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Hypothetical New Conference

What do you think of it?

  • Garbage

    Votes: 4 26.7%
  • Would rather be in CUSA

    Votes: 3 20.0%
  • Better

    Votes: 8 53.3%

  • Total voters
    15

NoNCAAWinsSince1992

MI Miner Maniac
Nov 12, 2019
8,705
8,558
113
Again hypothetical, so no need to bring up too much logic or tv contracts, and other variables.

UTEP
NMSU
New Mexico
Grand Canyon
North Texas
Rice
UTSA
Texas St
Texas-Arlington
Tarleton St
UTRGV

Regional and winnable. Plenty of chances for Alumni to see away games.
 
I like it. Other than UNM I can see all these teams agreeing to be in a conference.

For El Pasoens,road trips to Phoenix, Albuquerque, and Las Cruces are easy. For me personally I would be all over I 35 for the road games.
 
Take out NMSU and replace tarleton and UTRGV with La Tech and ULL. Grand Canyon only if they add football.
 
Take out NMSU and replace tarleton and UTRGV with La Tech and ULL. Grand Canyon only if they add football.

Fair.

No surprise you would leave out NMSU.

I left out LaTech and ULL because of their location. Just stretches out the conference and they don’t make it significantly stronger. They are better than TSU and RGV, but you need a weak team or two. If you have all killers, you just end up with a bunch of near .500 conference records.
 
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I like it. Other than UNM I can see all these teams agreeing to be in a conference.

For El Pasoens,road trips to Phoenix, Albuquerque, and Las Cruces are easy. For me personally I would be all over I 35 for the road games.

Agreed. Makes too much sense for it to ever become a reality.
 
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Fair.

No surprise you would leave out NMSU.

I left out LaTech and ULL because of their location. Just stretches out the conference and they don’t make it significantly stronger. They are better than TSU and RGV, but you need a weak team or two. If you have all killers, you just end up with a bunch of near .500 conference records.

I've been on record for years with my opinion the we shouldn't play NMSU in any sport. Nothing really against NMSU just terrible buisness decision by UTEP.

If you have to pull from FCS ACU and Lamar would be better than TSU and UTRGV. TSU though is interesting in 10 years they could be the top fcs program in Texas.
 
Low travel costs and good home crowds for both schools? It makes PERFECT business sense for them to play. It would be STUPID not to.

College athletics especially at the G5 level is market driven. El Paso is a small market. UTEP needs to dominate it. It's STUPID to prop up a non existent rivalry and give a piece of small market to them. We shouldn't be subsidizing their programs. They need alternating home dates with UNM and UTEP to keep their program afloat. Willingly ceding market share to a competitor we can help kill off is height of stupidity. El Paso is a small market we have to dominate. This is one of the problems with UTEP we must THINK BIGGER.
 
College athletics especially at the G5 level is market driven. El Paso is a small market. UTEP needs to dominate it.

No it’s not. App State finished in the Top 25 and won 13 games this past season. What market are they in? Stephen F Austin and ETSU both won a shit ton of games this past season. What markets are they in?
 
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No it’s not. App State finished in the Top 25 and won 13 games this past season. What market are they in? Stephen F Austin and ETSU both won a shit ton of games this past season. What markets are they in?

APP state is in the sun belt because of their small market.
Basketball is not a factor in conference realignment. Its completely football driven.
 
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I like it. UNM would never join. That brings membership down to 10.

Grand Canyon, RGV and Arlington don't play football. That leaves 7 football-playing schools. I like the idea of keeping Grand Canyon. So maybe replace RGV and Arlington with LA Tech and Lafayette.

Gives you 9 football schools and 10 for basketball.
 
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I like the Grand Canyon addition because hundreds of Grand Canyon students will travel for the NMSU and the UTEP games. The NMSU and Grand Canyon games could be our rivalry games.
 
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Several reasons. When you answer my question, I will answer yours.

UTEP wouldnt get kicked out of CUSA for App State. There are several reasons why. APP State is a great football program. Boone is a great college town. However, would their addition add to CUSA media deals? No. Boone NC is also not the easiest place in the world to get to. The travel cost for the Western schools would go up. They bring no media market.

