C-USA and MWC talking merger, too

[RednBlue11]

i just saw on SC that they are reporting that the MWC and the CUSA are pursuing a football-only merger

[The PonyGrad]

http://www.rgj.com/article/20110920/SPO ... t|Sports|s

The Mountain West Conference, which Nevada will join next summer, and Conference USA are considering a football-only merger, MWC commissioner Craig Thompson told the Idaho Statesman.

"We've resurrected ... this consolidation concept with Conference USA from a football-only standpoint," Thompson told the Statesman. "The timing is right to be proactive in that. Consolidation is, at least, worth exploring."

....

[03Mustang]

So we end up in that cluster while TCU, UH, etc end up in the Big 12 after UT, OU, etc leave? Sounds like another demotion.

[ponyinNC]

This is a BAD idea, and just links us up with more terrible schools. What is the goal here? It will not be an AQ conference. It is a logistical and geographic nightmare, not to mention it is not what we set out to achieve.

This is the BCS giving us the finger and saying, "ok, you little guys play each other and one out of the 24 of you will get to play the worst one of us." Gives them an out for any type of Sherman Antitrust accusation as well. Why not just merge the MWC, MAC, Sunbelt and CUSA and the winner can play UConn in the Fiesta Bowl?

We need to get into the new Big 12 with leftovers from BE.

[NickSMU17]

Pretty sure everyone would rather be in new big 12, but its not likely unless some more teams go elsewhere quickly....Need big 10 to expand, acc to go to 16 and sec to 16....

Prob not gonna happen....I would rather being playing AF, C.state boise, old wac teams with a shot at BCS bowl then be relegated to north texas and sun belt, and no bowl...

[StallionsModelT]

It really depends on how the Big 12 thing shakes out.

If the Big 12 patches itself together its going to have to give SMU at least SOME consideration. If they want to get to 16 teams I think we are in good shape. If its only 12 I think we are left out.

If we are left out we need to pursue any and every possibility including the MWC/CUSA merger. If we can cut the dead weight out of both conferences for football only, would it look something like this?

MWC - Boise State, Fresno State, Nevada, Air Force, Colorado State, San Diego State
CUSA - SMU, Houston, Tulsa, Central Florida, Southern Miss, East Carolina

IMO this is substantially better than what we currently have in CUSA (UTEP, Rice, UAB, Marshall, Memphis)

The key factor is the cutting of dead weight.

[Comet]

It would be best for a merger of the cream of the crop of each conference than this silly 24 team -> 1 BCS spot deal. We need to upgrade our conference/competition.

[ponyinNC]

ModelT-

I just don't think you can cut schools from a conference. Doesn't really make you, as a Commish, look very good. And I don't think it would be an easy process, even if they decide it is a good idea.

What is conference affiliation anyway? Seems like it is just contract law, and there is a view that a party should be allowed to breach a contract and pay damages, if doing so would be more economically efficient than performing under the contract. It's basically efficient breach. Question would be, what are the damages and how can you possibly calculate them in this situation? Unlike entry and exit fees, which are usually agreed upon beforehand, I do not believe there is any stated fee for dropping a program. So you get into a litigation situation, which no conference wants.

I could be wrong, haven't really done any research in this area, but I can't think of any examples of a conference just "dropping" programs to add better ones. If you find any, please post.

[redpony]

I agree that having the two conferences 'affiliate' and have a playoff is not good for us.
If we can't get added to the new b12 then we need to work on getting a new conference formed and drop the dead wood that both MWC and CUSA have. Last option is indy and that is really a long shot which will be doa if ND goes b10 or Acc.

GO PONIES!!!