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The impact of the ACC expansion seems to be very little. Maybe reshuffling a team or two from CUSA to BE. It makes little difference to SMU. If the idea of a renewed SWC with Army and Navy caught hold, it would improve our lot but I hold no hopes of TCU joining that conference. Why would they? They remain CUSA and whatever new alignment if any comes out of the small shuffle will not change the fact that CUSA is more respected than the new SWC would be. The major reshffle many were hoping for didn't materialize. BCS still rules and there is no room for more. Only small steps for BCS schools and minor retreats for the have-nots.

You da man, and absolutely right about the meaning of things in FB right now.

You speak the truth OP...

What we need to root for is for Louisville, Cincinnati, DePaul and Marquette to leave CUSA as a result of Big East expansion. The loss of the northern schools would shift the focus to the south, and gives us a chance for membership.

Louisville, Cincinnati and Marquette have all been mentioned in the Big East Alliance. Hopefully DePaul would be Xavier's replacement in the A10 if they are not chosen for the BEA.

It would leave CUSA with 9 full members, 2 non-football and Army as a football affiliate. A sound strategy would be to expand with 1 full member and invite Navy as a football affiliate to balance the league at 12 participants in football/basketball.

If you remove Cincy and Louisville, CUSA doesn't have near the appeal. That's what I mean when I say that the BCS will take a few select schools to improve themselves at the cost of the non-BCS schools. With Cincy and Louisville gone, the power of CUSA is TCU or So. Miss? Not great strides from Hawaii and FSU and BSU. The only thing that accomplishes is less travel cost.

It also accomplishes higher attendence, due to the FANS lower travel cost - i will think about going to Memphis or N.O. before I fly to San Jose or Fresno for a game. If we get a shot at the revamped CUSA you better believe we will be all over it.

I was listening to Jim Rome, and he had John Feinstein on, his outside possiblity is that Notre Dame joins the BE along with Army and Navy and only after Tranghese begs them to join a lets them have everything they ask for. Otherwise, he said the BE is toast for the BCS status after 2004. He also said that he did not see them raiding CUSA, yet.

Notre Dame is not BE football material. They think they are too good for that, and they are. The Irish will go it alone as long as they have a TV contract and a place in the BCS if they are rated high enough.

GoStang- I'm sorry but SMU can't get 15000 of their own fans to Ford let alone make a 8 hour drive to Memphis or NO. Yes- maybe another 2-300 go. That isn't particularly appealing. Personally, I would rather fly to SF and have a nice weekend around the SMU-SJSU game than go to Memphis. I know its more expensive but our rivalries with MU and SJSU are the same.