The MWC currently sits at 11 and will certainly need one or more for a championship game and scheduling purposes. They want SOS improvement and Tulsa gives them that also adding UTEP gives basketball a boost. At thirteen members and will be more than enough to draw SDSU back making a solid 14 team conference.

The Big East will have ten members and I can see them targeting USM, UMASS, ODU, and UNCC. That makes a 14 team conference built to last with decent basketball. (Memphis, UConn, ODU, UNCC, Cincy)

Conference USA will be down to FAU, FIU, Techsters, UTSA, Rice, Marshall, and Middle. To be honest I see the belt losing this badly because as it stands its more regional for all of the southern teams. I think conference USA will end like this: East (FAU, FIU, UAB, Marshall, Middle, Troy ) West (ULL, La Tech, UTSA, Rice, ASU, UNT)

Conference USA fans can complain all they want but it makes no sense for the MWC and Big East not to load up to 14.

I don't see that it makes any sense for MWC to go past 12

(01-01-2013 12:44 AM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  The MWC currently sits at 11 and will certainly need one or more for a championship game and scheduling purposes. They want SOS improvement and Tulsa gives them that also adding UTEP gives basketball a boost. At thirteen members and will be more than enough to draw SDSU back making a solid 14 team conference.

The Big East will have ten members and I can see them targeting USM, UMASS, ODU, and UNCC. That makes a 14 team conference built to last with decent basketball. (Memphis, UConn, ODU, UNCC, Cincy)

Conference USA will be down to FAU, FIU, Techsters, UTSA, Rice, Marshall, and Middle. To be honest I see the belt losing this badly because as it stands its more regional for all of the southern teams. I think conference USA will end like this: East (FAU, FIU, UAB, Marshall, Middle, Troy ) West (ULL, La Tech, UTSA, Rice, ASU, UNT)

Conference USA fans can complain all they want but it makes no sense for the MWC and Big East not to load up to 14.

And where would you see WKU through all this? That would leave us in the belt with nobody we have any ties with or in the MAC or Big East

Why would troy move up? Cusa goes for markets and Troy is far from that

Oh my bad I totally missed WKU (on cell phone) but to be honest I think Troy is the last team invited. And to the Middle fan very funny, at one time that was true but no offense Middle is in Murfreesboro. You guys do not control the Nashville market nor does La Tech have a market.

But back to the topic I see all of us bolting if the MWC and Big East go to 14. Conference USA will be raided horribly and it wouldn't surprise me to see Marshall consider trying to get into the MAC.

And Texas State of course. The only team I see getting shafted is Georgia State. I wish the Sun Belt would have stuck together but fear of other teams leaving will cause everyone to jump.

(01-01-2013 01:30 AM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  Oh my bad I totally missed WKU (on cell phone) but to be honest I think Troy is the last team invited. And to the Middle fan very funny, at one time that was true but no offense Middle is in Murfreesboro. You guys do not control the Nashville market nor does La Tech have a market.

But back to the topic I see all of us bolting if the MWC and Big East go to 14. Conference USA will be raided horribly and it wouldn't surprise me to see Marshall consider trying to get into the MAC.

And Texas State of course. The only team I see getting shafted is Georgia State. I wish the Sun Belt would have stuck together but fear of other teams leaving will cause everyone to jump.

Regarding your last sentence, it kind of reminds me of the bank run scene from It's a Wonderful Life. People are scared they'll lose everything they own, so they run to Potter for relief, even though it might not be the best in the long run.

I wish the Belt could've stayed together in this realignment and grown stronger, like the MAC. We're so similar of conferences, and I wish you guys the best of luck in whatever happens in college football, even though the MAC may very well try to take Belt schools.

(01-01-2013 01:16 AM)Blueraidersig Wrote:  Why would troy move up? Cusa goes for markets and Troy is far from that

(01-01-2013 01:30 AM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  Oh my bad I totally missed WKU (on cell phone) but to be honest I think Troy is the last team invited. And to the Middle fan very funny, at one time that was true but no offense Middle is in Murfreesboro. You guys do not control the Nashville market nor does La Tech have a market.

But back to the topic I see all of us bolting if the MWC and Big East go to 14. Conference USA will be raided horribly and it wouldn't surprise me to see Marshall consider trying to get into the MAC.

Marshall left the MAC and wants to be a southern team of some sort... it has a large recruiting base out of Florida.

Troy's only chance of getting into CUSA is if UAB and USM leave CUSA. has to do with geography and not much else...

La tech got the invite to replace Tulane. MTSU to replace Memphis...

I can see the MWC going after the Texas Market by adding SMU, Houston, UTEP, and UTSA. That would add a lot of viewers for their TV contract.

The MWC television deal expires soon. One reason why it's deal was devalued was due to a lack of markets. I too see them adding the likes of Tulsa, UTEP, SMU and Houston for the purposes of adding more markets. This will generate more value for the league during its new television deal negotiations. Further, under the new playoff system I can see the new look MWC being able to generate more perception that it is a tough league, which will allow its 1 or 2 loss teams to be ranked ahead of the teams from the Big East, CUSA, the MAC and the SBC.

