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Just a thought on the expanded WAC v. CUSA argument…

I have long stated that the media favors the East, so that is where we need to be. All you have to do is look at the lack of media respect the WAC gets despite having the highest TV ratings of any non-BCS conference, and having its champion finish as the highest rated non-BCS school 3 of the last 4 years. Clearly, all you need to do is read one Pac-10 expansion article, and you quickly realize that the eastern media doesn’t even try to cover the west with any sense of legitimate journalism.

However, here is one variable where the expanded WAC would be better than a scaled down CUSA… bowl games (and revenue).

Currently CUSA has 5 bowl partners: Liberty, GMAC, Hawaii, New Orleans and Fort Worth. However, once the Silicon Valley Classic folds (either through protest of CSU San Jose being kicked out of Division 1A, or more likely, financial reasons) the Pac-10 will be looking for a bowl game. I would guess that since the Pac 10 is the only conference that has somewhat successfully traveled fans to Hawaii, that the Hawaii Bowl would not hesitate to dump CUSA as a partner.

Also, there is the question as to whether or not the Liberty Bowl stays with CUSA if Memphis is invited to the new conference of Big East schools. Obviously, CUSA losses the bowl if the Liberty committee reaches its goal of becoming the fifth BCS Bowl… an idea not so radical, since the BCS conferences aren’t going to freely give up a bowl partnership.

Further, the expansion of the ACC means that conference will be in the market for a couple more partnerships; and they won't be looking to spurn their BCS partners after the PR hit they have taken in '03. GMAC bowl would certainly be a nice forum for a ACC-SEC tilt.

Certainly, there is a possibility that SMU ends up in the CUSA, yet remains in a conference that only carries three bowl partners (or fewer). However, an expanded WAC would certainly carry the following bowls: Humanitarian, Hawaii, Fort Worth, New Orleans; and probably would carry a fifth bowl matching the MWC and WAC champions. Also, let’s not forget about the possibility of playing in expanded BCS.

Again, I reiterate that an expanded WAC would not be my first choice… just saying you should not “give-up” if SMU stays in an expanded WAC…

West:
Fresno-Hawaii, Boise-Nevada, UTEP-Tulsa (San Jose dies)

East:
SMU-TCU, Rice-Houston, Tulane-Louisina Tech

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Also, some food for thought on the MWC…

Don’t forget ABC Sports acknowledged it overpaid for the Mountain West in 1999. That conference will probably sign a TV contract similar to CUSA’s current ESPN deal, with an expanded clause adding Thursday night games… a jump to the Mountain West would not guarantee Fresno, Hawaii, etc. more revenue by any stretch of the imagination compared to an expanded WAC.

I think your points are valid. However, might not the 5th BCS bowl be the Cotton Bowl which has a bit more history than the Liberty Bowl. If the Cotton Bowl were to become the next BCS bowl and they were to consider non-BCS teams, would not the conference with a team based in Dallas have a very modest increased chance of playing in that Bowl vs. a team that has no ties to Dallas at all. If that were the case, no doubt SMU/TCU would be looked at with much more interest by the other non-BCS conferences trying to increase that chances that their team would get an invite.

I'd love to see the Cotton Bowl become the fifth bowl... for one, I sleep through the Cotton Bowl every year because it kicks off at dawn PST, due to the SEC contract...

Either way, I doubt the Big XII and SEC would freely give that up without some sort of concession from the non-BCS schools (e.g- you can have the Cotton Bowl as the 5th BCS game, but we get the Liberty Bowl partnership in exchange).

East, I was thinking the same about the Cotton Bowl. Either need to renovate Fair Park or move the game to the Cowboys new downtown stadium. Probably makes more sense to move it to a new stadium with a retractable roof. The Cotton has already lost its traditional luster, might as well play it indoors. Sure would be nice if Dallas could pull something off and SMU could get in the middle of it.

The Cotton Bowl is a snore right now. Nothing at stake except pride. Unless the Aggies are playing the stadium appears half empty. If it were the 5th BCS bowl, you'd have a ranked non-BCS team (top 20) vs. no. 9/10/11. It would probably be more interesting. I'd stop watching the Citrus Bowl if that were the match up.

Certainly, the 5th BCS Bowl will not be played opposite another bowl game.

The schedule would feature an afternoon-prime time double header on the first, one game in primetime on the second, one game in primetime on the third, and the national championship in primetime on the fourth (unless a Sunday is in the mix, in which case the Net would shift one day).

All other bowls would be moved to December or the morning of the first, with a kick no later than 1:00p EST.

A fixed unit in the BCS contract is exclusivity of football (including NFL) during the timeslot.

How times have changed. I remember when New Year's Day in Dallas revolved around the Cotton Bowl.

Perhaps you remember that the BCS was formed after the major bowls made bids to the major conferences for how much they could pay out to participating teams. The Cotton Bowl couldn't generate enough money to be in the BCS. The funding always depends on TV. So the guys with the checkbooks will determine what bowls can pay enough to be in the cartel that gets to host the #1 team vs. the #2 team on a rotational basis. Now it is every fourth year. I don't think the BIG bowls want to wait every five years to get the title game. Only a true NCAA playoff will ever open things up for non-BCS schools to be back in the big time.

....actually I think the Cotton Bowl has sold out every year of the SEC/Big 12 relationship which is now very unusal in the bowl business. The matchups are great(for a non-BCS Bowl)-the time sucks.

Are they still playing the Cotton Bowl? No one outside of 2 teams and Dallas knows it if they are.

The Cotton Bowl is lucky that they get the 3rd Big XII team, at worst the 4th, that always turns out to be a Texas, OU, CU, or other high caliber team. They then match up with, I believe, the SEC 5th who can't believe the get to play such a good opponent and decide to make the trip. The Cotton has also been smart in understanding the importance of having a regional team like Arkansas or LSU be in the game, deserving or not.