Interesting read about letter to TCU chancellor ...

[NavyCrimson]

if true...it was found on the c-usa board (link below)

seems very pragmatic & some very good points made:

Chancellor,

I know that there are many more informed opinions than mine on the subject of whether the University should ponder a relocation to the Mountain West Conference (MWC). However, as an alumnus of Texas Christian University, that deeply loves his alma mater, I would like to give you my opinion.

Athletics

The only reason that I can foresee joining the MWC is if they can promise an affiliation with the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) when Conference USA (CUSA) cannot. And frankly, the MWC can't. At least as has been publicly stated, negotiations for the "new" BCS won't commence for another year. In fact, the MWC cannot promise an affiliation with the "new" BCS any more than the "new" Big East.

I am not looking forward to travelling to Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico routinely for conference road games.

I am not looking forward to watching TCU play conference football games against New Mexico, Wyoming, and San Diego State, any more than I would relish watching TCU play Tulsa or Central Florida routinely.

I am not looking forward to playing in a league that considers an expansion to 9 or 10 teams sufficient.

On the other hand.....

I look forward to being able to play SMU as a conference football opponent so that our Athletic Department can schedule tougher, more marketable opponents out-of-conference. I would rather see us play, for instance, LSU and SMU, than Utah and SMU.

I look forward to playing Southern Miss or Marshall in the conference championship game, as opposed to having no championship game. And either way, if we win, we go to the Liberty Bowl.

I look forward to renewing a conference rivalry with Tulsa in basketball. I would rather see TCU play Tulsa and Memphis than see TCU play Utah and Colorado State.

I look forward to having the defending national baseball champion in our conference. Along with Tulane, Houston, Rice, East Carolina, and Southern Miss, we will have one of the premier leagues in college baseball. And let's face it, Jim Schlossnagle already left the MWC once.

Academics

As you well know, conference affiliations go beyond the bounds of athletics.

As an alumnus, I would prefer to see TCU aligned academically with Tulane, Rice, SMU, and Tulsa. I believe that the only private institution in the MWC is Brigham Young University. I see this as a remarkable distinction.

Culture

As a member of CUSA, TCU will enjoy an affiliation with three other schools in the state of Texas, along with two other schools that are in states that share our border. Half of the conference will be within an hour's plane flight of one another. We share a geographic and cultural background.

In the MWC, we would be the only school in the state of Texas. Only one school would be in a state that shares our border.

The schools in the MWC once left TCU behind. They did so to preserve their regional and cultural ties. They wanted a regional conference instead of a "super conference." And considering that they haven't expanded in that time, I cannot imagine that the philosophy has changed. They are reportedly considering TCU now because it could mean a "better chance" to join the BCS. But what happens if the BCS denies that request? Do they shun TCU once again as they did half a decade ago?


In conclusion, Chancellor, I trust your judgment. I trust the leadership of the Athletic Department, Eric Hyman. I have faith in the Trustees.

I am simply asking that you consider all that I have mentioned.

Respectfully,

http://www.ncaabbs.com/forums/confusa/invision/index.php?act=ST&f=22&t=848&s=24d478c3e644a20cb374d7c60bc9e358

[Buddha]

Very interesting read! That froggy makes some very valid points - I didn't realize BYU was the only private school in the MWC, but they don't really compete like many other private schools, since they have such a vast majority of Mormon Nation behind them -- their funding/donations probably is equal to that at a lot of public (state) schools. I don't know that, just guessing. Call me immature, but I'd love to see this backfire on the froggies.

[NavyCrimson]

me too, buddha

LOL

[KnuckleStang]

me three.

[Charleston Pony]

that letter probably sums up what the TCU administration is thinking, too. It may well be that TCU is "using" the MWC to gain concessions from CUSA. The fact is that TCU paid a premium to join a conference that is not what it was when they joined, and they should be compensated for that. TCU would also gain a certain measure of revenge/satisfaction by using the MWC in this manner.

[PonySnob]

It is hard to blame TCU for wanting to try and get in a better conference. Clearly they have made a committment to compete at a very high level in football while the three WAC schools coming into CUSA have not.

[NavyCrimson]

"and they should be compensated for that"

oh - spare me cp & snob.....don't be such a pair of 'defeatists'!

