This is a universal as long as the BCS exists:
[list][*]See Team A. Team A is having success in football lately[/*:m]
[*]See Team B. Ever since Team B was slapped with the death penalty, they haven't been any good, and they probably won't be any good for a long time.[/*:m]
[*]Team A plays Team B every year[/*:m]
[*]If Team A and Team B were in the same conference, Team A could schedule tough OOC opponents in order to gain BCS points.[/*:m]
[*]Since Team A jumped to the MWC, they will have less opportunities to play top teams.[/list:u:[/*:m]]Of course Team A is TCU. The fact that they're going to the MWC proves that they don't really want to be a top team. They turned down a game with Miami (OH) (and ended up losing to similar Boise State anyway), and they never schedule the big boys. These guys just like to win a lot of easy games and complain all season about how unfair the BCS is.

The BCS will change to open up the access-not equal access but a fair chance. MWC will not have superior access. The NBE might, but it might not.
TCU left because of their superiority complex to SMU

TCU reminds me of a fickle girl trying to see how many suitors she can get.

The Frogs have changed conferences so frequently that their
end zone and mid field logos are goiing to be left blank.

The SWC, WAC, C-USA and now MWC. Where will they go next?

The Frogs WANT to go to the Big 12. Whether or not they will get that invite is questionable.

Good point D&DFan,
Baylor, a larger private (Southern Baptist) in Texas got a Big 12 selection when the former Big 8 took four, south, from the old SWC. Then, Governor Anne Richards, a Baylor alumnus, had a bit of influential input into the decision as I understand. Now, some are questioning the decision, noting Baylor's long-term, losing football record and the basketball turmoil from last summer.
I thought TCU's membership in the revamped C-USA made the conference look pretty good, geographically, for the future. SMU, Rice, Houston (old SWC and Texas foes), plus Tulsa and Tulane seemed like natural opponents. Though they may still continue to play neighbor town rival, SMU, the luster of the rivalry will be less.
SMU was a real force, going as high as #2, before their excessive violations did them in (going back to the 80s?).
TCU was once a long-term dormat, and Texas and A&M, ran up huge scores on them often. Good for TCU that circumstances have changed. However, when, not if, they hit the skids again, one wonders if they will regret their MWC move. As long as they keep winning, they will say it was the right decsion.
If the Big 12 had a vacancy, I would think they would not seek TCU, but rather someone such as Colorado State or Air Force, or try to appeal to Arkansas from the SEC. Of course, that is solely speculation.

TCU being invited to the Big 12 is not questionable. It is almost a certainty--the day Texas and A&M leave the conference or the day hell freezes over, whichever comes first.

Apparently TCU tried to go SMU-style in the mid-1980s (Kenneth Davis, etc.) before Jim Wacker and later Pat Sullivan returned them to long-term respectability sans NCAA sanctions. Lest we forget, TCU is not that far removed from a 1-10 season in the WAC-16, so let's not get too carried away. The most logical reasoning for the MWC move seems to be a previously mentioned Metroplex "superiority complex" that compels dissociation from SMU if at all possible.

On that note, is it true that North Texas left the Missouri Valley Conference in the mid-1970s under a genuine belief that ex-SMU coach Hayden Fry would ensure a SWC membership that never arrived?

The Missouri Valley was starting to break up on its own. Louisville, Cincinnati and Memphis left in the 70s. Hayden Fry did have big dreams for North Texas State. He tried to get the name changed to Texas State. They eventually changed just to U of North Texas. DKR, the legendary Texas coach, actually advocated bringing UNT into the SWC. They had a pretty respectable team in the late 70s. I know the SWC was their goal. I really don't remember how much they really expected it to happen.

I for one am sorely disappointed in TCU' s jump to the MWC. They had a perfectly good new CUSA, a reunion with SMU, and a CUSA championship game....and they walked away. That's sad.

PS: CUSA WILL add LaTech. They have to.

yeah....
um...
how bout them horned frogs?

I think their soccer teams should play in some league with Mexican schools. That would make no less sense than playing in the MWC. ;D

Wait, no, they'd get their butts kicked all the time by Jose, Juan, and their fellow students. TCU only moves if they think they can lower their competition!!!

;)

TCU will find out that they have made a very bad move. They will find that they will have problems working with the god fathers of the MWC (namely BYU) and will only be looked as second class to them. The shine will dull and they will be looking elsewhere "again" for someone to join with. TCU has a mark of the past at 1-10 when they were with the WAC16. TCU is not seen as loyal or reliable by many, including their own fans.

What seems logical to some (LaTech. joining CUSA), may not be the best for CUSA or it's membership. CUSA really doesn't have to do anything, they may be better off being as they are or adding someone that will create some excitement in their sport vision. UNT might be the element that CUSA may need in DFW to create interest in a very sporty DFW playpen.

