StudPony wrote:I am a lost Pony, a little out of the loop, but desparately wanting to be proud of a respected program. I live in Colorado, still have season tickets, give to the Mustang Club and Lettermans Assoc., and have attended 4 FB games live in the last 3 years, but virtually attend as many FB and hoops games as possible.
Here is my question: Why did we join CUSA? The WAC seems to have better football and basketball teams, more media exposure and on its way up.
Any legit answer or excuses are welcome.
StudPony out.
PS - I also attend as many Triple Threat Cowboy events as possible
HERE'S YOUR ANSWER:
1) It probably costs 40% more to travel in the WAC than in the new CUSA
2) The travel times are a bear on the teams when they have to go west coast, or the BBall teams have to make a Thur-Sat 2-stop out west, etc. - which leads to fatigue and losing as well (witness the Sasser teams and even Rhonda's team last year dropping off at end - consistently).
3) No one looks at Western time games because they aren't even over by the time ESPN is broadcasting College Results at 10-11 (central time).
4) The DALLAS COWBOYS are in the NFL "EAST" for a VERY good reason - the media is centered EAST COAST with much of it in CENTRAL (Chi-DFW-Hou-StL-KC)
5) CUSA actually had better bowl tie-ins and more money in the TV department - the new CUSA still does.
6) REGIONAL - we stand a much better chance of getting 1000 Rice fans at SMU than 100 Fresno State fans here...its marginally better, arguably, but still better. - PLUS, we can make easier 'night-before' or even 'day' trips to all of the W-CUSA teams...its still easier to go EAST to the Eastern teams than to West against the WAC teams.
7) The WAC being 'great' at the top is recent phenomena with the emergence of Boise State. Don't think for a minute that BSU and FSU aren't on the Mountain West expansion plans...(and I am the #1 hugest BSU fan in Dallas - I promise you).
If that were to happen, the SMU-Tulsa-Rice would have been in the WAC with Idaho, NMState, etc... you like that ? TCU is looking as well at the possibility of those teams being added to 'their' conference - thus, they play in the very conference, basically, that they used to make fun of SMU being in...the old WAC! I think it likely that Hawaii-BSU-FSU join MWC...or perhaps Nevada.
MWC probably has different ideas that have prevented them from pulling the trigger...like, UNLV may want Nevada (or NOT< I dunno), whereas Wyoming may NOT want Boise State... But, let's face it, the TOP of the WAC is better than the top of the MWC, CUSA, or MAC right now...
Those are the BASIC reasons. Probably a few more mentioned or will be mentioned.