BE to Invite UL and Cincy (Source NY Post) . . .

[Southland]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by BenW:
<B>C-USA adds 2 of SMU, Rice and Tulsa
C-USA adds UCF and either Marshall or Temple

YOu get 2 distinct divisions - each division is geographically tight and each has a travel partner:

East:
USF/UCF
ECU/Marshall(or temple)
Memphis/UAB

West:
USM/Tulane
Houston/Rice
SMU/TCU

Both regional and interregional. It think it works out great.

Or course, you could also take that West, add Tulsa/La Tech and get a western division of the WAC which might work out well, too.</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


If we have our preference, we would not be partnered with Marshall. Marshall will not always be good at football; it will always be in a small town in West Virginia and have large travel costs associated with partnership.

In fact, Marshall doesn't add value to a TV package at all (no bowl, no market, no national following)

I would bet Tulane, UAB and any other financially troubled university will raise these points when Marshall is discussed by the CUSA universities.

[GoRedGoBlue]

Very logical. I think Marshall's grand plan was to go to the BEast originally...to be across from WVir.

[BenW]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Southland:
<B>
If we have our preference, we would not be partnered with Marshall. Marshall will not always be good at football; it will always be in a small town in West Virginia and have large travel costs associated with partnership.

In fact, Marshall doesn't add value to a TV package at all (no bowl, no market, no national following)

I would bet Tulane, UAB and any other financially troubled university will raise these points when Marshall is discussed by the CUSA universities.</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Okay by me - what team do you want as a travel partner - they or Temple is all I see, but I'm all ears. Maybe if Charlotte is retained for baskets (not a bad idea) they would be ecu's travel partner.
Marshall seems to be on ESPN a lot.

Tulane is hardly "financially troubled". That said, they probably wouldn't want Marshall. C-USA already voted marshall down. But, that was then and you can't always get what you want or avoid what you don't want.



[This message has been edited by BenW (edited 07-10-2003).]

[Water Pony]

I don't think Marshall or Temple make it into this scenario. That makes East Carolina, GUD (Geographically UnDesireable). EC fits better into the new and renamed BE, joining Louisville and Cincinnati, plus Army and Navy for FB only.

The stretch move is bringing in Central Fla to partner with So. Fla, gaining Tampa and Orlando. Then you have some nice pairing:

So. Fla/Central Fla.
Memphis/UAB
Tulane/So. Miss
Houston/Rice
TCU/SMU
Tulsa/La Tech?, or not getting Central Fla. to hold at ten.

Looks good for BB and other sports, plus great southern cities as Road Trips with good TV markets and bowls.

[Charleston Pony]

A move to 12 teams by CUSA would be football driven, so count on Marshall & UCF being part of the equation. Both those programs are stronger than any WAC east program right now. Hopefully, CUSA will see that SMU is on the mend and offers the best all-around sports program (of course, we don't play baseball). It would then come down to Rice/Tulsa/La Tech for the 12th spot. All have plusses and minuses.

[BenW]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Charleston Pony:
<B>A move to 12 teams by CUSA would be football driven, so count on Marshall & UCF being part of the equation. Both those programs are stronger than any WAC east program right now. Hopefully, CUSA will see that SMU is on the mend and offers the best all-around sports program (of course, we don't play baseball). It would then come down to Rice/Tulsa/La Tech for the 12th spot. All have plusses and minuses.</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I think it's Rice-->Tulsa.
Remember, this is started from C-USA so it will be determined from a more eastern perspective. That means UCF (if USF will allow it) and it means ECU (if they don't get in the BE) and finding a partner for them. A lot of support for Marshall. I think La Laf is a better choice than la tech if it gets that far down, which I doubt( laf more accessible; higher ranked academically as a carnegie I school) but yall are in a conference with tech.
I would also GUESS that if this starts to come to fruition that there will be a lot of political pressure from Texas to include UTEP and possibly UNT. Certainly Texas politicians don't decide things (but that's one of my fears about all of this - too much texas power) and the other texas schools we're talking about are private, which will help. Again, that's possible alternative though. Add N Mex State as a partner for UTEP and that duo and the USF/UCF would be the bookends.



[This message has been edited by BenW (edited 07-11-2003).]

[EastStang]

While I appreciate the sentiments for CUSA. ECU, UAB, UCF and USF will not be any bigger draws in Dallas than Fresno, Boise, or Hawaii. Rice and even a weak Tulsa team bring fans. So, does UTEP. I would not want to leave Rice or Tulsa behind. We have played Rice every year since 1918. No other school has played us that long. Tulsa has great basketball and is close in proximity and at least in basketball has become a decent rival since the WAC 16 started. I would like that to continue as well. I hope that Rice, SMU and Tulsa say they are a package deal. I suspect that Tulane and UH will be pretty hard core to invite those three. TCU on the other hand might be a bit wimpier. I am sure ECU will be pushing for an eastern school. USF may not want UCF as they are pretty close together. Other than UH, the Texas legislature has no impact on TCU, or on any other CUSA member, so their protestations won't go very far. I would not have a lot of gas about UTEP. They bring good crowds and the Sun Bowl.

[This message has been edited by EastStang (edited 07-11-2003).]

[Southland]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by BenW:
<B>

Tulane is hardly "financially troubled". That said, they probably wouldn't want Marshall. C-USA already voted marshall down. But, that was then and you can't always get what you want or avoid what you don't want.

[This message has been edited by BenW (edited 07-10-2003).]</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Ben, Tulane is running a $7M deficit and a Presidential and Board mandate requires the athletic program to reduce the deficit to $2M by 2007 or dump football.

If their not in financial trouble, no one is.

[BenW]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Southland:
<B>
Ben, Tulane is running a $7M deficit and a Presidential and Board mandate requires the athletic program to reduce the deficit to $2M by 2007 or dump football.

If their not in financial trouble, no one is.</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Southland, Tulane is running a cash deficit in the $3-$4 million range (similar to many schools). The reported deficit is non-cash that includes tuition at 28K or so per scholarship and was also exaggerated by a president who wanted to drop football (he still does)The quality and state of a university is not measured by an athletics deficit.
Tulane had to openly air its issues - it was the only way to stop its crazy president. Considering that 90% of the WAC and C-USA schools run deficits, there may come a point where the taxpayers and other boards may ask for a public analysis of the deficits of certain schools.

[Southland]

.[/b][/QUOTE]
Southland, Tulane is running a cash deficit in the $3-$4 million range (similar to many schools). The reported deficit is non-cash that includes tuition at 28K or so per scholarship and was also exaggerated by a president who wanted to drop football (he still does)The quality and state of a university is not measured by an athletics deficit.
Tulane had to openly air its issues - it was the only way to stop its crazy president. Considering that 90% of the WAC and C-USA schools run deficits, there may come a point where the taxpayers and other boards may ask for a public analysis of the deficits of certain schools.

[/B][/QUOTE]

$3-4M on football annually alone...

<A HREF="http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/2003-06-09-tulane-future_x.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/2003-06-09-tulane-future_x.htm</A>