Report: The WAC Wanted to "Trade" For UTEP, Offer Louisiana Tech to Conference USA
by Adrian Mac on Aug 29, 2010 8:18 PM MDT
in NCAA Conference Realignment
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Benson Wanted to Lure UTEP Back With BYU's Non-Football Membership, ESPN Deal
Ferd Lewis of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser is reporting that WAC Commissioner Karl Benson attempted to use BYU's potential non-football alignment with his conference to lure the UTEP Miners back into the league. Benson reportedly called UTEP athletic director Bob Stull to tell him that BYU was coming back into the league to gauge UTEP's interest in returning to the WAC. Benson was planning to use BYU's presence, and a likely new ESPN contract, to lure UTEP back into the WAC and was planning to offer Louisiana Tech to Conference USA in exchange for the Miners.
According to the report:
When Benson mentioned the possibility of BYU returning to the WAC during a telephone conversation, UTEP athletic director Bob Stull said he initially thought the whole concept "was kinda out there, to tell the truth" because he didn't foresee the Cougars leaving a league they had helped create. But then, Stull said, Benson hinted not only was it in the works but "'there might be some more changes.'" Stull said there was no offer or a promise of one at the time. "It (the conversation) was what it was," Stull said. "Kinda out there" is right, you'd have to imagine it would have to take a lot more than BYU on the basketball and soccer schedule to cause UTEP to return to the WAC. Benson had also contacted San Diego State and UNLV about returning to the conference. ESPN and the WAC appear to have agreed to a TV deal that would have increased the current WAC TV payouts by over 300%. The ESPN deal was, or possibly is, contingent on the Cougars joining the league. Benson planned to contact Conference USA about a "trade" where the C-USA would send Louisiana Tech to the C-USA in exchange for UTEP. Benson, according to documents, was laying the groundwork for what he hoped would be the return of the Miners to the WAC after a seven-year absence. According to e-mails, he planned to talk to UTEP officials and Conference USA about a "trade" of sorts to make it happen. Benson's avowed goal, according to memos, was UTEP's return to the WAC, where it had spent 37 years. In return, Louisiana Tech would go to C-USA, which has been its goal since leaving the Sun Belt in 2001. I have been a vocal critic of Benson. I, like most Miner fans, blame his misguided efforts to expand the original WAC from Hawaii to Houston as the main reason why the original league fell apart. I have to hand it to him , though, this plot was well thought out and he seemed to be very close to getting a measure of revenge with the MWC. Stull, it seems, wasn't too eager to jump aboard this phase of the plan, but I can't help but admire Benson's effort to make the WAC relevant again just months after losing Boise State to the MWC.
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I hope Stull smelled a rat!!
If this actually happened, it was a dire and desperate attempt to lure UTEP away from our Texas brethern——SMU, Rice, and Houston. Not to mention TULSA.
We have a better TV, fan, and recruiting market with CUSA.
We are far better off in CUSA than being in either MWC or WAC.
I think everyone will agree
I would still love more insight on the ESPN deal- can’t wait to see what BYU does, their deadline is September 1, 2010 to announce if they are going independent.
Axes Up. Miner Rush - For UTEP Miners Fans
Smell a couple of rats...
I’ve got to tell you this almost appears that UTEP almost got caught in the crossfire between Thompson (MWC) and Benson (WAC). Don’t misunderstand my take here, I don’t believe for one second that we were invovled in these closed door, espionage type dealings, however there is something amiss with how all this went down. I almost get the sensation that Thompson went after FSU and Nevada as a direct response to what Benson was planning and as a consequence to luring BYU to move towards indy status with the help of Utah State. It sounds more and more as though Thompson got tipped off to what was in the works and he decided to undermine the entire “project” by making the offer to Nevada and Fresno. Oddly enough, it would almost appear that Nevada and Fresno may, and I reiterate “may” have been better off if that hadn’t leapt at the chance to got to the MWC as if the PAC 10 was making the offer?! They both may have been better suited by biding their time and see how everything was going to play out, a la BYU. I’ve got to say, I’m all for making shrude business decisions, however Thompson comes across more and more as underhanded, conniving and scheming versus making above board business decisions. Just my opinion….
Whoops...I dont see
What Benson was doing as anything thats bad. All conferences around the country are looking to do what’s best for themselves and Benson actually had, imo, a very good idea. The problem arose because, according to the Honolulu Star, after talking with Bob Stull Benson was required to let C-USA commish Banowsky know about the conversation. That is likely where the C-USA-MWC best friendship bloomed. Banowsky went to Thompson to inform him of the WAC’s plans and from there the MWC made its preemptive strike. I don’t think anyone is wrong in what their doing. It’s a dog eat dog world and as we see here the MWC from was the first to jump.
I do agree though, that C-USA needs to start making plans of their own and not just follow behind the MWC’s tail. If the don’t they’ll find themselves left in the dust in a similar position that the WAC is in right now.
On the bright side, I feel that if C-USA doesn’t make a move and begins to be picked apart, UTEP as well as Houston and maybe SMU and Tulsa should find a home in the MWC. At that point it would be a real strong conference, with or without BYU, just with a real bad tv deal.
Yeah- Fresno and Nevada
Will never play on TV Now! If the WAC had a new ESPN deal with 300% gain in profits, I think you have a huge reason to stand pat and see how it plays out.
Axes Up. Miner Rush - For UTEP Miners Fans
"The Project"
As it was called was actually a very interesting idea. I posted the entire article written by the Honolulu Star Advisor in a fanshot earlier and I was very intrigued when I read it. I think the the thought of a WAC with UTEP, Fresno, Nevada, and Boise in football, as well as BYU and Gonzaga in basketball would’ve been a real strong conference.
I’m very curious as well with the whole BYU deadline thing, but come on is MWC commish Craig Thompson really going to give BYU the boot if they don’t decide by the 1st? I highly doubt it. The MWC is undoubtedly better with BYU, in football and basketball. Not only that but when it comes to negotiating any kind of tv deals BYU is obviously a huge bargaining chip. To run them out would be completely foolish. BYU can find another place to play its non-football sports; The MWC can’t exactly just go out and get another BYU.
What if?.....
There’s a part of me that hopes BYU stands their ground to go indy and defects the MWC. This would potentially set in motion a whole slew of dominoes. Perhaps, were looking at this all wrong and in lieu of consolidating MWC & C-USA, a WAC & C-USA merger would slap down the MWC. This would more than likely drive TCU to consider movement; entice BYU to stay the course or move back to the WAC, give BSU the desire to remain in the WAC; etc..etc..etc… Obviously some universities would be left behind, however this would be an interesting dichotomy. I’d have to think through this a bit longer.
Regardless...
C-USA better have plans to make a move of it’s own or else we’re going to get picked apart by the MWC, BE and anybody else. We need to make a move for BYU and TCU at the very least. Both parties appear to be disguntled with the MWC and we have and they appear ripe for the picking.
I think that's whats gonna happen
IF BYU was staying, I think they would have announced by now. And I completely agree- TCU has to be considering their options when BYU hits the road and their TV money goes down…. even more.
Axes Up. Miner Rush - For UTEP Miners Fans
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