\"Tulane's Cowen hopes C-USA doesn't rush into changes\"

[NavyCrimson]

here's another article from the wac board also...what has to be a concern is that how do u be civil & collegial about this whole damn thing when the whole purpose of the bcs-bs is to exclude 'equal' playing members.

"what's your take on this - stallion & nacho?"

<A HREF="http://www.owlzone.com/cgi-bin/webbbs/webbbs_config2.pl?read=50812" TARGET=_blank>http://www.owlzone.com/cgi-bin/webbbs/webbbs_config2.pl?read=50812</A>

Musical conferences

Tulane's Cowen hopes C-USA doesn't rush into changes

Thursday July 03, 2003

By Ted Lewis
Staff writer

Sooner or later, Tulane president Scott Cowen sees changes coming to Conference USA.

And he'd just as soon it would be later.

From Our Advertiser

"We all know this is going to happen, but I personally would like to see this be a longer, more deliberative and more strategic process to play out," Cowen said Wednesday following what has become a weekly conference call between C-USA presidents. "This does have a ripple effect that could affect a lot of conferences.

"So, I would rather not see us under pressure. Then we can try to rearrange the conferences, if that's what it's going to take, in a way that makes sense for the schools involved."

It appears that Cowen could get his wish.

Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese, has said his league is prepared to play with as few as six members in 2004 -- seven if Connecticut, scheduled to begin conference play in 2005, can shuffle its schedule in order to play the other Big East schools, and still retain its automatic BCS berth -- delaying its search to replace ACC defectors Miami and Virginia Tech. The Big East has been in discussions with Conference USA about as many as four C-USA schools transferring to the Big East.

Nokia Sugar Bowl executive director Paul Hoolahan said the BCS bowls might not be crazy about the prospect of having a diminished champion in their game, but there was little that could be done and any team that brings enough fans to help fill the Superdome, site of next season's title game, is welcomed.

"It's in the Big East's hands right now," said WAC commissioner Karl Benson, whose league also has been in discussions with C-USA on an expansion plan that could include Tulane. "If the Big East thinks it can operate in '04-05 as a seven-team football league, then they don't have to make the next step until February or March.

"If not, they have to do in the next 30 days, or at least until the first game of this season is played."

In a statement released by C-USA on Tuesday, Commissioner Britton Banowsky stated the hope that no movement is made until 2005.

But another C-USA official cautioned, "This thing has a life of its own. It's going to be hard to stop the momentum just because of the way people are."

Cowen said it was important not to get caught up in the problems that characterized the ACC expansion plan that ultimately wound up with the league adding Virginia Tech and Miami.

"There are a lot of lessons to be learned there," he said. "The first is to be very open and collegial and not in any way adversarial.

"Hopefully in the end everybody will put their cards on the table to see if we can come up with a solution that's in everybody's best interests."

To Cowen that ideally would have Tulane wind up in a league with a more regionalized look, either in some remnant of C-USA perhaps along with the Texas and Oklahoma schools in the WAC, or even as part of an eastern division of the WAC.

. . . . . . .

Ted Lewis can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3405.


[This message has been edited by Navy&Crimson (edited 07-03-2003).]

[Nacho]

Sounds like he is saying that ultimately Tulane will end up with us in a regional conference. Forming regional conferences is generally agreed to be the best solution for everyone. If you look at the ACC they are in a very tiny area of the southeastern U.S. As much money as they will make they also see the importance of saving money.

As far as what the BE will do it is very hard to say. The leverage they have is that they are a BCS conference. If they lose that they don't have much to offfer except that some east coast schools can form a regional conference with them. If they wait too long and lose their BCS status they don't offer anything to entice schools from further away.

[This message has been edited by Nacho (edited 07-03-2003).]

[Stallion]

that's one vote in our favor.

[EastStang]

I think Tulane and UH really have some budgetary issues with CUSA. I think if they can get a package which reduces travel costs and gives them similar revenue they'll jump. I think that's where a WAC with division gives them some comfort of reducing intra conference travel. No longer would they have three long plane ride games per year, only one. This really reduces costs. If the WAC can get a decent TV contract and if they can deliver the N.O. Bowl and TCU the F.W. Bowl, and we suffer no westward losses, they just might jump.

[NavyCrimson]

i agree with the 'regional' conference, but u get to the point of 'regional' vs. 'bcs-bs' conference qualification or both...

will it be one or the other or both separately or thru a merger?

or then - do u just fight the bcs-bs in court!?

