UTEP, being closer to the Pacific than the Gulf, belongs in a western conference with NM State.

Westwolf, UTEP is actually equidistant from the Gulf and the Pacific. However, UTEP likes getting Texas recruits and you don't get those out in west Texas or on the Pacific Coast. You've got to look at Dallas and Houston for those, and that means playing the Texas privates. UTEP liked that arrangement a lot in the WAC, and they'd like to continue that arrangement too.

You're right. The fact that EP is 8 miles closer to SD than Houston is just a trivial fact, but the point is that EP is a long way from Marshall, ECU UCF and UAB. Same can be said for Hawaii and Boise. No bargain either way.

We might have to agree to disagree on this one Westwolf. UTEP does present some interesting opportunities for CUSA, IMO, but then at same time, it might be making the same mistakes the WAC made. I'm keeping an open mind though.

Play the Texas privates on the non-conference schedule or take your lumps at play the Big 12 schools.

I think the additions of Rice and SMU will be enough Texas schools for CUSA. If TCU stays (which doesn't look too likely right now) that would give them 3. I would think that CUSA would want to expand their footprint a bit and include LaTech. I think that is why N. Texas and UTEP won't be looked at because they have texas schools. Why add more? Plus, each of those schools are the only schools in texas for their conferences (WAC and SunBelt). I'm pretty sure for recruiting purposes, the conferences would work hard to keep it that way. Also, if Boise State leaves, I think Idaho would be added to the WAC to keep them in Idaho.

Why does it seem that UAB should be in the Sunbelt? They just seem to fit better there than in CUSA.

I'd wager it's because they have a decent basketball tradition. They were members of the Metro or Great Midwest (I can't remember off hand. I am ashamed of myself) before those conferences more or less merged into CUSA. It's a good fit. They're in CUSA for the same reasons Oklahoma State is in Big 12, NW in Big 10, or Vandy in the SEC....or in other words - just because that's the way it is.

UAB was in the Great Midwest along with Cincinnati, Memphis, Marquette, DePaul, Saint Louis, and Dayton.

And they were in the sunbelt before they were in the Great Midwest

The dominos are now about to fall in CUSA.

Who is your choice for #12?

I would put La. Tech at the top of my list, followed by North Texas, UTEP and Temple in that order.

I think LaTech makes the most sense. They are right in the middle of CUSA, have a good program and bring the Louisana recruiting market.

North Texas would also make sense, but the difference is that they are not wanting out of the SunBelt. They have done very well there.

Temple is a long shot. Temple seems like a good program to look at. The one factor that may make Temple a shoe-in would be further expansion by the Big East. Another factor would be if MWC decided to invite Houston or some other Texas school as a travel partner to TCU.

Lousiana Tech would bring the LA recruiting market into C-USA? While not reading too much into that, C-USA already has Tulane...

If North Texas receives an invitation from C-USA to become its 12th member (not sure how SMU would react) they are leaving the Sun Belt. UNT could still play in the New Orleans Bowl (or other bowls) as a member of C-USA. Has the SBC had a season in which more than one or two teams has had a winning record?

I also like how "Houston to the MWC" is the new soup de jour on this board...I'm sure the expositions on this idea will become more entertaing with the passage of time...

What are TCU and/or the MWC thinking?

LaTech seems to be the logical "geographical" solution to CUSA #12. The question is are they an economic solution as well. Also, as a geographical solution, they solve their own problem (lone Central Time Zone school left in WAC), and they solve Idaho's problem (lone Western team in Belt, assumes Idaho replaces LT in WAC).

All of this said there is no guarantee they bring enough to the table to satisfy CUSA.

I can't see Temple as an option. Not that CUSA wouldn't take them. Temple would not go. A-10 basketball would be preferrable to them over CUSA bball, and basketball will probably drive the bus here. This leaves Temple hanging as an independant in football for the time being.

The whole Army/Navy solution is ridiculous. CUSA would be foolish to take a hybrid pair for one spot. Besides Army just left, and the attitude seemed to be..."don't let the door hit you on the way out". ;)

No.Texas could be a solution, but if posters here who are fans of the Belt are accurate it appears they've committed to the Belt. CUSA would have to be tempting. I could see where the WAC would now not be to them. I will defer to the knowledge posted by KP-Cajun and a couple of others on this...I assume y'all are accurate here in regards to Belt activity and schools.

As you scan the horizon of other choices, nothing jumps out at you as much as La.Tech, so I would have to put my money on them. Nothing else currently makes a lot of sense, but then, I'm with bullet (posted on another thread) TCU to the MWC didn't make that much sense to me either.

So who knows what the geniuses who run these conferences will come up with... ;)
8-)