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The Airport Eight

nevadanatural

I.T.S. University President
Gold Member
Dec 3, 2003
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With TCU playing in the CFP championship tonight it got me to thinking about the Airport Eight. Utah, BYU and TCU came out of the deal pretty good but you have to wonder what CSU, Air Force, UNLV, New Mexico and Wyoming think about that meeting now. While not on a level with the current “power” 5 the WAC was considered way closer to those conferences than any of the current G5.
 
With TCU playing in the CFP championship tonight it got me to thinking about the Airport Eight. Utah, BYU and TCU came out of the deal pretty good but you have to wonder what CSU, Air Force, UNLV, New Mexico and Wyoming think about that meeting now. While not on a level with the current “power” 5 the WAC was considered way closer to those conferences than any of the current G5.
Airport Al from CSU and his comrades brought down a good conference with a great deal of potential. Losing the Central Time Zone TV slot hurt the MTW. The five schools you mentioned probably were hurt the most. TCU choose to keep moving - CUSA, MTW, Big East (did they ever play a game in this conference) and finally to B12. Utah would have likely have left for PAC anyway and maybe BYU still goes independent once Utah leaves. If the schools stayed together then perhaps pulling in a couple of BE schools when it collapsed may have made the WAC16 one of the top 5/6 conferences.
 
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With TCU playing in the CFP championship tonight it got me to thinking about the Airport Eight. Utah, BYU and TCU came out of the deal pretty good but you have to wonder what CSU, Air Force, UNLV, New Mexico and Wyoming think about that meeting now. While not on a level with the current “power” 5 the WAC was considered way closer to those conferences than any of the current G5.
I’m glad Colorado State has had minimal success over the last 25 years. They (with “Airport Al” being their President), were the leaders in breaking up the 16 team WAC.
 
TCU setting back the Little 12 by a decade tonight……
That’s a tough call…getting to the championship game is a huge accomplishment, but losing 65-7 takes away a lot of national respect.
 
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I don’t think TCU was part of the “airport eight”. They were in CUSA until they joined the MW in 2005.

The CSU President definitely was the ring leader. Presidents from CSU, Air Force, Wyoming, BYU, and Utah were the original airport meeting attendees.

They decided to split, and asked New Mexico, San Diego State, and UNLV to join them.

Even with all of this (which sucked at the time), TU’s inclusion in the original American Athletic Conference (not including the transition year with Louisville) was a great move.
 
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I’m glad Colorado State has had minimal success over the last 25 years. They (with “Airport Al” being their President), were the leaders in breaking up the 16 team WAC.
And Colorado State has also been beaten soundly by Colorado more times than not since that meeting. For anyone living under a rock in the Sahara for the last 25 years, Colorado has been pretty bad at football, especially the last 8-10 years...and Colorado State is worse
 
I don’t think TCU was part of the “airport eight”. They were in CUSA until they joined the MW in 2005.

The CSU President definitely was the ring leader. Presidents from CSU, Air Force, Wyoming, BYU, and Utah were the original airport meeting attendees.

They decided to split, and asked New Mexico, San Diego State, and UNLV to join them.

Even with all of this (which sucked at the time), TU’s inclusion in the original American Athletic Conference (not including the transition year with Louisville) was a great move.
You are correct. The eight were the front range schools. TCU was with us from the WAC to CUSA.
 
I’m glad Colorado State has had minimal success over the last 25 years. They (with “Airport Al” being their President), were the leaders in breaking up the 16 team WAC.
That's why Tulsa should never vote an approval for Colorado State in any attempt by that institution to move towards the American Conference ever.

Forgiveness yes but never forget !!!!!!

GO TU!!!
 
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