Everyone here knows Tulane's strengths & weaknesses. But I don't think everyone knows about Tulsa. I have no connection to Tulsa, but I'll play the devil's advocate:
1) Tulsa is ranked #86 by US News. That's higher than Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Florida State, etc. etc. It's a pretty good school.
2) Metro Tulsa has 1,131,500 people and it's growing. Is it Chicago? No. But it's not Poughkeepsie, either.
3) Tulsa has had a good basketball program. I think they won several Missouri Valley Conference championships and an NIT championship.
4) The football team won at South Bend recently, and I think they took VA Tech down to the final play in the bowl this year (VA Tech won, 55-52).
I was shocked when they were announced as a member. But they're not a dumpster fire.