C-USA Expansion/New Orleans Times-Picayune

[50's PONY]

C-USA might add member
La. Tech, UTEP considered favorites
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
By Ted Lewis
Staff writer
Two days of talks among Conference USA athletic directors failed to produce an announced consensus to what school they want to become the league's next member, but C-USA officials say they are closer to a resolution.

The meetings were held Monday and Tuesday in Irving, Texas.

"It was a very productive meeting," C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky said. "We've still got a ways to go, but the end is in sight."

Louisiana Tech and Texas-El Paso appear to be the leading contenders, although Banowsky said staying put at 11 remains a viable option.

The conference has been looking for a new member, or members, since Texas Christian announced Feb. 7 it was joining the Mountain West Conference. At that time, Banowsky said he expected the process to take 45-60 days.

"Sometimes deadlines pass," said Tulane president Scott Cowen, who was part of a conference call with league presidents Monday. "We really didn't expect a decision to come out of this.

"Now the athletic directors can go back to the presidents, share the information we have and then we can exercise our options."

Cowen said he expected a decision to be made at the next scheduled presidents' meeting, April 30. One option that appears to have been eliminated was expanding by more than one school.

Mid-America Conference schools Miami of Ohio and Toledo had been in discussion with C-USA but Banowsky indicated that expanding by more than one school would have been unwieldy.

Also apparently eliminated is Temple, which had been interested in joining in football only, preferring to keep its other sports in the Atlantic-10. But Banowsky said C-USA is interested in schools for full membership.

That would leave WAC members Louisiana Tech and UTEP.

Cowen said that while he would look favorably on adding Louisiana Tech, he did not yet have a particular preference.

Adding a 12th school would enable C-USA to stage a football championship game in 2005 when other incoming members SMU, Rice, Tulsa, Central Florida and Marshall begin competing in the conference

[LA_Mustang]

La Tech and UTEP are the best candidates. I believe UTEP has the most upside. They are coming off a terrific year in bball but it will be interesting to see if Doc Sadler can keep the program heading in the right direction. They return their top four scorers from last year's team and should be the favorites in the WAC next season. As for football, Mike Price is a damn good coach. He will make them a factor very soon. It really seems like UTEP has made a true commitment to winning. It just sucks that they in El Paso.

[Charleston Pony]

Both UTEP and La Tech are attractive to me, but then again so is UNT. The problem with UTEP is that they don't play baseball and they bring a 3rd time zone into CUSA...not to mention a 2000 mile trip for ECU & UCF. UNT, as a public school in Texas, should be playing baseball. I agree that having a baseball team helps La Tech's cause...not to mention a high profile women's bball team.

Will there be enough CUSA schools playing soccer for SMU to compete in CUSA? Or will we have to remain with the MVC?

[FloridaMustang]

La Tech has huge upside... I think they'll get the bid...

SMU really needs baseball... :\\

[EastStang]

No they don't have men's soccer at this time. I don't know what the new additions bring on that score and which old remnants have men's soccer but were playing in other leagues. I suspect we stay in the MVC which is actually pretty good competition for us.