Ok, what time tomorrow will the news come that we are in the MWC....fine time to have an AD with problems.......I'll be waiting to hear!!!!!

If the rumors are true, then we have to jump immediately while the irons' hot. I always felt like us and UTEP should be considered "travel" bros". You know, if we could get Boise, Houston, SMU and TU back in the same league and maybe a So Miss or LT, then that would be a monster league. You know, I'd kind of hate to see ECU get the BE shaft if that league fell apart, but they've been whining so long about that move that it would be sort of humorous.

I hope this doesn't fall apart. Maybe that TV guy on the CUSA Championship that mentioned our negotiaitions to leave CUSA
knew more than we thought at the time.

Yeah, I couldn't believe he made the statement.....I hadn't heard anything....maybe it was just a mistake but he said it like he knew something.......but he said it like everyone knew it.

What happens to Southern Miss, they have always had a good team, until this year....it would be a little unfair for them to get left behind. No one seems to be talking about Rice either. I figure USM will go to the Big East before all the dust has settled, but if by some chance the rumors of SMU, Houston, Boise and SDSU going to the MWC were true, there wouldn't be a Big East football conference. Maybe when all the dust has settled, the SEC takes a couple of teams from the ACC, the Big 12 takes a couple from the ACC, then Tulsa, Rice and Southern Miss will end up in the ACC. I still can't believe the ACC isn't making some moves now, they know what is coming whether it's now or next year.....they are going to lose 4 or more teams to the Big 4 conferences and if they don't act pretty quick, they are going to be the big loser.....along with the Big East.....but I guess they think they can get some teams from the NBE. There is no way the Big East can survive, one way or the other, they get raided from all sides!!!!! When it's all finished, there will be the Big 4 conferences, a lesser ACC and MWC.....MAC and Sunbelt at the bottom.

No way to tell whats happening, but if we go back to tradition and similarity of circumstances then we end up west along with Houston, SMU and UTEP to form an eastern MWC division. Then the remnants of the BE ban together to protect their "cityfied" schools system that ESPN dictated.


My best guess at this point would be the MWC:

Hawaii
Fresno
SDSU
SJSU
Boise
Nevada
UNLV
Utah St
Wyoming
Colorado St
AF
NM
UTEP
Tulsa
SMU
Houston

New Big East (when dust settles) The league that is mostly about TV markets with a few geographic links:

Temple (Philly)
Navy (national)
Marshall
ECU
USF (Tampa)
UCF (Orlando)
La Tech
USM
Cinncinnati (Cincy)
Tulane (New Orleans)

But noone really knows on these message boards whats happening.

CUSA becomes the SBC with a new name. SBC gets the new members of CUSA like ODU, UNCC plus leftovers who didn't make the cut from everywhere else like NMSU, Tex State.

My best guess which is probably all wrong.

I really don't know what SMU and Houston are going to do but an Eastern MWC with Air Force, Colorado St, UTEP, New Mexico, Tulsa and whoever would be a lot better than where we are now!!!

Here are the positives to the MWC that I can see.

There are several flagship universities in the MWC that provide political influence if the BCS were to attempt to shaft us - Hawaii, Nevada, Wyoming and N Mexico.

TU and SMU would be the only private schools - we could jettison Rice and Tulane.

Most of the schools have large enrollments and residential campuses, not large enrollments of commuters.

Most of the schools have very nice well maintained athletic facilities.

Most of the schools travel fairly well - certainly better than CUSA.

There would be a number of "close by" major markets to lure TV dollars - San Diego, Frisco, Vegas, Salt Lake, Denver, Houston, Dallas as well as several medium markets like Honolulu, Fresno, Albuquerque, El Paso and Tulsa.

There is geographic sense to this configuration that allows for lower travel costs in Olympic sports.

We have a history of playing each other and most of us have at one time or another been in the same conference

There would be ten total states covered which helps when negotiating TV contracts.

Several bowl tie ins

Success in major sports, including but not exclusively CFB

A history of sending teams to BCS bowls i.e. Utah, TCU, Hawaii, Boise St

Seems a little funny, no rumors, no leaks over the weekend, if anything was going to happen it just seems like ESPN, CBS or Fox would have at least hinted at something......normally things aren't this quiet.....maybe all just message board talk, you never know???

The MWC meeting started yesterday and run through tomorrow, I believe - Just holding on to hope!


BTW, what's with all the butthurt from Marshall fans on the main board in regards to us and UTEP getting mentions for the MWC????

Yeah, I don't know....maybe it's the thought of only Rice, S Miss, UAB and Marshall left from CUSA this year......that would be a big hit to the conference. I would have preferred to go East(the ACC) because of TV but I like the Mountain West. I did hear from a MWC fan that said the word was Tulsa turned down a football only membership in the Big East, so I guess Tulsa must be serious about the MWC if all of this has any truth to it. I also wouldn't have had any problems with Rice going with us(if we go any place), at least one other team in the CTZ. If there is any more expansion I would love to see S Miss join us too.