A pensive point above.
TCU has had some fine seasons in recent years, but their appeal (in the MWC structure) may not be long-term based showered wilth allure. They indeed have a reputation as a "conference jumper" with not much loyalty displayed.
Many will hold a view, for a long time, their natural rival is SMU. And while schools such as, SMU, UTEP, Rice, and Baylor (etc.) are in varying conferences, somehow it just looks like a shame they are not all playing each other. Maybe Texas and Texas A&M outgrew the old Southwest Conference, but for the rest, it is just missed from a fan standpoint. Just my little ole opinion here!

I really hope the MWC administration gets their $hit together soon and realizes what a great opportunity we have right now to destroy the Western Athletic Conference.

UTEP will be accepting a CUSA invite in a matter of days. As soon as UTEP accepts that invite it will be crucial that the Mountain West make a bold move to completely destroy the WAC!

Fresno State, Nevada and Boise State should be offered immediate MWC-12 invites the second that UTEP accepts the bid to CUSA-12.

Our main competition the WAC would be absolutely destroyed if that happened, they would be left with Hawaii, Louisiana Tech and bunch of dead weight in between. The WAC would not be able to survive the losses of Fresno State, Nevada, Boise State and UTEP,.... that would be the end of the WAC.

Hawaii would have to go independent in Football.

San Jose State would drop Football and join the Big West.

Utah State, New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech would be forced to go back to the Sunbelt with their tails between their legs.

This a strategic move that the Mountain West leadership must make to secure our spot as a Western Power for the next 50+ years! This is a critical time in the history of College Sports and if we could eliminate the WAC from existence it would do wonders to help the future chances for the Mountain West in all sports!

We must become the MWC-12 right now!

UTEP leaving the WAC and joining CUSA is a major blow to the stability of the WAC. The WAC is ready to be destroyed and the MWC leaders must have the guts to do what has to be done.

These moves must be made for the long term good of the Mountain West, if we take a hit financially in the short term that is fine because we know we will make it up over the long haul.

Adding three schools like Boise State, Nevada and Fresno State may not be something that helps the Mountain West today but it is without a doubt what needs to be done to secure our seat at the BCS table tommorrow.

The Mountain West must make bold moves to secure our future. We must lock up the Western part of the United States so that only two conferences exist out here (PAC-10 and MWC-12), this will guarantee us a spot at the table within 15-20 years. The West is growing at an unbelievable rate and will continue to grow faster than the rest of the country, long term this is good news for the PAC-10 and MWC-12 because it means we will have more recruits available to choose from and to stack our conferences with. It is only a matter of time until the MWC-12 and PAC-10 would completely dominate the collegiate sports world. That is why the WAC must be eliminated, no matter what it takes it must be accomplished. We do not need the WAC sticking around, growing stronger and becoming our competition. The WAC shouldn't even exist.

The MWC-12 could host a Football Championship game in a new Football Stadium that will be built in San Diego California. This MWC-12 Championship may not be a huge success from day one but over time as we build the tradition it will grow and become a great source of revenue for this conference. This Championship game is something that has to be built over time, right now we are wasting year after year of not building this great tradition while other Conferences are only getting stronger and making more and more money.

A MWC-12 Basketball Tournament could become a huge money maker for this conference over time also. It isn't going to sellout 20,000 per game in the first year but if we built the Tournament it wouldn't be long before each of the MWC-12 schools would be bringing 2,000 or 3,000 fans each year and the Tournament would become a huge success! I am talking standing room only for people to attend the event. This won't happen overnite but must be built, each year we waste a great opportunity to build stronger rivalries and stronger Conference Championships.

Imagine Football rivalry weekend at the end of November for the MWC-12 with:

MWC Rivalry Weekend
BYU vs. Utah
Fresno State vs. SDSU
Colorado State vs. Wyoming
Air Force vs. Boise State
New Mexico vs. TCU
UNLV vs. Nevada

We could build rivalry weekend into a great tradition for this conference but that isn't going to happen unless we make the bold move to 12 teams and kill off the annoying WAC!

We without a doubt want to improve our Mountain West Conference image. The way to do that is by investing in the future and making bold moves that will secure us a place at the table, not today but maybe tomorrow. To do that we must lock up the Western part of the United States so that only two major conferences will exist out here.... The PAC-10 and MWC-12!

The 12 of us need to work together to build a great conference, otherwise alone we are going to all crumble. The MWC could be great if it was willing to invest in the future, if it keeps living in the past or is afraid to fight for what is rightfully ours.... we will die a slow death. That is what is happening now, a slow painful death into nothingness.

Kill the WAC Now!

MWC-12

Pacific Division
BYU
Utah
Fresno State
San Diego State
UNLV
Nevada

Mountain Division
Air Force
Boise State
Colorado State
Wyoming
New Mexico
TCU

Grow some balls Thompson! Do what needs to be done for our future.