Number 2 UTEP still has value. Outside of Marshall, Rice and maybe USM we have a much higher name recognition than other CUSA schools. We are the only school in CUSA who has a decent sized market and owns it. With Austin getting an MLS team next year, I believe that leaves El Paso as the only city with a population over 500,000 without a pro sports team. That's not going to change El Paso is not going to get a professional team. That's a major plus for UTEP.

Third UTEP is one of the five remainders from the CUSA 2.0. There is a lot loyalty there. Plus UTSA and UNT are not going to vote to kick UTEP out. UTEP is worth more to them in gate receipts than APP state.
 
College athletics especially at the G5 level is market driven. El Paso is a small market. UTEP needs to dominate it. It's STUPID to prop up a non existent rivalry and give a piece of small market to them. We shouldn't be subsidizing their programs. They need alternating home dates with UNM and UTEP to keep their program afloat. Willingly ceding market share to a competitor we can help kill off is height of stupidity. El Paso is a small market we have to dominate. This is one of the problems with UTEP we must THINK BIGGER.
Remember when Stull tried to force NMSU into playing our annual fb game at the Sun Bowl every year? When the public objected he asked if we wanted a div 1 fb program or not? He also offered to allow NMSU to be the host team in our stadium in alternate years. I think he really wanted the optics of UTEP being well above NMSU in fb. He just did not get support in the community for that move.
 
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Remember when Stull tried to force NMSU into playing our annual fb game at the Sun Bowl every year? When the public objected he asked if we wanted a div 1 fb program or not? He also offered to allow NMSU to be the host team in our stadium in alternate years. I think he freally wanted the optics of UTEP being well above NMSU in fb. He just did not get support in the community for that move.

He had the right idea. He understood economics. If he would have held firm after the first two years of the Price era the public would've been on his side. Nobody would have wanted NMSU back on the schedule. The excitement of those seasons proved we don't need a propped manufactured rivalry to have exciting football games with big time atmospheres. Turning down the The MWC twice will always be Stull's worst decision. Keeping coaches too long (price and floyd) is his second worst decision. The decision to reschedule NMSU is the third worst decision of his tenure and is close to number two.
 
Would be a loss for us at the outset but I'd like Northern Arizona University thrown in the mix.
 
UTEP wouldnt get kicked out of CUSA for App State. There are several reasons why. APP State is a great football program. Boone is a great college town. However, would their addition add to CUSA media deals? No. Boone NC is also not the easiest place in the world to get to. The travel cost for the Western schools would go up. They bring no media market.

Number 2 UTEP still has value. Outside of Marshall, Rice and maybe USM we have a much higher name recognition than other CUSA schools. We are the only school in CUSA who has a decent sized market and owns it. With Austin getting an MLS team next year, I believe that leaves El Paso as the only city with a population over 500,000 without a pro sports team. That's not going to change El Paso is not going to get a professional team. That's a major plus for UTEP.

Third UTEP is one of the five remainders from the CUSA 2.0. There is a lot loyalty there. Plus UTSA and UNT are not going to vote to kick UTEP out. UTEP is worth more to them in gate receipts than APP state.

I guarantee that if they could, CUSA would trade App St for UTEP. All the eastern teams would do it, maybe not Charlotte, but all the others would. Do you think it’s easier for ODU to get their volleyball team to Boone or El Paso?

UTEP has no name recognition. Are you serious? App St is way better name than UTEP because of their football team. Multiple FCS championships, that Michigan upset, and now their success in the Sun Belt. Does App St finish dead ****ing last in recruiting rankings like UTEP does???

Nobody cares if UTEP was in CUSA 2.0. The only schools left are because they suck. No other conference wants Marshall, USM, UAB, Rice, or UTEP. That is why they all play in CUSA.

Maybe some of the Texas teams would no and maybe Charlotte, but everyone else would trade us for App St. Especially if they’re serious about football. UTEP is the outlier of the league and we’re at the bottom in performance. Losing the El Paso market would not hurt CUSA’s media deals one bit. They’re peanuts anyway and they would be adding a way better football program and football drives the bus.
 
I guarantee that if they could, CUSA would trade App St for UTEP. All the eastern teams would do it, maybe not Charlotte, but all the others would. Do you think it’s easier for ODU to get their volleyball team to Boone or El Paso?



