- December 10th, 2012, 1:22 pm
#415167
The WAC didn't expand for lack of effort. The eastern branch concept never developed because those of us in the mix were all waiting to see what possibilities were opening up due to other realignment. Why jump to the WAC if an opening in CUSA, MAC or Sun Belt comes available? Most of our likely partners in a WAC-East concept either have already been picked by other conferences (ODU, Charlotte, Georgia State) or are likely to be selected soon (i.e. Appy & Georgia Southern). Basically there remain just a few schools left on the outside looking in right now that might bite at the WAC FBS apple to join NM State & Idaho.
Frankly our focus right now should be on the Mountain West meetings allegedly underway to see what type of impact it might have on the non-BCS landscape. If the MWC is able to wrestle some of the western schools such as Tulsa, UTEP & Rice away from CUSA, It could throw the entire Conference USA door wide open. CUSA would likely dip into the Sun Belt & FCS ranks to replenish in the eastern two time zones as they shift gears from a national alignment to more of a Eastern half of the US alignment. There are even some rumors that CUSA could merge with the Sun Belt if they were picked clean by the Mountain West. That scenario would be our worst nightmare.
Frankly our focus right now should be on the Mountain West meetings allegedly underway to see what type of impact it might have on the non-BCS landscape. If the MWC is able to wrestle some of the western schools such as Tulsa, UTEP & Rice away from CUSA, It could throw the entire Conference USA door wide open. CUSA would likely dip into the Sun Belt & FCS ranks to replenish in the eastern two time zones as they shift gears from a national alignment to more of a Eastern half of the US alignment. There are even some rumors that CUSA could merge with the Sun Belt if they were picked clean by the Mountain West. That scenario would be our worst nightmare.
With the exception of 1 or 2 on here everyone feels we should take ANY invite to the FBS level. Even if it means carting our teams off to Art Bell land! ( ok I can't remember if it was the East of theRockies or West of the Rockies that had the special phone line 
- By cruzan_flame13