According to media sources, SMU, TCU should be together....

[Stampede]

in any conference realignment. Yesterday, I listened to a "heavy" in the media business and their feeling was that SMU will be the biggest benificiary of conference reallignment.

Also, stated that SMU and TCU .... SHOULD be in the same conference. Not being in the same conference was a HUGE mistake and will be soon. Equated it to USC and UCLA.

[PonySnob]

I don't think that SMU-TCU has quite the same flavor as USC-UCLA. When SMU-TCU play, there might be 25,000 in attendance. For USC-UCLA, its a packed stadium.

[MustangKurt20]

Equating to UCLA and USC is laughable b/c those two schools are perennial winners whereas TCU is a johnny come lately and SMU is a falling has been. However it is blaringly obvious that TCU and SMU should be in the same conference for obvious reasons. I wasnt too thrilled w/ the realignment scenerio dreamed up by SMU,Rice,Tulsa,Army,and Navy. We should throw some sort of lifeline out to CUSA. Should ACC expansion occur, we need to put all of our efforts into joining CUSA. Just my opinion.

Kurt

[giacfsp]

"the biggest beneficiary?" Where? In Texas? In the country?

I'm not sure SMU/TCU is quite up to USC/UCLA, but you (or your "media heavy") is right - schools that are so close in location and in the type of school have no reason not to be in the same conference. The rivalry generates interest, and should be enhanced by adding conference ramifications.

[Southland]

I think he is comparing logistics and what it means to conference finance, not the quality of football.

I've been to 16 of the last 20 SC-UCLA games... no contest on the field. However, I agree that any rivals with a similar platform, within the same DMA, should participate in the same conference.

[Stampede]

Biggest beneficiary in the country. And, no, I or the media heavy do not presume either SMU and TCU.... are USC or UCLA.

The big point is that SMU stands to gain the most in conferecnce reallignment and is on the way up...big time.

[giacfsp]

I sure hope you're right. But I fear you might be looking at the world through Red and Blue glasses if you believe SMU will be the NATION's biggest beneficiary.

[SoCal_Pony]

If you think of SMU playing SJS in a conference game and TCU in a non-conference game, versus SMU playing TCU in a conference game and Arkansas in a non-conference game, the importance of having TCU as a conference mate is the difference between us playing SJS in front of 8,000 fans versus Arkansas in front of 36,000 fans.

This same logic applies to TCU, and to a lesser extent, UCLA and USC.

[Stampede]

NO ...gia ...not rose colored glasses. It is not my thinking...but the media's...about SMU being the beneficiary.

I am only happy if we become a beneficiary.

[Southland]

Whatever happens, we need to move East. The West has never been respected by the Media (most of which comes out of the northeast), and that hurts the reputation of the schools athletics.

The national view of the WAC is horrible, despite the fact that the WAC (since the MWC split) has actually produced either the top or #2 ranked non-BCS school. That continued last year with Boise's 12-1 season. However, most media people would put the WAC closer to the Sunbelt than they would to CUSA.

Since the beginning of the BCS, the Pac 10 has put 7 schools into the BCS (all except ASU, Arizona and Cal). No other conference is even close. During that same span, half the conference has finished the year in the AP Top 5 (Washington, Oregon, Oregon State, USC, Arizona). However, most of the media play up the negitives, leading to a weaker brand identity. I'll never forget an ESPN analyst saying Carson Palmer didn't deserve the Heisman because he had 7 rushes for 2 yards v. Washington State (he threw for 385, 4TD-0INT). That is an extreme example, but the sentiment definately fits the norm.

The MWC is looked at as an insignificant conference, despite the fact that it may be the top non-BCS conference top-to-bottom.

Is my point that those conference should be more respected... not really. I saying that as long as we partner with the West, our brand is going to suffer. The opinions of the writers is what it is, and they will always favor the East... so that is where we need to be.