UTSA is CUSA bound

[AshlyHasBeen]

Just as I expected after talking to the UTA guys during the basketball tournament the WAC is in bad shape. So after announcing a move to the WAC on July 1st the Roadrunners have left the Mavs behind and are all set for CUSA in 2013. Move is pending an expected approval from the UT System Board of Regents. Story is out in the Chron and SA Express now. Sources also reporting that North Texas, FIU and Louisiana Tech could be the next schools joining CUSA. The agenda for Tuesday indicates three WAC schools have declared their intent to lead (presumably UTSA, La Tech and Utah State) leaving four football-play members. 8 is required by the NCAA to remain FBS. Runners will pay 2 million to join CUSA.......

RIP WAC

[ForeverADog]

Heard this as well. Shake up continues.

[UNLV]

Lamar FBS chances are infinitely close to zero. Once again Lamar boneheaded it's way to nowhere. Houston Baptist and Nichols st for a minimum next 15 years.

[AshlyHasBeen]

WAC wasn't a good option for Lamar. There was plenty of noise about the conference falling apart. With Sun Belt teams leaving for CUSA it could open the door for Lamar. Not saying it will but it might.

[coachacola]

Texas State will probably get a Sun Belt invite next to replace North Texas.  That puts them about 7 hours from their nearest conference mate.  Georgia Southern and Appy State appear to be wanting to join the Sun Belt.  Will the Sun Belt leave Texas State stranded out west while they expand eastward?  New Mexico State is way out west (another 10 hours from San Marcos), so I doubt they would get an invite.  Maybe Texas State and the western Sun Belt schools push for Lamar and UTA to join, which would practically put the Sun Belt in the big markets of Texas (UTA would balance out UALR as non-football members).  I think it's a long shot of that happening, especially since no one at Lamar has said a word about going FBS in over a year.

[UNLV]

[quote name="ShlyKBMT" post="1215987" timestamp="1335666378"]
WAC wasn't a good option for Lamar. There was plenty of noise about the conference falling apart. With Sun Belt teams leaving for CUSA it could open the door for Lamar. Not saying it will but it might.
[/quote]Tx st will get the call over Lamar for the Sunbelt. Lamar FBS chances is over.
Losing the WAC is losing a minimum of 8 FBS slots.

[puddin tane]

I've been saying it for 2 years....the WAC is dead

[NorthoftheBorder]

Lets face it.  It is a major market issue and Tx St is in the Austin & San Antonio markets (as is UTSA).  UNT is in the Dallas/FW market.  La Tech seems like they will be able to skirt the major market issue because they have been FBS for awhile now.  The terrible reality is HBU being a startup with football has a much better chance that LU.  LU did not do what it needed to do back in the 90's to position the University for FBS.  Oh well, they are still my Alma Mater and I support them 100%.  My hope that they would be able to go FBS in football sometime in the future is for all practical purposes dead.  So, for the love of pete, lets make it the goal to be a national championship FCS program!

[AshlyHasBeen]

Hearing that Texas State to Sun Belt is just about a done deal. UTA better hope someone wants them.

[coachacola]

[quote name="puddin tane" post="1216053" timestamp="1335678893"]
I've been saying it for 2 years....the WAC is dead
[/quote]
It's not really dead, the Mountain West is essentially the WAC if you look at the schools in it.  It's being reported the SJSU and Utah State will be joining soon.

And I agree with NorthoftheBorder, it's more an issue of markets than anything else.  Why else would UTSA be going to the CUSA?  But I hope Dr. Simmons is working behind the scenes right now talking to the Sun Belt and some big donors so Lamar can get an invite.  It doesn't have to be an immediate invite, but one for a year or two from now when Lamar is in a better position to join.

[skipmeister]

I hope FIU and FAU could join UTSA in CUSA, if it happens! Maybe TXSU and LU could take their spots!

[puddin tane]

[quote name="coachacola" post="1216176" timestamp="1335744004"]
[quote author=puddin tane link=topic=99512.msg1216053#msg1216053 date=1335678893]
I've been saying it for 2 years....the WAC is dead
[/quote]
It's not really dead, the Mountain West is essentially the WAC if you look at the schools in it.  It's being reported the SJSU and Utah State will be joining soon.

And I agree with NorthoftheBorder, it's more an issue of markets than anything else.  Why else would UTSA be going to the CUSA?  But I hope Dr. Simmons is working behind the scenes right now talking to the Sun Belt and some big donors so Lamar can get an invite.  It doesn't have to be an immediate invite, but one for a year or two from now when Lamar is in a better position to join.
[/quote]

[puddin tane]

[quote name="coachacola" post="1216176" timestamp="1335744004"]
[quote author=puddin tane link=topic=99512.msg1216053#msg1216053 date=1335678893]
I've been saying it for 2 years....the WAC is dead
[/quote]
It's not really dead, the Mountain West is essentially the WAC if you look at the schools in it.  It's being reported the SJSU and Utah State will be joining soon.

