Now that the big east has decided to go after Louisville,Depaul,Cincinnati and Marquette , CUSA is now talking to SMU. I imagine to replace Army, Louisville and Cincinnati they will most likely go after the eastern WAC schools. It all depends on if they want to go to 12 or ten. My guess is that they will want to go to 12 since that is what they have been trying to do all along. that gives them a probable pool of non-WAC :
1.Central Florida
2. Marshall
and a pool of WAC schools:
1. SMU
2. Rice
3. Tulsa
4.La Tech
5. maybe UTEP
At least two WAC schools will be gone IMO.
Next in line is the MWC. they will soon be calling. we know they have 2 and maybe 4 schools that they are going to choose from the WAC( Fresno State, Boise State, Nevada, Hawaii, UTEP). I see them having a very hard time picking from that group. In order to get a consensus they will probably expand to 12 with Nevada, Fresno State, Boise State, and Hawaii.
The best case scenario they lose 4 teams and the worst they lose 8. Either way they will be so weakened they will find it very hard to survive.

Why the heck doesn't someone (NCAA, Conference presidents) have the gumption to come in and work together to form some geographically sensible conference alignments? - now is the perfect opportunity for the Big East, CUSA, Sun Belt, WAC, MWC and MAC to come to terms and get it done right - the NFL finally did it with excellent results (except fo Dallas still being in with Wash and NY etc.) - we need some leadership - this piecemeal stuff is for the birds - Arkansan

Is the WAC doomed? IMO, yes. To the best of my knowledge none of their members agreed to the committment papers requested by the commissioner. I agree with those touting the MWC to invite, and get, two schools from the WAC as part of their expansion. And as long as CUSA has any sense, they'll be quick in responding to the loss of UL and company and their selection process will include lots of input from their southwestern members to help prevent them from going to the WAC.

For now, CUSA has more to offer, as does the MWC. With both conferences coming into WAC territory offering memberships at roughly the same time, there'll be little the WAC can do but watch members move on one-by-one to better pastures. Any rebuilding they do will still reduce them to "Sun Belt - West" status, with schools that have the least amount of revenue generating capacity.

This is the key...
CUSA currently has more to offer (read bowl tie-ins in football) than the other conferences.

Marshall and UCF could move here even though this is somewhat of a lateral transfer due to bowl opportunities. UCF more likely, because Marshall may see themselves as a virtual lock for one of the existing MAC bowls regardless of whether they win the conference. A move by Marshall and/or UCF will help to "save" the WAC!

If not, this means CUSA has to go to eastern WAC or the Belt to maintain, and the BEST teams are in the WAC currently.

Worst case for the WAC...
SMU, Rice and Tulsa leave. La Tech is a distant fourth option.
At the same time MWC grabs Fresno, Boise, and maybe Hawaii and Nevada...

Where does this leave the WAC...
San Jose (struggling) and
UTEP
maybe LaTech, Hawaii, and/or Nevada

That is not much of a conference.
If I'm the WAC commish I'm a little uneasy right about now. Shoulda brought in Utah State and New Mexico St. when they had the chance!

I'm with Gunner...WAC is doomed without some luck or quick movement to raid the BELT (reconfigure with the Western BELT schools and hope that the damage is small enough so you can get back to eight institutions)


8-)

i think it will be very, very hard for the mwc to settle on two schools from the WAC. UNLV has said publicly they want Hawaii and Nevada. i imagine the Utah schools would like Hawaii but they would probably like to add Boise State since it is fairly close to them . also they know Fresno State is a great addition with their attendance and power rating. These four schools are so close as far as being expansion candidates . The MWC will probably just invite all of them for they are too good to pass on all of them.

SMU, Rice, Tulsa and LA Tech to the CUSA.

Boise St, Fresno St, Hawaii and Nevada to MWC.

New Mexico St., Idaho, Utah St., San Jose St., UTEP, North Texas, Texas St., Arkansas St., Troy St., MTSU, La-Lafayette and maybe Florida A&M as the WAC/Sunbelt conference.

_________________
The Bear may be dead but he still hates Tennessee. Roll Damn Tide

Yes, the WAC will survive. But just as it got stripped down once the MWC teams left, and then again when TCU left, the WAC will be forced to add a few Sunbelt schools just to keep it's head above water.

