January 23, 2004
TCU to MWC

The worst-kept secret in college sports is apparently about to become official, as TCU is set to accept an invitation to the Mountain West Conference.


After months of deliberating and number-crunching, Texas Christian University will accept an invitation next week to join the Mountain West Conference beginning in the 2005-06 school year, high-ranking university officials said.

TCU expects to receive a formal invitation as early as Monday, the sources said, adding that the school's athletic committee will recommend to trustees that the school leave Conference USA.

Such a move could bring the school millions of dollars more in TV revenue than it would make by staying in Conference USA. Also, although the Mountain West is not a Bowl Championship Series conference, adding TCU could put the league in position to replace the Big East, which is losing three of its strongest football schools.


Yeah, yeah. This "BCS inclusion is just around the corner" mantra is the same Kool-Aid that MWC members and wannabees have been drinking since the conference was founded. Maybe this time it'll finally be Moet-Chandon instead, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

TCU, by the way, no longer likes to be called "Texas Christian" or "Texas Christian University" - they just want to be known as "TCU". I suppose that makes them the KFC of college sports. Enjoy those road trips to Utah, fellas.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on January 23, 2004 to Other sports | TrackBack
Comments

I'm an old time WAC follower from when most of the schools that are now the MWC were in the WAC. And my opinion is the MWC should stay out of the Central Time Zone. (Where's TCU? Fort Worth or something? No mountains there last time I checked.) I would support adding Boise State (natural rivalry with the Utah schools), Fresno State (close to the Sierras, at least) and Nevada to the MWC.

I do think for anti-trust reasons the BCS will make it easier for a school from one of the other conferences to get in, maybe by adding the Peach Bowl to the BCS mix and having the best team from the non-BCS conferences (i.e., Miami of Ohio this time around) be a BCS qualifier.

Posted by: Luis on January 23, 2004 1:51 PM

I'm an old-time SWC follower when the remaining Texas schools got shuttled to the WAC and then a few years later got left to fend for themselves.

I don't know if the move is right for TCU or not, but if their school officials thinks this can make them more "big time" then good for them. I'd like to see one of the four forgotten SWC schools (SMU, TCU, Rice, UH) eventually climb their way back to that point.

Posted by: Double B on January 23, 2004 9:06 PM

TCU stole Fresno State's spot. TCU is a joke! I guess the MWC learned nothing from the WAC 16 fiasco.

Posted by: Junk Yard Dog on January 28, 2004 9:19 PM