My new conference alignment

My lineup for the new West By Southwest Conference:

EAST

UTEP
New Mexico St.
New Mexico
SMU
Rice
•Houston
Tulsa
Louisiana T
•TCU
Air Force


WEST

**BYU
Wyoming
Colorado St.
Boise St.
Fresno St.
Nevada
UNLV
San Diego St.
Utah St.
San Jose St.

———

(alternates)
Hawaii - travel kills, but first choice if any of the above aren't  in fold
Idaho - sorry, guys, but second choice if there's an opening

———

• May hold out for Big 12
** Allowed in only if  doesn't go independent in football; pressure needs to be put on BYU. Don't let them in as a non-football member.

———

Other notes: Air Force moves away from its traditional geographical rivals, and may not like it. But it's easier to kick around a service academy than, say, a Wyoming or Colorado State.

La. Tech remains in fold because of Tulsa, SMU, Rice and maybe Houston and TCU. It's a travel/geography thing. Minor sports teams have travel expenses, too, you know.

If a lot of the above goes awry, then Tulane and North Texas can be dredged up, and maybe Texas State.

Comments

[Tom in ATX]

Joe, you must be dreaming. This looks more like a Mountain West expansion than anything else. So where does East Carolina, Tulane, Central Florida, UAB, and Memphis go? Big East? I do like the idea, but there is no way this would ever happen. C-USA is fine for now. Football rules all and UTEP is on the bottom of the totem poll. We are lucky enough to not be in the WAC as it is.

[harker]

that would never happen its a c-usa/mwc merger not wac, c-usa, mwc. what a stupid blog i'l just stick to minerrush.com. and how is UTAH ST, NMSU, LT, San Jose st going to get $5 million each to leave the WAC.

[CLEOFITZWITZ]

Joe's proposed conference is a stretch. But who would have thought that Utah would have bolted to the PAC 10 with Colorado? Or Nebraska and Missouri joining the Big 10? Or BYU rejoining the WAC in any capacity? The conference shake up is real and Joes guess is as good as anyones. We can't just decide that CUSA is going to stay together. In fact, it's almost a certainty that some of it's current members will be gone within a year.

[Miner Observer]

Funny... looks like the ol' WAC of of the mid-late 90's.. Just call it a reunion. Like the idea, but it seems the MWC is holding most of the cards in this round of realignment and I don't think they would be too interested in that set up. Though NMSU and the other (included) WAC left overs would probably love it.

[Joe Muench]

AP is reporting basketball guard Chris Allen, spotted on the UTEP campus recently, will leave Michigan State and enroll at Iowa State.

[John F. Welsh Jr.]

Joe: Here's another conference line-up that will allow for traditional rivalries, reasonable travel expenses, good television markets, etc.:

WEST:
UTEP, New Mexico, New Mexico State, BYU, Wyoming, Air Force, Colorado State, Utah State.

EAST:
Houston, Rice, SMU, TCU, Tulsa, Tulane, Louisiana Tech, Texas State.

In football, each team plays the other five in its division, and three from the other division. This allows four games for each team to schedule.

In basketball, each team plays home-and-home within its division (ten games), and two home-and-home series with other division teams, or three on a roatng basis.

Division football winners play for championship. All 16 teams play in basketball championship tournament at season-end.

San Diego State goes to a California conference, residue from Conference USA and WAC form their own groups.

Likely, this won't happen. But it would be a lot better than playing UAB, Marshall, East Carolina, Central Florida, et al. UTEP fans miss the rivalry from years past; this would stoke up the fires.

[Stahala]

Ah man so tired of conference realignment talk. Cant believe we're talking about this again. Screw the MWC and the WAC. CUSA all the way. I like playing UAB, Memphis, East Carolina, UCF. It is because we don't only play geographical rivals that more people throughout the country know the UTEP football and basketball programs. Honestly, unless we're moving to a BCS conference, it is all the same.

[Rob]

Thank goodness this plan will never happen. Stay, stay, stay, IN CONFERENCE USA!!!

Agree with you 100% on this one Stahala.

[Bill]

Wasn't there a prediction somewhere that Boise and UTEP would be joining the MWC. Lo and behold, Boise is invited, as are Fresno, Utah State and Nevada. Where was UTEP's invite? Guess the MWC likes those WAC schools just a bit better than UTEP.

The Miners are better off in CUSA than in the MWC. It should fight to keep the conference together. And just wait for the next shoe to drop in the MWC. TCU, just where are you headed?

[Rob]

Rumors flying on the Internet that Temple might join Conference USA. This link says Temple is the nation's fourth largest TV market. Now UTEP can get some serious exposure if this is true.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/439937-breaking-news-temple-to-join-conference-usa

[Realist]

The MWC is going after Houston to provide TCU a travel partner and keep them in the MWC. This allows them to expand further into Texas and grab the larger Houston market!!!

[tio Tomas]

Joe needs to get out of El paso more often.