Looks like the Huskies are returning to the Big East. But since the conference doesn’t support football anymore, they’ll need a new home. Personally I think they should remain in the American Athletic Conference if an exception can be negotiated.
UConn Football to C-USA?
- Thread starter OsoFromELP
- Start date
Someone please tell UTSA that them colors are not UTEP approved!
They need to be
HEX #FF8200 for orange
HEX #041E42 for blue
They need to get their crap together if they still insist on being our little brother
They need to be
HEX #FF8200 for orange
HEX #041E42 for blue
They need to get their crap together if they still insist on being our little brother
This is a very long shot scenario but just in case,
1. UTEP needs to show some life in FB with fans returning to the SB and for MBB to be really good this coming season.
2. The AAC invites AFA since Army won't join. The AFA would then have a conference game with Navy, freeing up another date for an OOC rival like CSU.
3. The MWC, seeing how improved UTEP's athletic department is then invites the Miners.
I did mention this was a long shot but hey, it's a shot.
1. UTEP needs to show some life in FB with fans returning to the SB and for MBB to be really good this coming season.
2. The AAC invites AFA since Army won't join. The AFA would then have a conference game with Navy, freeing up another date for an OOC rival like CSU.
3. The MWC, seeing how improved UTEP's athletic department is then invites the Miners.
I did mention this was a long shot but hey, it's a shot.
I hadn’t thought about that. Excellent scenario. It might not be as a long shot as you think. With the new tv deal the American worked out they are in good position to poach from the MWC.
Given todays national poltical landscape POTUS relishes sticking his nose in something like this and he would shoot it down to show he is a budget hawk and the service academies now operate as a non profits just to stay competitive for D1 sports and AFA would pay hell justifying leaving a conference they are a natural fit in both geographically, financially (travel costs) and decades long rivals.
"...... in 2013, when a report by the inspector general of the Department of Defense criticized personnel of Air Force Academy Athletic Association for actions that came before Air Force’s restructuring in athletics.
The report said they “inappropriately solicited, accepted, recorded, and reported over $532,000 in monetary gifts.” This wasn’t a criminal scandal. It was more like an internal government rules issue and happened because these athletics personnel “were not familiar with DoD and Air Force requirements prohibiting the solicitation of gifts,” according to the report.
In reply, the academy superintendent noted the athletics association recently had been converted into a new non-profit organization in 2013. He said, “This restructuring minimizes risk and the type of solicitations identified in this audit.”"
https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...navy-all-now-outsourcing-athletics/820130001/
AFA already plays Navy and CSU every year. Why would they jump to the AAC to achieve... what they already have? But with the added travel costs for just about all their games, and ending their long-time rivalries with their MWC foes?
Thanks for the hypothetical to the original “long shot” post
Who also has a higher student enrollment and they stole our pick and turned it into a bird; that is one big little brother.
F the MWC!!!! They split up the WAC because they didn't want to be associated with schools like UTEP. If they don't want us, warts and all, then we shouldn't go there if we ever get our act together.
It's incredibly angering to me that just 9 years ago, UTEP would have been one of the first out in both AAC and MWC expansion and now we're not even in the conversation.
I doubt it. The conference already complains how far out of the conference footprint we are. I dont see NMSU getting serious consideration. If its ODU leaving it will interesting to see if Liberty gets considered. As of yet no conference has wanted to get in bed with Faldwell's jr school. I dont think they will get into CUSA. I think ODU is replaced by another Virginia school James Madison.
