It looks like the football deal with CUSA might be football only.

[StillCJ]

With the rumored additions of SJSU, and USU to the MWC it puts us in a position where CUSA has 12 schools and the MWC has 10. Utep is coming west.

Two eastern teams have to come west and then CUSA will add two more teams to get back to 12 teams on each side.

The merger is off. It looks like the alliance is FOOTBALL ONLY, so we can maintain our basketball credits and exit fees from departing schools.

The MWC basketball value is higher without allying with CUSA.

Utep and Tulsa to the West is still possible for all sports. That would give us our western 12.

Utep and Tulsa with Creighton and Wichita State for basketball/olympic sports is still possible, especially if we keep the CUSA basketball R.P.I. dead weight out of the league.

That's what I'm pulling for.

[Shockerman]

This is the opportunity we have been waiting for and and I hope ades has his head out of the sand. Utep may not go west now that utsa is being added to cusa. There is so much going on behind the scenes right now. Being in a conference with Tulane, Rice, Ecu, usm, and FIU would open up are recruiting area immensely for baseball, not to mention the level of play. It is a game of musical chairs and let's hope we aren't left holding the bag.

[SubGod22]

This is the opportunity we have been waiting for and and I hope ades has his head out of the sand. Utep may not go west now that utsa is being added to cusa. There is so much going on behind the scenes right now. Being in a conference with Tulane, Rice, Ecu, usm, and FIU would open up are recruiting area immensely for baseball, not to mention the level of play. It is a game of musical chairs and let's hope we aren't left holding the bag.

We wouldn't get into CUSA nor should we want to. As a basketball conference, it's not that attractive anymore. Also, they're not going to be adding basketball only schools. The MWC in this scenario would. UTSA has had both CUSA and MWC officials on campus and impressed both. They still may end up in the Belt to develop before one of the other two take them on.

UTEP still may go West. If the MWC gets one of the Texas schools (UNT, UTSA, Texas State, UT-Arlington) then I could see UTEP going as well. They could still decide to leave as I think they had better rivalries with the likes of New Mexico and Wyoming.

If the MWC goes to 12 and splits E/W for basketball, it would be pretty attractive and may make sense for us. I know we'd rather go east, but that doesn't appear to be an option right now.

East:
New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado State, Air Force (UTEP, Wichita, Creighton, Arlington, Denver)

West:
Utah State, UNLV, Nevada, Fresno, San Jose State (San Diego State, San Diego, Long Beach State, BYU)

I put possible teams to fill in the conference to the right. I think I have all the current and/or rumored members listed on the left. That would be a pretty solid conference with the right additions. Would they take SDSU back?

[Shockerman]

MWC East would be a hoot in basketball. Look at the coaches in that division...Eustachy at CSU, Tim Floyd at UTEP, Alford at UNM, Marshall at WSU, throw in Tulsa and it would be fantastic. for Baseball we would have two conferance mates in California, a crowd pleaser in Air Force, UNLV, and at least one Texas school. With the WAC falling apart look for the MWC to try and nabb DBU to keep its baseball numbers up...

[SubGod22]

I don't think Tulsa has any desire to be associated with Western schools again.

[DoubleJayAlum]

East:
New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado State, Air Force (UTEP, Wichita, Creighton, Arlington, Denver)

West:
Utah State, UNLV, Nevada, Fresno, San Jose State (San Diego State, San Diego, Long Beach State, BYU)

I put possible teams to fill in the conference to the right. I think I have all the current and/or rumored members listed on the left. That would be a pretty solid conference with the right additions. Would they take SDSU back?

I don't see BYU returning. The WCC is a better league for them (all private, religious based schools) and they can broadcast all of their football games on their own network. They left the MWC because they wanted to be independent in football; they aren't going back now.

I would be nice if SDSU comes back.

I think things are really unstable on again and think that everyone might wait around to see how the football playoff is going to be structured. VCU has already announced they are staying in the CAA for at least one more year. Depending on how the college football playoff is structured, the Big East might be in play again -- i.e., if the Big East doesn't get some sort of preference in the selection of playoff participants, there may no longer be a benefit for schools like SMU, Boise, SDSU etc. to be in that conference.

[SubGod22]

I don't see BYU returning. The WCC is a better league for them (all private, religious based schools) and they can broadcast all of their football games on their own network. They left the MWC because they wanted to be independent in football; they aren't going back now.

I would be nice if SDSU comes back.

