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C-USA
It could be time to abandon ship

And then there were 12.

If the schools that are rumored to be leaving Conference USA for the greener pastures of the Big East do part ways, and C-USA ensures its survival by maintaining a 12-team conference that includes Rice, Tulsa, Southern Methodist and Marshall, there will be many advantages.

But at what price?

Fans will enjoy the luxury of short commutes to road games in Dallas, Houston and Tulsa that will help salvage some of the conference’s football legitimacy, which will be left in doubt by the expected departure of Louisville and Cincinnati. But would fans really rather watch the Frogs face the lowly Rice Owls who have won just one game this year, in person, or watch on TV as the Frogs battle it out with constant conference contenders Louisville and Cincinnati?

If the move doesn’t help the Frogs football team, maybe it will be helpful for the basketball team. After all, the Frogs have not fared so well against the likes of Marquette, Louisville and Cincinnati. By replacing those schools with Rice, SMU, Tulsa and Marshall, not only will C-USA be disregarded as a football conference, it will lose all respect as a basketball conference, leaving Daniel-Meyer Coliseum even more void of student support than it currently has.

While conference re-alignment is inevitable, it does not appear as though TCU is making the most of its opportunities. Maybe it’s time to join the trend and abandon sinking C-USA.