posted by sturt in the news forum it looks as if marshall is the next to join cusa

http://www.conferenceusa.com/sports/news/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=5793

rice, smu, tulsa, and marshall were all but expected. the real interesting one will be ucf. their decision will have a tremendous impact the big east, cusa, wac, and sunbelt

There is a link on both the MWC thread as well as the MWC news thread to a DallasNews story that indicates TCU may get invited and may indeed accept a MWC invitation to become its 9th member.

This would be a major blow to CUSA's attempt to achieve stability in the Southwest area, and if true, a bit of a slap in the face of the two other Texas schools that had just jumped the WAC ship to join TCU in CUSA. Wonder how carefully Rice/SMU and Tulsa checked with the TCU folks before they decided to make the switch? Course it might have been worse staying in the WAC anyway, since either this year or the next several, MWC probably has designs on Boise/Fresno/Hawaii as well...

As everyone is fond of pointing out, MWC has the tremendous advantage of being completely in charge of its own destiny. We have been waiting for the shoe to fall from the other side, and perhaps this is the start...

Also, if TCU goes to MWC, the article implies that it would be the result of careful study and analysis of which league provides TCU the better future. It would be a clear signal to many other schools that TCU considers the MWC to have better market and BCS potential than CUSA, because of its flagship schools and greater territorial exclusivity....

:D

Anything is better than staying in the WAC...anything...too bad for TCU that they will reduce their chances of ever reaching a BCS bowl (e.g. greater SOS means less probabilty of an undefeated season)...

I just don't see how TCU would find it more beneficial or desirable to be with the Mountain schools, especially with the way they were treated just a few years ago. I wouldn't trust them and wouldn't pay them a dime to join their conference. There is very little financial or competitive difference, certainly not enough to cover the additional travel expenses. The Pac 10 is one thing, the MWC is another. Howver, it could be the same ego trip that led Houston to leave the rest behind in 1994.

It does give the MWC the chance to revisit 1994. Rumours were that the ADs wanted UNLV and TCU. The presidents then added SJSU, Rice, SMU and Tulsa. If the MWC were to add TCU, UTEP, Fresno and Hawaii, they could get back to the ADs 1994 recommendation.

The only problem is that the Mountain West schools don't really want UTEP. It seems logical that the intial 1994 WAC decision on expansion was just for TCU and UNLV sans the other baggage. TCU had been having (relative) moderate success in the waning days of the Southwest Conference under the late Pat Sullivan (e.g. a few winning records and an appearance in the Independence Bowl) and Billy Tubbs was just beginning his tenure as the basketball coach. While San Jose State really had yet to descend through the freefall it has now approached, it was beginning to slip by the mid-1990s (references to football only). Rice was in the process of hiring Ken Hatfield, and the coach at Southern Methodist was still suffering from the growing pains of a fairly recent rebirth of the program (I personally enjoyed the 1994 season of SWC football in which 10-0-1 A&M tied 0-10-1 SMU, and, because A&M was on probation, five--that's right--five schools tied for the conference title with 4-3 records). As for Tulsa, they had football success in the recent past (bowl appearances in 1989 and 1991) and the current basketball dynasty (relatively speaking) had just gotten underway. However 12-team divisions would have made much more sense than the perverse "quad concept" and ensuing permutations....EAST-AFA, CSU, UNM, TCU, UTEP, Wyoming; WEST-BYU, FSU, UH, UNLV, SDSU, Utah....

My sources say the '94 SMU team was 1-9-1, with a 34-31 victory over New Mexico.

http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/wac/southern_methodist/yearly_results.php?year=1990

I stand corrected on the 1994 SMU team...was thinking beyond conference records...

A&M 6-0-1
Baylor, Rice, Texas, TCU, Texas Tech 4-3
Houston 1-6
SMU 0-6-1

I believe that 1994 was also the second to last time A&M played LSU...did A&M stop scheduling them because of the Big XII or was it a *mutual* decision.

Also, note that www.cfbdatawarehouse.com shows that Louisiana-Monroe and Louisiana Tech were Southland rivals from 1972-1986, when it was actually 1982-1986 (after SLC was dropped to I-AA and Louisiana-Lafayette left the conference and remained I-A)

LSU dropped the A&M series. It really was a pretty big rivalry in the 70s-at least from A&M's standpoint. LSU was down a little and A&M was getting better. But A&M got very good and LSU dropped the series in order to get a guaranteed win and another home game (not sure which was more important).

What do you think of the following:

1. TCU and Boise State accept invitations to the MWC for a 10-member league. The league will be close to cracking the BCS, but who knows. I think with TCU and Boise State, they would seem stronger than the Big East with add-ons Cincy, Louiseville and South Florida.

2. CUSA reacts by inviting LA Tech. LA Tech should be in CUSA. It's a fairly good program. This will also shore up their division with Tulane, Rice, SMU, Tulsa, Houston, etc.

3. WAC reacts to losing LA Tech and BSU by inviting Idaho and maybe North Texas. Idaho is a good regional fit, but needs help in meeting 1-A requirements. I think we'll make it, even if we need to play over at WSU's Martin Stadium for 2005 season.

I think that Conference USA with LA Tech minus TCU would still be a very good conference. MWC would be very, very good (football at least) with TCU and Boise State (as much as I HATE the Bucking Froncos...). WAC would lose it's size and competitiveness, but adds a particular WESTERN feel. (LA Tech should have never been invited, but that's another story...) I really think that Idaho would be much better off and become strong if it is in the WAC. If we have to stay in the Sun Belt, with all the financial problems in the state, the travel costs alone of going to UL-U Pick Em, Middle Tennessee, Arkansas State, etc. would kill us. Because we'd have to do it in all sports, not just football.

Thoughts?

GO VANDALS!!! (Well, next year at least! ;)

I agree. This potential realignment makes all kinds of sense. :)