UTEP's CUSA Entrance and WAC Departure Expenses

[Cheesesteak]

Texas-El Paso joins Conference USA

By CHRIS ROBERTS, Associated Press Writer
April 30, 2004

EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- After 36 years in the Western Athletic Conference, Texas-El Paso on Friday accepted an offer to join Conference USA.

It will officially change conferences on July 1, 2005. UTEP joins Tulsa, Rice and SMU, all former WAC members that previously accepted offers to join C-USA.

``We look forward to continuing to compete in the Dallas and Houston areas, where there are large concentrations of UTEP alumni who have enjoyed following our teams,'' said UTEP President Diana Natalicio.

UTEP athletic director Bob Stull said the move will put the school in a more stable conference and bolster the Miners' recruiting in Texas, where it expends the majority of its efforts.

Stull said UTEP will pay $1 million into a C-USA reserve account and $200,000 per year for the next five years out of its conference revenues as an entry fee. UTEP also will forfeit about $600,000 in WAC revenues for next year. However, Stull said the annual revenues from C-USA are expected to be greater than in the WAC.

``We'll probably be able to break even over those five years,'' Stull said.

C-USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky said UTEP was asked to join because of its support for the athletic program, which includes a recent investment in a $9 million training facility and good attendance at football and basketball games.

UTEP joined the WAC in September 1967, five years after the conference was formed. The membership offer came one year after the Miners won the NCAA basketball championship under Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins.

The WAC took a serious hit in June 1999, when Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, UNLV, New Mexico, San Diego State, Utah and Wyoming withdrew to form the Mountain West Conference. The possibility still exists that other WAC members will join the Mountain West should it decide to expand.

In 2001, TCU left the WAC for C-USA. However, TCU accepted an offer from the Mountain West to become its ninth member.

In late 2003, shortly after C-USA lost five schools -- Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette and South Florida to the Big East -- the conference added Central Florida, Marshall, Rice, SMU and Tulsa. Those five schools also officially become part of C-USA on July 1, 2005.

[ALEX LIFESON]

I think the Miners were the best choice. I made the trip to Ruston last year, and the Mexican food was terrible! On food alone, UTEP was the best choice! LOL!!! You can always hop a last minute flight to El Paso on SW airlines. Welcome Miner fans!

[Charleston Pony]

CUSA's selection of a 12th member was a "no lose" situation for SMU.

By departing the WAC, we have significantly reduced travel costs as Houston, Tulane, USB, Memphis and UAB are all much closer thn any of the other WAC programs were. Whether UTEP, La Tech or UNT was chosen, we were still gaining another team much closer than any former WAC foes and closer than UCF, ECU or Marshall.

UTEP appears to have made it based on El Paso's support (attendance wise) for the Miners. UTEP will help bolster SMU and Rice's home attendance as they do have a good number of alumni and fans in Dallas and Houston. Only UNT could compete in that area (from SMU's perspective)

It's good to have this behind us. Now it's time to sit back and watch what happens between the WAC and SBC.

[GoRedGoBlue]

CUSA's selection of a 12th member was a "no lose" situation for SMU.

By departing the WAC, we have significantly reduced travel costs as Houston, Tulane, USB, Memphis and UAB are all much closer thn any of the other WAC programs were. Whether UTEP, La Tech or UNT was chosen, we were still gaining another team much closer than any former WAC foes and closer than UCF, ECU or Marshall.

UTEP appears to have made it based on El Paso's support (attendance wise) for the Miners. UTEP will help bolster SMU and Rice's home attendance as they do have a good number of alumni and fans in Dallas and Houston. Only UNT could compete in that area (from SMU's perspective)

It's good to have this behind us. Now it's time to sit back and watch what happens between the WAC and SBC.

I've been to many UTEP vs SMU and UTEP vs TCU games over the past 6-7 years, and I've never seen many UTEP alums at the games, a few hundred to a 1,000 usually.

I agree that it will help CUSA attendance figures and bolster the conference averages. Also, el Paso is a easy flight (though it does sling the conference out west) vs. LaTech's situation for the other CUSA members...so it will be easier for the 'Eastern' and "Rural' members to travel.

[Charleston Pony]

while UTEP hasn't had a lot of "road" support, that is in part due to their sorry performance on the field. UTEP has been as sorry as SMU for several years now, but with some early season success last year, they made a pretty good showing when they came to Dallas and I seem to recall a pretty good turnout for their game with TCU a few years back when the conference championship was at stake.

I look for UTEP to be a good addition to CUSA and if UTEP, SMU, Rice, Tulsa and Houston can contiue to improve, there just might be a chance CUSA could negotiate a Sun Bowl spot in the years to come.

[yesindeedydoody]

We no longer have to listen to NTSU whine about not being considered for membership.


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