Big Sky Expansion Round II: UND and SUU, USD on Verge

[SactoHornetAlum]

So it looks official for UND and SUU. Maybe USD will announce as well?

http://missoulian.com/sports/college/montana/article_61c5e7a6-e5c9-11df-91e6-001cc4c002e0.html
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/50581173-77/conference-sky-announce-football.html.csp

 

[Green Cookie Monster]

Oh goody. :roll:

 

[SactoHornetAlum]

http://www.bigskyconf.com/news/2010/11/1/GEN_1101105326.aspx

Its now official: UND and SUU join Big Sky with the Big Sky saying that conference is on the verge of announcing USD as the next member. All three schools will be core members, bringing that total to 12, with 14 football playing members.

 

[Green Laser]

http://www.bigskyconf.com/news/2010/11/1/GEN_1101105326.aspx

Its now official: UND and SUU join Big Sky with the Big Sky saying that conference is on the verge of announcing USD as the next member. All three schools will be core members, bringing that total to 12, with 14 football playing members.

Good, now they can release us to the Big West for our other than football sports!

 

[SactoHornetAlum]

http://www.bigskyconf.com/news/2010/11/1/GEN_1101105326.aspx

Its now official: UND and SUU join Big Sky with the Big Sky saying that conference is on the verge of announcing USD as the next member. All three schools will be core members, bringing that total to 12, with 14 football playing members.

Good, now they can release us to the Big West for our other than football sports!

Dont think that's going to happen IMO. The Big Sky probably wont let us out of being a core member into an associate one for football only.

 

[SactoHornetAlum]

Apparently USD had announced back in 2009 that they were joining the Summit League beginning next year http://www.usdcoyotes.com/sports/news/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=5059. Must have to negotiate some sort of exit fee or something. This is from the Big Sky release:

The University of South Dakota figures to be the final piece in the Big Sky expansion. The Coyotes of Vermillion, S.D., also compete in the Great West Conference for football. South Dakota and North Dakota are formal Division II rivals in the North Central Conference.

Like North Dakota, South Dakota began the transition to Division I in 2007 and will be eligible for Big Sky and NCAA Championships starting with the 2012-13 season.

“We are negotiating with South Dakota,’’ Fullerton said. “They want to be part of the Big Sky Conference and we want them to be a member. They are just awaiting a final approval process. Approval processes are different at each school.’’

 

[Green Laser]

http://www.bigskyconf.com/news/2010/11/1/GEN_1101105326.aspx

Its now official: UND and SUU join Big Sky with the Big Sky saying that conference is on the verge of announcing USD as the next member. All three schools will be core members, bringing that total to 12, with 14 football playing members.

Good, now they can release us to the Big West for our other than football sports!

Dont think that's going to happen IMO. The Big Sky probably wont let us out of being a core member into an associate one for football only.

You would think that our administration would have to sign off on the davis/ Poly deal along with these other additions. I just can't see agreeing to drive across the Dakotas in the middle of winter for basketball instead of a bus to davis, Stockton or SLO.

 

[SactoHornetAlum]

http://www.bigskyconf.com/news/2010/11/1/GEN_1101105326.aspx

Its now official: UND and SUU join Big Sky with the Big Sky saying that conference is on the verge of announcing USD as the next member. All three schools will be core members, bringing that total to 12, with 14 football playing members.

Good, now they can release us to the Big West for our other than football sports!

Dont think that's going to happen IMO. The Big Sky probably wont let us out of being a core member into an associate one for football only.

You would think that our administration would have to sign off on the davis/ Poly deal along with these other additions. I just can't see agreeing to drive across the Dakotas in the middle of winter for basketball instead of a bus to davis, Stockton or SLO.

AFAIK, I think the Big Sky bylaws don't require a unanimous vote. I believe it is a simple majority. So we could've been outvoted. But I think the other institutions were probably broached by us asking that question and were told no to associate football status. Either we are in fully or out fully. Just my hunch. Because we made the commitment to the Big Sky in 1996 to be a core member to protect football. I recall both Poly and davis were approached by the Sky then and they wanted to protect the other sports (that and davis hadn't announced their D-I plans yet, but I do know the Big Sky asked them).

 

[Green Laser]

I recall reading several years ago when North Dakota State and South Dakota State applied to the Big Sky, that Sac State and Portland State shot them down over travel concerns. I can't believe that there wasn't some give and take over this decision, it is politics after all!

 

[Kadeezy]

There's no way we become a 14-school football conference, right? I'm thinking Maybe UM and MSU are on their way to the WAC... :-/

 

[Green Laser]

There's no way we become a 14-school football conference, right? I'm thinking Maybe UM and MSU are on their way to the WAC... :-/

Why not? Two divisions, 6 games within the division, two cross division. No championship game.

