C-USA and MWC Merger is On!

[bonarae]

http://www.themwc.com/genrel/021312aab.html

Is it already too much for us?

"This is an exciting development that will stabilize the current conferences and create the first truly national conference with members in five time zones and television viewership from coast to coast. This partnership brings together like-minded institutions to improve the integrity and stability of intercollegiate athletics," said UNLV President Neal Smatresk. "We are moving our plans forward rapidly and expect to complete our conversations in the near future. Look for further announcements soon as we work together on this exciting new venture."

The structure of the new conference will likely include:

• Membership of 18 to 24 universities
  National scope from the Atlantic Seaboard to Hawaii
  Championship football game format that includes semifinal match-ups
  Championship basketball tournament
  Regular season scheduling in divisions
  NCAA FBS affiliation
  Mechanisms to emphasize and improve academic standards and fiscal responsibility

[AZGrizFan]

They should just drop the MWC moniker and call it Conference USA.

[Fresno St. Alum]

They should keep the CUSA name so there is no worry of losing the bball AQ, they'd still make it as at large anyway. Well I was Hawaii was for all sports, it's not like we'll be playing more than 1 or 2 cross overs for fb, not sure of the plan for bball, 14 vs your div. 4 vs the other maybe

[SDHornet]

Wow, the MWC was that desperate to ditch their gawd-awful TV deal that they would merge with a conference who is soon to be raped by desperate Big East expansion. Interesting.

[bluehenbillk]

What's not to like in a league with potential road trips to Vegas & Hawaii??

[Fresno St. Alum]

BE already raped both of us. They have their 12 now.

If/when we go to 18 for fb there will be 8 Div. games and 1 cross over. for the 16 bball schools (figuring Temple for fb only and FIU or someone for all sports) would be 14 div games and 2-4 cross over. ECU would only have to go to Hawaii once every 16 years. w/ bball Fresno St. would travel to ECU once every 4 years w/4 cross over, once every 8 years w/ 2 cross over. Remember half the cross over games are home games.

[SDHornet]

This sums up this "expansion:"
[youtube][/youtube]

[dal4018]

They should just drop the MWC moniker and call it Conference USA.

Agreed and Hawaii's basketball team should join.

[slycat]

As messed up as it is I wish Texas St could get in on that action. But 99% chance we are stuck in some sort of WAC/Sunbelt bastard child.

[EPJr]

MWC, C-USA athletic directors to meet in Las Vegas
on Thursday to discuss new league

Among the topics expected to be discussed are:
(1) whether to stay at the current 18 teams or expand;
(2) the name of the league;
(3) the potential television opportunities; and
(4) how many divisions will be formed within the conference.

This will be the first meeting between the conference’s athletic directors since they convened in Dallas in September. The schools’ presidents met last month when it was announced the conference would merge in all sports.

http://www.rgj.com/section/blogs16?plck ... d=blogDest

[EPJr]

It appeared that a Conference USA and Mountain West merger would come in just a matter of time. Now, it appears to be dead.

As it stands, the original plan (to dissolve both conferences and form something new) is off the table. What remains are two options:

1) Remain as 2 separate conferences with a football scheduling alliance
2) To eliminate one conference via a merger

Reasons for the change in plans?
http://collegesportsinfo.com/2012/03/26 ... amountain/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[SuperHornet]

Doesn't "remaining option #2" amount to "dissolving and forming a big conference"?

[collegesportsinfo]

Doesn't "remaining option #2" amount to "dissolving and forming a big conference"?

Original plan was that IFFFF a merger happened, BOTH conferences would dissolve and form something new. When the NCAA issued their reactions, it was clear that it was either an alliance for football, or just 1 conference would fold (forfeit all revenue) and join the other.

As for rumors of the MERGER, being dead as of yesterday, it is likely, But the alliance is still on the table.

http://collegesportsinfo.com/2012/04/18 ... scussions/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;