Best guesses

[OlePony]

I am curious as to everyone's best guess as to what conference SMU will be in in 2005.
Please don't go into the ad nauseum explanations as to what happens IF. Just say what conference and who is in it.
My guess-- CUSA
Teams-Memphis, So Miss, Tulane,USF,UCF, Rice Houston, Tulsa,TCU,La Tech,UTEP and SMU.

[abezontar]

The new/old SWC....SMU, TCU, Rice, Houston, Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Baylor, and Arkansas....and we will SWC Champions, in football, Men's Bball, and Women's Bball....excuse me I have the munchies and I need to wipe the white powder off of my nose before my boss sees me.

[Ksig_Stang]

14 Team Conference

North

Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Tulsa
Arkansas
Arkansas State
Texas A&M
Texas


South

SMU
TCU
Rice
Houston
LSU
Tulane
Louisiana Tech

And then I sobered up ...


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

[SMUstang]

Conference USA

Teams:

West - SMU, TCU, Houston, Rice, Tulsa, Tulane
East - Temple, ECU, S Miss, Memphis, S Fla, UAB

The east is kind of spread out. But that doesn't seem to matter as much to C-USA.

[Stallion]

just my opinion but as the CUSA inevitably becomes a more Southern Conference as Louisville and Cincy leave for BE support for schools like Temple and Marshall (and even Toledo which I've heard mention) will dry up completely. It doesn't make sense economically or geographically. What's more important they won't have the votes from Southern schools. I guess if Cincy stays there might be one travel partner for them.

[Southland]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Stallion:
<B> just my opinion but as the CUSA inevitably becomes a more Southern Conference as Louisville and Cincy leave for BE support for schools like Temple and Marshall (and even Toledo which I've heard mention) will dry up completely. It doesn't make sense economically or geographically. What's more important they won't have the votes from Southern schools. I guess if Cincy stays there might be one travel partner for them.</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


agreed; really, CUSA is adding mouths to feed no matter what they do. Chances are they will look at partnerships that keep travel overheads low... that is why we are a top candidate, we add no additional cost.

[Water Pony]

Conference USA

East:

USF, UCF, UAB, Memphis, So. Miss, Tulane

West:

TCU, SMU, Houston, Rice, Tulsa, and La Tech.

[Charleston Pony]

I like that conference, Water Pony. Where does ECU end up? ACC's 12th? I don't think the NC schools want them and assuming they stay in CUSA, they will lobby for Marshall rather than a westward dominated conference. If the Big East works Army/Navy/Notre Dame into the equation somehow, I don't see ECU ending up there either. ECU does bring a respectable football program. USM and TCU will side with ECU for maintaining football strength and that means Marshall. Memphis will like Tulsa for hoops. Louisville is probably the key right now. What does the Big East do if they get an ACC invite?

[Water Pony]

CP, EC should go to BE. Better geographic alignment and it gives BE a toe in North Carolina.

ACC will never invite EC; the Tobacco Road schools will oppose them.

Lastly, Pitino will favor BE over ACC for Louisville. That's why they would prefer going east, instead of to the ACC.

EC would be an outlier in a reconfigured Conf. USA. Too eastern for the resulting model.

[Charleston Pony]

the problem with ECU in the Big east is that they don't measure up against the other schools' ball success. The other issue is revenue sharing. I see the BE fball schools trying to stay at the minimum 8 schools because they will fear loss of BCS revenue, but if they can get ND in for all but football and then schedule OOC games with ND, Army & Navy, they can still put together a nice TV deal to be shared by the 8 schools. I see ECU remaining in CUSA where they fit reasaonbly well with USF & UAB and I see ECU pulling for Marshall in any proposed expansion.

Marshall has GREAT fans and they would travel well to those 3 places. I witnessed how many they brought to Charleston when they played The Citadel as members of the I-AA Southern Conference. They will travel 5-10,000 for those games.

[No Cal Pony]

CP, I wouldn't count ECU out of big east. They are looking to move. Folks around here are talking it up big.(I now live in Triangle area of NC.) Also, their programs are doing better, and they travel well also. That helps make room for us in C-USA.

Go Ponies!

[Stallion]

again your looking at this wrong if you think from SMU's perspective-ECU, UAB and South Florida stay in CUSA if the BE declines to take them-no new conference will be formed as long as there are 6 teams in CUSA and the remaining schools can keep the conference credits and revenues. So the desires of SMU fans to have Rice over ECU or Tulsa over UAB or La Tech over South Florida are irrelevant-just hope SMU gets picked!

[KnuckleStang]

I always try to take an optimistic view when it comes to our future on-field performance, but the realignment thing is another story. I have a sinking feeling. I've been having nightmares (the latest two nights ago) about us remaining in the WAC, with the only difference being that the teams are even crappier, and all at least 1200 miles from Dallas. I really hope that's not the case. It's a horrible feeling I have, so I thought I would just admit it. I have high hopes that CUSA will call us up, but I'm not holding my breath.

I'll also admit I prefer the SWC II idea, with or (most probably) WITHOUT the Horny toads, in the event all we're stuck with is the WAC. SWC II would NOT be the death of our program, as many claim. We need to concentrate on winning on the field, and FILLING OUR STADIUM. I repeat, FILLING our beautiful STADIUM. Period. Right now, we are not very attractive to anyone who is worth a damn. This will never change until we address this. And anybody who thinks Rice or La Tech or Tulane will not outdraw Nevada and SJSU at Ford, or is willing to draw 13,000 just so we can play Fresno or Hawaii instead of UNT, is flat-out nuts.

Not trying to be negative, but I'll believe the CUSA stuff when it happens (I hope to God it does), and if it does, it'll be huge. But I feel the SWC II option is the most realistic, should CUSA not come through.

S-M-U spells SMU!!!

[Charleston Pony]

the latest rumors of the Big East split with the fball schools breaking away to form a new conference seems the most plausible to me. By adding only Louisville & Cincy, they remain a pretty strong group of 8 and with the Notre Dame "affiliation", they should be able to command a decent TV contract. Whether they remain a BCS conference is another question, but I don't see them inviting ECU because what value does that add? What it does is water down their revenue sharing.

The question is: what will the five remaining Big East bball schools do? Do they remain a northeastern league and invite Temple, UMass & St Joe's to get to 8 members, or do they branch out and add several teams including Marquette, DePaul, Dayton, Xavier...perhaps becoming a 12 member conference with divisional play. They could basically destroy the current Atlantic 10 (12) conference, or they could help that group return to 10 by inviting only Xavier & Dayton and then inviting Marquette & DePaul from CUSA.

That would leave CUSA with 8 all-sports members and 2 bball only members. If CUSA chose to expand to 12 fball mambers, they could still retain UNCC & St Louis who would fit east/west into divisional bball play. Of course, UNCC might look at the A-10 or Colonial and St Louis might look at the MVC if they were the only bball schools left in CUSA. Much would depend on benefits in other sports.

[LATech]

WaterPony & others, I think you are pretty close to what should happen if/when Lvlle & Cincy go to the BE. Then the question for CUSA presidents becomes- How much should CUSA expand?

If they decide to got to 12 all-sports schools, this just makes the most economic sense-
EAST: Memphis, UAB, S. Miss, Tulane, S. FLA, ECU (or C. FLA)
WEST: TCU, Houston, SMU, LA Tech, Rice, Tulsa

At the end of the day I hope SMU, LA Tech, & Rice are included as a package. I like Tulsa too because they are close to each of us, but they are long distance from UAB, S. Miss, Tulane, S. FLA,...


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