Memphis out? Good deal for C-USA

I'm guessing Conference USA members are dancing jigs on two accounts now. Memphis has been barking to leave for years, barking long and loud, like a cold dog at night. Finally, Memphis gets to join the Big East, which has taking in new teams - to replace defectors - like a boarding house. .

Now member basketball teams won't have to go die on Memphis' home floor most Marches in the conference championship tournament. There's a better chance now for others in the league to automatically qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

Memphis, say what you want, has been the prima donna of C-USA basketball, and because of its big-city location, gets the most-talented basketball recruits in the league. The conference tournament is most often held in Memphis because of its big, modern NBA arena and large fan turnout. Sure beats playing in that "Hoosiers" gym at Tulane, or in front of nobody at many other C-USA eastern and southern sites.

And Reason No. 2 for dancing: Soon, leftover C-USA members won't have to travel to the Lost Continent of far West Texas to play UTEP - at least not as much as before. Back and forth is like a round trip to Europe.

That is, when the done-deal merger with the Mountain West is officially announced. Now they're saying in summer. Then, UTEP's long kite string to the East Coast will be snipped and the Miners will drift away from points east and south and play teams on this part of continent - New Mexico, Colorado State, Wyoming ... a few others in the West family.

Bottom line: Two goods for C-USA. And a good for UTEP.

Comments

[a fan]

If there are more defections, the Miners will be, by default, the best team in CUSA. Of course, CUSA is ranked below the top 9 in basketball conferences. Losing Memphis will mean a further decline. Still, the team that wins the CUSA tourney gets a chance to dance.

Go Miners.

[Tiotomas]

Th sad sacks are left. Time to dissolve the Cusa and rebrand the conference of misfit teams.

[mexicant]

Tiotomas,

Time for someone to learn how to spell!

[A fan]

It's only good if the Miners take advantage of Memphis leaving, as in winning the conference title. The CUSA tourney held in El Paso more often would be great as well since we don't need to travel to Memphis anymore.

[Tiotomas]

Mexicant can't comment on the post only to the typo. This means you agree that cusa stinks. Memphis is the only Team UTEP had to look forward to playing. The glory days of glory road have passed UTEP by with bob stull driving them to mediocrity.

[Miner Maniac]

The only "Glory Road" are those who still cling on to 1966. That was 46 years ago folks! Time to move forward, not keep looking back. Stull has done more for UTEP athletics than any other AD prior to him. Those who can't see it are blind. Those who won't acknowledge it are ignorant.

[madmangunner]

With the impending merger with the mountain west, unlv will replace memphis as a team to look forward to. And just a little educating, Southern Miss has a higher r.p.i. than memphis. UAB (whom we just barely lost to) just beat Southern Miss. Marshall always fields very good teams. Future foes, Neveda, Colorado State, UNM, all are in the top 100 r.p.i. wise. The sky is not falling because memphis left. Basketball wise, with the merger it will be an even stronger conference than what we have currently. Football wise, I see no real drop, even with the loss of houston.

[Tiotomas]

Miner Maniac: Bob Stull has waited at the back of the bus, and to paraphrase, "see where we fall" to find out where UTEP fits in to Div 1 College athletics. That is not blindness, it is laziness. He has allowed UTEP to wallow in mediocrity because of his direction. Ignorance is lack of information, for which I have just provided much. Mediocre seasons in football and a once storied basketball program to fall apart on his watch is not leadership. He should have taken the reigns of the basketball program and pushed it forward. Four coaches later we have crap. If you are happy with STULL THE MEDIOCRE have at it. I demand better.

Top 100 rpi mean nothing when you need to beat the top 50. Memphis is a blow to the already crumbly CUSA conference and no one will admit there is an elephant in the room.

[Miner Maniac]

You really think UTEP can go knocking down doors at the Big 12, Pac 12, SEC, etc. and demand entrance into their conferences? UTEP is what it is, we take what we can get. You're blaming Stull for Price's failure with the football team? If you mean not firing Price, I'm with you. Then again, can UTEP afford to buy out his contract? Be happy this is Price's final year, win or lose. The basketball program is on the right track. Barbee, Gillespe, and Sadler were good coaches, whether you want to admit it or not. They had a right to seek out greener pastures, and they did. You're expecting another Haskins to stick around for 30 plus years? Those coaches are gone. Get off the '66 train and join the rest of the human race in 2012.

[madmangunner]

Hey uncle, if you think Miner basketball is wallowing in mediocrity you have absolutely no idea about the game of basketball. None uncle. You've lost ALL credibility with that statement. I'm not even going to try to explain it to you. Wow, see you on the bandwagon in the near future I'm sure though.

[Tiotomas]

Gunner and maniac. Stull has no nuts to pay anyone to stick around, this is just the next stop for Floyd until someone else dangles a bigger carrot. No one at UTEP has the gonads to offer a bigger payday because it s not a nastylicio priority. As for sticking around 30 years no way, but stull has paid price for ten. Stull put his money into the wrong sport, he should have invested in bb instead of football. UTEP WAS a basketball school, That is the point.

[justin bieber shoes]

I couldn't even fathom what was happening or why. All I knew was that a plane flew into the tower. I didn't know details.