Conference reallignment

[couch 'em]

dominating our conference - year in and out 0- is what we need to do

So you think we should join the sunbelt?

I'm for being in the best conference possible, because that will raise the value and profile of SMU to recruits and future conferences.

[that's great raplh]

let's see - tcu dominated and kept moving up

[jrj84105]

let's see - tcu dominated and kept moving up

And how many conferences did TCU belong to through that process? They didn't sit around to see what happened.

MWC is not a viable conference- they lack a private school member so that their finances are subject to FOIA, they are all over geographically, and they have a crappy tv deal. CUSA is also spread out and will eventually have UCF and ECU poached by the Big East. If the Texas schools + Tulsa of CUSA band together and push to form a new conference with 4 each from WAC/MWC they could probably negotiate a decent TV deal and retain a fair number of bowl tie-ins. The WAC and MWC and maybe CUSA would cease to exist with the loss of these members=no exit fees. SMU, UH, UTEP, Tulsa, NM, AFA for a division is not a bad travel schedule especially when you add three in-state OOC games each year (TCU + a big12 team + Rice or other in-state cupcake). Go to Cali every other year, Nevada every other year, Hawaii every four years, and Boise every four years.

The remaining teams (LaTech, Tulane, SoMiss, Rice, Memphis, UAB=CUSA /UtSt, Idaho, Wyo, CoSt, NM, SJSt= WAC) either pick up some FCS schools or merge. This conference wouldn't be competitive for tv dollars or recruits.

[PonyKai]

MWC is not a viable conference- they lack a private school member so that their finances are subject to FOIA,

Didn't seem to be a problem for TCU until like what, 11 days ago? Something change since then?

[stc9]

Are Nevada and Boise really going to go into the MWC now that all the quality teams are leaving? Since they haven't actually played in the conference yet, is it too late for them to back out.

[SMULawman2008]

CUSA is a perfect conference for schools like SMU. Even if ECU and/or UCF were to leave, there are plenty of strong teams within the footprint to absorb. The obvious pick is la tech. The next is Troy. Florida Atlantic, South Alabama, and even North Texas would work too. I think SMU should focus on dominating C-USA for the next decade.

[Samurai Stang]

CUSA is a perfect conference for schools like SMU. Even if ECU and/or UCF were to leave, there are plenty of strong teams within the footprint to absorb. The obvious pick is la tech. The next is Troy. Florida Atlantic, South Alabama, and even North Texas would work too. I think SMU should focus on dominating C-USA for the next decade.

NTSTC, Rice, Memphis, Tulane, and UAB are among the worst Division I football programs. South Alabama will not play Division I until 2013. This would be a horrible conference.

[03Mustang]

CUSA is a perfect conference for schools like SMU. Even if ECU and/or UCF were to leave, there are plenty of strong teams within the footprint to absorb. The obvious pick is la tech. The next is Troy. Florida Atlantic, South Alabama, and even North Texas would work too. I think SMU should focus on dominating C-USA for the next decade.

Did you just call La Tech, Troy, FAU, South Alabama, and NTSU "strong programs"? Really? I wouldn't want SMU to spend 10 minutes in a conference with those teams, much less 10 years.

You get a better lot by dominating where you are and always looking to make a move into a better situation when the opportunity presents itself. We don't need alliances with schools like Houston or Tulsa, and we definitely don't need Rice or Tulane. We need to do what is best for SMU, period - to deny that is to deny the reality of college sports today.

[Charleston Pony]

La Tech has had some very competitive teams through the years and a move to CUSA would help them tremendously. Wasn't that long ago they went into Tuscaloosa and won against the Tide. They would be the logical 1st choice to replace any eastern defector, but I would hate to lose UCF. That program has the potential to become CUSA's Boise State. We need to reach the level TCU is playing at. The rest of CUSA can sit back and watch the two of us play for CUSA Championship year after year.

