FWST Calls TCU Move to Big East "Imminent" and "Probable"

[Charleston Pony]

kicker has to be the "all sports" invite. Is the Big East ready for a divorce between the football vs bball only schools?

[03Mustang]

I have heard from several TCU alums that the move will be announced within 10 days. We shall see.

[leopold]

I'm sorry, but I don't see our revenues *declining* because TCU decided to go to the Big East. We are simply not that interconnected. If anything, there may be a trickle down effect.

I understand your point, and, yes, there are places where we could benefit - look at the record setting attendance at this years SMU-TCU game. It would not have happend if TCU was unranked and expected to go, say, 8-4. Fair enough.

But look at it as being further marginalized in our own market: athletically, publically, even in terms of exposure to potential students who live outside of the DFW market - many of the basic reasons people advocate building a successful athletic program in the first place. We are absolutely in direct competition with TCU over these things, such as recruits, media space, limited roles in major conferences that could potentially earn our school tens of millions of dollars per year and actually have an effect of the school itself, and I'm sure other areas. There are kids who know who TCU is, but have no idea who SMU is for this same reason. It's about to happen big time on the East Coast, the home of some of the most competitive secondary education in the country. TCU, who uses the 'front porch' analogy to justify the spending on the football team, completely gets it, and they are about to see the reward of their efforts.

This isn't just a case of Schendenfreude: In a system where conference affiliation acts almost as a class or caste system, this puts us farther down the totem pole. It's the same reason we, TCU, Rice and Houston where upset when the SWC broke up and the Big XII formed without us. Just like on the actual football field, you don't get upset that TCU wins, you get upset that SMU loses and its hurts your program.

Does this make sense?

[NickSMU17]

If TCU goes, so be it...its not good for us....however it may open the door to a more regional conference once Texas leaves the big 12....

[Topper]

There is one side of the political debate who believes that someone's gain is another's loss. Good for them for potentially getting more money. It doesn't hurt us.

Remember that when you see more TCU advertising selling their program to more and more DFW residents who become TCU and not SMU fans, attending TCU and not SMU games. Getting better attenance and higher ratings when a conference goes "we could use a team in DFW, who will get us better market share?"

Remember that when TCU is building even more superior facilities to ours to sell to potential recruits.

We are in direct competition with them. If you can't see how this hurts us you are totally clueless.

TCU's fortunes have risen almost in direct correllation to SMU's decline. Their recruiting improved dramatically after the DP. Although the Big 12 is dominate here, affiliation with the Big East (if it stays together) will be pretty attractive to any DFW area prospects who want to play close to home and play in a big time atmosphere. The Big East average attendance ranges from 32K per game to 57K per game. I bet Tulane doesnt draw 57K total for the season. Who wants to play in an empty Superdome? Or an empty Ford for that matter.

[Mitch McConnell]

TCU put itself in this position because it committed to doing everything to making athletics a major part of its scene.

Many of us have acknowledged that SMU is 10 years behind the curve from where TCU is and where we are.

Will TCU's potential move to the Big East affect us? Yes. To what extent will it affect us? We probably have a pretty good idea but you never know for sure.

But that's not the question.

The questions are the following:
How is SMU responding to potential conference realignment?

What is it doing to position itself?

What is it doing to make itself a viable competitor in the college athletics world?

Does SMU have the internal forces capable of handling these changes?

Obviously, SMU has some time to make up. But the reality is that SMU is not going to do this overnight and it's probably going to be stuck in CUSA for some time. So the goal is to dominate the conference.

For now, my suggestion is to beat Marshall, get bowl eligible and go from there.

I recognize the anxiousess. But we just have to focus on ourselves and what we can do to be better day after day after day.

We can only hope that the body of work will someday speak for itself. And if this megaconference thing comes to fruition, will SMU have done enough to get there?

[ponyboy]

Does this make sense?

Yes, it was very well put. But really what is at work here is envy pure and simple. Fine if that's the only emotion you can summon; envy can be a great motivator to bigger and better things if it's harnessed. But I say good for TCU.

