Yoda plans for TCU

[GoRedGoBlue]

Saw this on Killer Toads dot COM

A lot of you guys don't know me very well but I've got some decent connections and I've heard a couple of things that might interest you...

First, as you know the BE is considering two basic plans. One alternative would split the basketball and football schools into two conferences. If that happens, it will likely not take place until late this year or early next year.

The other alternative just replaces their two losses with two (or possibly three) schools. If that happens, then it will likely take place in September.

Louisville and Cincinnati are in, under this scenario, while most of the rest of CUSA is making their best pitch to be a third -- Memphis, TCU and ECU included. The interesting thing (at least to me) is that ECU has hired a lobbyist to help them in this effort -- an ol' Southern gentleman by the name of Roy Kramer. Hey, if you want to be a high priced prostitute, then what better way to reach that goal than to hire the nation's top pimp.

Second, TCU has refused to give CUSA any guarantees that they will stay in the conference if Louisville and Cincy leave for the Big East. That makes it impossible for CUSA to plan or act in their own best interests. You can't go offering schools -- Marshall, UCF or an E-WAC school or schools -- because they want to know what they are joining and they are not going to know that until you folks decide what it is that you want to do.

Third, what you want to do (if the BE takes Louisville & Cincy only) is join the MWC. At least that is your preferred fall back position today. I don't know if your interest is in becoming the ninth MWC team or if it is only conditioned on joining that conference if you are to be one of twelve members -- in other words, if you insist on joining the MWC at the same time as Fresno, Hawaii and Boise or Nevada.

Fourth, the WAC is likely to adopt the Benson Plan -- meaning a five year binding agreement -- within the next two weeks. So if TCU's interest in the MWC is conditional on the simultaneous additions of Fresno, Hawaii and Boise/Nevada, then your interest may fade. On the other hand, if you're interested in joining the MWC and playing in a nine school conference, then you are in a great position -- all the other plausible schools will have taken themselves out of consideration by signing a binding agreement with the WAC.

And better still (for you) it could come down to a bidding war between the MWC and the WAC. The MWC offers you the better football conference today (barely). And the 4 WAC wannabes having committed to staying in the WAC, they just might be desperate enough to do pretty much anything you want to join them. At the very least, if wouldn't cost you much.

The WAC would make a run at you though. You could probably name a second school to bring with you (Memphis? Southern Mississippi? Tulane?). The E-WAC currently isn't a very strong division -- and still wouldn't be, even with you and whomever you bring. But the rivalries are local and expenses are a lot less than they would be in the MWC. Bowl opportunities would be better in the WAC (the MWC is down to two) and television money in the WAC would probably be as good or better as well. And a twelve school WAC could offer a championship game while a 9 school MWC would not be able to.

Incidentally, the "Yoda Plan" (which goes after SDSU and UNLV as well as TCU and whomever you want) is not under active consideration. I'm not sure that the wouldn't even drag that out if they thought it was necessary to convince you to go with us. But that's just conjecture on my part.

My real point is that TCU is in a very, very good position -- regardless of whether or not they get into the Big East.

Yoda out...

[gpony]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by GoRedGoBlue:
<B>Saw this on Killer Toads dot COM

A lot of you guys don't know me very well but I've got some decent connections and I've heard a couple of things that might interest you...

First, as you know the BE is considering two basic plans. One alternative would split the basketball and football schools into two conferences. If that happens, it will likely not take place until late this year or early next year.

The other alternative just replaces their two losses with two (or possibly three) schools. If that happens, then it will likely take place in September.

Louisville and Cincinnati are in, under this scenario, while most of the rest of CUSA is making their best pitch to be a third -- Memphis, TCU and ECU included. The interesting thing (at least to me) is that ECU has hired a lobbyist to help them in this effort -- an ol' Southern gentleman by the name of Roy Kramer. Hey, if you want to be a high priced prostitute, then what better way to reach that goal than to hire the nation's top pimp.

Second, TCU has refused to give CUSA any guarantees that they will stay in the conference if Louisville and Cincy leave for the Big East. That makes it impossible for CUSA to plan or act in their own best interests. You can't go offering schools -- Marshall, UCF or an E-WAC school or schools -- because they want to know what they are joining and they are not going to know that until you folks decide what it is that you want to do.

Third, what you want to do (if the BE takes Louisville & Cincy only) is join the MWC. At least that is your preferred fall back position today. I don't know if your interest is in becoming the ninth MWC team or if it is only conditioned on joining that conference if you are to be one of twelve members -- in other words, if you insist on joining the MWC at the same time as Fresno, Hawaii and Boise or Nevada.

Fourth, the WAC is likely to adopt the Benson Plan -- meaning a five year binding agreement -- within the next two weeks. So if TCU's interest in the MWC is conditional on the simultaneous additions of Fresno, Hawaii and Boise/Nevada, then your interest may fade. On the other hand, if you're interested in joining the MWC and playing in a nine school conference, then you are in a great position -- all the other plausible schools will have taken themselves out of consideration by signing a binding agreement with the WAC.

And better still (for you) it could come down to a bidding war between the MWC and the WAC. The MWC offers you the better football conference today (barely). And the 4 WAC wannabes having committed to staying in the WAC, they just might be desperate enough to do pretty much anything you want to join them. At the very least, if wouldn't cost you much.

The WAC would make a run at you though. You could probably name a second school to bring with you (Memphis? Southern Mississippi? Tulane?). The E-WAC currently isn't a very strong division -- and still wouldn't be, even with you and whomever you bring. But the rivalries are local and expenses are a lot less than they would be in the MWC. Bowl opportunities would be better in the WAC (the MWC is down to two) and television money in the WAC would probably be as good or better as well. And a twelve school WAC could offer a championship game while a 9 school MWC would not be able to.

Incidentally, the "Yoda Plan" (which goes after SDSU and UNLV as well as TCU and whomever you want) is not under active consideration. I'm not sure that the wouldn't even drag that out if they thought it was necessary to convince you to go with us. But that's just conjecture on my part.

My real point is that TCU is in a very, very good position -- regardless of whether or not they get into the Big East.

Yoda out... </B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Very interesting.

[gpony]

Sorry for repeating the entire message. I'm a first time user.

[GoRedGoBlue]

Ultimately, I think his point is that if you, TCU,

1) stay in CUSA, your best teams (UL and CINCY) may leave, then would you rather be there?

Or

2) if you go to the MWC, that may be a bad move if everyone else stays in the WAC and perhaps even steals from MWC and has a champ game -- would you want to be in that situation as well (and having your closest "rival" 1,000 miles away -- makes for expensive women's field hockey trips)