH, SMU, and Tulane come back to the CUSA. The only way you see that is if there is a nuclear option for the ACC and mass defections happen. Then UConn, Cinci, Temple, USF, UCF, Memphis, and ECU goes to what is left of the ACC.
It would double up CUSA in DFW and Houston, but so be it. It would pretty much sell both metro areas as "CUSA" towns for media purposes and still give some geographic sense to it all. I just don't see it.
Logic and sanity are out the window. Egos prevail. But I think a CUSA-24 is the best solution. TO make it work, split the 4 Florida schools int0 two separate divions, UCF and USF together in one division and FAU/FIU in another division. Ditto for the Texas schools. The four division would be Southwest, Gulf, Southeast, and northeast. I assume Cincy and UConn will be in ACC and maybe UCF too. But anyway, something like this...
SW: Tulsa, UNT, UTSA, UTEP, Rice, LA Tech.
GULF: SMU, HOuston, Tulane, Memphis, FIU, FAU
SE: UCF, USF, UAB, UMT, two others
NE: Temple, ODU, Marshall, ECU, Charlotte, Navy?
Laughable. Not only does that make no sense in terms of where the power and money goes, splitting a contract 24 ways where there are zero national powers in the two primary sports means no financial success. If/when UConn and Cincy defect to the ACC, the nBE will simply keep taking from CUSA (Tulsa, USM, ODU, Charlotte, LA Tech, Rice being the targets) and probably at least attempt at adding a few MAC teams (likely UMass, Buffalo, N. Illinois, Ohio being the targets); and in turn CUSA will either add a few SunBelt teams, or just work out a merger with them. nBE has no reason to merge with the CUSA, nor does CUSA have ANY ability to acquire nBE. The money and power is top to bottom, with nBE still easily above CUSA.
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