Realignment Questions

[Sammy 11]

After this summer I have become a very interested observer of what is going on with realignment. Now that TCU has moved you have this setup for the MWC in 2012:

New Mexico
AFA
CSU
Wyoming
UNLV
SDSU
Boise
Fresno
Nevada

Thats 9 teams and they may move to more. What do you see are the benefits of moving as this league is highly unlikely to get BCS AQ anytime soon as Boise is the only boost.

-Travel- You guys have as easy a travel situation for any Texas team not in the big 12 or southland. Houston (2x), UTEP, Tulsa, and New Orleans are all cheaper than Albuquerque which would be your nearest destination out west if UH didn't come. You have a couple eastern trips but Hattiesburg and Memphis are not as difficult as Laramie and Fort Collins.

-BCS- Neither league will have the SOS to consistently dominate the other if each has one team run the table looking for a bcs bid. Your champ game also factors in boosting you. Neither will have a bcs autobid for 5 years minumum. The key supports in the MWC (BYU UTAH TCU) are gone and the albatrosses are left weighing Boise down.

-Exposure- The mtn or ESPN? You guys have a chance with the WAC being nuked to take advantage of the boise time slots and make a brand for SMU. Why jump to the MWC for similar or less cash and less visibility to fans & recruits?


Considering the above:
1- Do you think SMU would move now that TCU, Utah, and BYU are gone? This league looks more like the WAC 16 than aq now.
2- Do you see UTEP moving as they are the only geographic "fit"?
3- Other than possibly UTEP do you see any CUSA west teams moving?

[planoponyfan]

I think Orsini and the rest of CUSA were pretty wise to sit tight for a bit and see what shook out. I don't think this is over yet and don't think a move is needed yet.

Eventually, the Big East, MWC and WAC may all be in tatters when the shaking dies down. The CUSA could be in position to make some bold moves when that happens or during that process.

[StallionsModelT]

I don't think a move to the MWC at this point is wise. Stay in CUSA and let the chips fall where they may in a few years. By then we will hopefully still be moving forward as a consistent contender year in and year out for the CUSA title. Maybe we'll have knocked off Georgia, Texas A&M, TCU, etc. with greater national exposure. At that point we will be much better off than we are now.

[couch 'em]

Staying in CUSA is good only as long as UH stays. If UH, or perhaps UTEP leaves, I don't want to be stuck in CUSA-West with Tulane, Rice, etc. plus whoever replaces UH, such as La Tech or even worse NTSU.

[EastStang]

I'm sure Steve O, Turner, and the BOT are keeping their eyes and ears open. Obviously, if UH and UTEP leave, then we have a different CUSA and we should explore other options. However, if CUSA holds their water, then it has a lot cards to play in any discussions with the MWC. UTEP wants DFW games and Houston games for its fundraising needs (which is why it joined CUSA). So, they may not want to jump. UH won't want to join the MWC alone in my view. So, my guess is that UH will probably listen to whatever MWC has to say and listen to CUSA and decide what's best for UH in the long run. It can also be the broker along with UTEP to force some sort of merger in reality or other championship play-off games.

[Charleston Pony]

Staying in CUSA is good only as long as UH stays. If UH, or perhaps UTEP leaves, I don't want to be stuck in CUSA-West with Tulane, Rice, etc. plus whoever replaces UH, such as La Tech or even worse NTSU.

long range thinking might say it would be best to align with larger public universities who put butts in seats...that means trying to stick with UTEP, Houston but down the road, UNT could be an attractive conference mate. Can't even rule out Texas State or UTSA. Where was Boise 10 years ago? Our problem, at least in the "modern" era of college football (I will define that era as when TV took over), is that we simply don't have enough alumni to pack our venues and the DFW community doesn't identify with SMU. We have to win and win BIG before we attract the casual sports fan to SMU sports.

[Stallion]

We have alumni, family and friends-enough to put a good crowd in Ford Stadium every week. We aren't reaching those people. Bottom Line they haven't sat their asses in seats. SMU needs to develop a strategy to reach our own alumni, family and friends. None of that other stuff we've been doing is anything but glossing over embarrassing attendance. Its great those kids get to go to games but that's not the answer-neither is the "casual football fan". The biggest long term obstacle I see that prevents SMU from following in TCU's path is that SMU's own alumni, family and friends are going to have to decide to give a [deleted]. 2012 will be Jones' 4th year and there are tangible successes -Hawaii Bowl victory, 2 straight bowls, Division Championship not to mention a great stadium and the Boulevard. Where are the fans? Heck where is the progress on attendance since SMU has been competitive.