[Nacho]

I think we'll see them in court unless the BCS decides to somehow include the so-called mid majors (which the BE will soon be also) in sharing the profits through at large births.

[BenW]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by EastStang:
<B>I think Tulane and UH really have some budgetary issues with CUSA. I think if they can get a package which reduces travel costs and gives them similar revenue they'll jump. I think that's where a WAC with division gives them some comfort of reducing intra conference travel. No longer would they have three long plane ride games per year, only one. This really reduces costs. If the WAC can get a decent TV contract and if they can deliver the N.O. Bowl and TCU the F.W. Bowl, and we suffer no westward losses, they just might jump. </B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm a Tulane fan. I like SMU, I like Rice, don't know Tulsa. Be great to be in a conference.
BUT NOT THE WAC. The travel is terrible (you can division it all you want, but it sucks - UTEP, >1000 miles from New Orleans would be considered a regional team). Your conference administration is inept (no anchor bowl; little television) and you're in bad time zones.
I want the northern c-usa teams to leave and play love-fest with Pitt and Syracuse and leave C-USA with the southern teams. Then we'll invite SMU and Rice into a much more sensible conference with the appropriate EASTERN focus.
Frankly, I don't like the SWC ideas either - too regional. Texas to Florida is perfect.
And even if 3 or 4 of us get kicked out of C-USA, I still don't want us to join the WAC. I'd rather start a new conference and just not have the auto bid or figure something else out. Travelling to el paso and boise and fresno (no problem with the schools, just the distance and the towns) is no way to cut your costs.
Good luck this season - you're due for a good one.

[Stallion]

I agree 100% but I don't like the code word "regional" for what your proposing. It would be a Conference of The South which would extend as far as just about any conference that you could name. The WAC 14 if it invoved TCU, Houston, Southern Miss and Tulane I think is an option which wouldn't be near as bad as you sugggest but why go to such a wide ranging conference when there are sufficient teams in the east to accomplish your goals. Plus the remaining CUSA teams will most likely retain NCAA Tourney credits, exit fees and other revenue which will make the formation of a new conference unwise for YOUR best interests. Now if the networks provided some input that a conference which retained Hawaii, Fresno, Boise, Nevada et al would have some economic value I would listen, but I fear that eventually those schools would end up in a MWC anyway so why bother. Even the WAC 14 wouldn't be that harmful to Tulane because you would probably play 6 games in Division SMU, TCU, Southern Miss, Houston, Rice and Louisiana Tech and maybe only 2 games against the WAC West-one home and one road. If the exposure to such a large region had value it is something to consider and wouldn't really be such an economic hardship because of the divisional play. A conference championship would be the tradeoff for one extra west coast game.

[This message has been edited by Stallion (edited 07-04-2003).]

[BenW]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Stallion:
<B> I agree 100% but I don't like the code word "regional" for what your proposing. It would be a Conference of The South which would extend as far as just about any conference that you could name. The WAC 14 if it invoved TCU, Houston, Southern Miss and Tulane I think is an option which wouldn't be near as bad as you sugggest but why go to such a wide ranging conference when there are sufficient teams in the east to accomplish your goals. Plus the remaining CUSA teams will most likely retain NCAA Tourney credits, exit fees and other revenue which will make the formation of a new conference unwise for YOUR best interests. Now if the networks provided some input that a conference which retained Hawaii, Fresno, Boise, Nevada et al would have some economic value I would listen, but I fear that eventually those schools would end up in a MWC anyway so why bother. Even the WAC 14 wouldn't be that harmful to Tulane because you would probably play 6 games in Division SMU, TCU, Southern Miss, Houston, Rice and Louisiana Tech and maybe only 2 games against the WAC West-one home and one road. If the exposure to such a large region had value it is something to consider and wouldn't really be such an economic hardship because of the divisional play. A conference championship would be the tradeoff for one extra west coast game.

