Hey Bluesox, do you know if Samford has been extended an invitation to the Southern Conference? I know the Southern Conference is looking at them, but I haven't heard anymore than that.

Jugnaut Wrote:I think the travel strain with C-USA is overblown. I think its just some at ECU feel like they're entitled to BCS money.

You can "think" all you'd like, but you're wrong...on both counts.

Nothing official right now on the samford to the southern conference but it is suppose to go down sometime this spring.

Capital Pirate Wrote:

Jugnaut Wrote:I think the travel strain with C-USA is overblown. I think its just some at ECU feel like they're entitled to BCS money.

You can "think" all you'd like, but you're wrong...on both counts.

I know the new C-USA East schools aren't having too much trouble with the travel. UCF has always had to fly everywhere. Both schools knew what they were getting into when they switched from the MAC to C-USA. The other East schools are centrally located i.e. USM, UAB, and Memphis. I fail to see how going Indy would solve the travel issue though. I imagine you'll still have to fly to many many games. You can only put so many NC schools in your schedule which you're already doing with your OOC.

bluesox Wrote:Nothing official right now on the samford to the southern conference but it is suppose to go down sometime this spring.

I wouldn't write that in ink just yet.....

gdayre Wrote:I know of one and think they could be very competitived.

BIG DEAL.

Jugnaut Wrote:I know the new C-USA East schools aren't having too much trouble with the travel. UCF has always had to fly everywhere. Both schools knew what they were getting into when they switched from the MAC to C-USA. The other East schools are centrally located i.e. USM, UAB, and Memphis. I fail to see how going Indy would solve the travel issue though. I imagine you'll still have to fly to many many games. You can only put so many NC schools in your schedule which you're already doing with your OOC.

First, note that I'm not speaking on behalf of UCF. Second, what you choose to "think" or "believe" or "fail to see" is fine...just know that at the end of day, as far as ECU (and a couple of others) is concerned, what I'm telling you is REALITY.

CDOA is to spread out over to many regions!

Conference USA is a southern conference just like the SEC and the ACC.

Quote:Conference USA is a southern conference just like the SEC and the ACC.

Be sure to say hi to all those southerners in Boston. ;-)

CatsClaw Wrote:

factoid Wrote:While well intentined I am sure, there is no merit to any of this post I can assure the readers. Someone has blown smoke in this case and I don't mean 66PIRATE. There is no question that CUSA has not been cooperative with ECU proposals to cut travel costs and missed class time, but that is as far as it goes right now.

Why do I get the feeling that this is a regular poster posting under an alias? Sorry factoid no one believe you.

Be careful about whom you choose to believe. Factoid knows of what he speaks and his info is credible. No one knows even who 66Pirate is.

I'm not buying any of this. USM is quite happy being in C-USA. This sounds more like MongoSlade trying to bash/embarass ECU and C-USA. Travel costs aren't killing USM and we HAVE to finish in the black each year, by state law. The idea of C-USA schools breaking away and forming a new eastern conference is just stupid. USM enjoys its western division rivals Houston, Tulane, and Tulsa. Rice and SMU will be bowl-contenders in '07 and UTEP won't be far off.

Now I could understand ECU and Marshall being unhappy with their geography, but I'm pretty sure that Marshall has no fantasies of playing in the Big East. They realize that WVU would block any attempt at them gaining membership. The same might be said for USF with UCF. There is very little discontent in C-USA that I've heard of. This thread is the FIRST mumble I've seen.

CatsClaw Wrote:

TopCoog Wrote:ECU is lucky to be where they are in CUSA. They have never been a candidate for Big East membershiup and never will be. Its either CUSA or the sun belt, that ios their choice.

Your post is so stupid. ECU was a candidate for the Big East, and Houston is lucky to be in C-USA and wouldn't even be considered for the Sun Belt conference.

According to those old BE meeting notes that were posted on this site, ECU was never a Big East candidate.

David Krysakowski Wrote:Conference USA is a southern conference just like the SEC and the ACC.

The ACC is an Atlantic Coast conference. Sorry you missed the memo, bub. ;-)

Quote:This sounds more like MongoSlade trying to bash/embarass ECU and C-USA.