And I agree with NorthoftheBorder, it's more an issue of markets than anything else.  Why else would UTSA be going to the CUSA?  But I hope Dr. Simmons is working behind the scenes right now talking to the Sun Belt and some big donors so Lamar can get an invite.  It doesn't have to be an immediate invite, but one for a year or two from now when Lamar is in a better position to join.
[/quote]

dead is dead coach..no matter how you wanna spin it

UTSA is gonna be good for any conference..its [b]THE[/b] game in town

TX st is and always will be a 'who cares'...same for UTA--neither one brings much to the table

[UNLV]

Very very very very near dead. Schrodinger's cat dead. Many CUSA fans are not happy with the poor athletic state of the schools being invited.

La Tech football is ok, but remaining sports stink. La Tech is last in the WAC commissioners cup.
UNT has one of the worse football programs.
FIU, like Tech, ok in football but sucks in other major sports.
UTSA, enough said.

Not to say those schools can't improve however I don't believe they will because CUSA becomes another Sunbelt, except in academics.

The point I'm making is not to down those schools because I would love to see Lamar in conference with La Tech and UNT again. A few schools like UTEP, Marshall, ECU, Tulsa, and maybe Rice might leave this watered down CUSA.

Tulsa and Rice can afford to leave. Tulsa wants in on MWC.
Marshall is wondering why play in a crappy conference with lots of travel when you can play in a crappy FBS nearby, MAC.

ECU wants no part of this new CUSA.

UTEP wants in on MWC.

UTEP, Tulsa, Utah st, SJSU gives MWC 12 and championship game.

[puddin tane]

if we ever move...I wanna play UL-L

[ForeverADog]

UTA and Texas State to the sun belt according to CBS Sports.

[puddin tane]

uta----yawn

[Green Menace]

[quote name="UNLV" post="1216336" timestamp="1335802326"]
Very very very very near dead. Schrodinger's cat dead. Many CUSA fans are not happy with the poor athletic state of the schools being invited.

La Tech football is ok, but remaining sports stink. La Tech is last in the WAC commissioners cup.
UNT has one of the worse football programs.
FIU, like Tech, ok in football but sucks in other major sports.
UTSA, enough said.

Not to say those schools can't improve however I don't believe they will because CUSA becomes another Sunbelt, except in academics.

The point I'm making is not to down those schools because I would love to see Lamar in conference with La Tech and UNT again. A few schools like UTEP, Marshall, ECU, Tulsa, and maybe Rice might leave this watered down CUSA.

Tulsa and Rice can afford to leave. Tulsa wants in on MWC.
Marshall is wondering why play in a crappy conference with lots of travel when you can play in a crappy FBS nearby, MAC.

ECU wants no part of this new CUSA.

UTEP wants in on MWC.

UTEP, Tulsa, Utah st, SJSU gives MWC 12 and championship game.
[/quote]

UNT has had problems in football ever since the ill advised hiring of Todd Dodge and his high school assistants.  The UNT athletic director should have been fired with Dodge.  However, prior to that period, UNT enjoyed four Sun Belt Football Championships, a string of 21 or was it 23 straight conference football wins, and four trips to the New Orleans Bowl.  UNT made coaching changes, new stadium, and a new direction.  CUSA will give UNT better recruits and better football opponents.

And our basketball is not too shabby.

As for the CUSA programs that will remain, UTEP, Tulsa, Rice, Tulane, So. Miss., ECU, UAB, etc., what other conference will they move to?  With the exception of UTEP, most are simply too far from the MWC members.  And UTEP, Tulsa, Rice, and Tulane enjoy Texas recruiting.

Yes, CUSA has been weakened, but to sell the new members short.

[puddin tane]

So miss is gonna want out of that...................

[Green Menace]

[quote name="puddin tane" post="1217454" timestamp="1336013315"]
So miss is gonna want out of that...................
[/quote]
Again.....where they going to go?  And they are not in a big market.  That seems to be the game plan for conference expansion.

[UNLV]

Tulsa wants out bad. CUSA will be ranked below the Sunbelt for years.
Marshall?
UTEP?
ECU?

I think So. Miss. stays.

[DP#1FAN]

I just hope Lamar makes the right move at the right time. Having Lamar football back has been great and basketball seems to be moving in right direction.