ACC Expansion may be the begining of the end . . .

[93Mustang]

While I think we all hold out hope that the impending collapse of the Big East will help SMU based on some kind of "chaos is good" theory, I think in reality, the ACC expansion will begin our demise. The stage is set for 4 or 5 superconferences to remain viable (in D1 football), and for all others to fall into oblivion. Let's get real. TCU will never willingly return to the WAC. SMU will never be a desirable choice for C-USA. At best, the WAC stays the same and our strongest conference mates (Fresno, Hawaii, Boise St. - I can't believe we've fallen so far that I'm writing this) won't get cherry picked by the MWC or someone else. At worst, these teams leave and we fall yet another rung and join the UNTs of the world.

Rather than give me hope, this new era where only the big state schools and a handful of lucky privates share in the BCS money, running a viable, debt free D1 football program is impossible making a drop from D1 more concieveable to me than it ever has been before. Will our wealthy supporters be willing to subsidize our participation in D1 if our opponents are UNT, Tulsa, UTEP, etc.? I doubt it. I hope I'm wrong, but I believe the entire landscape of college sports is rapidly changing and we're more like Tulane than we are like Baylor.

[Stampede]

You are, in my view, wrong. While it is anybody's guess as to whtat the "final" landscape will look like in college football, rest assured SMU is being proactive in our scheduling and posturing for new "situations".

SMU is NOT sitting on the sidelines and is sitting in a major market and is attractive with our new stadium and facilities, new coach and best football recruiting class in 15 years!!! Our situation is drasticlally different than just 5 years ago and SMU and Dallas is guided from the top with "can do people".

[93Mustang]

I hope I'm wrong too, but I think you missed my point. I know SMU is committed to improving its situation and I know we have Copeland and the big money people out hustling to make sure we land on our feet, but I don't think there will be a place for us to land. We do not deliver the DFW market, we don't have good attendance unless we're playing Big 12 schools, we are mediocre at best in the sports that matter, and our great recruiting class isn't going to keep us from being .500 or worse next season. I think our non-conference scheduling is great next year and the following years with the addition of some Big 12 schools that will likely draw, but that doesn't change the fact that we'll pull 10,000 fans to the Boise St., San Jose St, etc. games - I know, I go to all of the home games and will continue to do so.

Rather than talk about pie in the sky scenarios in which TCU comes back to the WAC or where SMU gets invited to join a new C-USA, I think we should all be holding our breath that we don't get left behind again when the schools in our conference that do have attractive programs leave for greener pastures. Again, I hope I'm wrong, but I think the die was cast long ago . . .

[Stampede]

I guess we really disagree on what makes SMU attractive to prospects....whether recruits or conferences. Media experts have repeatedly polled the Dallas market and have concluded SMU, while not dominating the market, certainly delivers a big share in Dallas and will continue to make inroads as we get more competitive on the field. Why else would the ACC be remotely interested in Boston College? Boston College does not "deliver" the Boston market but is blessed with being in Boston. To that end, we are blessed to be in Dallas and not in Ames, Iowa.

Any conference, particularly a mid level conference, would love to have a shot a the TV sets in Dallas at such an "inexpensive" price.

[JasonB]

While I agree the the Dallas market and SMU are attractive, I also have to agree with some of what the first poster said. IF this ACC thing happens and the Big East falls apart, then C-USA will become that much stronger of a conference and possibly a BCS conference. The Big-10 will probably be forced to pick up a couple of teams and go to a championship format. That leaves the WAC, MAC, and MWC as the major small conferences. IF the Pac-10 and MWC decide to expand, SMU COULD be in trouble. MWC doesn't want us because of travel costs, and would probably take some other schools instead in its region. We would be stuck with UTEP, Tulsa, Tulane, UAB, basically a group of schools that don't even know if they want to stay in div. 1-A. We would be even further out of the Bowl/BCS picture than we are now.

If the Big East attempts to stay intact as a football conference, then life for SMU gets a little better. IN that case, we may be invited to join C-USA assuming that some of their schools leave. However, it is not a very strong conference in that case, so would it be worth the move from the WAC?

[Sun Belt Jim]

Stampede is absolutely correct, SMU's athletic administration has been working diligently for years to get the school into a new conference that offers not only close regional rivals to reduce travel expenses, but also a chance to compete for championships in every sport. There is more work to be done, but its been underway for some time now, and everything will work out. You'll see.

[EastStang]

Here is the scenario. The ACC schools agree on Miami and Syracuse. But they deadlock on BC and VT. So, they decide to look elsewhere. Duke and Wake make noises that they want a private school in a large metropolitan area that they can beat in football once in awhile. Miami wants that, too. James Casteen the President at UVA calls his old friend and former AD, Jim Copeland to ask his thoughts on how to end the impasse. He mentions, "well SMU is available". Casteen calls the Duke, Wake, UNC, and Miami folks to discuss the idea. Wake likes it. Duke likes it. UNC remembers the good game they got from us and the sellout football game. NC State remembers a nice visit to Dallas. They go, Wow, that could work. Dallas is about as far away as Boston (okay its a stretch), this could work. Then Lamar Hunt calls an old friend, Russ Potts, former SMU AD and now a Virginia State Senator, who agrees to block any moves against UVa and to call his old friends at the University of Maryland. And the last school added to the ACC is SMU. My next work of fiction will be....

[This message has been edited by EastStang (edited 05-15-2003).]

[93Mustang]

A nice dream, especially for me as an SMU and Wake graduate. Too bad this scenario didn't play out in 1984 and too bad we didn't have a stadium like Ford at that time. Let's hope everything works out, but the fact that Sun Belt Jim has said we'll be "ok" indicating that someone from the Sun Belt is "in the know" about our plans makes me more nervous than ever.

[Stallion]

The Correct Answer is-JasonB is correct-it all boils done to whether the BE attempts to remain together-if it does SMU will be thrown a lifeline by CUSA-if CUSA is allowed to raid the BE, then SMU will likely be pushed down even farther on the food chain when the MWC eventually expands.

[EastStang]

Absolutely, it all boils down to how the BE responds. They have BCS status, and I dont' think they can't trade it off. The baskeball only schools make things interesting for both the Big East and C-USA. Will they splinter off into a Super Jesuit Conference? For C-USA, the basketball schools bring in the $$$. Marquette and DePaul are part of any equation. Copeland and Turner better be hard at work, pulling every favor they can, or we'll be playing La. Laf in two years.

[virginiapony]

There's still hope...

The ACC HAS voted to expand, but there is a chance that it won't. 7 of the conferences teams must agree on expansion, and right now, only 7 agreed on it (Duke and UNC did not). However, UVA may take back it's vote because their stipulation seems to hinge on Virginia Tech getting into the ACC rather than Boston College or Syracuse. Thus, with VT right now the most likely of the three NOT to get invited, UVA may take back it's vote, leaving the vote 6-3, and the ACC unable to expand.

[Hoop Fan]

To me, the Big East still holds the cards not CUSA and a critical piece in all this is Army and Navy. If the Big East schools want to remain an eastern dominated league, schools like TCU and Southern Miss will have a hard time making the cut. BCS is not in the equation at all, what we can hope for out of all this is a regional league with TCU, Tulane and Houston. Chaos is good. The WAC is unworkable.