[This message has been edited by Stallion (edited 07-04-2003).]</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well, re the new conference, that is simply if C-USA decides to boot a few teams so that C-USA and the BE can use 2 conferences for their deeds (ie one for the basketball onlys and one for everyone else). Booting 4 teams would be impossible without some major financial concessions. Otherwise, it should emanate from c-usa minus the northern teams.
Okay - conference of the south. But Texas to Florida is NOT Louisiana to the West coast. It isn't nearly that far. Plus, take a look at how this can be set up:
TCU/SMU; Hou/Rice; TU/USM; Memphis/UAB; USF/UCF (just guessing about members) add Tulsa/La TEch if you want. Almost perfect travel partners - take 1 trip to play 2 games - way less travel than the WAC with divisions. You could do it like the Pac 10 - play Thursday and Saturday. That would get a few good bowl games (GMAC and NO for sure - perhaps even retain LB and FW bowls) This would be idea. Better media, better tv. I think it would be a great league to serve all of our needs.

[fan]

I still think that a national 16 team football playoff is the only thing that is going to save the schools you listed (see previous thread). However, the members you listed seem to make perfect sense for tons of reasons. Any thoughts on how Memphis fits into things? Marginal football school with good basketball history with a lot of "potential". (Probably sounds familiar in reverse to SMU fans ie basketball vs football)

[Stallion]

my Conference of the South would retain all schools in CUSA that were not swallowed up by the rumored Big East expansion-that way Tulane and the remaining teams would retain the CUSA revenue. I didn't name schools like South Florida, East Carolina and UAB because there are rumors that they may be involved in other scenarios. I would love to have Memphis-it would help the league establish some BB credibility along with Tulsa.

[BenW]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Stallion:
<B> my Conference of the South would retain all schools in CUSA that were not swallowed up by the rumored Big East expansion-that way Tulane and the remaining teams would retain the CUSA revenue. I didn't name schools like South Florida, East Carolina and UAB because there are rumors that they may be involved in other scenarios. I would love to have Memphis-it would help the league establish some BB credibility along with Tulsa.</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Stallion, upon further review, I must admit that I see value to playing west coast teams - in football. We're competing with a BCS system (which may have changed by then) in which the major weakness is lack of a top 10 presence. Well, the BE won't have one either. So, let's try to beat them with volume.
Anyway, to that end, I'd prefer to see the WAC east come into C-USA; let the WAC west stay and perhaps add N Mex State (UTEP needs to be in the west) or whomever they want. Both conferences are non-football leagues.
Then start a football-only conference with, what 16-20 teams from C-USA and WAC. Benefits of the bi-coastal in football without the costs in other sports.
Problem, obviously, is keeping the western teams out of the hands of the MWC. But then again, perhaps they could join the MWC and we do this football only league with the MWC, instead of the WAC (or have everyone in the WAC instead of C-USA - you get the picture).

[Charleston Pony]

When Cowen says he hopes everyone will be more deliberate and ultimately rearrange the conferences so they make sense, I take that to mean "let's be civil" and let everyone take their fair share of CUSA, WAC or MWC booty before one of those conferences ceases to exist. By having all remaining conferences work together, there is hope something good can come out of this for all.

I've always felt it makes more sense for the MWC and WWAC schools to come together again. Unfortunately, in a 12 team configuration, San Jose is likely to get the short end of the stick.

I could see the BE six (BC, Syr, W.Va, Pitt, Rut & UConn) puttng together a 12 team fball/16 team bball league by inviting Army/Navy as football only members along with 4 CUSA schools (Louisville, Cincy, ECU & S.Fla)

That would leave the "old" CUSA group of UAB, Memphis, USM, Tulane, TCU & Houston who could pick from among WAC east schools and UCF & Marshall from the MAC to form a 12 member fball conference. Of course the CUSA group has to deal with the bball only members, but if the BE leaves that group alone, CUSA could be a 12 fball/16 bball group just like the BE.

I still see the BE in the driver's seat and everyone else in a position of having to work together to salvage the best situation possible.

If the BE goes after Marshall rather than seeking a Fla presence, I like the idea of a "Conference of the South" that looks like this:

WEST: Tulsa, La Tech, SMU, TCU, Rice, Houston

EAST: Tulane, USM, Memphis, UAB, UCF, USF

That gives you a 1200 mile spread from Texas to Florida with only one time zone difference to deal with. I'd like to see something like this develop, but it's not likely because of the bball only schools, conference "brand names" and automatic bball bids, exit/entrance fees, etc...

I see Cowen's comments as saying "let's put some conferences together that make sense and not rape each other where revenue sharing is concerned". Looks like this may drag on for quite a while.

[FloridaMustang]

It's been stated that no further conference re-alignments will happen until at least next year, so why are we still speculating?

[Stallion]

don't believe everything you read-the ACC wasn't supposed to expand until next year too.