Here is what John Klein and some of the local writers and broadcasters are saying - sit back and ride out the storm - do nothing. CUSA is a good option ------------> No way we should do that!

If we do nothing and just stand pat, then that is just saying we'll stay in CUSA which is a dying league (or at least a diminished one) that is going to be worse than the SBC. The one option that we cannot pursue is . . . to not pursue an option.

What I fear is that the administration, in all this mess, will simply just take the cheap and easy way out. THAT'S NOT LEADERSHIP!

Many on the rivals board are always quick to say that the administration is looking at every possibility and will make the right decision in the end. But you have to wonder what inside information these people have and whether they are just providing cover for their friends, bosses and associates if things spin out of control.

Its my guess that TU saw the administrative mistake they made and are trying to put lipstick on that darn pig again. Aren't they ever going to run out of lipstick, eyeliner and facial creme?

In the end, we need to take the plunge to whatever conference makes the first offer. In this case, we want to be the pursuer, not the victim. Being proactive and actually making a decision is what leadership is all about.

SMU's President said in the Dallas Morning News today, that they were going to stay with the Big East because of basketball even though the football landscape looked more like where they just came from. He wasn't overjoyed about the changing landscape but said they should get 4 million and a lot of good basketball. My question is two fold.......what is the big attraction about the NBE basketball.....Georgetown, they've been really good about 2 out of the last 10 years, Villanova, about the same thing.....when Connecticut leaves that's about it for Big East basketball.....it's just not that great of a basketball conference....they are living on past history. Secondly, if the football landscape looks the same what happens if the basketball landscape changes and the basketball members say bye bye.....there goes your 4 million because a good deal of the Big East money came from getting the basketball rights not football and that basketball landscape has changed dramatically since their last contract. Maybe the biggest thing is you half or more of your conference members that really doesn't care for you being there at all.......fun group!!!

Well, the SMU president has to feel a little foolish now, no basketball and no 4 million........maybe not even a conference. What a mess!!! Does Tulsa go to the MWC or the new conference???? What a mess!!! You have to feel for the CUSA teams that left for greener pastures but a number of people warned them what was probably going to happen. How do you make a schedule for next year or for sure, the year after when you don't even know if you are in a conference or not......what a disaster for them right now!!! This is a lot bigger than just a conference splitting up.....a whole bunch of schools have no idea what tomorrow may bring. If a new conference is formed do they want your school, like Tulane or SMU.....then what???? A lot of questions right now!!!

I'm still holding on to hope that we'll here something about the MWC soon.... hopefully very soon. This stuff is starting to give me a complex. These new schools are up in arms bc no one is excited to play them, but there is just a different mind-set associated with them compared to the teams that just left. The teams that just left (most of them anyway) have history, rivalries, fan support (I know we stuggle in the fan support area sometimes too), etc.... The new schools are just happy to be playing football - no rivalries, no history, no nothing. But the butthurt flows deep with them anytime any of us show disinterest in being associated with them. I really will be sick to my stomach is we are relegated to stay in this $hitty conference with these schools that no one has ever heard of... bc that'll definitely get the casual fan out to the games...

TU fan: "hey man, wanna go to the TU game with me?
Casual Sports Fan that TU Fan is Trying to Recruit: "Maybe, who are they playing?"
TU Fan: Well.... (Fill in the blank - Middle Tennessee St./UTSA/FAU etc.)
Casual Sports Fan that TU Fan is Trying to Recruit: "Who the hell is that???, I'll probably just watch the OU game on TV later."

On an unrelated note (sort of related I suppose) - Tallgrass makes all Tulsa fans look like idiots. He constantly puts our school down (calls us "piss ant"), talks about how we should be happy where we are (with no aspirations of improvement at any level) and tries to put down schools and conferences that we should be associated with. He truely is the fringe, moronic side of our fan base and seriously just doesn't get it. His logic is flawed, but tries to make it sound as if he is smarter than everyone else... If he weren't talking about Tulsa, I wouldn't care, but since TU is my school, I take offense to people like him and his backhanded BS. Ok, Im done ranting.


Fingers still crossed about getting out of this dumpster fire ASAP!!!

John Hoover had a great article in the Tulsa World this morning about TU and conference realignment.

Tulsa World

Isn't Tallgrass suppose to be an OSU and Tulsa fan....maybe more OSU.....unfortunately I didn't go to OSU and Tulsa....I just went to Tulsa and that's all I care about!! I think Tulsa is in a pretty good position, I can't believe a new conference would form without talking to Tulsa and the MWC really doesn't have too many choices besides Tulsa. You can have all the so-called markets you want but it still is nice to have a few good football teams too, aka Boise and Tulsa stands out compared to the ones being considered by the new conference or MWC.......and at least we have a conference, for what it's worth, to fall back on.

