Charlotte Going, Going....Gone

[SLU7881]

Among many other media outlets is the below. Maybe U Mass in next and VCU and GM being added---

It's official - Charlotte 49ers rejoining Conference USA

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - It's official, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte is leaving the Atlantic 10 to rejoin an old conference.

UNC Charlotte is among five new schools joining Conference USA, league officials announce during a press conference on Friday.

Charlotte will be joined by Florida International University (FIU), Louisiana Tech University, University of North Texas and University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), Commissioner Britton Banowsky announced on Friday.

"We are excited about adding these new members as part of our bold strategy that focuses on growing institutions in large media markets," Banowsky said.

"There is a tremendous upside here. This is an opportunity for us to add a mixture of established and emerging programs. We also remain committed to divisional scheduling models that are student-athlete and fan-friendly. The more we analyzed it, the more it made sense."

Each new member will join the league in all sports for 2013, except for UNC Charlotte.

The 49ers, whose team will launch its inaugural football season in 2013, will begin conference participation in football in 2015.

UNC Charlotte is no stranger to C-USA, it was a member of the conference from 1995 until 2005.

During that time, Charlotte went to eight NCAA Tournaments in men's basketball, winning the C-USA Championship in 1999 and 2001.

WBTV broke this story on Monday when sources said that Charlotte would be among the new schools moving to Conference USA.

Existing members include East Carolina University, Marshall University, Rice University, University of Southern Mississippi, Tulane University, The University of Tulsa, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and University of Texas El Paso (UTEP).

Divisions will be set in the near future and the Conference intends to continue hosting its Football Championship game.

Conference USA, which lost four teams to the Big East, was in discussions to merge with the Mountain West. Conference officials say they will continue to discuss a future affiliation with Mountain West that could begin as early as 2013. Additional expansion remains a possibility.

"The discussions with the Mountain West are ongoing," Banowsky added. "What form the relationship will take is still to be determined, but both remain committed to working together."

UNC Charlotte has an enrollment of 25,063 student and sponsors 16 sports, with football beginning competition in 2013.

In 2015, the team will play a full conference schedule in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

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[Bobby Metzinger]

Good for Louisiana Tech. Much easier travel for them instead of being in the WAC. Never quite understood that.

[Bay Area Billiken]

For Charlotte, it's back in the C-USA.

Old Dominion was expected to be on that list too, but isn't, at least not yet. The A10 angle there is what this means, or doesn't mean, re VCU and George Mason, namely if the Colonial stays intact, or if ODU ultimately goes to C-USA, with VCU and George Mason joining the A10.

[jbizzle09]

For Charlotte, it's back in the C-USA.

Old Dominion was expected to be on that list too, but isn't, at least not yet. The A10 angle there is what this means, or doesn't mean, re VCU and George Mason, namely if the Colonial stays intact, or if ODU ultimately goes to C-USA, with VCU and George Mason joining the A10.

I wonder if ODU is going to wait until 2015 to join the conference as a FBS member, like Charlotte. If so, then they can probably wait to make the announcement and perhaps allow the CAA to find new members to try to remain intact. I believe I read that VCU and GMU may have to forfeit some Final Four money coming to them from the NCAA if they jump conferences. Thus, if the CAA can attract a couple of viable schools to keep the conference alive, perhaps VCU and GMU would rethink jumping and stay put. However, that is only assuming that they have to forfeit money coming to them (and Final Four payouts are substantial!) I still feel like VCU and GMU will jump to the A-10 eventually, but it is tough to give up money of that nature to do so.

[cheeseman]

Before we all start saying that VCU and GMU are autos for the A10 - I would like to see what Creighton wants to do first. Right now we have a year to replace UNCC so why rush in - we really do not need another Richmond school(s).

[billiken_roy]

Before we all start saying that VCU and GMU are autos for the A10 - I would like to see what Creighton wants to do first. Right now we have a year to replace UNCC so why rush in - we really do not need another Richmond school(s).

i completely agree. while vcu and gmu are nice programs, i really think in some respects the conference shrinking isnt all a bad thing either and would prefer to wait for a really advantage to slu like creighton would be.

[Box and Won]

Wow, I had forgotten that they won the conference twice back in our CUSA days.

[Cowboy]

-in talks of schools moving conferences there has been brought up the potential of losing ncaa tourney money by leaving the conf, am i mixing apples and cats by wondering if ncaa tourney bids do rely somehow on conf affiliation as if the money is paid to the conf and not the school that makes the conf a player in the transaction where we have been told conf affiliation does not matter as to who gets a bid?

