Copeland Needs to Take a Hike!

[Bergermeister]

...and take the lead in the development of a new conference. I realize that we needed a place to land when the big shake-up took place and we got what we could when we were left out of the mix. It is our own fault that we were not a favorite, but that is water under the bridge. We gotta take action about the future. Our programs have quality coaches and we have enough assistant ADs and program coordinators to run the day-to-day athletic department stuff. We need Big Jim to be a leader and innovator. He needs to initiate some BOLD proposals for the development of a new conference. It just burns me up to go to Moody and see us play Nevada, Boise, San Jose. Our geography majors don't even know where these places are. And UTEP had all of 14 fans there Thursday night. We don't connect with these places. Same way at Ford... no butts in seats on the East Side. But between CUSA and what's left of the WAC, there aren't any matchups that qualify as "must see" such as:
TCU vs Army
SMU vs San Jose State
Houston vs Cincinnati
Rice us Fresno State
Ray Charles can see there is no future in these types of arrangements.
BYU, Air Force and the other WAC originals saw what was happening (or not happening) and bailed quick. I realize a new regional conference will not lure the big TV contracts but we could probably get what we got right now with hope for the future.

1. SMU
2. TCU
3. Rice
4. Houston
5. UNT
6. Louisiana Tech
7. Tulsa
8. UTEP (maybe, maybe not)
8. Tulane (maybe)
8. UTA (maybe someday... new prez)

and then you can load up your non-conference and play the D-1 teams that want to play in Dallas... Baylor, Tech and those who want to play in Houston... Texas A&M and those who want to play in Fort Worth... can't think of any (just kiddin'). This would build interest and attendance and cut down on travel expenses tremendously. If you wanna schedule Hawaii occasionally, go for it. I just think Copeland is capable of getting this done. We gotta have a trailblazer to get out of the godforsaken bind we're in right now. And the Wolfpack, Spartans, Bulldogs and all those other guys will be fine. The Ponies, Frogs, Owls, Cougars, Mean Green, Hurricanes, and LaTech Bulldogs can make it work!!! Any (positive) thoughts?

[The PonyGrad]

Whether or not this is a desireable conference it is not in the cards in the immediate future because these other teams belong to other conferences. If there really is a shake up is this the best we can do????

Now if you start discussing Tech and Baylor or OSU you might make it more interesting.

[Bergermeister]

Yeah. We were in another conference at one time, too. So was UT, Tech, A&M. So was La Tech. So was Houston. You gotta give notice, but you can bail any time. (in most cases).

[StangEsq]

What we need to do is dominate our current conference... if we do that, we'll be attractive to the more significant conferences as an avenue to tap into the Dallas market and high school talent pool. In turn, a more competitive conference will provide more attractive games for TV, bowl revenue and attract recruits. The proposed conference, however interesting it may be for the local fans, will do none of that.

[This message has been edited by StangEsq (edited 01-31-2003).]

[EastStang]

I agree that a more regional conference would be better. Travel would cost less, you might generate more fan interest in attending away games. I think that a conference that included SMU, TCU, Rice and Houston would be a good start due to history. Tulsa, La. Tech, Tulane would be great additions. UTEP would be acceptable. Baylor, OSU, Tech will not leave the Big XII too much $$$ to give up. With those teams you have good teams and I would stop there. With that conference you have covered every major metro area in Texas and Louisiana (except San Antonio). I think that the other part of the equation that is out there is what happens to SJS, Boise State, and Nevada. I suspect MWC would offer FSU and Hawaii if the WAC blew up again. I think if those three schools had a place to go to, then the eastern five might try something.

[NCPony]

I agree with Stang- we need to focus on building up our program, which looks like is finally starting to happen. Once SMU is established again we will gain the exposure we need and become more valuable to move into or start a new conference.
IMO, I would like to see the OOC schedule to include, and re-establish, some old rivalries- Texas, A&M etc; also try and pick up more games with top 25 teams.
If we are able to rebuild the program, maybe going independent (football only?) would be an option. Probably not due to money, but there would be some interesting scenarios.

[Austin]

Texas is not interested unless we want to go down there and get punished, they will not play in Dallas, not enough $ for them. Anyway, you have plan 3-4 years out for that.

Baylor should be a great rivalry, and give SMU an opportunity to take down a Big 12 team.

Berger I agree with your conference as listed, including Tulane. It would be a vast improvement over the present, and would engender local and regional support both in the seats and on TV. Baylor would actually add to it, but they will not get kicked from Big XII.

[Charleston Pony]

1. SMU
2. TCU
3. Rice
4. Houston
5. UNT
6. Louisiana Tech
7. Tulsa
8. UTEP (maybe, maybe not)
8. Tulane (maybe)
8. UTA (maybe someday... new prez)

Your 1st 7 picks are solid. We all have some history playing each other and are all close enough neighbors to make "road game" travel easy.

The ideal conference of today should have either 9 or 12 teams. Nine teams allows scheduling 8 conference games, 4 home, 4 away. Twelve teams allows the same and adds the divisional concept and sets up a championship game.

UTEP & Tulane are certainly possibilities, but they also stretch the geography of the conference (those two are 1,000 miles apart). If you add them, I think you have to add 3 more to get to 12 and have divisional play (to reduce travel costs). If UTEP would agree to play in a conference with NMSU, the Aggies would be a good western addition and a natural rival for UTEP. With Tulane, you'd probably want to add La-Lafayette. The Ragin Cajuns have always had good basketball and with Ricky Bustle they just might become more competitive in football. That would give the 3 La schools some healthy competition. Your 12th team neds to be someone close to Tulsa, and that might be Ark St, another program that seems to be improving.

With El Paso (Sun Bowl), the La schools (Independence Bowl & New Orleans Bowl) and Houston/Rice (Houston Bowl), you just might be able to work some bowl deals down the road for the conference champ to be able to play close to home against a BCS opponent.

There are a lot of "ifs" associated with something like this ever happening, but I'd love to see it...it offers every one of these programs an opportunity to compete successfully in any given year.

[MrMustang1965]

Here are my picks for the 'new' Southwest Conference:

1.SMU
2.TCU
3.Rice
4.Univ. of Houston
5.UTEP
6.New Mexico State
7.UNT
8.Louisiana Tech

Just food for thought...


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"Winning ain't everything...but it's a lot more fun than the alternative!"

[Pony Fan]

Gee, I hope sometime in my lifetime that we could get in a better conference than any of these listed. If somehow, some way, we could get Tech, Baylor and the toads interested in some new conference, then we could create some real rivalries. That is what is missing now. Like someone said above, who cares if we are playing San Jose State, or for that matter, ANYONE in the WAC other than Rice and Tulsa.