UTEP and conference shifting

Oops. Thanks for the addition of three schools coming from the WAC  first poster.

Here's my take on talked-about new football-only conference  setups that involve UTEP or their present Conference USA mates.  And if this is to be, UTEP will be better off.

First, though, two notes:

1. What will conferences say if a member wants to leave in football only? Will that member still be welcome as a basketball player?

2. The Big East football alignment  would have some geography problems if splitting into two divisions in order to have a football championship game.

KEY:

 WAC

x Now in Mountain West

y Now in Conference USA

z Now independent

Here goes:

BIG EAST

Holdovers

Cincinnati
Louisville        
South Florida
Rutgers
Connecticut

Potential new members

x-Boise State
x-Air Force
y-SMU
y-Houston
y-Central Florida

z-Navy

MOUNTAIN WEST/CONFERENCE USA MERGE

Mountain West holdovers

Wyoming
San Diego State
Colorado State
UNLV
New Mexico

Coming in from WAC

Fresno State

Nevada

Hawaii

C-USA holdovers

*UTEP
*Tulsa
Rice
Tulane
Southern Mississippi
East Carolina
Marshall
Memphis
Alabama-Birmingham

* Good geographical fit in the Mountain West holdover division

Also, three more observations:

1) The Big East, having lost Syracuse and Pitt to the ACC, and having TCU back out on joining, would not be a strong football conference anymore. It might lose its BCS status. And note that Louisville is making a strong bid to be accepted into the Big 12.

2) UTEP would be much better off playing its Mountain Time Zone mates, especially since Houson and SMU would be going to the Big East.

3) Boise State going to the Big East, so very far away from Idaho, would be a geographical farce. Yes, their program would bring money to the conference, at least now while the Broncos are a national power. But the football team would have to make so many long road-game trips. It would be like UTEP having to go play at Hawaii three or four times a year.

Comments

[Toasted Whitbred]

I give you a c-. the Mountain West is adding Fresno State, Nevada and Hawaii next year...so if its balance you're looking for...

MWC holdovers:
Fresno St.
Nevada
Hawaii
Wyoming
San Diego State
Colorado State
UNLV
New Mexico

[Nacho]

Hawaii is for football only.

The other sports will play in the Big West.

[LC Ray]

How about this combination. This makes the new alliance two conferences with even number of teams (8 ea) and puts conference teams into geographically closer proximity.

Make MWC:
Fresno St
Neveda
Wyoming
San Diego St
Colorado St
UNLV
New Mexico
UTEP

Conference USA:
Tulsa
UAB
Rice
Tulane
Southern Mississippi
East Carolina
Marshall
Memphis

Of course the the above would entail turning Hawaii' entrance into the MWC down. I wonder how many MWC teams would rather have the shorter trip to El Paso rather than Hawaii?

[Rob]

UTEP will probably come out of this shake-up better off simply because they were patient and didn't bail on CUSA for the WAC or MWC like so many urged them to do. The wosrt thing is UTEP ending up in a conference with no other Texas teams. We are in Texas people, like it or not, and need SMU and Houston for the UTEP alumni and recruiting.

Losing Central Florida is bad because of the Florida connection. Florida, like Texas, is a major football state. If UTEP could establish a recruiting pipeline to Florida I think everyone would be happy with the Florida St., Florida, Miami, etc. leftovers. UTEP could use the leftovers from the leftovers.

By the way. This "football only" crap has got to go. The NCAA needs to put an end to that. Either your in or you're out.