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Hello Mustangs fans! My board name is Aldineblue and i am a longtime SWC football fan and grad of the university of Houston. There is a lot of talk on our board about future re alignment. We are spending over 200 million on facility improvements, with a brand new football stadium, new BB practice facility and renovations to our BB arena. We are not a wealthy school, and i assure you that we would not spend this kind of money to simply stay in the AAC. We are working extremely hard to secure a bid to a Power 5 conference. Due to our long playing association in the SWC and current partnership in the American, we view SMU as a good and likely travel partner in this endeavor.
Can you tell me please, more about your new Ford football stadium? What are it's capacities for expansion? How are tickets going for yall at the moment? Do you feel that a bid for SMU into a power 5 conference as a partner with us, would bring a resurgence of interest in SMU football, as far as attendance?
Many on our board feel that the BIG will make a move after resolution of the Maryland court case...When that happens, the PAC 12 may try again to make an incursion into Texas. The region is very valuable for them and fox/espn have told them about significant additional 3rd tier tv monies if and when they add school or schools from Texas. It at least, is a possibility..and the Big 12 likely to do something as well. ..we think expansion is not over and Houston and SMU bring a lot to the table with their markets and potential..we welcome your thoughts..and please fill us in about FORD stadium.
Thanks!

I think the Big10 is a better fit for SMU, but the AAC is in a good position to attract a very good tv deal, as it attracts excellent additional markets. Don't let these anti-competitive practices freeze you in time. Everything remains fluid. ESPN owes SMU big-time royalties. We have leverage.

I believe SMU has a plan in hand to expand Ford to 45,000 when the need arises. Unlike many on this board I prefer the smaller arenas. I cannot stand going to UT games here in Austin with that humongous stadium. And the Aggie stadium is frightening. Very unpleasant experience for me. If we could fill Ford with 45,000 screaming fans, that would be an ideal situation. And I agree that a PAC 16 would take TU and TTech or OU if they want to go. Don't see them wanting OSU.

aldineblue wrote:Hello Mustangs fans! My board name is Aldineblue and i am a longtime SWC football fan and grad of the university of Houston. There is a lot of talk on our board about future re alignment. We are spending over 200 million on facility improvements, with a brand new football stadium, new BB practice facility and renovations to our BB arena. We are not a wealthy school, and i assure you that we would not spend this kind of money to simply stay in the AAC. We are working extremely hard to secure a bid to a Power 5 conference. Due to our long playing association in the SWC and current partnership in the American, we view SMU as a good and likely travel partner in this endeavor.
Can you tell me please, more about your new Ford football stadium? What are it's capacities for expansion? How are tickets going for yall at the moment? Do you feel that a bid for SMU into a power 5 conference as a partner with us, would bring a resurgence of interest in SMU football, as far as attendance?
Many on our board feel that the BIG will make a move after resolution of the Maryland court case...When that happens, the PAC 12 may try again to make an incursion into Texas. The region is very valuable for them and fox/espn have told them about significant additional 3rd tier tv monies if and when they add school or schools from Texas. It at least, is a possibility..and the Big 12 likely to do something as well. ..we think expansion is not over and Houston and SMU bring a lot to the table with their markets and potential..we welcome your thoughts..and please fill us in about FORD stadium.
Thanks!

For academic reasons, UH has no shot at the Pac12 and no shot at the B10. That is a fact.

If UH wants to move up, they need to convince the ACC to add SMU and UH as a "Western Wing" in big TV markets.

Alternatively, UH needs to hope that the B12 need an "extra" team for some reason (B12 Title Game). If that happens, UH has the advantage over SMU b/c the B12 already has a team in the DFW area.

Read this board over the next few weeks and months and all of your questions will be discussed ad nauseum.

Or he can go back and read the countless threads we've had on this subject in the past.

Neither SMU or UH have any realistic shot at moving up unless there are some pretty significant changes to the already existing P5.

There will be significant changes. Eventually if they want to compete on their own level playing field they will have to even out the size of their conferences. I just do not know if SMU will be significant enough to draw any attention. We are in Dallas and that is about it right now.

sbsmith wrote:Or he can go back and read the countless threads we've had on this subject in the past.

No. 1: Shut up. I don't mind reading this crap towards a regular but to an enthusiastic guest? I like what he is saying and TCU's "transfer" is only helping our, albeit weak, case. They need someone with history.

mrydel wrote:There will be significant changes. Eventually if they want to compete on their own level playing field they will have to even out the size of their conferences. I just do not know if SMU will be significant enough to draw any attention. We are in Dallas and that is about it right now.

No. 2: I agree but it should be easily deduced that an SMU acquisition will greatly help our come back. We are too caught up in the present. If you add SMU to a p5 versus adding a Tulsa/Tulane (I know all cases are absurd), what is the difference? The difference is the ability to reanimate versus blossom. Personally I say it is much easier to reanimate due to branding (esp in a large TV market).

SMUstangs22 wrote:No. 1: Shut up. I don't mind reading this crap towards a regular but to an enthusiastic guest? I like what he is saying and TCU's "transfer" is only helping our, albeit weak, case. They need someone with history.

You may like what he is saying but it's not anything different than we've seen in countless other past threads on the subject. That's not even touching on the ridiculousness of the idea itself.

Top tier of Expansion Candidates:

Notre Dame

BYU

UCF
USF
Cincy
UCONN
UH

the rest

^^^Did you mean top tier for the Big 12, if so I disagree with UConn and would insert Memphis, no chance for UH or SMU unless some Texas teams leave. For other conferences: I can't see UH being ahead of SMU for either ACC, SEC or B1G. If you can, why?

SMU is not really in the discussion anywhere but Ponyfans.

You mean Southern Mississippi University ?!?