The NEW CUSA will look like:

East:
East Carolina
* Central Florida
South Florida
UAB
Southern Miss
Memphis

West:
Tulane
Houston
TCU
*Rice
* SMU
* Tulsa


If indeed this happens, the WAC will be at 7 teams. 1-4 Sunbelt schools. Not the most attractive group and there would be little need to expand unless 12 was the goal.


WAC
Boise State
Fresno State
Hawaii
Louisiana Tech
Nevada
San Jose State
UTEP

WAC candidates:
Arkansas State
Idaho
La Lafayette
Louisiana Monroe
Middle Tenn. St.
New Mexico State
North Texas
Utah State

And while nowhere near the footprint, Marshall might even be considered according to reports.



And if the Mountain West were to add 2-4 of the WAC schools (Hawaii, Boise st, Navada, Fresno St.) then they would need even more replacements. Figure that worst case scenario for CUSA, they could lose TCU and possibly a second school, but you figure that LA Tech and Marshall would join CUSA if that happened and the remaining WAC schools would try to lure some of the Sunblet schools.

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KingCal, respectfully disagree with you on Rice. I've heard that Rice isn't too popular of a selection in CUSA and Rice is the smallest school in I-A. The only sport Rice is very competitive in on a consistent basis is baseball. Also, I've heard the Big East doesn't care for Cincy much because of Cincy's academic standards. Methinks they view Cincy as a Fresno State-East (see Fresno probation under Tarkanian). I've also heard that CUSA wants Marshall a lot.

what about la tech? they seem to be competitive and would make a strong cusa addition. they could create/renew an instate rivalry with tulane. do they get shafted to the sunbelt?

Don't know. I think La.Tech gets in if the Big East decides to go after UCF..or, the Big East turns down Cincy. Both are possible, IMO.

http://www.sportsline.com/general/story/6671502

it looks like CUSA is going to go after 3 WAC schools . That will put Louisiana Tech on an island far away from the rest of the WAC schools. I wonder if they will consider rejoining the Sunbelt. It would cut down on their travel costs considerably.

Let's face it, the WAC, C-USA, MWC, and the Sun Belt, can shift around and/or add on; but, there are no "real prizes" out there. Sure, sombody may upgrade with scooping up Central Florida (the MAC has already done that), and Marshall may prove to be a nice addition elsewhere.

If these conferences were smart enough to do some horsetrading rather than lure the best from another, they each could come out ahead. The MWC could gather Fresno, perhaps Hawaii, Boise St., and Nevada-Reno, and if they wanted 12, take a look at Utah State (which is really not that bad). Let their turf be the far West, non-Pac 10 California, and the Rocky Mountain region. In other words, the MWC and the WAC minimize overlapping.

Maybe Idaho and San Jose State can go back to !-AA, Big Sky and all. Shouln'd Idaho be where Montana is anyway. The 16,000 Kibble Stadium screams 1-AA.

The WAC could become more what the old SWC looked like, of course minus Texas State Schools and Arkansas.
This could include UTEP, New Mex. St., N. Texas, SMU, TCU, Rice, LA Tech, Tulsa, and possibly Baylor (not probable though) and Arkansas State (if they can maintain 1-AA).

C-USA could have Central Fla., South Fla, UAB, Sou. Miss., Tulane, Memphis, East Carolina, Middle Tenn., Marshall, and maybe Temple and another MAC school.

The SunBelt could be the loser or the remnants combine with a element or two from the MAC. Troy State, LaL, and La-Monroe may have difficulty staying 1-A anyway.

All these lower profile 1-A schools need close-by rivals. Part of the problem they have been spread out too far. Really, are masses of Utah State fans going to travel to play Troy State?

For the record, San Jose State has never been I-AA, and was--once--a fairly decent "mid-major" before the term was actually employed. But yes, they should stop pretending, and just take a cue from former Big West bretheren (UC-Santa Barbara, CS-Fullerton, CS-Long Beach, and Pacific) and just terminate the program all together. I think that Idaho's record speaks for itself--especially when they have to play "home" games on the Washington State campus.

altogether