Best guess: With or without Boise State and/or San Diego State, the orphans make a go of it on their own.
Without Boise as a foundation, the reconstituted league (Big Leftovers?) would have SMU and Houston as the flagships if for no other reason because of some TV market appeal.
This was the real conclusion.
I would say, with or without the BE label, it makes sense at this point to stick together.
If I am SMU or UH I am getting to 12 or 14 by raiding CUSA and the MWC in order to brace for any potential ACC fallout if tey get raided. Get the most valuable tv properties left in the nonaq ranks and add them now.
Retaining Navy and taking the best MWC teams should be priority 1.
There isn't a way to keep UConn or Cincy from ACC-eding if they have an offer so making sure that you keep in front of the MWC which is really the only possible competitor from the nonaq ranks.
CUSA won't keep up so taking a swipe at the MWC to secure your league even if you lose more if the way to go tactically.
Last edited by WordUpBU on Fri Dec 14, 2012 7:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Digetydog wrote:We may not be the flagship of the US Seventh Fleet, but we are a Flagship school at the CUSA level. Essentially, the "stranded schools" were the top of the CUSA and the Bottom of the Big East.
SMU, UH, UCF, USF, Cincy, Memphis, Tulane, and ECU will steal the top of the existing CUSA if we want to.
The interesting quesiton will be: East or West
Assuming BYU and SDSU join the MWC, would we be better off joining with UH or BYU and heading West?
Take out Tulane and your statement is more believable.
I didn't call Tulane a flagship. I just included them in the list of the stranded schools. BUT, compare to new CUSA member Middle Tennessee State, they are a Flagship.
You did say the stranded schools were the top of CUSA and bottom of Big East. I don't think Tulane has been at the top of CUSA in football or basketball since we joined.