Army has made it official - it's leaving after this season.

CBSSportsLine.com has a story on it.

...and down to 8 after Louisville and Cincinatti join the BE.

So, does CUSA get picked clean or does it outduel the WAC?

Calling UCF...

If the BE take two from CUSA and the MW take 2 from the WAC, this would get mighty interesting.

Do they both go for SB teams?
Suddenly all those "lower level" Texas schools are in demand again...

I don't know about the Texas schools, which are in a tough boat; They could easily creat a mostly (all?) Texas league and save a bundle on travel, but lose a bundle in TV funds. But I agree about UCF, as well as other eastern schools left dangling by the BE.

As for the SunBelt, Yes I see one or two of those schools leaving, especially if the BCS expands by just two conferences. CUSA is still poised to be a decent mid-major league if they outduel the WAC.

Assuming they lose Louisville and Cincinatti, plus miss out on Temple and Marshall, the league is still in good shape for a southeastern division and a southwestern division, depending on who stays at 1-A. I suspect the conference would rather lose Houston than UAB, hoping it could replace the Cougars with Rice, who'd fit in nicely with TCU and Tulane. MTSU seems the most attractive of the SunBelt teams. They've made the most progress, play in a football loving market, and would fill in the geographic footprint nicely. I forsee them working off this group, somehow.

ECU
UCF
USF (MAC)
MTSU (SB)
UAB
Memphis
So. Miss
Tulane
TCU
Rice (WAC)
SMU (WAC)

Possibility of more teams from WAC or Sunbelt, including La. Tech, Tulsa, Troy State or Arkansas State. And depending on how the BE lines up, the ACC may be settling on one of these schools as well.

The CUSA will invite SMU, Rice, La tech and Tulsa but will lose Louisville and Cincy.

The MWC will invite Boise St., Nevada, Fresno St. and UTEP.

In this almost destroying the WAC.

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

Following up on the UTEP thing, which I always thought was a good possibility, is UTEP in mountain time, or central time with the rest of texas? All the signals I read from MWC is that they want to stay in just two time zones, Mountain and Pacific time. If UTEP is indeed mountain time, it would strengthen their ccase. This time-zone scenario would also preclude Hawaii, which is one of the few schools that could probably make it as an independent...
;)

I see hawaii joining the PAC 11 or 12 thats were they belong i read on a website by 2010 they will be in the PAC.

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

http://www.cae.wisc.edu/~dwilson/rsfc/history/index.shtml

Heres the site you may have to search. But this is an awesome site.

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

http://www.cae.wisc.edu/~dwilson/rsfc/history/Maj1A.txt

heres the website for the hawaii prediction.

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

Aha, here is the answer, UTEP is in a small pocket of Mountain Time at the west corner of Texas, thus strengthening possibility of a MWC future...

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=395
:D

Yes they are wow it must be me I have always thought UTEP belonged in the WAC/MWC and not the old SWC conference.

Great work javaman.

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

Doesn't UTEP have some grand hope to be in a league with NMSU, their closest rival geographically and culturally?

Gunnerfan yes they do but I don't see UTEP joining the sunbelt anytime within the next 5 years. Maybe the will be part of the new wac along with san jose st, utah st, and a bunch of other teams. Just might happen the Big Sky teams could possible move up. I never seen it happen but the whole league might apply for 1-A membership.

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

Possible teams to the MWC

Fresno St.
Boise St.
Nevada
Hawaii
UTEP
New Mexico St.

A Long Shot
San Jose St.
Idaho
Utah St.

Very unlikely
Rice
SMU
North Texas
Tulsa
TCU
Houston

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