UTEP has no name recognition. Are you serious? App St is way better name than UTEP because of their football team. Multiple FCS championships, that Michigan upset, and now their success in the Sun Belt. Does App St finish dead ****ing last in recruiting rankings like UTEP does???

Nobody cares if UTEP was in CUSA 2.0. The only schools left are because they suck. No other conference wants Marshall, USM, UAB, Rice, or UTEP. That is why they all play in CUSA.

Maybe some of the Texas teams would no and maybe Charlotte, but everyone else would trade us for App St. Especially if they’re serious about football. UTEP is the outlier of the league and we’re at the bottom in performance. Losing the El Paso market would not hurt CUSA’s media deals one bit. They’re peanuts anyway and they would be adding a way better football program and football drives the bus.

It's way easier to get ODU's teams to el paso than Boone. It's a flight from from Norfolk to el paso. To get to boone you either have to fly to charlotte and the bus two and half hours or fly to Asheville an bus two hours.

You're insane if you think most of CUSA has more name recognition than UTEP. Yes we suck right now we're all very aware of that. However UTEP still has more name recognition than most of the schools in this conference.
 
It's way easier to get ODU's teams to el paso than Boone. It's a flight from from Norfolk to el paso. To get to boone you either have to fly to charlotte and the bus two and half hours or fly to Asheville an bus two hours.

You're insane if you think most of CUSA has more name recognition than UTEP. Yes we suck right now we're all very aware of that. However UTEP still has more name recognition than most of the schools in this conference.

Whatever you think. I’m just telling you that if ESPN told CUSA and Sun Belt to give them their 12 best teams, UTEP wouldn’t be on that list and App State would, because of football. UTEP would be relegated to the scrub conference with Louisiana-Monroe, South Alabama, and Coastal Carolina.
 
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I think Abilene Christian can be an up and coming program as well. Also UTPB.

I didn’t look at the Southland too much. Actually forgot. Maybe I throw SFA in there, definitely over ACU. UTPB is D2, gotta take the D1 plunge first. UTPB might be a D1 school within the next 20 years.
 
I didn’t look at the Southland too much. Actually forgot. Maybe I throw SFA in there, definitely over ACU. UTPB is D2, gotta take the D1 plunge first. UTPB might be a D1 school within the next 20 years.

ACU is going to be the power in the Southand in football and hoops. Lamar is the school everybody thought would take off when they reinstated football. They have the golden triangle all to themselves which produces alot of great athletes. They're finally getting on track.

I doubt UTPB will ever be d1.
 
CUSA 3.0 was created with markets in mind. I don’t think that worked out well for us. Might be time to go in another direction.
If not the mwc or the aaC then I would like most of those schools without Tarelton St or Texas Arlington. I would rather see LT and ULL as Minerforlife suggested. I believe that gives you 8 for football. Please no more fcs move ups like nau.

It really is disheartening to see UTEP's athletic status today while realizing that UTEP used to be conference mates with the likes of Texas Tech, Arizona, Arizona St, BYU, Utah, TCU, SMU and Houston. Now our list of potential conference mates looks more like remnants of the old Border Conference such as Hardin Simmons and West Texas St.

We need our own version of T. Boone Pickens for a major financial shot in the arm and a lot of savvy interference in athletic dept hiring. What a wasted opportunity when Stull left and when Senter hired Dimel.
 
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It really is disheartening to see UTEP's athletic status today while realizing that UTEP used to be conference mates with the likes of Texas Tech, Arizona, Arizona St, BYU, Utah, TCU, SMU and Houston. Now our list of potential conference mates looks more like remnants of the old Border Conference such as Hardin Simmons and West Texas St.

Unfortunately when you keep Price, Floyd, and Kugler around too long, your peers become UTSA and UNT instead of SMU and Houston. Those guys are long gone, time to accept who we are and who we’re going to be playing.
 
Remember when Stull tried to force NMSU into playing our annual fb game at the Sun Bowl every year? When the public objected he asked if we wanted a div 1 fb program or not? He also offered to allow NMSU to be the host team in our stadium in alternate years. I think he really wanted the optics of UTEP being well above NMSU in fb. He just did not get support in the community for that move.

