BYU to Stay, UH to MWC?

[StallionsModelT]

So at that point the MWC would be at 12. I'm thinking that is the end of their expansion efforts. Why expand and have more mouths to feed without the assurance of BCS AQ status? Certainly Houston is not the tipping point for such a thing.

[diamond_tom]

Should I really care if Houston leaves CUSA? Right now I don't. Tell me why I should. We will not get AQ status if they stay or leave. The MWC/CUSA merger becomes less likely? Maybe - but it can still happen. Their departure will only make our path to the CUSA championship a little easier.

[StallionsModelT]

Diamond_tom,

Houston leaving all but assures that the MWC-CUSA merger will not happen. The merger, IMO, is the dream scenario for us. Also it would knock us even further down in the pecking order for any future realignment scenarios. Houston leaving would be a serious blow for our future plans.

[smupony94]

It would allow us to blackball UNT again though

[RGV Pony]

well...if the Big XII blows up...we may have room

[diamond_tom]

I say let them leave. We just need to take care of our business and keep winning games, championships and bowls. Houston leaving will make this all more achievable for us. Then, when the time comes, we will be positioned for a positive move.

[ponydawg]

He brings up a point, if MWC with Houston still doesn't and won't qualify for AQ, then it doesn't kill us. If MWC is able to get a waiver, then it really hurts us. At first, it seems like a sexy conf for UH to join, but if you aren't sure about being a AQ'er, then it isn't that sexy....and could be nothing more than a skank.

[Pweesey]

How does UH leaving hurt our future plans? I'm not buying it. This is a minor shuffle in realignment. The Big 12 is going to collapse within a few years and there are going to be a lot of schools in our situation. And I seriously doubt BYU will commit to the MWC long-term. We are going to be in the same boat in a few years with or without Houston in CUSA. We have to be a much more attractive candidate when the big moves come.

[1983 Cotton Bowl]

Previously published in the DMN:

SMU athletic director Steve Orsini weighed in how his program may be affected during a sit-down interview Wednesday. . .

. . ."To me this is another tremor... but I still think there's a lot more out there. The big boys haven't really spoken yet in my opinion."

I think Orsini is exactly right. I also echo what Pweesey says. All this stuff with the MWC, WAC, etc. is just a side-show, albeit an entertaining one. Keep our eye on the ball. Nevermind what UH, TCU, or Utah State does. We just need to keep winning, re-build the SMU brand, fill our stadium on a regular basis, and continue to upgrade facilities and infastructure. The "big boys" haven't made their final moves yet.

[Stallion]

I disagree-if TCU and UH both end up in the MWC and SMU, Rice and UTEP are in CUSA then I believe Texas recruits will see CUSA as a Third Level option-. There is some strong evidence in TCU's recruiting that they may already see it that way. Its not a positive but I'm not as sure the conclusions being drawn on this thread suggesting it is a done deal are accurate. I see a lot of confusion not definite movement on the expansion front right now until BYU decides

[ponyboy]

I believe his point is you control what you can control and don't worry about what you cannot control.

[Stallion]

let me ask you how many Sun Belt schools are candidates to join BCS Conferences? The answer is none because they are considered Third Tier. If there is one thing that we can conclude from 15 years of the Big 12 it is that perception is reality to many recruits. They want to play at the highest level even if it means playing at last place Baylor over for instance Top 20 TCU. The more nationally prominent the conference the more recruiting pull their schools have.

[StallionsModelT]

You know a real important factor in all of this is for CUSA to find a way to get its sh*t together and have a few more prominent programs.

[Water Pony]

- UH to MWC doesn't move the needle on auto-bid BCS
- BYU will not see the lift and will continue to straddle the fence, in or out
- Loss of UH doesn't diminish CUSA that much
- TCU still won't be satisfied with the situation
- UT State lowers their value
- Collaboration (no merger) between MWC and CUSA remains a possible path for ESPN to promote a four time zone FB season offering (in good markets) that might be given a place at the BCS table, if another BCS bowl (Cotton) is added.

[couch 'em]

I wanted to be associated with the best teams possible, no matter what conference. In the case of MWC, when someone thinks "SMU", I want them to think "TCU" and "Boise" and "BCS Buster", not "Tulane", "Alabama-Birmingham", "Rice", "bottom 10", "embarassment".

Less money, more travel, whatever. Give me whatever is more prestigious in the State of Texas.