Coaches are like used car salesman. You can never believe what they tell you. It's all about the ME.

(04-23-2014 03:55 PM)olliebaba Wrote:  Coaches are like used car salesman. You can never believe what they tell you. It's all about the ME.

If Floyd goes to Missouri, I'm sure Billy Gillispie would get the call. The last 3 coaches who left UTEP for "greener pastures" didn't work out in the end: Gillispie at Texas A&M/Kentucky/Texas Tech, Doc Sadler at Nebraska and Tony Barbee at Auburn.

(04-23-2014 04:27 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  If Floyd goes to Missouri, I'm sure Billy Gillispie would get the call. The last 3 coaches who left UTEP for "greener pastures" didn't work out in the end: Gillispie at Texas A&M/Kentucky/Texas Tech, Doc Sadler at Nebraska and Tony Barbee at Auburn.

If Floyd does go to Missouri, which I highly doubt, then one of the assistants would get the job. IMO. We have three that have D1 head basketball coaching experience.

(04-23-2014 08:08 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  Floyd might go to Missouri, but he won't come home to USM. He burnt that bridge several years ago when Tyndall was hired here.

Why do you say that? Is it because we didn't hire "his" guy? Or is it because we offered him the job and he didn't accept? Either way, I doubt there's any real impediment to him getting hired at USM. Really, we should count ourselves lucky that he has ties to Hattiesburg, and even owns property there (or did).

Now if you say there's some booster that doesn't like Floyd, I might believe that, but I also think that we've really got to get away from our dependency on those guys. I mean, I appreciate them, but we've also got to get some more non-voting shares into our capital mix, if you catch my drift. If we let a booster make the call on this hire, instead of McGillis, we're missing the boat.

(04-23-2014 06:13 AM)BRtransplant Wrote:  Missouri won't offer Floyd. USM on the other hand, might be a place where Floyd figures he can get close to home and coach for the next five to ten years until he's ready to retire.

Hate to break it to you, but he is home. Floyd grew up in El Paso and has many connections here. I could see him leaving UTEP for Missouri because of a desire to go to a big time conference with better resources, but I'd be totally shocked if he left for USM.

(04-23-2014 07:25 PM)MondoMiner Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 06:13 AM)BRtransplant Wrote:  Missouri won't offer Floyd. USM on the other hand, might be a place where Floyd figures he can get close to home and coach for the next five to ten years until he's ready to retire.

Hate to break it to you, but he is home. Floyd grew up in El Paso and has many connections here. I could see him leaving UTEP for Missouri because of a desire to go to a big time conference with better resources, but I'd be totally shocked if he left for USM.

Yeah, I would, too. The question is mostly academic. I thought that a lot of the initial reaction USM fans had to the idea was wrong, and that was my point. I know it's probably a moot point, though.

(04-23-2014 07:25 PM)MondoMiner Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 06:13 AM)BRtransplant Wrote:  Missouri won't offer Floyd. USM on the other hand, might be a place where Floyd figures he can get close to home and coach for the next five to ten years until he's ready to retire.

Hate to break it to you, but he is home. Floyd grew up in El Paso and has many connections here. I could see him leaving UTEP for Missouri because of a desire to go to a big time conference with better resources, but I'd be totally shocked if he left for USM.

Tim spend a large part of his growing up years here. In fact one of his childhood friends is a frequent poster on here. Years ago tim told several local people that he wanted his last stop to be Southern Miss. Alot of our people always clung to those words.
To my knowledge he still has a house in Picayune about 45 mins between here and nola.

(04-23-2014 08:13 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 07:25 PM)MondoMiner Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 06:13 AM)BRtransplant Wrote:  Missouri won't offer Floyd. USM on the other hand, might be a place where Floyd figures he can get close to home and coach for the next five to ten years until he's ready to retire.

Hate to break it to you, but he is home. Floyd grew up in El Paso and has many connections here. I could see him leaving UTEP for Missouri because of a desire to go to a big time conference with better resources, but I'd be totally shocked if he left for USM.

Tim spend a large part of his growing up years here. In fact one of his childhood friends is a frequent poster on here. Years ago tim told several local people that he wanted his last stop to be Southern Miss. Alot of our people always clung to those words.
To my knowledge he still has a house in Picayune about 45 mins between here and nola.