I'd hate to lose either ECU or UCF. Nice to have some larger public universities that can put 40-50k in the stands. We need that...but also need to start winning against BCS programs for credibility

[PoconoPony]

I have posted before that the old concept of a conference serving the needs of all sports should be totally abolished and scrapped. It is slowly evolving that every sport form its own conference to accommodate what ever level and geographic needs it seeks. Football conferences should be independent of basketball conferences....etc. At SMU men's soccer already has Kentucky and South Carolina in the conference. Swimming involves virtually invitational multi-school competitions, regional rivalries and a weak C-USA championship. Golf and tennis involves Invitational tournaments and selected matches coupled with NCAA playoffs. Crew and equestrian is mainly multi-school events all over the country. Bottom line is that TCU football should be in the Big East; however, TCU baseball, track, tennis ....etc. should join more compatible leagues commensurate with their budget and level. Hard to fathom TCU playing baseball against St. Johns, Providence, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Notre Dame where there is no rivalry and little interest.

[EastStang]

Conferences still dominate the football and basketball landscape. CUSA has a strong core of teams. The western division teams are pretty much joined at the hip. Add in Memphis and USM as close teams and you have a strong core of 8 teams. UAB gives you some basketball history. Marshall is kind of out on the limb, but has no interest in the MAC. We probably would want to look at teams like FIU, FAU, La. Tech, NMSU, if we lose any teams. My guess is that UCF and ECU are not going anywhere, so such discussions would be moot. We need to look at perhaps improving our hoops brand. I still think it was a mistake to drop UNCC and St. Louis. So, we need to focus on teams in our footprint who might fit for hoops/all sports who are 1-AA in football. The CAA is a conference that might be a good target in that regard. Teams like VCU, George Mason, Old Dominion, UNCW, are all upgrades to CUSA basketball.

[Sammy 11]

Conferences still dominate the football and basketball landscape. CUSA has a strong core of teams. The western division teams are pretty much joined at the hip. Add in Memphis and USM as close teams and you have a strong core of 8 teams. UAB gives you some basketball history. Marshall is kind of out on the limb, but has no interest in the MAC. We probably would want to look at teams like FIU, FAU, La. Tech, NMSU, if we lose any teams. My guess is that UCF and ECU are not going anywhere, so such discussions would be moot. We need to look at perhaps improving our hoops brand. I still think it was a mistake to drop UNCC and St. Louis. So, we need to focus on teams in our footprint who might fit for hoops/all sports who are 1-AA in football. The CAA is a conference that might be a good target in that regard. Teams like VCU, George Mason, Old Dominion, UNCW, are all upgrades to CUSA basketball.

I think CUSA East would benefit from upgrading a FCS school over the Sun Belt schools if you lost a team. If you could get a legit FCS football team like AppState, Richmond, JMU, or if Charlotte added Football you would likely add more cash & tv interest. Only real exception to this is if a F_U team worked enough for recruiting and/or networks.

[East Coast Mustang]

I am so tired of these damn threads.

Weren't you the one who said the Pac-10 had shown interest in SMU, according to your "sources?"

Pot, meet kettle.

[EastStang]

Why do people continue to assert that CUSA should add FCS risers to the Conference? Let them do their penance in the Sun Belt first. If there is an FCS team that is a legitimate annual participant in March Madness, then I could overlook their football weakness because they add in hoops. UNCC, Richmond might qualify. Richmond is a private school like Baylor (baptist) who has been to the tournament relatively often. UNCC was an all sports team in CUSA prior to the exodus by Marquette, DePaul, St. Louis, etc. But please, unless they bring something to the table in hoops, don't mention FCS teams.

[Topper]

I'm for being in the best conference possible, because that will raise the value and profile of SMU to recruits and future conferences.[/quote]

Baylor gets quite a few guys that we would like to have for no other reason than Baylor's Big 12 membership. We need to beat them and TCU in recruiting the top local talent. As long as we are in a less attractive conference, it will be a real uphill battle. We can do it, but not easily.