I think things are really unstable on again and think that everyone might wait around to see how the football playoff is going to be structured. VCU has already announced they are staying in the CAA for at least one more year. Depending on how the college football playoff is structured, the Big East might be in play again -- i.e., if the Big East doesn't get some sort of preference in the selection of playoff participants, there may no longer be a benefit for schools like SMU, Boise, SDSU etc. to be in that conference.

I was actually referring to SDSU and BYU as non-football members to the MWC. BYU is in better shape for Oly sports than SDSU being in the WCC. The Big West will due little positive for SDSU. If they were able to put Oly sports back into the MWC, they'd have a home for football if the BE experiment didn't work. Same could be said for Boise and the MWC.

How the playoff is structured could have a big impact on what happens with all these conferences over the next few years. I'm personally hoping the Big East falls apart and loses Louisville and Cincy to the B12 and UConn and Rutgers to the ACC/SEC. That would lead to a number of football schools looking for other homes.

[StillCJ]

I don't think Tulsa has any desire to be associated with Western schools again.

When Mike Price(Utep football coach) was quoted in the paper last week as saying that they are going to the MWC side, the Tulsa/CUSA message boards blew up with fans wanting to go with them. Most of their fans agree that if Utep goes west they would rather play Utep, UNM, CSU, AFA, Wyoming at football then UTSA, UNT, Rice...In addition, Tulsa loves basketball and if Utep goes west, the CUSA side is a turd at basketball. All of this is extremely more likely to happen since we're going to maintain our basketball identity. It gives Utep, Tulsa, and the MWC the incentive to cover the CUSA exit fees in the quest for a better/more valuable basketball league.

Oh, for the previous poster: you missed Larry Shyatt at Wyoming.

[SubGod22]

When Mike Price(Utep football coach) was quoted in the paper last week as saying that they are going to the MWC side, the Tulsa/CUSA message boards blew up with fans wanting to go with them. Most of their fans agree that if Utep goes west they would rather play Utep, UNM, CSU, AFA, Wyoming at football then UTSA, UNT, Rice...In addition, Tulsa loves basketball and if Utep goes west, the CUSA side is a turd at basketball.

Oh, for the previous poster: you missed Larry Shyatt at Wyoming.

Was he? The quote that I've seen made it sound like he thought the merger or whatever was going to happen and that they'd be a CUSA team but would re-establish some of those old rivalries...

"We're going to be back in the Mountain West or something. Yah know, I think by the time it all shakes down between the two conferences coming together. Next year we'll be playing a Conference USA schedule. But, um, we'll be back to playing Colorado St and New Mexico and Wyoming and Hawaii and Fresno and Nevada so it's going to be kinda back to where it was where we used to be when we were in the WAC, the old WAC."

Maybe I and others are reading that wrong. I have no idea what will happen but I do think UTEP makes sense in the MWC. I also don't follow college football so I don't know what that would mean for Tulsa either way. I do think they're more likely to have success in CUSA than they are the MWC.

[ShockTalk]

I'm curious as to what kind of "preference in the selection of playoff participants" that the Big East would get with there being only 4 spots. They are usually on the hind teet among the BCS conferences anyway and Boise St probably won't change that. Chances are, they'll be a better chance for a second team from a stronger conference (see Alabama/Arkansas last year) than a single one from the Big Least.

[SubGod22]

I'm going to guess they'll continue the BcS ranking system and take the Top 4 regardless of conference. That will favor the SEC while giving the B10, P12 and B12 a shot. Everyone else is pretty much screwed unless they can go undefeated. I don't know how the FCS system works, but I think they need to get to something like that eventually. I believe it has 16 teams.

[StillCJ]

Tulsa and Utep are ready to come back. What's the farthest western MVC school not Creighton or Wichita State? We could add Denver University as a basketball/oly sports school. We might need three basketball/oly's to get to 14 for basketball. 13 would be a weird number.

Check out Tulsa's opinion on the move to the MWC.

http://tulsa.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=1774&tid=154688676&mid=154688676&sid=1115&style=2

[moshock]

What's the farthest western MVC school not Creighton or Wichita State?

Missouri State

[The Mad Hatter]

Missouri State

Are you sure it isn't Drake?

[moshock]

Are you sure it isn't Drake?

Looks like it might be Drake by a nose.

Des Moines Longitude: -93.6088889

SGF Longitude: -93.2980556

But after further review, MSU has a branch in Joplin, Mo Longitude: -94.5130556