If we are talking about new conferences....a conference that is not going to be in the Big 4, because that's all the big conferences there will be in the end of all of this.....let's be realistic, why bother being spread out all over the country if it isn't going to get any of those teams anything but maybe another 1 million dollars......which is chump change in today's landscape. I would like to see Tulsa at least try to put together a more regional conference.
Tulsa
Houston
SMU
Rice
UTEP
Tulane
So Miss
North Texas
La Tech
Then in a few years if UTSA and Texas St or the two Louisiana schools show they are pretty good in football or basketball invite them too. This makes a lot more sense than running all over the country for a million dollars for all the sports schools play!!!!! It also has a lot more chance of building rivalries and letting your fans travel to games.

We knew this was coming for quite some time. The fans knew it, the sports writers, the general public. What has happened IMO is that some conferences panicked because of lack of preparation. What I want is a strategy to keep us with some of the programs we have a history with and have the same commitment.

The league JHoover is advocating has UCONN and some of the other BE leftovers - but doesn't mention UH, SMU etc. IMO UCONN (and Cincy if called) will be UGONE if any of the Big 5 come calling just like that girlfriend who teased you in 7th grade, but used you to get "Mr Big Man on Campus". They want out and this is the skeem they have chosen.

My neighborhood analogy still applies IMO, but when you buy a house, there are two main concerns. Is it stable and is it the right time to make the move?

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CUSA - A neighborhood in major decline with a few nice properties left, but several houses have flipped lately and several owners haven't kept their yards up and most of the others have owners that may not stay around long. You are concerned there could be a few meth houses near you. Assured decline. The attitude among friends close to you is to get out fast while they can.

MWC - A couple of the best neighbors have moved away to other places with higher home values, but is still somewhat stable, but its kinda out in the boondocks. The neighborhood could go either way from here - up or down. Some of the people that moved away may be contemplating moving back at some point where they used to be - the grass wasn't greener. Most of the neighbors have good incomes and would like the place to stay the way it is.

BE - A neighborhood that used to be fairly nice but is deteriorating fast. Lots of people wanting to leave or already have left to seek new, better living conditions. But the housing market is tough and not all of the remaining owners can afford the move and will have to stay. So their only option is to get more control over the local housing market or it turns into Detroit.

SBC/MAC - the slums with high crime.

IMO Thats why some of the programs from CUSA, MW and BE want to regroup and just invite those that can afford it and have like minded goals to stabilize the present situation. Would you live in Detroit now(?)- the good folks left there and now they need Robocop, but he's not around to save them - they have to save themselves. The question should be where do we go, not should we go?

(12-15-2012 10:53 AM)rabidTU Wrote:  We knew this was coming for quite some time. The fans knew it, the sports writers, the general public. What has happened IMO is that some conferences panicked because of lack of preparation. What I want is a strategy to keep us with some of the programs we have a history with and have the same commitment.

The league JHoover is advocating has UCONN and some of the other BE leftovers - but doesn't mention UH, SMU etc. IMO UCONN (and Cincy if called) will be UGONE if any of the Big 5 come calling just like that girlfriend who teased you in 7th grade, but used you to get "Mr Big Man on Campus". They want out and this is the skeem they have chosen.

My neighborhood analogy still applies IMO, but when you buy a house, there are two main concerns. Is it stable and is it the right time to make the move?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CUSA - A neighborhood in major decline with a few nice properties left, but several houses have flipped lately and several owners haven't kept their yards up and most of the others have owners that may not stay around long. You are concerned there could be a few meth houses near you. Assured decline. The attitude among friends close to you is to get out fast while they can.

MWC - A couple of the best neighbors have moved away to other places with higher home values, but is still somewhat stable, but its kinda out in the boondocks. The neighborhood could go either way from here - up or down. Some of the people that moved away may be contemplating moving back at some point where they used to be - the grass wasn't greener. Most of the neighbors have good incomes and would like the place to stay the way it is.

BE - A neighborhood that used to be fairly nice but is deteriorating fast. Lots of people wanting to leave or already have left to seek new, better living conditions. But the housing market is tough and not all of the remaining owners can afford the move and will have to stay. So their only option is to get more control over the local housing market or it turns into Detroit.

SBC/MAC - the slums with high crime.

IMO Thats why some of the programs from CUSA, MW and BE want to regroup and just invite those that can afford it and have like minded goals to stabilize the present situation. Would you live in Detroit now(?)- the good folks left there and now they need Robocop, but he's not around to save them - they have to save themselves. The question should be where do we go, not should we go?

Honestly at this point, anything (not including Sunbelt or MAC) is better than C-USA... I think if we stay in this conference, there will be bigger implications than some may think. You will see attendance dwindle to around 5-10k per game... which at that point... do you keep football at the D1 level? Not trying to play the devil's advocate, but I'm sitting her thinking of the long term effects and I really can't think of anything good that will come of us staying where we are.

Even if the new guys improve over the next 5 years or so, that will just put them on par with the teams we lost....

This could be a crossroads for TU athletics... Some decisions that will shape our future will be made in the coming weeks or months... I just really hope they are the correct decisions.

Me too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!