I believe all of that, but two things have happened since Tim said those things. First, he's made a home in El Paso, another city where he has roots. Second, USM has gone from premier mid-major to unmitigated disaster.

(04-23-2014 10:08 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 08:13 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 07:25 PM)MondoMiner Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 06:13 AM)BRtransplant Wrote:  Missouri won't offer Floyd. USM on the other hand, might be a place where Floyd figures he can get close to home and coach for the next five to ten years until he's ready to retire.

Hate to break it to you, but he is home. Floyd grew up in El Paso and has many connections here. I could see him leaving UTEP for Missouri because of a desire to go to a big time conference with better resources, but I'd be totally shocked if he left for USM.

Tim spend a large part of his growing up years here. In fact one of his childhood friends is a frequent poster on here. Years ago tim told several local people that he wanted his last stop to be Southern Miss. Alot of our people always clung to those words.
To my knowledge he still has a house in Picayune about 45 mins between here and nola.

I believe all of that, but two things have happened since Tim said those things. First, he's made a home in El Paso, another city where he has roots. Second, USM has gone from premier mid-major to unmitigated disaster.

I know being a good eaglepost member it is a full time job insulting the school and the administration but please tell me how a program with over 100 wins in 5 straight seasons, a ncaa trip and 2 straight nit's is considered a disaster??

(04-23-2014 10:14 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 10:08 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 08:13 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 07:25 PM)MondoMiner Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 06:13 AM)BRtransplant Wrote:  Missouri won't offer Floyd. USM on the other hand, might be a place where Floyd figures he can get close to home and coach for the next five to ten years until he's ready to retire.

Hate to break it to you, but he is home. Floyd grew up in El Paso and has many connections here. I could see him leaving UTEP for Missouri because of a desire to go to a big time conference with better resources, but I'd be totally shocked if he left for USM.

Tim spend a large part of his growing up years here. In fact one of his childhood friends is a frequent poster on here. Years ago tim told several local people that he wanted his last stop to be Southern Miss. Alot of our people always clung to those words.
To my knowledge he still has a house in Picayune about 45 mins between here and nola.

I believe all of that, but two things have happened since Tim said those things. First, he's made a home in El Paso, another city where he has roots. Second, USM has gone from premier mid-major to unmitigated disaster.

I know being a good eaglepost member it is a full time job insulting the school and the administration but please tell me how a program with over 100 wins in 5 straight seasons, a ncaa trip and 2 straight nit's is considered a disaster??

I'm not an EaglePost member.

I realize we've won a bunch of games in basketball, but for the most part they weren't the games that counted.

It's reasonable to assume that when Tim Floyd made that statement about ending up at USM, we were playing in the same conference as Louisville, Cincinnati, Marquette, St. Louis, Memphis, UH, etc.

We've talked about upgrading our gym, but we haven't done it, at least not in any way that's obvious to fans. Even now, as we attempt to bring in a coach, there's been no announcement.

We absolutely must take a hard look at ourselves and our shortcomings if we're ever going to improve. We need to come up with some cash, and make some waves, and do it in a hurry... and it doesn't need to come from a few rich donors. It needs to come from the rank and file.

Now is the time to impose an athletic fee on students. 15,000 students X $300 per semester X 2 semesters per year would yield an annual increase of $9,000,000. That would bring us so much closer to the AAC schools, and would do so much for our program. And $300 isn't out-of-line with what other schools tack onto the bill.

Now is also the time for a fan/alumni fundraising campaign to save USM athletics. It's now or never. In fact, that should be the slogan... because it's true.

I'll personally pledge $1,000 to USM athletics this year, on top of the tickets I would buy anyway, if USM will start a campaign like the one I'm describing. I'll post an image of the cancelled check on this site.

We're never going to go anywhere without that money. There's never been a better time to ask for it. If ever there were a time when the students themselves might get behind it, that would be now. Remember how they responded to Tyndall. They know what losing him means.

Remember how the students swarmed the field late in the 2013 football season. The team didn't win that weekend, but I feel like that demonstration laid the groundwork for what happened a couple weeks later at UAB.

