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Notes, Quotes and Slants
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Pirate
Notebook No. 158
Friday, November 21, 2003
By Denny O'Brien
Staff Writer and Columnist |
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TCU better served in C-USA
�2003 Bonesville.net
Sooner or later, Texas Christian must end the speculation
about its future conference home � hold a pat hand in Conference USA, or
deal itself out to the Mountain West.
My money is riding on the Frogs maintaining the status quo.
The matter couldn't be more simple for C-USA. If TCU stays,
at worst the league will be on even footing with the Mountain West and Big
East in terms of gridiron girth. When the new Bowl Championship Series
agreement is reached, C-USA could count on better access than its current
long-shot scenario.
Without the Frogs, C-USA is no better than the Mid-American
Conference, the league it just scalped for Marshall and Central Florida.
Though the situation is somewhat different for the Mountain West, the stakes
are similar.
The dilemma TCU's board of directors faces is interesting
and, on the surface, appears to be a scenario in which it cannot lose.
On one hand, C-USA has been a sanctuary in which the Frogs
already have claimed one league title, and their third consecutive
postseason berth is already assured. The new 12-school configuration
shouldn't derail that trend, especially with the potential of a divisional
alignment that would be favorable.
The Mountain West also would provide an attractive abode and
is filled with schools that are borderline household names. Brigham Young
has a national title in football, while UNLV and Utah have plenty of
basketball hardware on the mantle. Top-to-bottom, some would argue it is the
better all around fit.
For the short term, maybe.
"Championships are hard to win, no matter what conference
you're in," TCU coach Gary Patterson recently noted. "We've lost a lot of
players during the year, but what's exciting about us is the wheels could've
come off then and didn't. I think if you leave kids a roadmap of where you
want to go, they'll find a way to get there."
If the Frogs decide to head west, they'll need a different
kind of map to reach those distant destinations.
More than anything, the Mountain West is known for its
geographic diversity, spreading from balmy Southern California to the
Colorado Rockies. Only the Western Athletic Conference can make the claim of
spanning more biomes and time zones.
Initial research already has shown that changing
neighborhoods will cost TCU an additional $200,000 per year in travel alone.
That goes without mentioning a substantially increased number of absences
student-athletes are certain to incur for mid-week swim meets.
But who cares about an athlete's GPA?
Bottom line, this is a money decision in which several key
factors will be examined closely. Aside from the travel quotient,
television, postseason opportunities, and fan attendance will dictate the
Frogs' next stop along the conference trail.
In terms of television, it truly is a case of comparing
apples and oranges. C-USA currently has a much better TV package and is
better positioned for the future.
Five C-USA schools are nestled in Top 20 television markets,
and that doesn't include Memphis, New Orleans, and Tulsa. The addition of a
conference championship game showcased on ABC would offer padding to the
bank account.
As it stands today, the Mountain West's crown television
jewel in terms of market size is San Diego State, which rarely makes an
appearance on the big stage.
C-USA also owns the upper hand in bowl tie-ins by a narrow
5-4 margin. Though C-USA's leadership has been under attack by the media and
fans throughout the realignment process, it is to be commended for its
continued process on the postseason front. Anytime a new bowl is approved by
the NCAA, it's a good bet to find C-USA locked in with a guaranteed bid.
If the Mountain West keeps its membership under ten, don't
count on more than four tie-ins per year.
Perhaps the toughest sell will be the task of filling Amon
G. Carter Stadium against schools with which Frogs fans have no emotional
ties. Sure, Brigham Young and Utah have clout, but neither would pack the
house any more than Southern Miss, Marshall, or East Carolina.
What's more, by remaining in a league with traditional
rivals Southern Methodist, Houston, and Rice, TCU would have more freedom to
upgrade its non-conference schedule and boost its overall BCS appeal.
"You have to have dreams," Patterson said. "Somewhere
between dreams and goals is where reality fits."
Given the criteria schools use when weighing their options
on conference affiliation, C-USA is the better fit for TCU.
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02/23/2007 01:53:16 AM |
