I'd expect that the PAC would take from the MWC as it is still the PAC and has AQs. Still a power conference.
The MWC has a relatively good media deal, so if they have to, they would poach from CUSA if anything.
Depends on what happens. If the Pac 10 leftovers can pull from the MWC, the MWC Tv deal without UNLV, San Diego St, Air Force, Boise St, and Colorado St is just as bad as CUSA.
I really think this is a war of information between sides with different motivations: one side wants the PAC dead and other other does not.
UTEP’s worst case scenario has already happened. They’re in a conference with FCS move ups, poor performaning FBS schools, and far flung conference mates.
Utep fits best in a Texas and western based conference, so I hope your second scenario occurs. And hopefully there's a leftover California team or one added.
That's what I love. UNM views themselves above NMSU and UTEP but they have no shot at the PAC. They have a top 50 market too... but if the MWC gets raided. They get left behind.
We need Hunt and Foster at the negotiating table not Wilson and Senter.
The “original” 10 team WAC was probably the best. Followed by the CUSA lineup when we joined.
Maybe from an athletic standpoint but for our alumni base in Texas, the WAC 16 was the best format. I wish the MW8 would have given it a chance. It would have turned into the strongest g5 league.
“The City of El Paso International Airport and the Economic and International Development Department have partnered with the Aerospace Center and the W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation at UTEP to offer manufacturing workspace and support to early stage, new or existing manufacturing technology businesses targeting the aerospace, defense or other advanced manufacturing markets.”-https://kfoxtv.com/news/local/innovation-factory
“Better” is what most fans would call it. Wyoming, New Mexico, and whatever other leftovers are there, are better than FIU, Kennesaw, Jacksonville St, and Sam Houston. WKU and MTSU are “solid” programs, but would you want to stay in CUSA with them over Wyoming and UNM? I wouldn’t.
Yea. If at least four MW schools are leftover then it would be “better” for us.
They could join CUSA and limit the amount of games we play vs Liberty, KSU, JSU, and FIU. But, a lot has to happen for that to happen.
It would have been cool if the WAC 16 was given a chance to succeed and remained together.
I can't really complain about Wilson because I like what she's doing for utep from an academic standpoint. Senter just sucks though.
Athletics are a huge part of the business of higher education in the US. University Presidents are closely involved in athletics at most D1 institutions. In private industry, it's like a CEO chosing to ignore issues within a money making department of the business. Fortunately, for Wilson and Senter they work at UTEP where employment is for life and there is no accountability.
Have to wait for the PAC tv numbers to be announced. I'll assume it will be after the PAC basketball tournament ends or after the NCAA tournament.
What would the Mountain West want with UTEP? What does UTEP have to offer to a presumably watered down conference coming from another watered down conference? If the Mountain West didn’t want UTEP 24 years ago, what has changed since then?
In my opinion the WAC 16 was the greatest mistake the WAC ever made because it was simply to big for its time and that caused the other schools to form the MWC and leave us behind. Besides the Texas schools didn't want anything to do with UTEP. For me the best format was the traditional WAC 10 from the 70's 80's and early-mid 90's
UTEP was left behind because of UTEP. UTEP football was embarrassingly bad and basketball was on the major decline during Haskins last years. That is UTEPs fault and UTEPs only.
The MWC wanted utep back in 2011 and utep didn't feel the same way. The roles reversed in 2016 and 2021. Administrations have changed so animosity has changed.
Still to this day I have not come across anything from a reliable source that confirms UTEP rejected membership from the MWC. I still believe this was made up bullshit by someone that ended up becoming a fake rumor. If you have any links to disprove this, please post them.
To survive as a conference. We’re one of two established fbs teams in the western part of the country.