I know we can do this... but the honest intent has to be there, like it was at Louisville and ECU.

(04-23-2014 11:03 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 10:14 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 10:08 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 08:13 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 07:25 PM)MondoMiner Wrote:  Hate to break it to you, but he is home. Floyd grew up in El Paso and has many connections here. I could see him leaving UTEP for Missouri because of a desire to go to a big time conference with better resources, but I'd be totally shocked if he left for USM.

Tim spend a large part of his growing up years here. In fact one of his childhood friends is a frequent poster on here. Years ago tim told several local people that he wanted his last stop to be Southern Miss. Alot of our people always clung to those words.
To my knowledge he still has a house in Picayune about 45 mins between here and nola.

I believe all of that, but two things have happened since Tim said those things. First, he's made a home in El Paso, another city where he has roots. Second, USM has gone from premier mid-major to unmitigated disaster.

I know being a good eaglepost member it is a full time job insulting the school and the administration but please tell me how a program with over 100 wins in 5 straight seasons, a ncaa trip and 2 straight nit's is considered a disaster??

I'm not an EaglePost member.

I realize we've won a bunch of games in basketball, but for the most part they weren't the games that counted.

It's reasonable to assume that when Tim Floyd made that statement about ending up at USM, we were playing in the same conference as Louisville, Cincinnati, Marquette, St. Louis, Memphis, UH, etc.

We've talked about upgrading our gym, but we haven't done it, at least not in any way that's obvious to fans. Even now, as we attempt to bring in a coach, there's been no announcement.

We absolutely must take a hard look at ourselves and our shortcomings if we're ever going to improve. We need to come up with some cash, and make some waves, and do it in a hurry... and it doesn't need to come from a few rich donors. It needs to come from the rank and file.

Now is the time to impose an athletic fee on students. 15,000 students X $300 per semester X 2 semesters per year would yield an annual increase of $9,000,000. That would bring us so much closer to the AAC schools, and would do so much for our program. And $300 isn't out-of-line with what other schools tack onto the bill.

Now is also the time for a fan/alumni fundraising campaign to save USM athletics. It's now or never. In fact, that should be the slogan... because it's true.

I'll personally pledge $1,000 to USM athletics this year, on top of the tickets I would buy anyway, if USM will start a campaign like the one I'm describing. I'll post an image of the cancelled check on this site.

We're never going to go anywhere without that money. There's never been a better time to ask for it. If ever there were a time when the students themselves might get behind it, that would be now. Remember how they responded to Tyndall. They know what losing him means.

Remember how the students swarmed the field late in the 2013 football season. The team didn't win that weekend, but I feel like that demonstration laid the groundwork for what happened a couple weeks later at UAB.

I know we can do this... but the honest intent has to be there, like it was at Louisville and ECU.

What an amazing post. My sentiments exactly. You are obviously more eloquent than I since saying the exact same thing about UTEP makes me a troll.

(04-24-2014 01:04 PM)Fitbud Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 11:03 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 10:14 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 10:08 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 08:13 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  Tim spend a large part of his growing up years here. In fact one of his childhood friends is a frequent poster on here. Years ago tim told several local people that he wanted his last stop to be Southern Miss. Alot of our people always clung to those words.
To my knowledge he still has a house in Picayune about 45 mins between here and nola.

I believe all of that, but two things have happened since Tim said those things. First, he's made a home in El Paso, another city where he has roots. Second, USM has gone from premier mid-major to unmitigated disaster.

I know being a good eaglepost member it is a full time job insulting the school and the administration but please tell me how a program with over 100 wins in 5 straight seasons, a ncaa trip and 2 straight nit's is considered a disaster??

I'm not an EaglePost member.

I realize we've won a bunch of games in basketball, but for the most part they weren't the games that counted.

It's reasonable to assume that when Tim Floyd made that statement about ending up at USM, we were playing in the same conference as Louisville, Cincinnati, Marquette, St. Louis, Memphis, UH, etc.

We've talked about upgrading our gym, but we haven't done it, at least not in any way that's obvious to fans. Even now, as we attempt to bring in a coach, there's been no announcement.

