UTEP’s Bob Stull reacts to C-USA losing and adding teams

UTEP Athletic Director Bob Stull is keeping an eye on conference realignment and what is best for the university as Conference USA continues to lose and add members.

“We are always keeping our eyes open,” Stull said at halftime of the UTEP vs. NMSU game Nov. 28. “We always want to do what is best for the university so as things unfold we’ll take a look at everything that’s going on. The Big East is not going to be there, I don’t know what is happening with them. So we don’t really know.”

Tulane and East Carolina announced Nov. 27 that they were leaving C-USA for the Big East. They’re the fifth and sixth teams to announce they are leaving C-USA for the Big East, joining Houston, SMU, UCF, and Memphis.

C-USA officials announced in May that C-USA was adding five new schools in 2013: Charlotte, Florida International, Louisiana Tech, North Texas and UT-San Antonio. Old Dominion will join the conference in 2014 and Charlotte will join in football in 2015.

The addition of Middle Tennessee State and Florida Atlantic University on Nov. 28 expands the league’s television footprint, which already has a $43 million TV deal with Fox.

“It’s all about dollars, it’s all about markets,” Stull said. “People are trying to move into media markets where they get more exposure and get more dollars and will continue to move I think until they finally separate into even larger conferences. Perhaps 16, then perhaps they’ll settle down but its going to go on for a little bit more.”

Stull honored Mike Price, who recently retired from coaching the Miners, at halftime of the UTEP basketball game on Nov. 28.

Stull had been out of town earlier this week as part of his coaching search to replace Price.