MWC/BYU/TCU article - less than flattering

[EastStang]

The more important piece of that article was that BYU is thinking options and sees $5-8 Million per year on the floor if they leave the MWC. That's a pretty huge pile of cash to leave behind. Since the MWC is paying them about $2.0 M. per year allegedly, that would triple or quadruple what they're making now. They may be shaking down their conference mates. Apparently, when the MWC formed the MTN. network, BYU had to take their games off the BYU network and they've been mad about that ever since.

[TheRealTruth]

Worse mistake then TCU leaving C-USA: Tulane leaving SEC with thoughts that being independant would be much better for them.

[spothhb]

So if TCU leaves why can't SMU, TCU, Houston, and Rice form their own gig. Maybe get UTEP, Tulsa, Tulane, and UNT to join as well.

Call it the SWC.

Try to get Baylor to leave the Big 12. They are going nowhere and I bet the Big 12 would love for them to leave so they could offer a spot to CSU or BYU.

Ok, so before you start hammering the replies out I know it is a crack pipe dream.

[jtstang]

Baylor will never voluntarily leave the money of the big 12.

[MustangStealth]

So if TCU leaves why can't SMU, TCU, Houston, and Rice form their own gig. Maybe get UTEP, Tulsa, Tulane, and UNT to join as well.

Out of those schools, UTEP has by far the highest average attendance at about 38K. All of the others except TCU are under 30K. While that type of conference may appeal more to fans who want regional rivals, there is nothing to sell the conference to a TV network and only a handful of locations would be interested in that conference for bowl games.

[Charleston Pony]

I wish TCU had stayed in CUSA, but they wanted something better than what SMU, Rice & Tulsa were bringing to the table. Their attendance is comparable to all the MWC teams except BYU & Utah. It makes SMU & Rice look like little league programs. If TCU had a facility like Ford Stadium, they would pack it for most games.

The writer is dead on when he refers to them as being out of place in the MWC. I wish they would have remained in CUSA and I really think UTEP would have been a better fit with the MWC (both geographically and from having more history with those old WAC schools). TCU would have had an excellent chance to dominate CUSA's western division and could have been playing in the CUSA Championship Games the past couple of years.

Oh well...they at least have an arrogant conference mate to develop some hatred for. Who is that for us in CUSA?

[Water Pony]

Why? Two reasons:

- Distancing itself from SMU
- Hubris

[EastStang]

So if TCU leaves why can't SMU, TCU, Houston, and Rice form their own gig. Maybe get UTEP, Tulsa, Tulane, and UNT to join as well.

First a SWC lite is a fall back position if CUSA blows up. The six schools in the Western Division can stay together in or out of CUSA. They would only need to add two schools to be continue a Division 1A conference for football and basketball. However, the bowl opportunities, the television contracts, and the eastern exposure all come from CUSA. Just as the MWC is finding that it is not getting many viewers tuning in and their ratings suck, so would the SWC lite. CUSA for some reason is generating decent ratings. East Carolina has signed a deal with MASN to carry its games not carried on CSTV or ESPN. Tulane signed on with Fox Sports South for a game or two. We have the local channel contract. Whether this will continue or not remains to be seen. Because basketball is tied in with these contracts and Memphis is a 300 lb. gorilla in that sport, it certainly helps us there.