We absolutely must take a hard look at ourselves and our shortcomings if we're ever going to improve. We need to come up with some cash, and make some waves, and do it in a hurry... and it doesn't need to come from a few rich donors. It needs to come from the rank and file.

Now is the time to impose an athletic fee on students. 15,000 students X $300 per semester X 2 semesters per year would yield an annual increase of $9,000,000. That would bring us so much closer to the AAC schools, and would do so much for our program. And $300 isn't out-of-line with what other schools tack onto the bill.

Now is also the time for a fan/alumni fundraising campaign to save USM athletics. It's now or never. In fact, that should be the slogan... because it's true.

I'll personally pledge $1,000 to USM athletics this year, on top of the tickets I would buy anyway, if USM will start a campaign like the one I'm describing. I'll post an image of the cancelled check on this site.

We're never going to go anywhere without that money. There's never been a better time to ask for it. If ever there were a time when the students themselves might get behind it, that would be now. Remember how they responded to Tyndall. They know what losing him means.

Remember how the students swarmed the field late in the 2013 football season. The team didn't win that weekend, but I feel like that demonstration laid the groundwork for what happened a couple weeks later at UAB.

I know we can do this... but the honest intent has to be there, like it was at Louisville and ECU.

What an amazing post. My sentiments exactly. You are obviously more eloquent than I since saying the exact same thing about UTEP makes me a troll.

What he misses is that the student fee he proposes ALREADY makes up like 20% of our total budget. Why not go ahead and pledge a grand? Many of us already do, we need money to cover scholarships so that we can use other revenues to do things like upgrade facilities.

(04-24-2014 01:18 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 01:04 PM)Fitbud Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 11:03 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 10:14 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 10:08 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  I believe all of that, but two things have happened since Tim said those things. First, he's made a home in El Paso, another city where he has roots. Second, USM has gone from premier mid-major to unmitigated disaster.

I know being a good eaglepost member it is a full time job insulting the school and the administration but please tell me how a program with over 100 wins in 5 straight seasons, a ncaa trip and 2 straight nit's is considered a disaster??

I'm not an EaglePost member.

I realize we've won a bunch of games in basketball, but for the most part they weren't the games that counted.

It's reasonable to assume that when Tim Floyd made that statement about ending up at USM, we were playing in the same conference as Louisville, Cincinnati, Marquette, St. Louis, Memphis, UH, etc.

We've talked about upgrading our gym, but we haven't done it, at least not in any way that's obvious to fans. Even now, as we attempt to bring in a coach, there's been no announcement.

We absolutely must take a hard look at ourselves and our shortcomings if we're ever going to improve. We need to come up with some cash, and make some waves, and do it in a hurry... and it doesn't need to come from a few rich donors. It needs to come from the rank and file.

Now is the time to impose an athletic fee on students. 15,000 students X $300 per semester X 2 semesters per year would yield an annual increase of $9,000,000. That would bring us so much closer to the AAC schools, and would do so much for our program. And $300 isn't out-of-line with what other schools tack onto the bill.

Now is also the time for a fan/alumni fundraising campaign to save USM athletics. It's now or never. In fact, that should be the slogan... because it's true.

I'll personally pledge $1,000 to USM athletics this year, on top of the tickets I would buy anyway, if USM will start a campaign like the one I'm describing. I'll post an image of the cancelled check on this site.

We're never going to go anywhere without that money. There's never been a better time to ask for it. If ever there were a time when the students themselves might get behind it, that would be now. Remember how they responded to Tyndall. They know what losing him means.

Remember how the students swarmed the field late in the 2013 football season. The team didn't win that weekend, but I feel like that demonstration laid the groundwork for what happened a couple weeks later at UAB.

I know we can do this... but the honest intent has to be there, like it was at Louisville and ECU.

What an amazing post. My sentiments exactly. You are obviously more eloquent than I since saying the exact same thing about UTEP makes me a troll.

What he misses is that the student fee he proposes ALREADY makes up like 20% of our total budget. Why not go ahead and pledge a grand? Many of us already do, we need money to cover scholarships so that we can use other revenues to do things like upgrade facilities.

I just think that many of the fans of the schools in this conference settle for mediocre teams, records, and coaches.

