Realignment: I Think We Are Screwed

[Dwan]

Me thinks that if there is a new conference that consists of Big 12 leftovers, MWC, and Conference USA, that our lack or doing anything in basketball for the last 20 some years will really hurt us. A conference with Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Iowa State, and Baylor would take a good look at Memphis because of their hoops. That new conference might model itself after the Big East or the old Great Midwest conference of the mid 90s as a powerful hoops conference. Heck, you have Kansas and Memphis and you have two of the top 5 programs in the nation.

The fact that we are in Dallas and have not been able to do much of anything in basketball save for one conference title in 1993 and one NIT showing is a bummer. If we had a basketball program that was as successful as say.....UTEP over the past 20 years and then matched that with June Jones and our football program heading in the right direction.....well i would like our chances a whole lot more.

[East Coast Mustang]

Me thinks that if there is a new conference that consists of Big 12 leftovers, MWC, and Conference USA, that our lack or doing anything in basketball for the last 20 some years will really hurt us. A conference with Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Iowa State, and Baylor would take a good look at Memphis because of their hoops. That new conference might model itself after the Big East or the old Great Midwest conference of the mid 90s as a powerful hoops conference. Heck, you have Kansas and Memphis and you have two of the top 5 programs in the nation.

The fact that we are in Dallas and have not been able to do much of anything in basketball save for one conference title in 1993 and one NIT showing is a bummer. If we had a basketball program that was as successful as say.....UTEP over the past 20 years and then matched that with June Jones and our football program heading in the right direction.....well i would like our chances a whole lot more.

Maybe, but football is what's driving the bus. About 3/4 of conference TV revenues come from football, unless you're the Big East.

[Mexmustang]

More and more it seems like Missouri will also be left out. The Big 10 seems to like Rutgers and Maryland more. Maryland was only mentioned yesterday (at least the first time I was aware of it) but seems to be on their wish list. Poor Missouri, they may have actually started this thing with their talk of going to the Big 10, and left the wallflower--who really cares?

[Samurai Stang]

More and more it seems like Missouri will also be left out. The Big 10 seems to like Rutgers and Maryland more. Maryland was only mentioned yesterday (at least the first time I was aware of it) but seems to be on their wish list. Poor Missouri, they may have actually started this thing with their talk of going to the Big 10, and left the wallflower--who really cares?

If Notre Dame joins the Big 10, and I expect they will, then Missouri may yet have its wish granted. What magical talking fish must they have stumbled upon?

[EastStang]

Pull your head out of the oven. Part of me is somewhat tickled by the fact that Missouri (who was almost a lock for the Big 10) is suddenly on the outside looking in. Two defections by Nebraska and Colorado do not kill the Big XII. The other five leaving (UT, A&M, etc.) would kill the Big XII. So, perhaps, they back fill with BYU, TCU or Utah and call it a day. CUSA lives on. Or if 6 go west, and the nuclear option appears, you have two basic questions. Do the remaining five want to go to places like Laramie, Boise, Provo, and Albequerque for all sports? Or do they want to focus on continuing to be a central time zone conference. Will they cherry pick (my guess is that they will)? Or will they gobble up a whole conference or part of a conference. There is a very quiet SEC sitting there waiting to drop its shoe. There is an ACC which may end up losing 3 to 5 schools and may not want to get into bed with Memphis, WV, Louisville, Cincinnati which have no academic credibility at all. Keep an ear on what rumblings come out of Duke, UNC and UVA. They are the Ivys of the ACC and new teams will need their votes. Remember Duke and UNC opposed adding Miami, VT (or Syracuse), and BC to the conference. So, its way too early to tell. CUSA West, TCU, Baylor, USM, UAB, or Memphis would actually be a pretty decent regional conference.

[Bergermeister]

Would SMU consider abandoning football if we are faced with such a scenerio?

Get a grip, man.

[Oldmins]

News here in Austin just said the UT and TCU ADs met today but no word on what was said. TCU and UT are playing baseball this weekend down here but kind of early for him to come to Austin

Probably TCU begging to go to the Pac-10 instead of Colorado/Baylor.

My guess is that DeLoss laughed in his face.

The trouble is that DeLoss laughs in everybody's face, especially Nebraska's. Therefore, the demise of the Big 12 because of the Big 1.

[Dooby]

Don't forget Army and Navy in all this. If ND is no longer independent, you can't write off either school joining a league.

[StallionsModelT]

Great responses here. I guess its still VERY hard for me to accept that things have changed at SMU and we now have people who are looking out for our best interests. I have faith in Coach Jones, Steve Orsini, and to a lesser degree President Turner to do everything they can to make sure we are put in a positive situation. I just hope we aren't too little too late for all this stuff. I'm not ready to push the panic button just yet, but I feel its a real possibility. Yeah we likely won't quit playing football anytime soon, but I personally have no desire to be in any conference with the likes of UNT, Ark State, La Tech, etc. Those schools do nothing to elevate our status nationally.

Here is my dream scenerio (and take this with two grains of salt as I am not even close to knowing the ins and outs of how this thing will ultimately shake out).

Baylor, SMU, TCU, Houston, BYU, Utah, Colorado State, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Boise State, and Tulsa try to band together to reform the "Big 12". You'd have TV markets in Dallas, Houston, Ft. Worth, Salt Lake City, Lawrence, etc. This MIGHT be enough to retain BCS qualifier status.

Here is my nightmare scenerio

The MWC is proactive and adds Boise and the Big 12 leftovers in hopes of acheiving BCS qualifier status. With that move, the eastern conferences begin to raid C-USA East for any and all salvageable remnants to get their conferences to the "Super" conference number. I could see East Carolina, Central Florida, and even Memphis being courted to leave C-USA. C-USA must now backfill by adding UNT, Arkansas State, and La Tech.

[Big Hoss]

Speaking of Notre Dame, don't they really HAVE to join a conference at this point? With the larger conferences coming out of this, most schools are going to have to add at least 1 conference game to their schedules, leaving only 3 non-conf games a year. That cuts down on 1/4th of ND's options at schools they would actually want to play.

Personally, I think if Notre Dame doesn't come down off their high horse and join the Big 10, they are going to find that their schedule won't be very "BCS worthy" going forward.

[San Antonio Mustang]

I don't know if we are "screwed" or not. What I do believe is that UT has decided that without Nebraska, staying in the Big 12 is not in their best interest. I do not understand why, because if they stay they can form their own TV network and increase their income. But for whatever reason they have either decided to move west and the Nebraska deal is a red herring or they really care about Nebraska leaving.

So the question is where does that leave us. From June's comments in San Antonio, and I guess in Austin as well, I believe he would like to see us and the other remaining Texas schools join up with the remaining Big 12 schools. Such an alignment makes a lot of sense, particularly if either the new "Big 12" is an AQ or there is a playoff system instituted.

My main concern is that we get into a position where we have the potential for a National Championship. Without such potential I think we are limited in the quality of the recruits we can get and we cannot get to the top level where I would like to see us.