Payback for the AAC's attempt to kneecap the MWC last year by offering AF, Boise & SDSU. Combined with Gill's statement I'm starting to think the sharks are smelling blood in the water and getting ready to rip apart the great AAC whale.

(09-09-2021 08:00 PM)ChooChoo Wrote:  

(09-09-2021 07:50 PM)Georgia_Power_Company Wrote:  

(09-09-2021 07:29 PM)Troy_Fan_15 Wrote:  Could the MWC be considering adding 2-4 Texas teams to create a little Texas pod? Or is this a "hands off" message to the AAC?

Mountain West setting at 11 full members plus Hawaii as football only. Could they target SMU as a full member and then add a football only (NMSU or North Dakota St) to try to overtake the SBC and much weaker American?

If I’m the MWC and looking at SMU, I’m taking UTEP as well. It kills several birds. It gets them back into Texas, adds another front range school and a huge market, revives some traditional rivals, and takes another notch out of the AAC and CUSA’s basketball pedigrees.

UTEP is horrible right now. I would look at UTSA and SMU if I was the MWC. Who would the SBC target?

This is almost as much fun as a coaching search at stAte!!

If those AAC schools are smart, they'd take any invites to the MWC. Makes that conference stronger and likely strikes a better TV deal with Fox and CBS Sports. The TV deal the AAC is going to be handed is going to be so, so bad.

There may not be much of an AAC left to join.

(09-10-2021 09:02 AM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  

(09-09-2021 08:00 PM)ChooChoo Wrote:  

(09-09-2021 07:50 PM)Georgia_Power_Company Wrote:  

(09-09-2021 07:29 PM)Troy_Fan_15 Wrote:  Could the MWC be considering adding 2-4 Texas teams to create a little Texas pod? Or is this a "hands off" message to the AAC?

Mountain West setting at 11 full members plus Hawaii as football only. Could they target SMU as a full member and then add a football only (NMSU or North Dakota St) to try to overtake the SBC and much weaker American?

If I’m the MWC and looking at SMU, I’m taking UTEP as well. It kills several birds. It gets them back into Texas, adds another front range school and a huge market, revives some traditional rivals, and takes another notch out of the AAC and CUSA’s basketball pedigrees.

UTEP is horrible right now. I would look at UTSA and SMU if I was the MWC. Who would the SBC target?

I'm sure UAB would get a phone call regardless if they would want to come or not. Same for Southern Miss and Marshall. After that I have no idea what happens. Maybe JMU and Liberty.

Meanwhile, NMSU be like:

When CUSA was rebounding from defections in 2012 and the WAC was collapsing, the MWC did extend an invite to UTSA, which they turned down in favor of CUSA. Reason was potential rivalries with Texas schools. One has to wonder if they decide to go after UTEP and UTSA once more and either school would be dumb to not accept.

I heard from a good source in one program that Tulsa, SMU, Rice, and UTSA were high on the MWC list.

Also, that the SBC is focusing on Tulsa, SMU, Rice, Liberty, USF, and FAU for a 16 team league.

The question remains if the MWC can generate the income to offset the travel costs and late broadcast for the schools to move out west.

At the very least, SMU, and Tulsa have options.

A sixteen-team league with those schools and markets would be the strongest G5 conference and make it difficult for the programs to head west. Clearly, SBC is focusing on a combination of academics, TV markets, and the upside potential of programs for its future.

This would mean the death of AAC or CUSA and most likely leaving some schools without a conference. Can't see another conference pursuing UTEP, NMSU, to name a few.

(09-12-2021 01:05 PM)The WEST is the BEST Wrote:  I heard from a good source in one program that Tulsa, SMU, Rice, and UTSA were high on the MWC list.

Also, that the SBC is focusing on Tulsa, SMU, Rice, Liberty, USF, and FAU for a 16 team league.

The question remains if the MWC can generate the income to offset the travel costs and late broadcast for the schools to move out west.

At the very least, SMU, and Tulsa have options.

A sixteen-team league with those schools and markets would be the strongest G5 conference and make it difficult for the programs to head west. Clearly, SBC is focusing on a combination of academics, TV markets, and the upside potential of programs for its future.

This would mean the death of AAC or CUSA and most likely leaving some schools without a conference. Can't see another conference pursuing UTEP, NMSU, to name a few.

Interesting on the SBC front. I’ve heard other teams, but those are possibilities.