This mentality, in my humble opinion, encourages these schools to settle for "mid major" status when they should be striving for better.

We could learn a lot from the schools that left us.

(04-24-2014 01:18 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 01:04 PM)Fitbud Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 11:03 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 10:14 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 10:08 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  I believe all of that, but two things have happened since Tim said those things. First, he's made a home in El Paso, another city where he has roots. Second, USM has gone from premier mid-major to unmitigated disaster.

I know being a good eaglepost member it is a full time job insulting the school and the administration but please tell me how a program with over 100 wins in 5 straight seasons, a ncaa trip and 2 straight nit's is considered a disaster??

I'm not an EaglePost member.

I realize we've won a bunch of games in basketball, but for the most part they weren't the games that counted.

It's reasonable to assume that when Tim Floyd made that statement about ending up at USM, we were playing in the same conference as Louisville, Cincinnati, Marquette, St. Louis, Memphis, UH, etc.

We've talked about upgrading our gym, but we haven't done it, at least not in any way that's obvious to fans. Even now, as we attempt to brving in a coach, there's been no announcement.

We absolutely must take a hard look at ourselves and our shortcomings if we're ever going to improve. We need to come up with some cash, and make some waves, and do it in a hurry... and it doesn't need to come from a few rich donors. It needs to come from the rank and file.

Now is the time to impose an athletic fee on students. 15,000 students X $300 per semester X 2 semesters per year would yield an annual increase of $9,000,000. That would bring us so much closer to the AAC schools, and would do so much for our program. And $300 isn't out-of-line with what other schools tack onto the bill.

Now is also the time for a fan/alumni fundraising campaign to save USM athletics. It's now or never. In fact, that should be the slogan... because it's true.

I'll personally pledge $1,000 to USM athletics this year, on top of the tickets I would buy anyway, if USM will start a campaign like the one I'm describing. I'll post an image of the cancelled check on this site.

We're never going to go anywhere without that money. There's never been a better time to ask for it. If ever there were a time when the students themselves might get behind it, that would be now. Remember how they responded to Tyndall. They know what losing him means.

Remember how the students swarmed the field late in the 2013 football season. The team didn't win that weekend, but I feel like that demonstration laid the groundwork for what happened a couple weeks later at UAB.

I know we can do this... but the honest intent has to be there, like it was at Louisville and ECU.

What an amazing post. My sentiments exactly. You are obviously more eloquent than I since saying the exact same thing about UTEP makes me a troll.

What he misses is that the student fee he proposes ALREADY makes up like 20% of our total budget. Why not go ahead and pledge a grand? Many of us already do, we need money to cover scholarships so that we can use other revenues to do things like upgrade facilities.

I knew there was an existing fee, but did not know the amount (except in the general sense of knowing it's not enough).

I have given to USM and will continue to do so. My suggestion was for a special, publicized giving campaign similar to what we did a few years ago with the Honor House. I want that to happen and I want to be a part of it... and I want the campaign to have specific goals.

All I'm gonna say... you know you can't be right when fitdumb agrees with ya

(04-24-2014 05:31 PM)randaddyminer Wrote:  All I'm gonna say... you know you can't be right when fitdumb agrees with ya

The situation I'm bitching and moaning about is completely different from the situation at UTEP. We're not playing in the Haskins Center. We don't have Tim Floyd.

I don't know your complete history with Fitbud, but I will say that UTEP fans have been a pretty unsympathetic bunch when it comes to USM. I haven't forgotten the way Mike Price threw us under the bus for not supporting Ellis Johnson better in 2012.

I'm sorry, but when I see a smelly old pervert, I may just point him out... and when USM and UTEP met during the 2012 football season, there were at least two smelly old perverts in the stadium, and it's no surprise that those guys stick together.

Personally, I respect my wife, and the people who sign my paycheck, and I work very hard regardless of who those people are. I expect the same of USM's leadership, and I don't apologize for that.

(04-24-2014 11:28 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 05:31 PM)randaddyminer Wrote:  All I'm gonna say... you know you can't be right when fitdumb agrees with ya

The situation I'm bitching and moaning about is completely different from the situation at UTEP. We're not playing in the Haskins Center. We don't have Tim Floyd.