(01-01-2013 01:16 AM)Blueraidersig Wrote:  Why would troy move up? Cusa goes for markets and Troy is far from that

What market does La Tech have? Don't kid yourself about MTSU and Nashville. People are getting to caught up into markets in this crap and its going to crash just like the dot com bust.

I sometimes wonder if SMU, Tulsa, and Rice have had enough of that Western conference swing? Especially Rice and Tulsa. All were in the WAC at one time, then made the move to CUSA. Would they go West again? And did their CUSA affiliation hinder them from great wins in their respective bowl games?

(01-01-2013 05:30 AM)chazg Wrote:  I can see the MWC going after the Texas Market by adding SMU, Houston, UTEP, and UTSA. That would add a lot of viewers for their TV contract.

They are too good to tarnish their brand with a move-up. UTSA is not in this.

(01-01-2013 06:18 AM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  The MWC television deal expires soon. One reason why it's deal was devalued was due to a lack of markets. I too see them adding the likes of Tulsa, UTEP, SMU and Houston for the purposes of adding more markets. This will generate more value for the league during its new television deal negotiations. Further, under the new playoff system I can see the new look MWC being able to generate more perception that it is a tough league, which will allow its 1 or 2 loss teams to be ranked ahead of the teams from the Big East, CUSA, the MAC and the SBC.

MWC a few years back had the richest non-AQ TV contract but to get those numbers they locked into a long-term deal at the start of the run-up in fees.

Their problem wasn't markets, it was having a too long contract at the start of hyper-inflation.

Boise was the smallest Big East market yet they were highly valuable to TV. Their return to MWC is expected to strongly boost the MWC deal.

The impact of markets exists but it is not the whole story.

(01-01-2013 10:56 AM)Journeyman22 Wrote:  

(01-01-2013 05:30 AM)chazg Wrote:  I can see the MWC going after the Texas Market by adding SMU, Houston, UTEP, and UTSA. That would add a lot of viewers for their TV contract.

They are too good to tarnish their brand with a move-up. UTSA is not in this.

no they wont want utsa but would take Tulsa...

(01-01-2013 02:32 AM)mbelcher987 Wrote:  

(01-01-2013 01:16 AM)Blueraidersig Wrote:  Why would troy move up? Cusa goes for markets and Troy is far from that

6-4

I don't see Houston and SMU going to the MWC because they have more in common with the east. UTEP fits perfectly with the MWC and so does Tulsa. And Marshall wanted to join a southern conference with ECU, USM, Memphis, Tulane, and the other teams who left to the Big East before this round of realignment.

My prediction is a stretch but don't be surprised to see the rest of the Sun Belt join conference USA. When Boise made a decision (UTEP, USM, Tulsa, UNCC) became targets. There's simply no more market teams left that would go to CUSA unless you start talking Georgia State.

(01-01-2013 06:18 AM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  The MWC television deal expires soon. One reason why it's deal was devalued was due to a lack of markets. I too see them adding the likes of Tulsa, UTEP, SMU and Houston for the purposes of adding more markets. This will generate more value for the league during its new television deal negotiations. Further, under the new playoff system I can see the new look MWC being able to generate more perception that it is a tough league, which will allow its 1 or 2 loss teams to be ranked ahead of the teams from the Big East, CUSA, the MAC and the SBC.

The deal has been renewed. The impact on the Sun Belt depends on what happens in C-USA. IMO the Sun Belt has been the most improved football league over the past few years and has surpassed C-USA so I think twice if I was a Sun Belt school before thinking about heading to C-USA.

(01-02-2013 12:45 AM)GreenHornet33 Wrote:  

(01-01-2013 06:18 AM)bluephi1914 Wrote:  The MWC television deal expires soon. One reason why it's deal was devalued was due to a lack of markets. I too see them adding the likes of Tulsa, UTEP, SMU and Houston for the purposes of adding more markets. This will generate more value for the league during its new television deal negotiations. Further, under the new playoff system I can see the new look MWC being able to generate more perception that it is a tough league, which will allow its 1 or 2 loss teams to be ranked ahead of the teams from the Big East, CUSA, the MAC and the SBC.

The deal has been renewed. The impact on the Sun Belt depends on what happens in C-USA. IMO the Sun Belt has been the most improved football league over the past few years and has surpassed C-USA so I think twice if I was a Sun Belt school before thinking about heading to C-USA.

It was renegotiated to free up games to be sold to other networks but the expiration date remains the same.

(01-02-2013 12:28 AM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  I don't see Houston and SMU going to the MWC because they have more in common with the east. UTEP fits perfectly with the MWC and so does Tulsa. And Marshall wanted to join a southern conference with ECU, USM, Memphis, Tulane, and the other teams who left to the Big East before this round of realignment.

My prediction is a stretch but don't be surprised to see the rest of the Sun Belt join conference USA. When Boise made a decision (UTEP, USM, Tulsa, UNCC) became targets. There's simply no more market teams left that would go to CUSA unless you start talking Georgia State.

There will be SBC schools that won't be invited to join CUSA. Those schools will be in a situation like Idaho finds itself in. It will be a very bad situation for any SBC school that is left behind.