PonyFans.com

Not so fast as my friend Corso would say. This thing isn't over yet:

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/7045145.htm

look, if they want to move there - have fun with travel and limited visiting team FB sales. Oh yeah... and ask the Pac 10 how much fun it is to get media attention out West

Believe it or not, as long as we can be in a conference with UH and Tulane (and a few other regional teams)Mr. T says we will be in good shape

I dont see how it helps them that much. It would be a stupid move in my opinion.

Well, at the same time I'd like to see TCU get the hell outta our division, I think it would suck if we didn't at least have 1 season playing them in sports other than football. That way when they go "YOU SUCK WE BEAT YOU IN FOOTBALL" We can say that we beat them in basketball, soccer, etc.

If they leave, than bring in Louisiana Tech!

Our move to the C-USA does not depend upon TCU staying. If they leave, we still have a good arrangement. La Tech would be a good fit indeed. You don't hear UH or the other C-USA schools complaining about the changes. I wish TCU would go to the MWC and suffer the consequences, but I don't think they wil get the opportunity.

Jesus people, why don't we just bring the whole underacheiving eastern WAC with us.

Originally posted by FloridaMustang:
Jesus people, why don't we just bring the whole underacheiving eastern WAC with us.

great point !

CUSA is pushing for SEVEN teams in the East Division to protect from someone leaving - So. Miss Could join the west and Marshall, ECU, UAB, FL schools et al could be the east.


BESIDES... MWC "says" they want tcu, but tcu is not saying anything about the MWC (and killer frogs chatter doesn't count suckas!)

the simple fact of the matter is that the MWC is a stronger conference (top to bottom) than the new proposed CUSA and if TCU is looking to associate with the strongest group possible, the MWC might make sense for them. Of course it's a poor geographic fit and will be more costly, but TCU may fancy themselves as being to the MWC what Miami was to the Big East all those years (that far away member that strengthens the group). It really comes down to whether TCU desires geographic proximity or really wants to play against the strongest competition possible. CUSA's strength, at least until the WAC schools get more competitive, is clearly in the east.

I agree that La Tech would be a good replacement for TCU in the CUSA east, and the WAC could survive by inviting Utah St, NMSU & Idaho to join their ranks. That would make both the WAC and MWC 9 members. The SunBelt could survive if Texas State and the Fla schools (A&M, International & Atlantic) move up to I-A as they seem to be planning.

I want to hear MWC's sales pitch. "We used to not want to be associated with you so we left you high and dry but NOW we like you. We want traditional rivalries but we won't throw you over for Nevada if they get good".

We are talking again with a conference that did not want us a couple of years ago and it currently sounds like the best football team in that conference doesn't want us either.

Originally posted by Ponymon:
If they leave, than bring in Louisiana Tech!

If TCU leaves, I think the league would shift Southern Miss (longtime Tulane travel partner) to the WEST, and look to add a school to the EAST.

Temple would provide a regional travel partner for Marshall, and give Memphis some competition in the EAST in basketball. Also, they provide live exposure to Philadelphia, which would be a bonus for the eastern schools recruiting efforts.

As for TCU... good luck to them. The MWC is a better conference, and TCU deserves a step up with the success they've had.

The downside is this... I'm sure the MWC receives about as much attention in the Central Time Zone as it does in the Pacific (none- just look at the fabulous season Utah has had, and the amount of pub they get). On the financial front, the MWC is going to lose its ABC deal. Both the Big XII and Pac 10 have out rated the MWC in the decent rocky mountain markets, and there is no incentive for the network to resign them. Especially when ABC might be looking at a bidding war with FOX for one or two BCS conference deals, and is going to need substantial incremental dollars to finance the deals above there current investment to house the Pac 10, Big Ten, Big XII, Big East and ACC.

I’d say, MWC is on the chopping block, the Big East deal will be flat, and the other conferences will absorb the MWC monies in addition to receiving a significant bump. The MWC is probably looking at a television deal very similar to CUSA's current contract; ESPN Networks with a lot of non-Saturday games.

CUSA is probably looking at a flat deal, maybe with a slight reduction in schedule (example: lose the Tuesday games to MWC, add in a couple more Friday games).

As of 2003, the MWC is a better conference, but those things tend to be cyclical. Good luck to the Frogs, I hope we continue to find a place on the schedule for one-another.

I'm not so sure the MWC is a better conference than the CUSA, even with the changes. BYU isn't what it used to be (and it never was as good as it used to be), Air Force is a consistantly okay program and Colorado State plays the margins of the top twenty. But they also have a bunch of teams that are pretty feeble as well. The CUSA has Southern Miss, a consistant performer; East Carolina, who despite a down season this year, has been very good recently, Tulane has been unbeaten in the last few years, Houston is on the rise, UAB hasn't been anything to sneeze at, and of course, God's gift to football TCU. And most of these schools are or near in decent media markets. Memphis and Tulsa bring better Bball than anything in the MWC right now, and that's assuming that our Ponies don't improve...

Considering travel, media exposure, attendance, and the fact that TCU can play "King of the Hill" in the CUSA in football for awhile (after all, now they can schedule tougher OOC opponents to boost their RPI), and considering that the MWC is not going to be getting a BCS spot ahead of the CUSA, why would they go? The CUSA will be the best place for them in the next round of realignments (yes, we'll be playing this game again before you know it) in ten years.

Originally posted by Greenwich Pony:
The CUSA will be the best place for them in the next round of realignments (yes, we'll be playing this game again before you know it) in ten years.

I think it will be quicker than 10 years. All indications are that Notre Dame is going to resign a 8-10 year deal with NBC, which kills any chance of them looking for a conference.

I wouldn't be surprised at all to see the Big Ten begin to court Syracuse and/or Pittsburgh for the 12th spot in 2005. Once that happens, the Big East will need a replacement, then CUSA, then who knows...

Just returned from 2 wonderful weeks in Maui... Read an interesting local article suggesting that if Fresno State is the team chosen for the MWC, that Hawaii should consider going independent in football, and join the West Coast Conference in other sports.

The logic by the writer was that Hawaii could make as much money as an Independent with 8+ home games a year and a Fox Sports West TV deal, as it could in a watered down WAC. Further, he concluded that if Hawaii is going to be in a 1-bid basketball conference they might as well partner with schools that have direct flights to Oahu. Makes sense when you think about it...

San Diego: Univ of San Diego
LAX: Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount
SFO: San Francisco, St. Mary's, Santa Clara
Portland: Univ of Portland
Sea-Tac: Gonzaga