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Big Sky Conference...following in the WAC's footsteps

H

hmsben

Member
I know that I will be flamed for this, but it has to be said. Fullerton is making the same mistake the WAC did back in the mid 90s. Either he is not learning from history, or has something up his sleeve. Is he crazy like a fox or just plain crazy?

http://wasatchswagger.blogspot.com/2011/06/wac-expansion-announcementreading.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
Hey Swagger...I appreciate your efforts, but everything you say is heresay and hyperbole; i.e. your opinion. By inviting UI and USU to the Sky, Fullerton was giving Benson the bird. He was saying that the Big Sky is more relevant than the WAC, which, in June 2012, it will be!! Fullerton did the right things last year, when Benson couldn't, not that he didn't want to. He has to deal with Logan and Moscow's meglaomania and egocentrism. Whereas, Fullerton doesn't. Cal Poly and UC-Davis never wanted to go to FBS, they wanted to find a secure, solid, and highly competitive conference for their football programs (BIG SKY). If they had to, and if the Sky wouldn't have invited them, then the WAC probably would have been the only way they could have gone (or drop football), but Fullerton did what was necessary, and it proved, to the only school that could possibly move up (MONTANA), that the Sky was doing what was necessary to survive. Frankly, USU and another WACie will be, eventually, invited to the MWC. MW is waiting on the Big East and a couple of C-USA teams (Houston), but the MW only has a couple of options stay the course, or invite two more WACies. As for the Sky, I think (MY OPINION) that the Sky is trying to drop UND because they know that the WAC is about to die (UVU and Cal Baker were actual targets for expansion), they don't have any bowl games, and there aren't any options for growth (football). Yes, two or three WACies will get accepted to FBS conferences (Sun Belt, MW, or C-USA) as for the muts Texas State and UTSA they will return to the Southland, and the Southland knows it, that is why they aren't aggressively trying to expand (Houston Baptist would be a good addition; they are adding football). Anyway, personally, I really like the look of the Sky. I'd rather let the good people of Logan and Moscow be humbled by all sports independence than let them join.

I do like your blog though...thank you for adding your thoughts to this discussion. It'll be interesting how everything sakes out over the next couple of years.
 
Funny, has any of the current/remaining WAC schools, or their FANS, recognized that the biggest reason why the WAC is dying is because they as institutions represent absolutely nothing to potential members? Lets see, what does the WAC offer?
Bowl Game - - None
Media - - No Deals and if a deal is made it will not break 500K
Sponsorships - - They will lose hundreds of dollars in sponsorship because sponsors only sponsor organizations that can make $$$, bring in fans, and fill stadiums. Yes, WAC schools have somewhat larger budgets now, but when the bowl money, brought in by the departing schools, drys up those inflated budgets will be substantially less than they are now. Also, fan/ticket sales will decline...who wants to watch UTSA?
Competition - - Okay, Idaho, USU, NMSU, SJSU, La Tech's overall football record over the past decade barely has 100 wins...REALLY!!
Rivalry's - - Idaho's top rivals are all in other conferences (BSU, UM, and ISU; Washington State doesn't see Idahlol as a rival).
Finally Current MEMBERSHIP - - USU has a good basketball tradition, but football is what is driving the changes in college sports (not academics, basketball, Title IX, or anything else, but football). As stated previously, the remaining members really don't count as being FBS. What was the last major (BCS or nationally ranked) team any of them beat?
What does the WAC offer?
 
Okay, I was a bit off. Remaining WAC teams record over the past 11 seasons (55 total seasons).

213-440...There was a total of 7 winning seasons out of the total 55. In the last 31 years USU has had a total of 3 winning seasons (1980: 6-5; 1993: 7-5; and 1996: 6-5). Shockingly SJSU had the best season with a 9-4 record in 2006, and the new football power of the WAC La Tech had 3 of the 7 (7-5; 7-4; and 8-5) winning seasons.
 
I like where you are going with this. I'm going to take it a step further. On EGRIZZ there is an article about the growing financial disparity between FBS and FCS. It was written by NBC about an NCAA report. Unfortunately, the numbnut Grizz fan who posted it was trying to show that UM is losing out forgot to mention the lower half FBS teams. Yes, a lot of programs/schools make money, but most FBS teams are not included in that illustrious group. Not even CU or Utah two new PAC12ers/BCSers.

Current WAC membership in the RED: USU, NMSU, SJSU, UNR, Fresno. New Mexico State is $1.5M in the RED and USU is $143K in the RED.

Big Sky membership in the RED: PSU $200 and SAC $1.6M. Every other Big Sky school and future member is in the Black.

Top FBS programs: Notre Dame, Alabama, Texas, Michigan, Oregon, Ohio State, and Florida. Each of these schools budgets are in excess of $110M.

Average Big Sky Budget with new membership: 15M

Average WAC Budget $19M

I don't see the huge numbers that are being expressed by the WACites.
 
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