Hypothetical: Big East Takes UCF and ECU

[StallionsModelT]

What would be the response of CUSA? Expansion? Realistically I guess we could replace ECU with FIU and ECU with Troy, but that does nothing for me at all. So we would be left with the following teams in conference:

CUSA

SMU, Houston, Tulsa, UTEP, Rice, Tulane, UAB, Southern Miss, Memphis, Marshall (10 teams)

MWC

SDSU, Fresno State, Nevada, Boise, Hawaii, Colorado State, Air Force, UNLV, Wyoming, UNM (10 teams)

I see that we have a few options here, albeit I don't know how realistic they are.

A) Look to the MWC to take SMU and Houston to get to 12 (conference championship game) and help offset the loss of the Texas market with TCU leaving for Big East. To me this conference holds more allure than a CUSA w/o ECU and UCF.

B) CUSA-MWC merger takes shape and comes to fruition. CUSA will know that w/o UCF and ECU the eastern division of the conference will be in shambles. The realistic options for expansion do nothing to add prestige or new markets for TV. You possibly lose SMU and Houston to the MWC as they start to look out for themselves. Only way to salvage the conference is to stay at 10 just like the MWC and have the merger idea work. You'd only need one extra game. So a revised CUSA would look like the following:

CUSA West - SMU, UTEP, Tulsa, Rice, Houston
CUSA East - Tulane, UAB, Marshall, Southern Miss, Memphis


I don't know. I guess this might work.

[smupony94]

CUSA West - SMU, UTEP, Tulsa, Blank, Houston
CUSA East - Blank, Blank, Blank, Southern Miss, Memphis

[StallionsModelT]

If we are left in a conference where "BLANK" is the option, its going to be a Sun Belt team. This is the nightmare scenario I've posted about on here several times. We cannot allow that to happen.

[leopold]

I would say stay at 10. I can't imagine the revue from a C-USA title game is that much to begin with, and I don't think losing those two teams would affect our paltry TV contract.

But if you absolutely had to be at 12, just take FIU and FAU and be done with it.

[NickSMU17]

Man you are an extreme guy....

I think Houston will be gone as well...I would think we have a shot to join MWC, and we should move ahead with that...

[redpony]

Nick - agree. I am more concerned with losing cougar high than an ECU or UCF. I thought that the BE had already informed ECU that they were not interested in them. Maybe SMU and UH should team together and approach BE. If TCU stayed in the BE that would give them 3 Texas teams and a good TV market as well as opening up recruiting.

GO PONIES!!!

[smupony94]

Big East did notify ECU they will not be accepted

[StallionsModelT]

Extreme times call for extreme measures. I think there would be a realistic chance we aggresively pursue going to the MWC with Houston. It makes sense both for the MWC and SMU-Houston. MWC gets back into Texas with expanded markets of Dallas and Houston. Also they had two programs who are committed to winning and would be a welcome addition to a conference that is top heavy with Boise State and lots of dead weight like UNM, UNLV, and Wyoming. A 12 team MWC would look like this:

MWC West - Hawaii, SDSU, Fresno State, UNLV, Nevada, Wyoming
MWC East - Boise State, Colorado State, UNM, Houston, SMU, UTEP (?)

[smupony94]

Keeps the tradition of us following TCU intact

[ponydawg]

Big East did notify ECU they will not be accepted

ECU's video on why they should upgrade Conf.

[ericdickerson4life]

Keeps the tradition of us following TCU intact

But will the BE be intact for our next jump?

[smupony94]

We can only hope

[StallionsModelT]

I don't see the Big East surviving another round of expansion.

[PonySnob]

MWC West - Hawaii, SDSU, Fresno State, UNLV, Nevada, Wyoming
MWC East - Boise State, Colorado State, UNM, Houston, SMU, UTEP (?)

Not exactly teams that help fill up the stands with regards to attendance......

[StallionsModelT]

Well Rice brings their 200 fans, Marshall about 75, UAB about 100, Memphis about 150.

I think I'd take my chances. I've seen how well CUSA travels thank you.