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Increasingly, most of the older, pre-1996 members —particularly Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, Utah, and Wyoming— felt chagrin at this new arrangement. Additional concerns centered around finances, as the expanded league stretched approximately 3,900 miles (6,300 km) from Hawaiʻi to Oklahoma and covered nine states and four time zones. With such a far-flung league, travel costs became a concern. The presidents of Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, Utah, and Wyoming met in 1998 at Denver International Airport and agreed to split off to form a new league. The breakaway group invited old-line WAC schools New Mexico and San Diego State and newcomer UNLV to join them in the new Mountain West Conference, which began competition in 1999.[13]
A USA Today article summed up the reasons behind the split. "With Hawaii and the Texas schools separated by about 3,900 miles and four time zones, travel costs were a tremendous burden for WAC teams. The costs, coupled with lagging revenue and a proposed realignment that would have separated rivals such as Colorado State and Air Force, created unrest among the eight defecting schools."[14][15]
BYU and Utah would later leave the MWC for the West Coast Conference and Pac-12 Conference, respectively; BYU football is an FBS independent.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Athletic_Conference
Marshall is the only attractive football school that can make a move and be competitive imo, maybe Southern Miss, but if anyone from C-USA makes the jump its Marshall by a long shot.
That would improve their already solid football recruiting pipleline they have with the state of Florida.
That would improve their already solid football recruiting pipleline they have with the state of Florida.
Four of the AAC schools will be playing in power 5 conferences within five years. This is just the first unexpected domino to fall. The loss of the tri-state market will probably cost them 15-20% on the renegotiation of the TV deal.
UCONN exposed what is wrong with both the AAC and CUSA. And, exposed why mega conferences, especially at the mid-major level don't work. It is the same reason the MWC broke off from the WAC.
It's because UCONN, Houston, Wichita St and maybe SMU, who are marginal to elite basketball squads are forced to share revenue with Tulsa, Tulane, East Carolina and other leeches. You have really strong teams that have to play against crappy teams week in and week out. In the Big East, there are no week teams. Same with Football.
It's because UCONN, Houston, Wichita St and maybe SMU, who are marginal to elite basketball squads are forced to share revenue with Tulsa, Tulane, East Carolina and other leeches. You have really strong teams that have to play against crappy teams week in and week out. In the Big East, there are no week teams. Same with Football.
SMU is a johnny-come-lately in basketball. They bought themselves some short-term success by hiring Larry Brown who, by the way, also got them slapped with a postseason ban for rules violations. We'll see what kind of success they can maintain post-Larry Brown; they had one good season after him, followed by two seasons of mediocrity, and last season they already have a losing record. I think they're going to regress to the mean and be back to their leeching ways. They're already back to their leeching ways in football.
Tulsa, on the other hand, I don't know how you can look over their body of work in basketball and, with a straight face, call them a leech. Even in recent years they made the Tourney in 2014 and 2016, with an NIT sandwiched between. So they've had a few mediocre seasons from 2017-2019; if they're a leech, what does that make UTEP?
"If the AAC’s leaders decide to bring in a new member, it will try to attract a program that adds value to the conference. This means they will look for a program that offers a big market and/or a large following, is in good financial standing and is currently making significant investment in facilities."
UCF is huge, I believe Tier 1, good market, location is and within conference travel budgets. Why doesn't any major want them? They need to slobber knock a giant like Alabama. Remember when UTAH beat the living crap out of bama on live TV some years back? The rest is history.
UC. Really?
Houston to PAC 12? I really do believe the PAC 12 is happy where there are. They own the western US, major populated areas on the western sea board, their alumni bring big, big bucks and all sorts of revenue. Their wheel is greased and they are good. They don't need Texas because Cali produces just as many football recruits as Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania. PAC 12 knows Texas and Oklahoma BIG XII teams and Houston like to pound their chest but they don't need them.
Memphis is Tier 2, so their out.
UCF is huge, I believe Tier 1, good market, location is and within conference travel budgets. Why doesn't any major want them? They need to slobber knock a giant like Alabama. Remember when UTAH beat the living crap out of bama on live TV some years back? The rest is history.
UC. Really?
Houston to PAC 12? I really do believe the PAC 12 is happy where there are. They own the western US, major populated areas on the western sea board, their alumni bring big, big bucks and all sorts of revenue. Their wheel is greased and they are good. They don't need Texas because Cali produces just as many football recruits as Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania. PAC 12 knows Texas and Oklahoma BIG XII teams and Houston like to pound their chest but they don't need them.