I swear I had nothing to do with this one. Honest. lmfao

But now that we've opened up this can-o-worms...

1) What's wrong with my ol' alma-mater playing hoops in the Southern Conference...? In fact, that's where she belongs in the first place. It's embarassing to see ECU struggle to play in C-USA when she could be having actual success in the SoCon and playing with actual rivals (what a novel concept!). If Davidson and App. State can earn multiple NCAA tourney berths, there's no reason to think ECU, as a SoCon member can't, as well.

2) The problem with C-USA is that noone in NC cares about C-USA. Listening to "PrimeTime with the Packman" radio show the other day, Mark Packer and Co. were tallking about ECU's current C-USA losing streak and the prevailing thought was that noone cared about C-USA to notice. The league is too far spread out for its own good, the Texas schools are running things, and as for ECU, she has no rivals (save Marshall during football season).

Well, so much for my Lent promise of not mentioning "ECU" and "SoCon" in the same sentence. Damn, that was short-lived.

Quote:[quote="army56mike"][quote="UTEPDallas"]
I think you are kidding yourself if you think any of the WAC schools would take a step down to join C-USA. It's not going to happen. lmfao.

While you are lyfao, consider the fact that Tulsa, Rice, SMU and UTEP already deserted the WAC in favor of C-USA (just as Marshall and UCF eagerly left the MAC). Furthermore, there is no question that Louisiana Tech would dearly love to jump from the WAC to C-USA.

I'll just add that any conference with Memphis and MTSU is likely NOT going to happen. There's been enough grief voiced about the fact that we're playing MTSU at all and especially 3 here - 2 there. The only way that happens is if the Tennessee Board of Regents puts their foot down and forces Memphis' hand.

If there is any truth to the ECU rumor, I wonder if they're trying to force the action towards an opportunity they think they see. Not a prediction, just thinking out loud.

USM@FTL Wrote:I'm not buying any of this. USM is quite happy being in C-USA. This sounds more like MongoSlade trying to bash/embarass ECU and C-USA. Travel costs aren't killing USM and we HAVE to finish in the black each year, by state law. The idea of C-USA schools breaking away and forming a new eastern conference is just stupid. USM enjoys its western division rivals Houston, Tulane, and Tulsa. Rice and SMU will be bowl-contenders in '07 and UTEP won't be far off.

Now I could understand ECU and Marshall being unhappy with their geography, but I'm pretty sure that Marshall has no fantasies of playing in the Big East. They realize that WVU would block any attempt at them gaining membership. The same might be said for USF with UCF. There is very little discontent in C-USA that I've heard of. This thread is the FIRST mumble I've seen.

Me neither. I don't think East Carolina is losing any money by being in C-USA. I'd understand if they were conference mates with Fresno State or Hawaii but the only C-USA school that's really far from Greenville is UTEP. Their FB team will play in El Paso once every FOUR years. Their hoops team ONCE every two years. Their baseball team.....NEVER...since UTEP has no baseball team. Also, I don't think flying to El Paso an extra 45 minutes or an hour is going to hurt their players. This is just a "rumor" that is nothing but a BE pipedream for some East Carolina fans.

As for the BE...they don't need to expand. Why should they divide their pie in 9? But if they'd ever expand to one....then Memphis is the only school that makes sense. They have a basketball program that can compete with the top dogs in the Big East. Their football program is not good nor bad but they could be like Cincy (decent) and they bring the Liberty Bowl. IMHO....Memphis is the only BE worthy school in C-USA East.

Just my 2 cents

Memphis, UCF, and ECU will end up in an all-sports Big East. The new CUSA

EAST
Southern Miss
Tulane
UAB
La Tech
Louisiana-Lafayette
Arkansas State, if they get rid/or Marshall joins the Big East

WEST
Houston
Rice
SMU
UTEP
Tulsa
North Texas/New Mexico State

Guys like you said our other programs would never get into the old CUSA as well. I suppose you nailed the USF to the Big East about 2001 when they moved up to D1a. Hell I never thought we would be in a conference with UTEP. This stuff is a little more unpredictable and not as cut and dry as you make it, but if it were about really about hoops Memphis would have been in over USF period.