[Charleston Pony]

N&C: consider the facts. TCU paid an entrance fee that reportedly was significantly higher than what Rice, SMU & Tulsa will pay. Why is that? It's because the loss of 5 top programs to the Big East will significantly devalue their TV deal. Why shouldn't TCU be cut some slack? ECU might be in the same boat. They just don't have any leverage.

<small>[ 11-08-2003, 11:27 AM: Message edited by: Charleston Pony ]</small>

[KnuckleStang]

Calling CP & Snob "a pair" of defeatists is an insult to Charleston Pony, in my humble opinion.

[NavyCrimson]

cp...

if u feel so bad about - why don't u fork over the compensation.

come on cp, i've read your posts & respected your opinion for too many yrs for u to come up with this one...

we're delt a hand of cards & we learn to play them the best we can...such as life.

let them damn purple goo leave & let the rest of us get on with life!

we've got an exciting future ahead of us rebuilding smu & building c-usa!

go ponies!

[Charleston Pony]

you aren't hurting my feelings or insulting me at all. I'm a "reasonably" hard core SMU fan, but I'm amused that some are seemingly blind to the reality of the situation. Put yourself in TCU's shoes. I may be wrong, but I thought they paid something like $3 million to get into CUSA. We would have loved to have been included at that time. Remember how hurt everyone was by that snub? Now I read that we will get in for $1 million. If I'm in TCU's shoes, I'm sulking, too and I'd like to see CUSA make some concessions. Will it happen? Maybe not, but consider TCU's options. If they are invited to join the group that stabbed them in the back once, do they kiss and make up at the risk of hurting their future recruiting in Texas because of the geography of their new conference? Or, do they stay and play with a group they know they belong with and just swallow their pride for having been a victim of "bad timing"?

I will readily confess I may be ignorant of the real facts behind all of this. I just go by what I've read and seem to recall TCU paying something like $3 mil in installments. They paid that to be associated with Louisville, Cincy, Marquette & DePaul...not Rice, SMU & UCF.

[WobbleFrog]

This issue has clearly split Frog fans right down the middle. I really believe that the admin. at TCU knows that we need to be playing SMU, Rice and Tulsa in all sports but this recent success in football and this BS BCS thing has some of the alumni thinking about closing the checkbooks unless they get a bigger return on their investment.

Isn't this kind of ironic that the whole thing is based on football? We sucked in football for over 25 years and now because of some talented 19 and 20 year olds the entire athletic community of TCU has changed it's focus. I read the other day on frogfanforum that the MWC even had better volleyball than CUSA. Now that is what I am interested in seeing!

I am starting to suspect that if and when the MWC comes calling we are gone. Oh well, I will come visit Ford on Saturdays when the Frogs are on the road in San Diego or Salt Lake.

[bubba pony]

just about the time TCU make their $3 million investment to join CUSA I made a simliar investment in my 401k. My investment lost in the same proportion as TCU's investment. TCU and I want compensation for our decisions. who will pay TCU and me (and you) for our investment decisions made three years ago? if CUSA does some sort of finacial compensation to TCU that money is coming our of SMU's pocket (as well as the other CUSA members). Believe it or not there is more to this than football.

[SMUFan]

As a public service to our friends in Fort Worth, I've worked out a mathematical formula through which the TCU administration and athletic department can bypass all the headaches associated with the BCS possibilities and the potential move to MWC:

1. TCU beats whoever the hell they're playing this week, although not by a lopsided margin (like every other game this year)

2. SMU benches all starters and plays backups out of position to make sure we throw the game against Rice.

3. An SMU loss to Rice and an open week make the Ponies an even bigger anchor on the TCU strength of schedule index, causing the Frogs to tumble (albeit only a little) by simply showing up to play SMU.

4. After sand-bagging all year by hiding their true offensive explosiveness, SMU comes out and shocks the college football world by knocking off TCU. (Bear with me - this sounds logical if you drink enough....) TCU's strength of schedule is lowered, then plummets after losing to previously winless SMU. MWC officials see game and figure there's no way they want TCU after pulling that nosedive.

BCS argument? Gone.
MWC invite? Gone.

Eric Hyman and the rest of the TCU administrators can then take a well-deserved rest from undue media attention.