UTEP

[SMUstang]

I think that UTEP brings a lot to the table. Good fan support in Dallas. Great basketball tradition. Etc. But I have two concerns: First, since UTEP appears to be such a good prospect, why did the MWC pick TCU over them? Second, if UTEP is granted admission into CUSA, would they leave us if the MWC came knocking? Afterall, they are farther west and close to some of those schools.

H-E-B UTEP was not one of the candidates for MWC expansion last year. The three candidates were Fresno, Boise, and TCU. Neither Fresno or Boise could muster the votes for inclusion. TCU was accepted by default. I don't think UTEP will ever be threatened by the MWC. They were left behind when the WAC 16 broke up. They were not considered this time for expansion. I don't think they would go if offered in the future. They do and prefer to recruit in Texas so C-USA suits them better there.

C-USA could choose to stand pat at 11 members. But that would mean less revenue and more travel for each member. If the BE does divide up it's football and basketball leagues and C-USA loses it's remaining eastern members, C-USA will become a southwestern oriented league anyway by default. Adding a UTEP now won't hurt that scenario one bit.

[Water Pony]

There are ten other schools with a vested interest in this question. What do we hear from Houston, Tulsa, Memphis, New Orleans, Hattiesburg, Birmingham, Orlando, Greenville, and Huntington?

Making CUSA stronger should be the primary objective. Strategies could include:

(1) Strengthen the eastern membership
(2) Grab a large market
(3) Consider strength of both the FB and BB programs
(4) Consider academic credentials
(5) Determine non-revenue sports performance
(6) Will FB attendance home and away be important factor
(7) Is there Bowl afilliation possibilities
(8 wait a year for clarity
(9) one school or three
(10) make a move(s) to increase possibility that Army & Navy will afilliate

Which ones are key to strengthening the new CUSA?

[EastStang]

I think we need to get to 12 because that gives us a championship game which would mean more $$$$ for the conference in a time when its looking at a potential reduction in revenue due to the losses of Louisville, Cincinnati, DePaul, Marquette, St. Louis (all major market or marquee teams). As I said earlier I favor an eastern team or an Ohio team. Temple, Toledo, Miami, Bowling Green and the University of Ohio are the schools that fit that criteria. Northern Illinois (Chicago) could also be a possibility, but they would be as much out there as UTEP. My view is that adding an eastern team would add more stability and make it less likely that Memphis, UAB or UCF would bolt. Also if adding some eastern flavored schools for basketball only would help keep Memphis, I would be for it. UNCC might be lured back if you add for example Virginia Commonwealth, and you could have a decent addition for basketball, thus giving Memphis less incentive to eye the New Big East. There are lots of perameters here. We don't need to rush, but we do need another team for football.

[SMUstang]

C-USA is only going to be able to expand from the base of non-BCS conferences or independents. That base is not going to change from now into the future. The only thing that could change would be the attitude of Temple or the MAC schools toward C-USA. Are any of them that much better than UTEP that we should wait to see if they might change their attitude toward us?

[FloridaMustang]

Hell, I kinda liked that Temple idea. Even it was a joke...

UNT sounds better than UTEP.. but do we really want to compete with them for recruits now too?

Just a thought.