I don't know your complete history with Fitbud, but I will say that UTEP fans have been a pretty unsympathetic bunch when it comes to USM. I haven't forgotten the way Mike Price threw us under the bus for not supporting Ellis Johnson better in 2012.

I'm sorry, but when I see a smelly old pervert, I may just point him out... and when USM and UTEP met during the 2012 football season, there were at least two smelly old perverts in the stadium, and it's no surprise that those guys stick together.

Personally, I respect my wife, and the people who sign my paycheck, and I work very hard regardless of who those people are. I expect the same of USM's leadership, and I don't apologize for that.

Welcome to the "goodolboy" system that holds UTEP back from being better than it can be.

They are loyal like dogs even at the expense of their own University.

(04-24-2014 11:54 PM)Fitbud Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 11:28 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 05:31 PM)randaddyminer Wrote:  All I'm gonna say... you know you can't be right when fitdumb agrees with ya

The situation I'm bitching and moaning about is completely different from the situation at UTEP. We're not playing in the Haskins Center. We don't have Tim Floyd.

I don't know your complete history with Fitbud, but I will say that UTEP fans have been a pretty unsympathetic bunch when it comes to USM. I haven't forgotten the way Mike Price threw us under the bus for not supporting Ellis Johnson better in 2012.

I'm sorry, but when I see a smelly old pervert, I may just point him out... and when USM and UTEP met during the 2012 football season, there were at least two smelly old perverts in the stadium, and it's no surprise that those guys stick together.

Personally, I respect my wife, and the people who sign my paycheck, and I work very hard regardless of who those people are. I expect the same of USM's leadership, and I don't apologize for that.

Welcome to the "goodolboy" system that holds UTEP back from being better than it can be.

They are loyal like dogs even at the expense of their own University.

What's the alternative for UTEP, though? Membership in the MWC? My take on that was always that differences in academics destroyed the WAC, and that the MWC would thus be very hesitant to add UTEP, a school which (for better or worse) basically admits anyone. The PAC-12 is even more snooty about academics. So I think that UTEP's mission, admirable though it may be, kind of puts a ceiling on its aspirations in terms of conference affiliation.

(04-25-2014 08:23 AM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 11:54 PM)Fitbud Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 11:28 PM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 05:31 PM)randaddyminer Wrote:  All I'm gonna say... you know you can't be right when fitdumb agrees with ya

The situation I'm bitching and moaning about is completely different from the situation at UTEP. We're not playing in the Haskins Center. We don't have Tim Floyd.

I don't know your complete history with Fitbud, but I will say that UTEP fans have been a pretty unsympathetic bunch when it comes to USM. I haven't forgotten the way Mike Price threw us under the bus for not supporting Ellis Johnson better in 2012.

I'm sorry, but when I see a smelly old pervert, I may just point him out... and when USM and UTEP met during the 2012 football season, there were at least two smelly old perverts in the stadium, and it's no surprise that those guys stick together.

Personally, I respect my wife, and the people who sign my paycheck, and I work very hard regardless of who those people are. I expect the same of USM's leadership, and I don't apologize for that.

Welcome to the "goodolboy" system that holds UTEP back from being better than it can be.

They are loyal like dogs even at the expense of their own University.

What's the alternative for UTEP, though? Membership in the MWC? My take on that was always that differences in academics destroyed the WAC, and that the MWC would thus be very hesitant to add UTEP, a school which (for better or worse) basically admits anyone. The PAC-12 is even more snooty about academics. So I think that UTEP's mission, admirable though it may be, kind of puts a ceiling on its aspirations in terms of conference affiliation.

Academics were not the issue at all. The WAC that was creamed by the formation of the MWC contained Rice (left out), SMU (left out), Tulsa (left out) and those were the 3 best academically in the league. UTEP is basically an open admission U for good reasons and is still a good U with a growing number of PHD programs and rapidly increasing research status. The reason UTEP was left out was a bad football program that had not shown any life for sometime and when the MWC was formed it did not look like UTEP was going to make any committment to the FB program. Maybe we will show some life this year, finally and then we will see if our U's current efforts in FB will be stepped up and sustained.