The Bishin Cutter wrote:
...and that number is propped up greatly by Navy football and UConn basketball, the only aspects of national worth; also the first two components likely to depart the soonest.
We saw it coming. Temple, Memphis, SMU, and Tulane football aren't worth a dime no matter where they are located on a map.
And likely Cincy fb too...
The Big Question is, does that number entice Tulsa enough to come on board. I think the number is a bit more than CUSA (I'd love to see it on paper though) and the schools are more similar to Tulsa so I assume they'll switch. But I think with that pricing the conference will stop once they get a CCG.
Personally I'm hoping Navy bails and they can add another all sports member in the West for a cleaner E/W split which also will help out the scheduling and sponsoring of many other sports. So Miss & Rice would be options 1 and 2.
So Miss while in a weak market but has better than average fb and does make a solid the trio w/ Tulane/Memphis which would bring in a lot of regional attention above everyone but the SEC.
Rice would obviously just be an attempt to lock down the Houston market (and also serve as collateral in case UH ever decides the MWC would be a better home, especially after their contract is renegotiated in a few years) and is also an AAU university which would be an attempt to make some of these presidents happy after the disappointing TV contract.
West - Tulsa, SMU, Houston, Tulane, Memphis ?SoMiss/Rice?
East - UConn, Temple, Cincy, ECU, USF, UCF
In addition, I read this on a UTEP message board....if Navy stays any chance that the nBE still add another all sports school for 12, and tries to get another fb only?
UTEP, while not that great at football, would be one of the few schools that could split up their sports and sdave money.
By putting fb in the nBE and their other sports in the MWC as an offset for fb only Hawaii (if they would allow it) they would save money on travel (seeing how fb requires lots of travel (personel, equipment, fans) and would be cheaper to fly to the major cities in the East, and other sports require less travel and would be cheaper to fly to the closer yet more remote desitnations in the West.
Now I doubt this would ever happen but I found it an interesting idea, none the less as it helps both the nBE even out fb numbers and the MWC even out bb numbers (plus a travel partner for UNM and would move Boise to the West in all sports like they would prefer) and re-attaches UTEP with plently of old rivalries in both conferences.
nBE
West - Tulsa, SMU, Houston, Tulane, Memphis ?SoMiss/Rice? + fb only UTEP
East - UConn, Temple, Cincy, ECU, USF, UCF + fb only Navy
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