Re: Wait!-- we're not done yet Why add four for a 14-team league? But that said, TCU and BYU make good sense as Big 12 teams to me, but not Boise or Houston. TCU & BYU just seem like big-time departments that will be able to keep up (as much as possible for newly invited teams) with Texas and A&M. It would be weird to see Boise jump from the WAC to the MWC to the BIG 12 all in a matter of weeks, although the MWC did lose some luster with Utah gone. It would have been a really strong conference with TCU, Utah and Boise. I know Houston is huge but right now their athletics just aren't on a national stage to consider adding them to a league like this. I know who they are because I follow athletics very closely, but if you asked a majority of people across the nation what Houston's nickname is, how many would say "Cougars"? But BYU and TCU both have strong name recognition. TCU I think should be welcome in any conference for all sports (although Pac10 obviously didn't want them).
Well, the Big10 and Pac10 both got enough schools to hold a conference championship game in football, and the Big12 (which is now down to ten teams) basketball schools paid off UT and TAMU to keep from becoming mid-majors. So I'd think CUSA might be a bit nervous about UTEP and Houston joining up with the other Texas schools in the Big12 eventually. But I think I'm starting this rumor . . . The other rumor is there are people dumb enough to believe the "academic fit" reasons for the jumping around. This one is unsubstantiated as far as I can tell . . .