Why'd They Do It

[AusTxPony]

I'm still confused about why TCU went to the MWC. I can understand they might see it as an upgrade and maybe the attendance of most of their schools is better, but the cost in travel and rivalries seems to outweigh those reasons. Anyone have an answer? At any rate I'm still glad we play them as they and Baylor have become a good bellweather for our progress. Go Mustangs.

[EastStang]

There is the official version and the unofficial version. The official version is that the MWC had the best chance of becoming a BCS conference so they wanted to go there for that reason. The unofficial reason is that some of their donors were so disgusted by SMU being asked to join CUSA that they left for greener pastures.

[Stallion]

The real reason is that they don't want their futures determined by schools like SMU and Rice who are not perceived as COMMITTED to competing at a championship level in Division 1A. That's it in a nutshell. They know the MWC schools will be around in 10-20-30 years. Will Rice? Will Tulane? Will Houston? Will SMU? All 4 have at least considered deemphasizing athletics in the last 10 years.

[giacfsp]

Got to agree with you, if only because of your inside knowledge of the TCU athletic deparment. After all:

You work for the TCU athletic program (um .... no.)
You're in the TCU administration (um .... no.)
You're on TCU's version of the Mustang Club (nope.)
You're on the Board of Frog-ees (or whatever they call it) uh .... nope.

Amazing -- you can now blame SMU for a decision that might be bad for TCU in the long run. See if you can figure out a way to blame SMU for the tsunami while you're at it.

[SoCal_Pony]

I don’t see how Stallion’s post is specifically blaming SMU for TCU’s departure.

He stated TCU doesn’t want to be associated with Rice, UH, SMU and Tulane, all of whom have openly discussed de-emphasizing D1-A football within the past 4 years. Funny thing is he left out Tulsa, hardly bedrock of college fb.

While nobody will dispute it was a gamble; I personally admire TCU’s moxie.

There is a possibility, however remote today, that the PAC-10 will expand to twelve teams ala the ACC. If that occurs and Utah and Colorado are offered, I suspect TCU would be on a short list of Big 12 replacements. No way the current SMU program would make that list, although IMO we have far greater upside than the frogs.

[MrMustang1965]

The Froggies will become to the MWC what the Baylor Bears are to the Big XII.

[AusTxPony]

Personally I can't conceive of the Pac 10 expanding. There is no advantage that I can see. The playoff game actually hurts the regular season winner in BCS standings if they lose. Just imagine an undefeated USC getting beat by a last minute FG by an 7-4 Washington State in the playoff game, e.g. I do think SMU, UTEP or Houston has the better upside for the Big 12. I just hope the MWC doesn't come sniffing at Houston's door, they just might let them in.

[AusTxPony]

I think Stallion's thinking is illogical. Why wouldn't TCU try to continue dominating the CUSA (and their new bretheren in TX, LA and OK) and playing in a Bowl game every year? It would seem better for recruiting and if CUSA lost schools, then they would be even more desirable for another league. I think TCU must believe that the MWC has a shot at BCS status in the near future.

[couch 'em]

By that logic then they should want to play in the Sun Belt so they can always win! Stallion is right. They want to be in the best conference they can be in. You think it is easier for Baylor to recruit, or North Texas?

[Treadway21]

Since when has SMU "openly discussed de-emphasizing D1-A football within the past 4 years"? Didn't we complete a 56 million dollar stadium for football in that time period? Didn't we hire a new coach with a renewed commitment to improve the team? Didn't the administration loosen the admission policy to allow the new coach to compete for junior college players for the first time? We have a long way to go, but you can't say that SMU has openly discussed de-emphasizing football, though some on this board have - they don't count.

[EastStang]

I don't see UH wanting to join the MWC. They are tickled that their costs are actually going down this year and budgets have been problematic for them. Also, if the MWC expands and adds for example UH, they would have to create divisions. Remember the WAC 16 broke up because of the Gang of 5 (BYU, UT, AFA, CSU, Wyo) wanted to play each other every year. If a team like UH were added (over say FSU or BSU), then they would want to keep the Gang of 5 together so UH, TCU, UNM, UNLV, SDS, and one other team would end up in the red-headed step-child division. Thus UH would get BYU and AFA every four years at home at best. So, the MWC will have a tough road to hoe. I also suspect that Rice, SMU, Tulsa, UH, UTEP and Tulane have pretty much decided to stay together for the long term absent an invite from the Big XII.

[Stallion]

sometimes I assume everybody thinks this out into the future. What happens if Memphis and Marshall or ECU for example go to the Big East. That would leave schools like East Carolina and or Marshall and even Central Florida out on island and ECU and Marshall in particular would find it very hard to compete in a Texas/ Gulf Conference. If this is reduced to a Texas Magnolia conference(hopefully Southern Miss and UAB would stay) will that conference be able to command a decent National TV Contract and quality bowl games? Be Honest.-Rice, SMU, Tulsa, Tulane, UH and UTEP have questionable TV market power-remember we're being honest. Guess we would turn to Louisiana Tech and NTSU-who also have a very low national profile. That conference may not attract the TV/Bowl Contracts of even the MAC-a little more than the Sunbelt. The MWC numbers would be much much larger. This is scenario TCU is concerned about and one I've been wary of for over a decade. Still all and all SMU really has no other alternative in the forseeable future. TCU did have that option. Further clouding the issue-what if the MWC goes to 10 or 12 and realizes its best bet to increase market share is to solidify its presence in Texas like the Big 8 did. What is left if UH and/or UTEP go to the MWC. Very troubling prospect to say the least.

[FLORIDAGUY]

I live in Florida and read the newspaper with the largest circulation in the southeast every day. The MWC gets very little ink compared with CUSA and that is true in every daily in the entire region up tp and including the Washington Post. The time difference and the lack of any concentration of population in the inter-mountail area is a weakness for the MWC. I lived out there for 4 years and call it the area of darkness. If you go to the NASA web site you can find a night satalite photo of the US and you will see the lights go out at about just west of Houston, Dallas, Kansas City and on up to Chicago. and don't come on in any volume until you hit the west coast. Our paper has a CUSA round up all most every day and a separate space in the Sunday College Football section. Ink shapes the opinion of the voters.

[Stampede]

Okay...now Stallion is a media/marketing expert. Official word is that the CUSA TV money is as big as before even with Cinci, Louiville and TCU leaving.

That is the deal. The $$$ are the same for CUSA and we are apart of it.

Hey...who knows what happens in the future. My crystal ball may not be as good as some....but it is better than most.

[Cheesesteak]

Posted by Stallion:

This is scenario TCU is concerned about and one I've been wary of for over a decade.

Stallion - are you saying that you have been wary of the Big East losing key (Miami, VT and BC) football schools but backfilling with new football (Cincy, USF and UofL) and basketball schools mostly at the expense of CUSA possibly leading to TCU seek sanctuary in the MWC because the BE might raid CUSA again...hurting CUSA's TV contract appeal, etc. for more than ten years?