Nothing encouraging on realignment...

[gister]

Here is a link to comments by the chancellor of ECU. Information has been requested about Louisville, Cincy, Marquette, and DePaul, but no other schools. From the article, you could conclude that they are still the most likely schools to leave. Or, I guess you could also conclude that the final decision is still wide open. If those schools left, what's left of Conference USA might not be that bad, but, from a rivalry standpoint, it would be terrible for SLU.

http://www.reflector.com/sports/newsfd/aut....2889.2163.html

[NashvilleBilliken]

"If those schools left, what's left of Conference USA might not be that bad, but, from a rivalry standpoint, it would be terrible for SLU."

I disagree. If those schools left, CUSA would not be a good conference...its decent at best. The only schools left worth a damn would be SLU, Charlotte, Memphis, and UAB....and these schools have done very little lately (exluding memphis). I'm sure Calipari would jet leaving us with Charlotte and UAB. IF that happened, we would have to find a new home or risk mid-major status for quite awhile...and I for one am ready to shed that image.

[billiken_roy]

while i would rather be in the combination of cusa and big east nonfootball school conference (caben conference) the second choice would be to remain the same assuming cincy and louisville stay put, but the third choice even if the worst (cincy, louisville and marquette all leave) happened, would still be cusa rather than the horizon or the mvc.

[davidnark]

I disagree. If Louisville, Marquette, Cincy, and DePaul leave CUSA, then the MVC (or hopefully the A10) would be a much more desirable conference than the remains of CUSA. SMS, SIUC, and Creighton would be much better rivals than Memphis, UAB, Southern Miss, etc.

[billiken_roy]

i would take memphis, uab and charlotte over creighton, siu and sms. agree that the closer proximity and the jesuit tie with creighton makes one think about it. especially with the success siu and creighton has had of late, but then if you look at the rest of the leagues, it isnt even close. cusa bottom teams are far better.

[3star_recruit]

The MVC should be stronger top to bottom than they were last year. Bottom feeder teams like UNI and Illinois St. have really brought in some surprising talent.

[billiken_roy]

cusa

team rpi

marquette 7

louisville 11

memphis 30

cincy 36

slu 59

depaul 63

uab 88

charlotte 96

south florida 127

tulane 144

south miss 150

e carolina 157

tcu 200

houston 221

mvc

creighton 25

siu 38

sms 118

wichita st 125

evansville 153

bradley 195

ill st 223

no iowa 245

indiana st 261

drake 264

[davidlee]

If Louisville, Marquette, Cincy, and DePaul leave CUSA, then I think you can assume others will leave for other conferences. I think CUSA will implode unless they can get some others to come in like Marshall, UCF, Tulsa and keep the other football playing schools intact. CUSA would still be a football conference, so SLU and Charlotte would be stepchildren.

MVC (maybe A10, not Horizon) may be the only viable alternative. Some may not think much of it but I don't see it as all bad, just not what you may want as a 1st choice.

Just my thoughts.