(01-18-2011 03:34 PM)FIUFan Wrote:  

(01-18-2011 03:21 PM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  That is exactly right. You can't solely look at the here and now, especially when it comes to expansion. Today, UTSA looks like an FBS wanna be. However, their tomorrow looks reasonably bright. As long as they are cultivated, they can be a pretty awsome cog for any conference 5 to 10 years from today.

If the rumors coming out of the WAC and MWC are true, there won't be a WAC for UTSA (or anybody else for that matter) to go to come Monday.

what's rumored to happen Monday?

Quote:Not thinking beyond the present day ruined the WAC, and it will very possibly ruin the SBC.

You always have to look at your competition. Our direct competition is the WAC. They may be in a stronger position in 5 years, who knows. If you can eliminate any threat now, then you are in a stronger position now and down the road.

The WAC/Benson tried to screw the MWC and he is trying very hard to screw the SBC.

The MWC eliminated the threat of the WAC very quickly. The SBC should be in the same mindset. Screw Benson and the WAC refugees.

(01-18-2011 03:47 PM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  what's rumored to happen Monday?

If UTEP agrees, USU and UTEP would move to the MWC (USU is wetting its pants at this very moment over the possibility). May open somthing up for La Tech in C-USA, but then again maybe not. Utah Valley would replace USU, however, UVU doesn't have a football program.

The remaining WAC-4 would make a perfect square (well maybe a rhombus) from LA to NM to CA to ID....about 1,500 miles between each school.

The MWC is scheduled to meet on Monday and expansion is a central topic.

(01-18-2011 04:02 PM)CrushMI Wrote:  

Quote:Not thinking beyond the present day ruined the WAC, and it will very possibly ruin the SBC.

You always have to look at your competition. Our direct competition is the WAC. They may be in a stronger position in 5 years, who knows. If you can eliminate any threat now, then you are in a stronger position now and down the road.

The WAC/Benson tried to screw the MWC and he is trying very hard to screw the SBC.

The MWC eliminated the threat of the WAC very quickly. The SBC should be in the same mindset. Screw Benson and the WAC refugees.

Agreed.

(01-18-2011 04:35 PM)FIUFan Wrote:  

(01-18-2011 03:47 PM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  what's rumored to happen Monday?

If UTEP agrees, USU and UTEP would move to the MWC (USU is wetting its pants at this very moment over the possibility). May open somthing up for La Tech in C-USA, but then again maybe not. Utah Valley would replace USU, however, UVU doesn't have a football program.

The remaining WAC-4 would make a perfect square (well maybe a rhombus) from LA to NM to CA to ID....about 1,500 miles between each school.

The MWC is scheduled to meet on Monday and expansion is a central topic.

I keep hearing UTEP to the MWC and it seems to have legs. I will believe it when I see it. With CUSA's new Fox television contract, I can't see anyone leaving CUSA for anything less than a BCS conference. Then again, stranger things have happened in El Paso...If UTEP does leave CUSA, I don't see CUSA going after anything but a program that will add a market and not cause Fox to bring the conference back to the table to renegotiate that television deal. I would say to look for their options to be Temple, UNT, FIU, and FAU (with UTSA and NIU being darkhorses). CUSA will also wait to add anyone as they will have to see what the Big East does with respect to Houston, UCF and ECU.

(01-18-2011 05:01 PM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  I keep hearing UTEP to the MWC and it seems to have legs. I will believe it when I see it. With CUSA's new Fox television contract, I can't see anyone leaving CUSA for anything less than a BCS conference. Then again, stranger things have happened in El Paso...If UTEP does leave CUSA, I don't see CUSA going after anything but a program that will add a market and not cause Fox to bring the conference back to the table to renegotiate that television deal. I would say to look for their options to be Temple, UNT, FIU, and FAU (with UTSA and NIU being darkhorses). CUSA will also wait to add anyone as they will have to see what the Big East does with respect to Houston, UCF and ECU.

We should expect to hear more on these rumors as the week progresses, that MWC meeting is on Monday, so the decisions should be made soon. Once the decisions have been made the news leaks pretty quickly after that.

USU Blog posting on MWC expansion.
http://www.usufans.com/Forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=9033

(01-18-2011 03:34 PM)FIUFan Wrote:  

(01-18-2011 03:21 PM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  That is exactly right. You can't solely look at the here and now, especially when it comes to expansion. Today, UTSA looks like an FBS wanna be. However, their tomorrow looks reasonably bright. As long as they are cultivated, they can be a pretty awsome cog for any conference 5 to 10 years from today.

If the rumors coming out of the WAC and MWC are true, there won't be a WAC for UTSA (or anybody else for that matter) to go to come Monday.

A couple weeks ago, I would've agreed. That was until I heard about Lamar's growing interest in the WAC as their name is being shuffled out the WAC HQ's doors more frequently these days. That could at least buy the WAC some time in the event of losing Utah State as an all-sports member.

I've heard that UTEP is the Texas school being targeted by the folks up in MWC headquarters. Like you said, the loss of UTEP would prompt CUSA to go searching for a member. Most people think it will be Louisiana Tech, but I really don't think so. If CUSA loses UTEP, I have reason to believe that they will go after North Texas.

Remember, the ideal number of members of a league has long been thought to be 9 (4 home, 4 away) or 12 (6-member divisions). If the Sun Belt lost North Texas, it would be down to 8 members, but it would be back to nine once South Alabama comes aboard with football in 2013. The loss of North Texas (wouldn't happen until 2012) would not only regionalize the Sun Belt's footprint even more, but it would make the football schedules more manageable.

I don't think your conference is being too passive. I think your conference has a feeling for exactly what's going on with the realignment. So to put CrushMI's comment in perspective, why invite New Mexico State only to have CUSA turn around and invite UNT? It wouldn't make sense. I think your conference is waiting to see what happens with the Mountain West and UTEP. They know that if CUSA loses one of its members, it will seek another one be it a SBC member or Louisiana Tech.

I believe your conference will look to add some non-football schools though to definitely replace Denver and an out-going SBC team if lost to CUSA. A 10- or 11-member basketball schedule is not as easy to work with. 9 or 12 is the only way to go there.

Is the Sun Belt the most tight lipped conference in FBS or what. We've heard zero credible information out of New Orleans since the conference scramble began....that I know of. We all know that conversations are taking place within the conference, and nothing has been leaked. I'm not a fan of Wright Waters, but at the very least he has managed to keep us out of any potentially embarrassing situations.

(01-19-2011 12:00 AM)trojans664 Wrote:  Is the Sun Belt the most tight lipped conference in FBS or what. We've heard zero credible information out of New Orleans since the conference scramble began....that I know of. We all know that conversations are taking place within the conference, and nothing has been leaked. I'm not a fan of Wright Waters, but at the very least he has managed to keep us out of any potentially embarrassing situations.

That's a good thing. No reason to pass on speculation and damage your chances of the best possible victory in this game of Chess realignment.

(01-18-2011 05:50 PM)TennesseeBoyintheRockies Wrote:  I've heard that UTEP is the Texas school being targeted by the folks up in MWC headquarters. Like you said, the loss of UTEP would prompt CUSA to go searching for a member. Most people think it will be Louisiana Tech, but I really don't think so. If CUSA loses UTEP, I have reason to believe that they will go after North Texas.

Is this based on inside information, or just message board speculation?