That’s not how it went down. He tried to strong arm NMSU into agreeing to it and they rightfully told him to **** off. Had nothing to do with not getting support in the community. If the roles were reversed, UTEP would have told NMSU the same thing. It’s a shitty way of doing business and if Texas Tech tried to put something like that on UTEP, this board would go apeshit. Stull gets a lot of credit for what he did, but he doesn’t get enough hate for the stuff he did wrong or didn’t do.
 
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College athletics especially at the G5 level is market driven. El Paso is a small market. UTEP needs to dominate it. It's STUPID to prop up a non existent rivalry and give a piece of small market to them. We shouldn't be subsidizing their programs. They need alternating home dates with UNM and UTEP to keep their program afloat. Willingly ceding market share to a competitor we can help kill off is height of stupidity. El Paso is a small market we have to dominate. This is one of the problems with UTEP we must THINK BIGGER.
UTEP and NMSU are always going to share the market in El Paso even if we make the foolish move of not playing them in sports anymore. NMSU playing UTEP and UNM on alternating home games has nothing to do with them keeping their program afloat lol. We should start dominating NMSU instead of getting dominated by NMSU before we start thinking NMSU is inferior to UTEP.
 
That’s not how it went down. He tried to strong arm NMSU into agreeing to it and they rightfully told him to **** off. Had nothing to do with not getting support in the community. If the roles were reversed, UTEP would have told NMSU the same thing. It’s a shitty way of doing business and if Texas Tech tried to put something like that on UTEP, this board would go apeshit. Stull gets a lot of credit for what he did, but he doesn’t get enough hate for the stuff he did wrong or didn’t do.
I am sure NMSU's AD got off the phone laughing his butt off after he got off the phone with Stull's stupid proposal. No competent AD is going to agree to playing their football rival in their stadium every season. Nice way to piss off the boosters and season ticket holders by rolling over to your rival.
 
That’s not how it went down. He tried to strong arm NMSU into agreeing to it and they rightfully told him to **** off. Had nothing to do with not getting support in the community. If the roles were reversed, UTEP would have told NMSU the same thing. It’s a shitty way of doing business and if Texas Tech tried to put something like that on UTEP, this board would go apeshit. Stull gets a lot of credit for what he did, but he doesn’t get enough hate for the stuff he did wrong or didn’t do.

He did what all people in business do negotiate from a position of strength. We don't need to play NMSU we're fine without them. We sure as hell have no buisness playing in Las Cruces. You're the one who criticizes UTEP for no leadership. Then when they do something bold to financially benefit the university. You can't have it both ways.
 
I am sure NMSU's AD got off the phone laughing his butt off after he got off the phone with Stull's stupid proposal. No competent AD is going to agree to playing their football rival in their stadium every season. Nice way to piss off the boosters and season ticket holders by rolling over to your rival.
Totally agree. Thought that was the most ludicrous comment ever uttered. When I first heard it I thought he was joking.
 
He did what all people in business do negotiate from a position of strength. We don't need to play NMSU we're fine without them. We sure as hell have no buisness playing in Las Cruces. You're the one who criticizes UTEP for no leadership. Then when they do something bold to financially benefit the university. You can't have it both ways.

It’s clear you really hate NMSU. Maybe it’s because they have beat us constantly in the major sports over the last 10 years and have had success. It doesn’t matter why, but we do need them.

They give us 2 basketball games every year. Without those 2 games, Senter would replace them with Western New Mexico and UTPB. Who is going to come to the Sun Bowl every other year? More FCS teams and Louisiana-Monroe. You want to talk about business? UTEP is good business for NMSU and NMSU is good business for UTEP.
 
It’s clear you really hate NMSU. Maybe it’s because they have beat us constantly in the major sports over the last 10 years and have had success. It doesn’t matter why, but we do need them.

They give us 2 basketball games every year. Without those 2 games, Senter would replace them with Western New Mexico and UTPB. Who is going to come to the Sun Bowl every other year? More FCS teams and Louisiana-Monroe. You want to talk about business? UTEP is good business for NMSU and NMSU is good business for UTEP.

I don't hate NMSU. I give them credit for becoming a perennial top five mid major program. Playing them is not good for UTEP and never has been. I only care about UTEP. Playing NMSU is one of the dumb decisions that have constantly held this program back.
 
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