Perspectives - One Man's Out House is Another's Castle

UTSA president Dr. Ricardo Romo stated that since UTSA started football, the dream destination was Conference-USA.  As I've been agitating for since my Houston Cougars announced move to the Big East, their wish came true.  UTSA will start play in C-USA in 2013; the same year the Coogs start Big East play.

Perspectives offer great windows into the thought processes of realignment goals of UH and UTSA.

Houston, formerly of the defunct Southwest Conference, joined C-USA in the wake of Texas, A&M, Baylor and Texas Tech joining up with Big Eight schools to form the Big 12.  At the time, UH football reached a low point following a short run that included nationally ranked teams and a Heisman Trophy winner.  The wheels fell off the program and an already fickle fan base shrank more.  The support sank so low that there was a movement to drop football.

A number of moves by Houston righted the ship and lead to a resurgence of Houston Cougar football.  Athletic Director David Maggard fired Dana Dimel and hired Art Briles.  Briles led the Cougars to new found success that included bowl games.  The Cougars emerged from the depths of the only 0-11 season to a C-USA title in 2006.  Kevin Sumlin then took the Cougars to national rankings and the verge of a BCS bowl game while leading UH to 12 regular season wins.  The program went from the edge of the abyss to national prominence.  With the combination of sustained success, increased fan support, commitment to new or improved facilities and on field success, Houston looked to leave C-USA.  The original goal was the Big 12 after the departures of Nebraska and Colorado.  UH also maintained contact with Mountain West Conference.

Eventually Houston, realizing its goal of leaving C-USA, moved on to the Big East conference.  The motivation of course is money.  TV football money.  UH finally found a home.  Make no mistake about it, if the Big 12 comes calling, and that's a big if, UH will trip over itself taking the invitation.

On the flip side, UTSA wanted to join C-USA.  The goal was to eventually attain C-USA membership while rising up the ranks from Southland to WAC.  The Roadrunners accepted a WAC invitation only to see things break favorably.  C-USA lost Houston, smu and Central Florida to the Big East.  Thus the window opened for UTSA.  After an initial cool reception, C-USA warmed up to the 'runners.  A big push by the school and community made the conference take a second look.  Congrats to UTSA....the will start C-USA play after one year in WAC. The WAC goes on life support with the loss of the football programs.

Houston and its fans viewed C-USA as a holding place until the right time to move on came along after the demise of the SWC.  The Cougars wanted to play the next level up and saw C-USA more of an impediment than an advantage for competition.  The quality from top to bottom in C-USA was lacking respect.  Outside of Houston, Central Florida, Tulsa andSouthern Miss, football languished with anchors like Memphis, UAB, rice and Tulane.  Marshall, UTEP and East Carolina cycled through teams but not on a consistent basis.  Houston felt bigger and better things existed outside of C-USA.

UTSA though, felt that C-USA was an appropriate destination for the fledgling program years down the road.  Things changed quickly and the administration took advantage of the dynamic situation and positioned the 'runners further along ahead of schedule.

Houston's moving on up the Big East side and UTSA gladly took up residence next to Archie Bunker.

I wish nothing but luck to both programs as a San Antonio native but Houston alumnus.

UTSA to C-USA, Status of BCS

Ever since my Houston Cougars officially accepted the move to the Big East, I've been pulling for the UTSA Roadrunners to take UH's slot in Conference USA.  I'm originally from San Antonio and while I never considered going to UTSA, I'd like to see their football program succeed.  Better yet, with them playing rice annually, I hope the beat the ever living crap out of the owls every year.

The Roadrunners move up the football food chain has been incredibly quick.  Within three years of their inaugural season , they will be playing in a NCAA Football Bowl Division conference.

Several obvious factors went into the quick rise up the ranks for the 'runners.  First was timing.  With the  constant reshuffling of football conferences over the last several years, UTSA's program started at the right time.  I seriously doubt the program ascends so quickly with out the chain reaction of realignments.  The size of San Antonio also played a role as well as the location in Texas.  Other than the Spurs, there is no competition for major sporting dollars.  San Antonio also showed up in droves during the first season to support the home games.

Also on the plus side is that C-USA is a craptacular shitastic football conference.  Houston, Southern Miss and Tulsa consistently field good teams with UH and So. Miss finishing the year ranked.  Central Florida also had some ranked teams.  Occasionally UTEP, East Carolina or Marshall put a decent product on the field.  Outside of a one season, rice has been a joke along with Tulane, UAB and Memphis.  If UTSA can recruit well and find a better coach than Larry Coker, they can compete in the next couple of years.

Now the downside.

How strong is the support if the Roadrunners don't succeed right away?  Will San Antonio casual fans come out if they start can't compete?  How long with the novelty last if winning isn't consistent?

Facilities is another issue.  They currently play in the Alamodome.  That place is a barn.  An on campus better designed stadium needs to be built.

So far UTSA's vision for football and conference realignment goals have been spot on.  If they continue on their current path, I see competitive and maybe ranked team in the next five years.

The BCS maybe Dead....But Only In Name?
The big driver in conference realignment has been nothing but the dollar sign.  Traditional rivalries have been cast off.  Regional conferences have given way to national conferences.

Schools left on the outside looking in have tried their best to get in to the Big Six (Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, ACC, SEC & Big East).  Why? Because that is where the TV money and access to the big money bowls are.  In the Big Six and you have better and easier access to the money that the other conferences.

David Dodd, of CBS Sports, writes that the BCS may be dead only in name.  In his article, Dodd writes that the proposed final football four may only increase the line of demarcation between the Big Six and what he calls the Group of Five (MAC, MWC, Sun Belt, C-USA, WAC).

The Group of Five will still have avenues to finish in the final football four play off with something along the lines of the current rules of the BCS.

Dodd quotes Sun Belt conference commissioner Karl Benson:

"There are still going to be five conferences that are set aside,” said Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson said. “I don't have a problem with that."

Based on Dodd's column, it appears that the Big Six will let the Group of Five tag along and keep the Football Subdivision title but still make it hard for those teams to earn a spot in the big money bowls or the proposed final football four.  The Group of Five also seem to know there is nothing they can do about it.

With TV money the driving force, teams like Houston, TCU, Utah and Boise St. strove for Big Six membership.  They based their claim to the Big Six on either football success, TV market size or both.  Houston and TCU bring the Houston and Dallas markets.  Utah and Boise St. bring consistent football prowess.  Their moves to the Big Six are now complete.

I believe with the latest TV contracts and the football final four playoffs kicking in soon that conference realignment and expansion of the Big Six is over.  The only movement left will be in the Group of Five and some NCAA Football Championship Subdivision teams moving up to the Football Bowl Subdivision.