The Pac12 has the worst TV deal. They desperately need the Houston market. The PAC -12 is pickiest conference when it comes to academics. Some of presidents are still upset they admitted Arizona State decades ago. UH's academics are excellent top four among public universities in Texas. Only behind ut-Dallas Ut-Austin and A&M. If the M in SMU didnt stand for Methodist UH and SMU would have been in the Pac-12 3 years ago. The Pac-12 will not take a school with a religious affiliation so SMU and BYU are out. The academic requirements eliminate the entire MWC. The tricky part is finding a school to join with Houston. The only school that makes sense is Rice. Stanford gets a twin two schools in the same cities significantly cuts travel costs for Olympic sports. Rice could be competitive in the Pac 12 not as quick as UH, but in a few years. They have very quietly invested in athletic infrastructure in the last few years.
Larry Scott has visited UH several times. They are the PAC12's number one target. It will happen the pac 12 needs UH. The only question is who comes with them I think it has to be Rice.
UCF has third biggest enrollment in the USA. They beat Auburn in new years six bowl and damn near beat LSU without their starting qb. They are the real deal. They've lost once in two years been to three new years six bowls in the past six years going 2-1. They're going to the P5.
Memphis brings more coorporate dollars to the table than any other g5 school. The big12 doesnt care academics. They've built a perennial winner in football. Penny has the number one recruiting class coming it. Memphis hoops is back. They're competitive right away in the big 12 and give the conference an inroad into SEC country.
The big 12 has always wanted Cincinnati they've always been a top target. They've made huge investments in their facilities. They have a nice market. Cinci and Memphis as brands are both better than Iowa State and Kansas State.
I think the AAC football schools feel the same way about UCONN football. UCONN is taking a significant pay-cut in tv revenue to join the big east. With UCONN gone the AAC have eliminated a football leach.
No Power 5 conference wants SMU, and definitely no Power 5 conference wants Rice. Talk about leeches.
I'd prefer UTEP in the MWC. Much better geographical arrangement with natural -- and historic -- rivals. Unless the Big 12 or Pac 12 come calling -- hint, they won't -- long distance games across the east coast that mean nothing to anyone regionally will ensure the university remains irrelevant in the major sports. The only saving grace as an alternative would be to replace UConn in the AAC and that's not going to happen either.
I'd be happy to see UTEP move to the WCC (not going to happen either) or even ... wait for it ... the WAC and go indy in football. Winning in either of those in men's BB would cure a lot of ills, get butts in the seats again and make us pretty again for a more handsome suiter. We would still go to Austin and Norman for the paychecks we'd get to take the ass spankings and it would give us a chance to schedule games with those old foes now living the MWC. Those games would also put butts in seats if we could get them to come kick our asses in the Sun Bowl.
Of course, all of this is nothing more than off-season dribble that means nothing to anyone of importance that might also have real ability to impact what happens. Take it as such.
Geographically and historically the MWC makes way more sense to me.
Well yeah the MW would be nice. I’m saying what if the CUSA east schools split along with UCONN and UMASS and the MW doesn’t extend an invitation.
I know it’s all off season click bait articles but I was curious to what you guys thought.
https://collegesportsmaven.io/tmg/mark-blaudschun/uconn-fb-rip-sort-of-PcQSwoGKh0WgJLKGjw4-7w/
*There’s an entire thread about this on the CUSA message board.
I know it’s all off season click bait articles but I was curious to what you guys thought.
https://collegesportsmaven.io/tmg/mark-blaudschun/uconn-fb-rip-sort-of-PcQSwoGKh0WgJLKGjw4-7w/
*There’s an entire thread about this on the CUSA message board.
It makes sense. There discernable difference between C-USA and the Sun Belt. It makes sense to create two conferences. Cusa sunbelt eastern schools in one conference, cusa sun belt western schools in the other. Make UTA and Arkansas little Rock add football or give em the boot.
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