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C-USA poised to whack WAC and MAC
From Bonesville.net Staff and Wire Reports
Indications were abundant on Friday that Conference USA is on the verge of
reaching into the Western Athletic Conference and grabbing a few central
time zone schools.
Three days after a C-USA board of directors meeting in Chicago — which
focused on developing a strategy for the league to pursue in the
domino-world of conference realignments — C-USA commissioner Britton
Banowsky indicated the league has had a heavy two-way courtship going with
three WAC schools.
His comments cast little doubt on the assumption that an informal deal has
been struck.
“I’ve had very productive meetings this week with representatives from Rice,
SMU and the University of Tulsa regarding the possibility of future
membership in Conference USA," said Banowsky in a prepared release. "I am
very pleased that we have received a favorable response from each of those
universities.
"We will continue our efforts in the days and weeks ahead to complete the
conference’s future membership plans. We are very excited about the
potential of these relationships and anticipate being able to make a more
definitive statement about these matters in the near future.”
Meanwhile, down in Texas, the president of Rice University was more direct
in his assessment of the impending marriage. Malcolm Gillis said his school
will leave the WAC along with Southern Methodist and Tulsa to join C-USA.
In a short statement, Gillis said the school's board of trustees gave him
permission to sign the membership agreement with C-USA.
Gillis said in the league's new expected divisional arrangement, Rice,
Southern Methodist and Tulsa would join current C-USA members Texas
Christian, Houston and Tulane to form a western division of the conference.
"This configuration will allow for very substantial savings in travel
costs," Gillis said. "Even more importantly, the proximity of these schools
will benefit our men and women athletic teams through large reductions in
time away from class."
Conference USA is repositioning itself as it braces for the expected
departure of Big East-bound Louisville, Cincinnati, Marquette and DePaul,
and the likely defection of either South Florida or East Carolina along with
them.
Marshall officials said Wednesday they were expecting an invitation to join
Conference USA, which loses Army as a football member after this season.
According to various accounts, a proposed eastern division of C-USA would
group the Thundering Herd and fellow Mid-American Conference member Central
Florida with current C-USA schools Southern Mississippi, UAB, Memphis and
either South Florida or East Carolina.
Rice, SMU, TCU and Houston were members of the Southwest Conference when the
league disbanded in 1996. Rice, SMU and TCU joined the WAC, with TCU
eventually leaving to join Houston in Conference USA.
The other four members of the SWC — Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor
— are members of the Big 12.
02.23.07 10:48 AM
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