Two More Leave Conference USA
Conference USA found out Tuesday that two more schools want out.
Tulane and East Carolina are now the fifth and sixth schools to leave Conference USA for the Big East, but is that really a bad thing?
“I mean, really, for UTEP they lose two schools they’ve been playing, but really they haven’t developed a rivalry with either school,” ESPN El Paso Radio’s Steve Kaplowitz said. “Tulane maybe because of proximity but I think UTEP would actually like to save the mileage on that long plane ride to North Carolina.”
Keep in mind that earlier this year it was announced Conference USA was gaining six schools to help replace the four they already lost.
The additions are Florida International, Louisiana Tech, North Texas, UT-San Antonio, Charlotte, and Old Dominion.
“Conference USA is big and they are one of the few conferences that can afford the luxury of losing a Tulane or an East Carolina,” Kaplowitz said. “I don’t think this will lead to doom and gloom like other conferences that have really struggled.”
However, some are questioning if it is time for UTEP Athletic Director Bob Stull to try and realign UTEP in to the Mountain West where they can be reacquainted with former rivals like- New Mexico, UNLV, and Air Force.
“I think that’s up to presidents of universities to decide if that’s the direction they want to go in,” UTEP basketball coach Tim Floyd said.
Conference USA may have lost two schools Tuesday, but with it seeming like teams get shuffled more and more each year maybe now is the time for UTEP to keep a close eye on possibilities and moving themselves elsewhere.
