Obviously this off season Conference Realignment has been a topic on this board and how and if it'll affect our Miners. We already know UTEP has been left behind by former conference mates who've went on to greener pastures, some even P5 Conferences.
Utep has not put themselves in a very attractive position. Also El Paso's location and smallish TV Market (Due in part to many households preferring Spanish television) have not helped. With all that being said, somehow after most of us thought C-USA would have a smaller TV Contract after most of the teams left. They pulled off doubling the TV Contract with less mouths to feed and teams that left to the Sun Belt pretty much made a lateral move. In addition to that UTEP will be receiving millions from teams who left to AAC and Sun Belt. So my point that no one wants to hear or admit on this board is.... UTEP Athletic's are in a better position financially than it was before all the teams left! Sorry, but it's a fact. With new realignment's being about money not the fans, Leaders don't care about rivalries or travel, etc... I also think the new landscape sucks, but it is what it is. I see Conference USA making a strong play for Army and UMASS, but AAC will probably have a say in that. If not C-USA will get 2 more FCS teams to move up. I would love to see Utep in the MWC, because the proximity and old rivalries. However the money may or may not be that much greater than C-USA depending on what happens. If MWC retains most of it's teams and adds Washington St./Oregon St. then Utep probably doesn't have a chance to join. If PAC 10, keeps the 4 existing teams and poaches most of MWC, then that will give Utep a chance in a watered down MWC that will have a significantly lower TV Contract. So we'll see how it plays out, but money will drive whatever happens with Utep in the future not proximity or rivalries like us fans would like.
Utep has not put themselves in a very attractive position. Also El Paso's location and smallish TV Market (Due in part to many households preferring Spanish television) have not helped. With all that being said, somehow after most of us thought C-USA would have a smaller TV Contract after most of the teams left. They pulled off doubling the TV Contract with less mouths to feed and teams that left to the Sun Belt pretty much made a lateral move. In addition to that UTEP will be receiving millions from teams who left to AAC and Sun Belt. So my point that no one wants to hear or admit on this board is.... UTEP Athletic's are in a better position financially than it was before all the teams left! Sorry, but it's a fact. With new realignment's being about money not the fans, Leaders don't care about rivalries or travel, etc... I also think the new landscape sucks, but it is what it is. I see Conference USA making a strong play for Army and UMASS, but AAC will probably have a say in that. If not C-USA will get 2 more FCS teams to move up. I would love to see Utep in the MWC, because the proximity and old rivalries. However the money may or may not be that much greater than C-USA depending on what happens. If MWC retains most of it's teams and adds Washington St./Oregon St. then Utep probably doesn't have a chance to join. If PAC 10, keeps the 4 existing teams and poaches most of MWC, then that will give Utep a chance in a watered down MWC that will have a significantly lower TV Contract. So we'll see how it plays out, but money will drive whatever happens with Utep in the future not proximity or rivalries like us fans would like.
