So what's left of the MWC?

[StallionsModelT]

MWC may not have a choice other than to expand and expand big time. If I'm the MWC I seriously consider going to 14 teams in order to save the conference. Of course it could all be for not as the major shift hasn't occured yet.

[smupony94]

So we are back to the WAC 16

[Mitch McConnell]

I believe the proposed merger between CUSA/MWC is speculated to be just that-a merger between all remaing members of CUSA and MWC. Not a "best of the remaining teams". If the merger isn't going to happen-SMU would have to strongly consider a MWC bid if Houston considers it. Don't be left holding the bag with Tulsa, Rice and Tulane because the CUSA East may some day break off leaving SMU shut out from national TV. We'd be stuck in a modified Sun Belt.

Easy. There are so many moving parts that we can only speculate where we're going.

[PonyTime]

I believe the proposed merger between CUSA/MWC is speculated to be just that-a merger between all remaing members of CUSA and MWC. Not a "best of the remaining teams". If the merger isn't going to happen-SMU would have to strongly consider a MWC bid if Houston considers it. Don't be left holding the bag with Tulsa, Rice and Tulane because the CUSA East may some day break off leaving SMU shut out from national TV. We'd be stuck in a modified Sun Belt.

Easy. There are so many moving parts that we can only speculate where we're going.

I know where we are going: We are going to the CUSA Championship game. And if we win that - the Liberty Bowl to play Georgia.

Biggest week in 25 years for SMU football and all focus is on TCU and their conference affiliation.

[San Antonio Mustang]

Give me an AMEN to PonyTime! None of these implosions - explosions - or whatever are going to happen soon anyway. We have good coaches who coach our players up. We have good recruiters who are improving the quality of our players. We are wining and on tract to to get to better bowls. When we can get attendance up we will be very attractive and in the conversation for any realignment. There is no need to worry about where we end up. Let's concentrate on taking the next step which is wining this Saturday.

[gostangs]

you are very correct SA.

but one last thing - adding also-rans is a bad idea....NT, LT, UTSA...it would be much wiser to stay smaller then start becoming the sun belt.

[Big Hoss]

If CUSA can stay as currently constituted, I'd prefer to stay where we are.

Agreed. But if we lose Houston, UTEP and UCF, our conference does take a major hit in terms of respectability.

Don't get me wrong, I like having regional rivalries, but 2 are in the list above. It becomes less exciting when the only team you respect in your region is Tulsa, and then you fall off to Tulane and Rice after that.

[Charleston Pony]

MWC has replaced Utah, BYU and TCU with Boise (equal to TCU...high caliber football and bring a bowl game), Nevada & Fresno (a slight but not a huge step down from Utah/BYU in both quality of programs and attendance). They clearly want Hawaii as a football only member (brings another bowl game, even though Hawaii will host most years). Adding Hawaii can also add a 13th game to your schedule in some years.

I'm not sure the MWC needs to panic and try get to 12 members, just to host a championship game that may attract no more interest than the CUSA championship game does.

CUSA will have an issue if Big East expands further. Let's hope Nova joins if they only want 10. I'd hate to lose UCF. We need a FL presence and they would be tough to replace.

[ponyscott]

I'm like Metsango/OTP...whew....perplexes my little brain....enough of this re-alignment stuff and lets just go beat up on the UCF babies...so what if they have friggin 49,000 students?
I would love to go to a Liberty Bowl against Georgia with several weeks of healing, so our first team O and D ........ is strong like bull......

[froglicious]

And potentially Hawaii, right?

Not sure I'd want us to move to the Mountain West now unless they added at least 4 schools from CUSA (us, Houston, UTEP & Tulsa, maybe?). I'd hate to have every away conference game require a 3-4 hour plane ride, especially if it really doesn't make our SOS any better thus improving our chances of becoming the next BCS buster.

The real kick in the pants is you typically lose 2 hours on the way home and a minimum of 1. Getting in at 2 or 3 in the morning is way worse than midnight. We will be gaining an hour coming home from most BE destination. More than offsets any incremental cost increase if any.

[gostangs]

Plus the rest of the country is asleep by the time you play a west coast night game. When we were in WAC it was flat out no fun - the reconstituted MWC is not a great option unless we have no other.

I think there will be more regional options for us very soon (within 2 yrs). One thing this has done is shown a couple of other conferences that they can get a leg into this TV market for a pretty cheap price....and once we are gone so is that opportunity - its not great for them but its the only option left. And the Big East could lock it up now if they want to.