[ponyscott]

We have alumni, family and friends-enough to put a good crowd in Ford Stadium every week. We aren't reaching those people. Bottom Line they haven't sat their asses in seats. SMU needs to develop a strategy to reach our own alumni, family and friends. None of that other stuff we've been doing is anything but glossing over embarrassing attendance. Its great those kids get to go to games but that's not the answer-neither is the "casual football fan". The biggest long term obstacle I see that prevents SMU from following in TCU's path is that SMU's own alumni, family and friends are going to have to decide to give a [deleted]. 2012 will be Jones' 4th year and there are tangible successes -Hawaii Bowl victory, 2 straight bowls, Division Championship not to mention a great stadium and the Boulevard. Where are the fans? Heck where is the progress on attendance since SMU has been competitive.

Can't disagree...it makes me sick to leave to the game from the blvd. and there are idiots that sit at the Blvd with no intentions of going in to see the Stangs. The students that are there now never came to SMU to attend the football games, the ones that are applying now are the ones that are coming for the football experience. It takes time...25 friggin years of indiffernce is hard to overcome quickly. The marketing efforts of SMU need to be stepped up...where is another Russ Potts now?

[SMU89]

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entr ... on_Cougars

[NickSMU17]

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/19693700/26141082?source=rss_teams_Houston_Cougars

This is a great Read....

I never considered the private school angle....good for us I guess...

[SMU89]

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/19693700/26141082?source=rss_teams_Houston_Cougars

This is a great Read....

I never considered the private school angle....good for us I guess...

I didn't either......thought it was interesting

[RE Tycoon]

A good way to encourage the idiots (aka bandwagon fans), is to give them a bandwagon to get on. We all know good things are happening but it might take a 6-0, 8-0, or 10-0 start and an in season ranking to get the idiots' attention.

[Stallion]

This is the scenario I think SMU and Houston have to closely consider. We would likely be in a Division with

Houston
SMU
Air Force
New Mexico
Colorado St
Wyoming(unfortunately)

I'd be interested in investigating-maybe some TCU fans would know-whether those teams would draw as much or the same as our present Division

Tulsa
Rice
Tulane
UTEP

I bet the difference is essentially insignificant. Since the creation of CUSA there has been this myth that playing these schools would benefit attendance in our Division. I don't think the facts bear that out. Neither Conference will draw flies to Ford when the opposing Division is in town. Air Force has draw decent crowds to SMU games I know in the past. Air Force would really benefit from exposure to Texas recruiting because so many Texans have always signed with military academies. The biggest negative to me is having our games on the Mountain rather than ESPN but at least we would play on Saturdays. I really don't see what the great loss it would be to stop playing Rice and Tulane. We could still play Rice, Tulsa and Tulane in non conference if we wanted.

[PoconoPony]

Our problem is thinking that football alone makes us attractive or viable for another conference. Without a nationally ranked or highly competitive basketball team we are not in the position to do anything or garner respect. Football is the lead, but we have a huge distance to go before we are an attractive package with no basketball and reasonably successful minor sports programs that unfortunately carry little impact.

[RE Tycoon]

He mentions UH is the leading candidate to be TCU's travel partner in the BE, but doesn't their bowl-less season show potential suitors they might not be strong moving forward? SMU should spin this as we are getting stronger while they are a flash in the pan...and by the way their stadium plans will never materialize.

Just throwing this out to see if it sticks, but is there ANY way in hell that Doh's east coast connections make SMU attractive to the BE basketball contingent? If this thought has any merit, and he anticipated this inevitability, I would give Orsinin a lifetime contract for sticking with the atrocious Doh to further our conference fortunes.

It almost makes too much sense to add two teams as close as TCU & SMU are, to lighten the burden on the outlier travel. The basketball teams wouldn't be as upset about traveling to Texas when they can take one flight, spend one night in a hotel and play back-to-back games and go back east. Makes it much more feasible, economical and acceptable to the elitist basketball contingent. For lesser sports it also makes financial sense. I can even see some sports playing double headers (volleyball, tennis, etc.) therefore coming and going in one day or two and getting two or more league games in.

Far fetched I know, but just something I dreamed up.