[leopold]

Dude, there is a hell of a lot more than envy here. Seriously. Grasp that. There is us winning, and it absolutely will not help us do that if TCU is in a BCS conference, so don't act like I'm sitting in a corner sulking,

[ponyboy]

Ok, well if you put the envy aside, it seems to me that there might be a marginal effect on our recruiting. Marginal. I mean how much are we really going after the same guys? I'm not trying to spin or sunshine this, but seriously. You guys ever hear of the term zero sum game? This isn't one.

[rich59]

MM and leopold, outstanding posts. Those who don't think TCU to BE will adversely impact SMU in almost every way have their head in the sand. It makes our path back to respectability that much more difficult. We complain about media coverage here in the Dallas area now. It will diminish even more when TCU is in a BCS conference.

It is what it is though and SMU put themselves in this pickle by it's actions after the DP so it can only continue to dig itself out. Long term, I believe that a national playoff system will happen and SMU must be in a position to compete when that playoff is reality.

There are those who might disagree, probably some who put us where we are athletically, but the President Bush library is getting SMU a lot of good publicity which lessens the sting of the TCU success some.

[ponyboy]

Those who don't think TCU to BE will adversely impact SMU in almost every way have their head in the sand.

Please provide me a little more detail as I just don't get it. How will this adversely impact us in any material way? And I don't want to hear the water cooler bragging rights stuff.

Is TCU going to steal recruits who would have otherwise come to SMU? Are they going to now steal fans who might decide instead to drive to Fort Worth on Saturdays? Is our revenue going to decline due to this deal? Is this going to halt our upwards trajectory we've been on since June Jones came here?

[PonyKai]

Maybe the silver lining in this will be that once again, SMU is upstaged athletically and publicity-wise by their uppity step-sister from the West, and people that need to get pissed and motivated to make good things happen for us will get even madder and help spur posative change.

[Nacho]

as far as i can tell we are now on about as level a playing field as we can get. the problem is that tcu was never off the level playing field.

[rich59]

Consider the news media first. Many years ago, coverage of the Mustangs in the local papers(there were two then) began to decline, largely because of the popularity of the Cowboys but also because SMU was not winning a lot. Some prominent SMU alums went to the newspapers and pointed out that TU and A&M were getting more ink than the "home" team, SMU. They were told that TU, A&M and even North Texas had more alums in the DFW area than SMU and the newspapers covered what local people had an interest in.
I am sure you have noticed that the teams in the Big Twelve have a very prominent place in the sports page in the DMN and I would guess on TV also, since I no longer live in the DFW area. When TCU goes to the BE, a, Ta Da! BCS conference, the media will realise there are more people in the Metroplex with ties to the BE teams and more interest in conferences that are BCS conferences, than there are that have an interest in SMU. Our coverage will decline even more in comparison to TCU, especially if they continue to compete well, which they will if they recruit well.

When TCU and SMU are competing for the same Blue Chip recruit, the TCU reps will say, "Come to TCU and compete for the National Championship." " You can't do that at SMU." I am sure you have noticed how Texas kids are spread all over the US in football programs. That condition will be exacerbated by the coverage of schools in the BE playing down here in Amon Carter Stadium.

There will be so many adverse impacts on SMU that my hunt and peck typing is not equal to the task! Don't overlook the impact of Texas State and UTSA now playing mid major football either.

[EastStang]

We have a great opportunity over the next two weeks to make a statement to the eastern press with games against Marshall and ECU. If we win those games and advance to the CUSA championship game (where anything can happen), we make a statement. The BE is not the only eastern conference looking over its shoulder, so is the ACC. And if the BE moves into Texas, the ACC might look there as well. And academically, SMU fits with the ACC and is on the rise. Add in the fact that the ACC is the premier soccer conference as well, and does well in the country club sports, we might become a candidate there. But in reality, aside from the fact that the BE is a BCS conference, will Rutgers, Syracuse, USF, Louisville, and Cincinnati draw flies in Ft. Worth?