Pac 10 Commish to Expand Conference

[Ponyx2]

SMU is CUSA and will be for a long time.

I wouldn't put my money on that happening, and I'm not going on my own knowledge and beliefs.

In all the post seem most people seem to forget about the University of Houston to the big 12 or MWC large TV area and can play a little football at times....hmm

MWC I could see, but I can't believe A&M or Texas would be agreeable to adding a Big XII team in Houston.

[Samurai Stang]

SMU is CUSA and will be for a long time.

Disagree. I'm guessing we're gone with the next big shake-up - if a big-boy door opens.

I believe that's been the goal, ever since that stadium went up on campus - and surely after we hired Jones. And, hey, there's always Jerry World for playing the behemoths. Hell, why should just Arkansas, OU, OSU, A&M get that joint in our back yard? That should be our back-up overflow stadium one day for when UT comes to town.

The mentality behind the stadium was that SMU would build a stadium and that would make everything magically better. Believe me, I know this to be true.

To assume that the hiring of June Jones and the construction of Ford Stadium are linked is to suggest that SMU had a plan long ago to improve, but decided to be content with horrible football until the last possible second.

[Stallion]

I personally don't think schools like SMU, TCU or UH have much of a chance to move up to a real BCS conference unless conferences start going to 14 or 16 and I doubt they will. I think the last thing the Big 12 South teams wants is another Metroplex team or a Houston in the middle of the best recruiting areas in the country. Now one team might sneak in if the Big 12 got landlocked but I know BYU would get in before those teams and maybe even Colorado St. Its all about recruiting territory especially since TCU, SMU and UH don't deliver a big new media territory. I'm glad SMU is pro-active but right now SMU is not in the picture-unless again BCS conferences go to 14 or 16. You still need to be pro-active to take advantage of the next-best option.

[Samurai Stang]

I wouldn't put my money on that happening, and I'm not going on my own knowledge and beliefs.

In all the post seem most people seem to forget about the University of Houston to the big 12 or MWC large TV area and can play a little football at times....hmm

MWC I could see, but I can't believe A&M or Texas would be agreeable to adding a Big XII team in Houston.

The Big 12 South will remain untouched. If Pac-10 expansion happens, expect Houston to be one of the schools that joins the MWC.

[EastStang]

Sorry, but unless there is a total blow up in the Big XII (which is of course possible), where do we go? The only Non-AQ schools out there that are worth looking to be with are: CUSA west plus Memphis and USM, UNM, BYU, Boise, Fresno, Utah, Army, Navy, AFA. An argument could be made for Hawaii as well. But that's it. We aren't getting into the SEC 12 mouths are fine. We aren't getting into the Big Ten (even if they jump to 12 there are really only four possibilities-ND, Missou, Syr., Pitt). Why? Economics. They have 8 conference games each year so they don't need to add teams for that. They need to add one team to get a conference championship. If they do that will add $5 Million. But adding another mouth to feed costs another $8 Million. So, where do you find a team that will add $8 Million of value to the conference. Missouri would because that would expand the Big Ten market area into St. Louis and Kansas City. ND would. But Pitt and Syracuse wouldn't. Clearly, not SMU or TCU. The other wild hare possibility would be Nebraska (who probably wouldn't be interested) but who is still ticked that OU got put into the Big XII South.

[PonyKai]

Key Points:

-Commitment to future excellence > past results.

-Facilities, academics, and location(Dallas) are important, and attractive.

-The University is being very proactive on this.

-Our basketball record, and our current basketball coach don't really matter at all.

-Turner wants to be president through the centennial and be remembered as the best president in the history of SMU. This would put him very near the top, if not hands down the best all around. He's raised a ton of money, expanded the endowment, built a bunch of buildings, built it into more of a national school with more clout, and secured the W. library. This achievement in athletics would build quite a resume for him. He wants this.

-It wouldn't be the Big 12.

[SMU21TCU10]

smu will go to the Big East

[35straight]

This doesn’t make any sense, but I like it. Good programs in both divisions along with a couple of easy wins. Though it will never happen, it's nice to dream.

Big Tex North:
SMU
TCU
No. Tex
T. Tech
UTEP

Big Tex South:
Texas
A&M
UH
Rice
Baylor

[smupony94]

Magnolia League

[EastStang]

Don't laugh too hard about a Magnolia league. We've already got four candidates in CUSA west (SMU, Rice, Tulsa and Tulane). If the MWC blew up, add in TCU, Army and Navy, and AFA and you'd have a Magnolia League of sorts. No Vandy, Baylor, Duke, WF or Miami, yet!

[NickSMU17]

Isn't our alumni network, i.e. circle of champions, influential enough to get us into a good conference?

These are all back room deals, and with all our money we should be able to keep from getting left out...

[RGV Pony]

Isn't our alumni network, i.e. circle of champions, influential enough to get us into a good conference?

Yes.

[East Coast Mustang]

I don't really see an expanding Pac-10 or Big Ten benefiting us, although it may not hurt us in respect to our current position. I've always believed our best shot at joining an AQ conference would be an expanded MWC with TCU, BYU, Utah, Boise, etc. An expanded Pac-10 would probably raid BYU and/or Utah, and an expanded Big Ten could likely take Mizzou, leaving the Big 12 to poach one of the MWC powerhouses.

[NickSMU17]

I really don't see BYU going into the PAC 10, they are the anti Pac 10 train of thought...

[East Coast Mustang]

I really don't see BYU going into the PAC 10, they are the anti Pac 10 train of thought...

$$$$$$$

Money talks.