C-USA, MWC discuss 22-team league

[htownponyfan]

Not sure if this article was posted, but it covers what some have said about MWC expanding with CUSA teams. They don't mention which schools but I would guess SMU would be one considered.

http://www.chron.com/sports/college/article/C-USA-MWC-discuss-22-team-league-2180832.php

C-USA, MWC discuss 22-team league
CHRONICLE NEWS SERVICES
Updated 02:17 a.m., Wednesday, September 21, 2011

The Mountain West Conference has begun informal conversations with universities that might be left out in the shake-up of the college football landscape.

In addition to the league's talks with schools from the Big 12 and Big East that might be excluded in conference realignment, Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson has had conversations with Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky about a football merger.

Such a union would create a superconference with at least 22 teams in two divisions stretching from Hawaii to the East Coast.

"You don't want to be left standing in a position that doesn't best drive you," Thompson told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "You just want to put your membership in the best light possible. If that includes adding people, if that includes the creative consolidation conversation with Conference USA - you just want to be building the best stage for your members."

With the Big East's shake-up, Thompson would be receptive to keeping TCU in the Mountain West beyond its scheduled departure after this season if school officials have second thoughts about joining the Big East.

After a meeting Tuesday in New York, Big East commissioner John Marinatto said all the members of his conference are committed to staying together.

The presidents and athletic directors from the Big East football schools met for three hours at a Manhattan hotel.

Marinatto says each member pledged to remain in the conference and the league is aggressively searching for replacements for Pittsburgh and Syracuse. He said the non-football members also are on board.

Thompson also is keeping an eye on any schools that might be left over from a possible breakup of the Big 12, although that may not be happening with the Pacific-12 voting Tuesday night not to expand.

No invitations have been extended from the Mountain West, which lost Utah and BYU this season as the Utes bolted for the Pac-12 and the Cougars became an independent in football.

The Mountain West added Boise State this year and next year will bring in Hawaii (in football only), Nevada and Fresno State.

"If in the worst case there's a 10-team Mountain West Conference in August 2012, that's not a terrible place to be," Thompson said. "But are there better options? That's what we're trying to determine."

Thompson said he's spoken with his counterpart at C-USA many times about merging football leagues. Should a plan be hatched, each conference would play separate schedules with the winners meeting in a title game.

"Basically, it would be two separately run conferences and business as usual, if you will," Thompson said. "We're just trying to see if this is an option for these 22 schools."

A larger conference could give the Mountain West more leverage to garner an automatic BCS berth like the six major football conferences have. As it stands now, the Mountain West will know after this year whether it has qualified or needs to seek a waiver and get approval by a 75 percent majority of the BCS oversight committee members to obtain automatic status for the 2012-13 season.

[Topper]

They talked about this before, but I don't see what difference it makes unless it leads to BCS eligibility. And I don't see that happening. The only possible advantage I see to a set up like this is that it would create a league with enough schools in enough states and congressional districts to put pressure on congress. But I can't remember the last time congress had the stomach to get involved in sports. Not sure that they should.

[smupony94]

Cut 6-8 teams. Let SMU be part of the Airport 8 this time.

[S....M....U]

of course we would be considered

[smupony94]

Rice, Tulane, UAB, Marshall you are out.

[StallionsModelT]

So is NM, Wyoming, and UTEP.

[Dutch]

So is NM, Wyoming, and UTEP.

nope, they're already members of MTN, can't boot them out. unless the conference is disbanded and a new one formed, but that isn't going to happen.

[Charleston Pony]

Mountain West

Hawaii, SDSU, Fresno, Boise, Nevada, UNLV, Wyoming, AFA, CSU, UNM, UTEP

CUSA (as is except UTEP goes west for football)

Changes made as needed to allow for defections to Big East (replace UCF, ECU, Memphis with ???)

Play 10 conference games and then champions play for a seat at the big table; this leaves room for 2 non-conference games (we still get to play TCU and rotate games with others)