Here's the starting point for CUSA expansion/realignment issues:

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All I can say here is that CUSA can expect one more member (South Florida) in the near future, although this is just my humble opinion...any takes?

Otherwise, CUSA is perfect, save the need for big-time wins...and strength of schedule... ::)

adding a 12th team would even things out and give usa a conference championship. another prime-time game on espn, lots more money, a sponsorship from jiffy lube. and temple needs a home in 2005.

This is a great improvement.

Wilkie

Are the talks between the C-USA & Marshall dead?

I haven't heard anything

still alive, but struggling. two problems:

1) marshall would need to find a home conference for basketball etc. if marshall leaves the mac in football, the mac kicks marshall out in basketball. the mac is already a strong mid-major that typically sends 2 and sometimes 3 teams to the tourney, and it doesn't need marshall to compete. conference usa will not expand in basketball unless they found a 16th team, and tha unlikely. marshall tried to interest the horizon league, but horizon didn't want to expand.

2) usa is looking for teams with a television market to increase exposure. with the exception of southern miss and east carolina, all of the schools are in a major metropolitan area (birmingham, cincinnati, dallas-ft. worth, houston, louisville, memphis, miami, new orleans, new york). marshall is in huntington, west virginia. usa would still take marshall, but would rather take another school in a tv market, like smu, central florida or temple. smu poses the same problem as marshall with expansion of the basketball conference, however...

usa's new contract with espn/abc allows for telecast of a championship game, but the ncaa won't let them hold one until that 12th team joins. expect something at the end of this season and a 12th team to be added in time for a 2004 championship game. if they can't pry anyone else, they'll take marshall.

Here is a thought that CUSA fans should like. :) ND to CUSA. Yes, it might present a problem in BB, but the help in FB would be great! ND already has a BCS tie in, and it would be a short step from that to having the CUSA champ be in.

It's unlikely to happen, but I thought it might bring a smile to CUSA fans.

Merry Christmas :)
FBfan

Here's an article out of cincy:

http://www.cincypost.com/2002/12/10/cusa12-10-2002.html

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cusa north: temple, army, east carolina, cincinnati, louisville, memphis

cusa south: tulane, houston, tcu, south florida, uab, southern miss

usa gets the philadelphia television market. temple would immediately do no worse than 4-4 in the league, and likely better (with better recruiting and a move to the new stadium for the eagles). the divisions are even competition-wise.

it makes too much sense not to do it.

C-USA needs to:
1) Drop Army
2) Drop UAB

and then go with 9 teams for football.

3) Kick out the non-football schools out.

9 schools playing all-sports. Get the conference ready for the BIG shakeup that is to come. 2005 is the date. That is the date when the conferences that have positioned themselves correctly will get the picks of the busting up of the BCS (see Big Least)...

Ok, two things TyBull:

We don't know if the Big East is going to break up or not at any time in the future. I don't care for rumors you got from your cousin that works as a janitor in a BCS office, your wealthy Uncle Henry three times removed, or what your great-grandma heard on her radio two weeks ago. ::) If Notre Dame joins the Big East, then Miami isn't going anywhere. Miami loves to play ND in football, and I doubt that the 'Canes would pass up the chance to play ND as an in-conference football opponent. And if Miami doesn't go anywhere, neither will anyone else, save Temple, who was already booted out.

Booting out Army would be a very bad idea, IMO. Army can flex political muscles in Congress that many conference members don't have. It's best to keep Army in.

I disagree ARMY is like an anchor around C-USA's neck. I think C-USA Should drop Army and the four basketball schools. Then C-USA should add Marshall, Temple, Central Florida, and Toledo. then the Conference would have a Northern and Southern Division.

Northern
1. Temple
2. Marshall
3. Toledo
4. Cincinnati
5. Louisville
6. East Carolina
7. Memphis

Southern
1. Central Florida
2. South Florida
3. UAB
4. Southern Miss
5. Tulane
6. Houston
7. TCU

Wilkie,

Yopu do not want 14 schools in your senario. Everything looks good, except please do not include:

UCF (Fla Tech)
Toledo
;D

I could live with that. Personally, I hope Louisville is somewhere else like the ACC or Big East.

Wilkie,

Where should Louisville be? Check out my post under the ACC realignment.....