 

[SactoHornetAlum]

There's no way we become a 14-school football conference, right? I'm thinking Maybe UM and MSU are on their way to the WAC... :-/

No, I don't think the Montanas' are going anywhere now. They wanted some Dakota schools, now they got them. I see split divisions for most of the sports.

 

[superhornet]

http://www.bigskyconf.com/news/2010/11/1/GEN_1101105326.aspx

Its now official: UND and SUU join Big Sky with the Big Sky saying that conference is on the verge of announcing USD as the next member. All three schools will be core members, bringing that total to 12, with 14 football playing members.

Good, now they can release us to the Big West for our other than football sports!

Dont think that's going to happen IMO. The Big Sky probably wont let us out of being a core member into an associate one for football only.

You would think that our administration would have to sign off on the davis/ Poly deal along with these other additions. I just can't see agreeing to drive across the Dakotas in the middle of winter for basketball instead of a bus to davis, Stockton or SLO.

:idea: :clap:

 

[SDHornet]

I’ll say it again; this just makes being in the Big Sky a complete financial boondoggle for Sac State. Unless somehow the monetary distributions from the conference goes up (which it can’t as any distributions from the BSC are now split amongst more schools) and offsets the added travel costs, the idea of being in a conference that stretches from CA to the Dakotas from east to west and from AZ to Montana from north to south is ludicrous. It’s time to flood Wanless and Gonzo’s inboxes with WTF emails.

BTW it’s good to see you still around SH, with the addition of SUU I had it at 50-50 that you would have jumped off a bridge by now. :lol:

 

[SactoHornetAlum]

What's to say he still won't :lol:

 

[Green Laser]

Especially with Colorado School of Mines kicked to the curb! :lol:

 

[Siouxfan]

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/02/3151420/league-adds-n-dakota-s-utah-awaits.html#ixzz149lTJJmZ

Sounds like Wanless is still open to a WAC opportunity:

"We're always looking at opportunities to enhance our program," said Terry Wanless, Sac State director of athletics. "If that takes us to a different level sometime in the future, we'll give that consideration at that particular time."

Fullerton commented yesterday that adding Cal Poly and UCDavis was a defensive move. Defensive? That had to have meant that Sac State was looking at moving football to the Great West and other sports to the Big West. That arrangement would have kept the Dakota schools heading to the Summit League.

 

[Green Laser]

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/02/3151420/league-adds-n-dakota-s-utah-awaits.html#ixzz149lTJJmZ

Sounds like Wanless is still open to a WAC opportunity:

"We're always looking at opportunities to enhance our program," said Terry Wanless, Sac State director of athletics. "If that takes us to a different level sometime in the future, we'll give that consideration at that particular time."

Fullerton commented yesterday that adding Cal Poly and UCDavis was a defensive move. Defensive? That had to have meant that Sac State was looking at moving football to the Great West and other sports to the Big West. That arrangement would have kept the Dakota schools heading to the Summit League.

As I recall when davis and Poly were added, Fullerton said that is was necessary to "preserve the Big Sky's presence in California". Since Sac State was the lone BSC school it would indicate that at least there was some concern that Sac State might leave. I think it unlikely that Sac State would leave at this point unless the WAC option was made far more attractive than it currently is.

 

[SDHornet]

The Big East is looking to expand and TCU and Houston have been floated as possible targets. This could allow more dominoes to fall as the MWC would probably swoop up Utah State and C-USA could very well add LA Tech if they are raided. That would put an end to the WAC once and for all (finally). Either way, the instability of the WAC could not be attractive as it currently sits. I don’t think Sac State moves anywhere now. Plus Wanless finally has his wet dream of UND in the BSC, I am sure he is happy as a clam.

 

[Siouxfan]

The Big East is looking to expand and TCU and Houston have been floated as possible targets. This could allow more dominoes to fall as the MWC would probably swoop up Utah State and C-USA could very well add LA Tech if they are raided. That would put an end to the WAC once and for all (finally). Either way, the instability of the WAC could not be attractive as it currently sits. I don’t think Sac State moves anywhere now. Plus Wanless finally has his wet dream of UND in the BSC, I am sure he is happy as a clam.

Highly doubt Wanless wanted UND in the Sky (he doesn't have a vote), but he'd probably rather have seen UND in rather than NDSU! He's known NDSU fans far too well. :lol:

Agree, this Big East move could be the opening that Sac State has been looking for. If the Big East adds TCU/Houston, the WAC could lose two teams: MWC adds Utah State, CUSA adds La Tech, so the WAC needs two more teams: Sac State and Portland St (if Montana doesn't go). That would drop the Big Sky down to 10 core / 12 football.