The student body had mixed emotions on the first day back to classes Monday since TCU’s decision to leave Conference USA for the Mountain West Conference.
In response to the changing lineup of teams, a senior economics major Todd Dalrymple said the decision was a good one.
“Conference USA blew up, and we are going to bigger and better things.”
John Walls, a junior advertising/public relations major, said the move would do great things for exposure and increase the competition.
“Changing conferences is necessary to prove TCU can play with the big kids,” Walls said.
Abby Schneider, a sophomore fashion merchandising major and TCU Showgirl, said the move would not directly affect the Showgirls although it would be exciting to play new teams.
The decision to leave did not satisfy all TCU students though.
Shannon Eurich, a senior marketing major, said all the conference movement is unsettling.
“We can’t seem to find our place,” Eurich said.
The MWC, on the other hand, had no doubt in its mind that it made the right decision.
“There is one best fit in the country and that is Texas Christian University,” said MWC commissioner Craig Thompson.
TCU held a press conference to announce the Board of Trustees’ decision to accept the invitation Friday afternoon.
At the conference, Cecil Samuelson, BYU president and chairman of the MWC board of directors, passed out MWC hats to John Roach, chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chancellor Victor Boschini, and Eric Hyman, athletics director.
As Roach put on his new hat, a reporter from the crowd asked, “Does the hat mean a yes?”
Roach smiled and tipped his hat to the crowd, making the move official.
Roach said the MWC has all the right elements, including a strong initiative in regards to its athletic and academic programs and a vision for the future. He said all these elements made the MWC attractive.
Roach, Boschini and Hyman said TCU’s experience with C-USA was wonderful and that they hope to continue playing those teams.
Hyman said whether TCU accepted the invitation or not, it would still enter a “new” conference for the 2005-06 year.
Due to the shifts in Division 1-A athletics, which caused Louisville, Marquette, South Florida, Cincinnati, and DePaul to leave for the Big East, C-USA would have never been the same, Hyman said.
Head football coach Gary Patterson said conference realignment will not affect his team.
“We’re just like soldiers,” he said. “Just tell me where to fight.”
Thompson said the MWC has no plans for further expansion. He said the issue will go back to the conference’s board of directors though.
“Now we will hold it at nine,” Thompson said.
As TCU made the switch official, Boschini offered the student body one piece of advice, saying “With apologies to Horace Greeley: ‘Go Mountain West young men and women.”’
