CUSA to Talk Merger - ESPN, Andy Katz

[Harry]

Conference USA's board of directors will meet later this week to discuss the possibility of a full-scale merger with the Mountain West Conference, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

The prospect of a merger was already on the meeting agenda, even before C-USA member Memphis was on the verge of joining the Big East, the source said. Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky confirmed Wednesday in a statement that Memphis plans to join the Big East for all sports in 2013.

Over the past year, C-USA members Houston, SMU and UCF have already accepted invitations to join the Big East in 2013-14.

Read More: http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/7554045/conference-usa-board-discuss-possibility-merging-mountain-west-source-says

[Harry]

Key quote from this:

On Wednesday, Banowsky said he's not expecting to lose any more schools to the Big East.

"Based upon my conversations with commissioner Marinatto, the Big East has now completed its future membership plan. If this is true, it is very helpful as we can now move forward with our plans in a more stable national environment," he said. "We hope that the other conferences appreciate the value of stability in intercollegiate athletics and higher education."

So The Big East is done for now but the fact that the Big 12 will not leave West Virginia on an island is still out there. Can the alliance stay as is or will they address the detections by adding new teams and markets? What makes the most sense for them?

[KoldBeer]

Key quote from this:

On Wednesday, Banowsky said he's not expecting to lose any more schools to the Big East.

"Based upon my conversations with commissioner Marinatto, the Big East has now completed its future membership plan. If this is true, it is very helpful as we can now move forward with our plans in a more stable national environment," he said. "We hope that the other conferences appreciate the value of stability in intercollegiate athletics and higher education."

So The Big East is done for now but the fact that the Big 12 will not leave West Virginia on an island is still out there. Can the alliance stay as is or will they address the detections by adding new teams and markets? What makes the most sense for them?

There is a report out there today that the Big East is going to talk to Temple. It's really starting to sound like WVU to the Big 12 next year and Louisville sometime in the near future. The Big 12 is just having a hard time figuring out who number 12 should be (plus the double round robin schedule is working really well in basketball and single round robin worked well in football). I think Big 12 tier one rights is up after 2015 or 2016 season. Louisville will be in before that deal gets redone.

I think the CUSA/MWC merger is 50/50. CBS has a report saying the merger changes weekly. If it doesn't happen, it'll be interesting to see what CUSA does. With only 8 teams they are really spread out. I could see UTEP going to MWC confenence. ECU and Marshall are going to demand to schools close to them be added.

It'll be a real interesting month for North Texas. We might finally get to see if our conference home is going to change.

[KoldBeer]

Link to CBS Story on CUSA/MWC merger changing weekly:

http://brett-mcmurphy.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/29532522/34753656

[Arkstfan]

I keep expecting to get an update saying, "ECU and USM wake up; realize merger is stupid and kill the deal".

The MWC post-defection is pretty lousy and forced to replenish their ranks without the merger, their choices within their footprint are: raid UTEP, Utah State, San Jose State, Idaho and New Mexico State. That's it. They aren't very good and their potential replacements aren't compelling.

UNT last year was 5th in the Sun Belt in BCS ratings but would have been fourth in CUSA. Arkansas State was higher rated than any of the remaining MWC. ULL ahead of all but Wyoming. Sun Belt #3 and #4 would be MWC #4 and #5.

UNT would have been #6 in CUSA. ASU would have been #2 in CUSA, and USM, Tulsa and Marshall would have been the only ones ahead of ULL, FIU, or WKU.

The remaining MWC has a worse average BCS ranking than the Sun Belt. Merging CUSA and Sun Belt straight up produces a stronger conference in the ratings than merging CUSA and MWC.

ECU, Marshall, and USM pull out and start a new conference by inviting say Tulsa and UAB but omit Tulane, Rice and UTEP and then take seven schools from the Sun Belt and WAC to form a new league you end up with a league that is stronger and is more like the old CUSA than a cobbled up CUSA.

I don't see that happening but it makes far more sense to cut some of the CUSA dead wood and start fresh with the best programs in the region than it does to hitch your wagon to a crippled MWC or just patch holes in CUSA and carry on.