PonyFans.com

SMU, Marshall, Tulsa and Central Fla. are going to be added to CUSA. This is the word out of the CUSA Presidents meeting in Chicago.

1. Marshall
2. East Carolina
3. South Fla.
4. Central Fla.
5. UAB
6. So. Miss


1. Houston
2. Tulsa
3. TCU
4. Memphis
5. SMU
6. Tulane

This will make for a really great BCS league for 2005

Should we read anyting into your order of teams?

No...not at all. Looks like it will be a dog fight every year. Keep in mind that Houston was 0-11 year before last and may go to a bowl this year. With the CUSA TV package,and a great championship game SMU will, IMHO, come back quickly. It is always darkest just before dawn.

That could be a very good league, and it should bring stability and reduced costs also. What is the source of the information, is there a link to a newspaper article or something?

If this is true SMU is very lucky. Why would C-USA add us and not Rice? Week after week we prove that we are not competitive in D-I football and we havent made the NCAAs in 10 years in bball. Yeah, we are good at the non-revenue sports but lets be honest, football and bball are the only two sports C-USA cares about.....and maybe baseball. If Turner and Copeland have talked us into C-USA they deserve a lot more credit than I thought. I hope your right Coug, but I have my doubts.

LA, I tend to be skeptical too, but Rice? SMU's basketball has been much better the past 7 or 8 years. They have had a leg up in football, but the head to heads are even over that time. Their problem is their facilities are terrible. They have a huge endowment but havent chosen to invest in facilities, other than baseball i believe. I'm not saying SMU is deserving and Rice isn't, I'm just saying that we dont have to bow down to Rice.

CUSA Presidents had a big meeting in Chicage this weekend to deal with expansion. The list I gave you leaked out from really good sources. The only possible change is Cincinnati. It may be that East Carolina or South Fla. might get that Big east spot because Cincy is having trouble getting the votes. Doesn't matter either way...the four remain the same.
I don't think they are looking at SMU's game last week. These people know we all have our ups and downs and SMU has tremendous upside potential in both major sports. Old SWC schools know what a force SMU can be when it is cranked up. Looking forward to some great trips to dallas. haven't seen your new stadium yet.

I would see a bigger advantage of having Rice over Tulsa. Rice is in a large media market, has a recent NCAA championship (on national TV) and a big, beautiful stadium.

I understand Tulsa with its strong basketball could be attractive to CUSA. But I think Rice brings better football and baseball exposure to the conference.

Coog, I appreciate your support and I hope your right.
HF, I am just trying to think of the last time we beat a BCS conference school in football or bball? (Baylor doesnt count, I know we beat them in bball) Rice beat a good Colorado team last year in hoops. I know our records have been pretty similar over the last several years but I think C-USA is probably looking at the bottom line: NCAA appearances and wins over BCS conference schools. We are no better, maybe worse than Rice in that regard and they won a national championship in baseball.

They are probably looking at the NCAA basketball revenue that Tulsa brings every year.

Being in a big market doesn't mean squat unless you can deliver that market. SMU and Rice have the same problems. Rice is better in football but we are in basketball. Neither of us has anything to brag about in either though. CUSA is no better than WAC if Cincy and Louisville leave. It would help us financially to play closer to home. That is the only difference. SMU is a bottom feeder in either league so if Copeland has gotten us in this position, he has done well. It amazes me that we may have a choice.

coog - you're so right: "Old SWC schools know what a force SMU can be when it is cranked up."

you're so right about that - if we could only get our ducks in a row - which i think we finally are (sarcastically).

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by LA_Mustang:
<B>Why would C-USA add us and not Rice?</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

uhh... because Rice suckas play in a high school gym and gives all their money to da chem school

------------------
"I can remember when the air was clean and sex was dirty."
- George Burns

[This message has been edited by MizterTea (edited 09-22-2003).]

Does this mean we wil start playing games on Tuesday nights !?


------------------
"I can remember when the air was clean and sex was dirty."
- George Burns

I would need to research it, but I think SMUs hoop record has been significantly better than Rice every year prior to last year, and even last year we finished ahead of them in the reg season WAC standings. In any event, the future matters more than history and I think our facilities give us the edge over Rice. I wouldnt take anything for granted though.