-could be conspiracy theory gone too far, if possible

[thetorch]

We'll be in the same conference with Charlotte for I believe 18 straight seasons. The only other teams we've been in a league with for a longer stretch of consecutive seasons are Tulsa, Wichita St., & Bradley.

[slu72]

Before we all start saying that VCU and GMU are autos for the A10 - I would like to see what Creighton wants to do first. Right now we have a year to replace UNCC so why rush in - we really do not need another Richmond school(s).

I agree, Cheese. We don't need two more VA schools if CU's expressing a desire to jump to the A10. Heck, they're a little Zaga. Plus, it sets up a West conference of SLU, X, Dayton, Butler, CU (?), Duquense, and St. B's. That's not a bad lineup. Man, the Fetz would be jumping if we had home games against that lineup every season.

[bgtholt88]

Called it.. They're the biggest misfits in the A10

[MusicCityBilliken]

DARN!!!

Charlotte for almost 20 years was my easy-to-get-to game to catch the Bills. Also, back in the CUSA days, they put on the floor some pretty decent teams. Attendance back then was always in the 8-9000 range. My favorite Charlotte player was Jobey Thomas.

Anyway, saw this coming soon as they announced starting football program about 5 years ago. I am sure the Niner fans are happy.

[Taj79]

"We are excited about adding these new members as part of our bold strategy that focuses on growing institutions in large media markets," Banowsky said."

CROCK!!!! FIU is in Miami but it ain't the big time shcool there. LA Rech is in Ruston, Louisiana which is the middle of Lousiana Nowhere. North Texas is in Denton. Anybody know where that is? Well, while it is in the landing pattern at Dallas-Forth Worth airport, it is well behind TCU, SMU and even Rice in the general local area. And while I like San Antonio, all Texas schools are well behind in the overall pecking order in a state that has Texas, Texas AM, Baylor, TCU, and others.

Then throw in glamor spots like Greenville, NC; Huntingdon, WVA; Hattiesburg, MS; El Paso, TX; Birmingham, AL and Tulsa, OK and I am not sure how those places are better than Washington, Philadelphia, New York, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Pittsburgh.

[MusicCityBilliken]

"We are excited about adding these new members as part of our bold strategy that focuses on growing institutions in large media markets," Banowsky said."

CROCK!!!! FIU is in Miami but it ain't the big time shcool there. LA Rech is in Ruston, Louisiana which is the middle of Lousiana Nowhere. North Texas is in Denton. Anybody know where that is? Well, while it is in the landing pattern at Dallas-Forth Worth airport, it is well behind TCU, SMU and even Rice in the general local area. And while I like San Antonio, all Texas schools are well behind in the overall pecking order in a state that has Texas, Texas AM, Baylor, TCU, and others.

Then throw in glamor spots like Greenville, NC; Huntingdon, WVA; Hattiesburg, MS; El Paso, TX; Birmingham, AL and Tulsa, OK and I am not sure how those places are better than Washington, Philadelphia, New York, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Pittsburgh.

Not your older brother's CUSA!

[slu72]

At it's inception CUSA was a really good conference. But as soon as Pitino went to UL, you just knew he'd wrangle his way out and into the Beast. It was just too small time for him.

[ACE]

At it's inception CUSA was a really good conference. But as soon as Pitino went to UL, you just knew he'd wrangle his way out and into the Beast. It was just too small time for him.

It had nothing to do with Pitino and everything to do with football.

[cheeseman]

-in talks of schools moving conferences there has been brought up the potential of losing ncaa tourney money by leaving the conf, am i mixing apples and cats by wondering if ncaa tourney bids do rely somehow on conf affiliation as if the money is paid to the conf and not the school that makes the conf a player in the transaction where we have been told conf affiliation does not matter as to who gets a bid?

-could be conspiracy theory gone too far, if possible

It was my understanding - I could be wrong - that the conf rules determine how the money is paid out so in essence it is as if they do get the money. When a school leaves a conf on their own accord, they could very well forfeit their shares but if I heard correctly, they should still get their own share of what they earned not the share from the conf. Sometimes the conf you are going to will add you to their calculations to help ease the pain. For example, the 25% SLU has to give to the A10 is what would be lost but as I said I thought the 75% is ours to keep.