from Southern Miss board

[Nacho]

Got this from the USM board. I think this guy is making a pretty good case for USM and TCU staying together and going to the WAC. It is apparent that USM is in a tenuous position (aren't we all?).

<A HREF="http://southernmiss.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=1355&mid=19582868&sid=&tid=19582868&style=1" TARGET=_blank>http://southernmiss.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=1355&mid=19582868&sid=&tid=19582868&s tyle=1</A>

From what I can tell things probably aren't going to go as fast as some of us initially thought. Could change with the addition of just one school, such as Louisville to the BE. That would start off everything since teams would get even more antsy, to say the least.

[This message has been edited by Nacho (edited 07-02-2003).]

[Hoofprint]

We need to figure out a way that Nacho can make a living as a realignment consultant - your links and information on this stuff are endless. Thanks for keeping us up to date.

[Cheesesteak]

Great effort, Nacho. Your research is appreciated.

[Nacho]

The pay is lousy but I just find it fun. A great hobby. Thanks. Hopefully some of this stuff is helpful to those who must make the decisions. Must go now. You never know where the next link might be.

[Hoop Fan]

Thanks for the link Nacho. I don't think a merger between the BE and CUSA is at all likely, but that might be semantics. I do think an alliance between CUSA and BE is very possible. The Big East would add two teams to get to 8. CUSA would lose one or two to get to 9 or 10. Both leagues maintain their separate identity and tv contracts. They simply play a championship football game every year with the winner getting the BCS bid. Its a reasonable solution and keeps the Big East in tact for basketball. This is what I think will happen and on the surface its not good for our Ponies...unless the WAC can convince the MWC of a similar alliance with the winner getting BCS also...perhaps against the winner of the BE/CUSA alliance. I think the BCS will loosen up a bit in the next round to where this setup is possible.

[Nacho]

The problem I have with this scenario is that C-USA may be severely weakend not only by the loss of a couple of teams to expansion but by the loss of others to financial ruin. They could lose Louisville and say EC to the BE. UAB and possibly Tulane &/or Houston may collapse under the strain of losing $multi-millions/yr. Army may leave. In all C-USA could go from 11 to 5 teams in the bat of a eye.

The WAC is far from stable. The probablity of losing 1-2 teams to the goats is in my mind pretty high. SJSU may not make it. The WAC is now at 10 and could easily go to 7 as a result.

In theory I think your argument is valid but when you break it down like this at least to me it starts to fall apart.

BTW I was telling someone this morning that I think you are one, if not the most logical poster on the board. I really respect what you have to say. If I disagree with you it always makes me feel that I am on the wrong path.

[Hoop Fan]

You're right Nacho, there are some weak links in CUSA. But, what if Louisville stays in CUSA? My thinking is that if CUSA is successful setting up a championship with the BE, with BCS implications, Louisville has no reason to move over. Instead, maybe the Big East takes a football only like Marshall and/or Central Florida. Maybe they take Temple back or get Navy. In each of those cases, the basketball schools are not diluted or threatened. That is critical to their expansion. Does Uconn or Gtown really want another tough opponent in Louisville hoops? My sense is Big East bball is already big enough and strong enough for their liking. I might be out in left field on this, but I don't see the Big East football schools breaking away or running roughshod over the basketball schools. On the other hand, why would the BE want to expose themselves to only a 50/50 shot of getting BCS bid, by playing the CUSA champ? In a perfect world they wouldnt, but they need to make a compelling case to the BCS for future inclusion and partnering with CUSA might help, and at the same time lets Cuse, Uconn and BC stay with their traditional bball rivals Georgetown, Syracuse and Providence. And finally, I'm betting the egos of the BE powers will assume they can beat the CUSA champ 80% of time, therefore thinking they will essentially have the BCS bid to themselves anyway.

Thanks for the kind words, Nacho. I enjoy the debate and banter.

[This message has been edited by Hoop Fan (edited 07-02-2003).]

[FloridaMustang]

Well, maybe the WAC isn't stable, but I think that we are in a better situation than C-USA. If all the dominoes fall, we will lose Fresno and maybe Hawaii or Nevada to the MWC and maybe SJSU to 1-AA. This will strengthen the eastern WAC teams, and if we could somehow invite Southern Miss, TCU, and Tulane, then the WAC could be a reasonably regional conference and greatly strengthened as a FB conference. The more teams that go to the MWC, the better, in my opinion. I'm hoping for everything to go to **** because I think C-USA will end up getting the raw deal, unless the BE chooses UCF over USF. I'm looking to see the BE take Louisville, USF, and Cincy from CUSA... that will give them some FB and BB credibility.

[Hoop Fan]

Careful UNF, you are on a slippery slope to the Sun Belt there. Why hope for defections of Fresno and company? I would rather have as many options as possible. I agree that joining a modified CUSA that included TCU, Memphis, USM, Tulane and Houston would be ideal for SMU at this point, but we're gonna need some luck for that to happen. Several more dominoes need to fall just right.

[This message has been edited by Hoop Fan (edited 07-02-2003).]