Big Sky for Hoops

[JackHornet]

I know the Big Sky is the best FCS conference. I know how important football is for our school.

But is the Big Sky the best conference for us in terms of basketball?

In the future, if the Big Sky relaxed their by-laws and allowed football only members, would it be a good decision to become football only members of the Big Sky and get into the Big West for all other sports?

Will the CA budget almost force us to get into the Big West?

I'm not pushing this at all. I just want to know what other people think?

My biggest worry is the budget. Further budget cuts and how are we going to cut down on travel? In the Big West we could bus to all conference games.

 

[superhornet]

We've already been in the California Bus League for some sports, and they kicked us out. I seriously doubt they'll take us back. Besides, given the Sky's stance on associate members, that would force us to either the fly-by-night Great West or go the indy route for football. The only other option would be to go Great West for ALL sports, and that's likely the worst option of all since we'd have annual road trips to Houston Baptist and NJIT, both of which would completely destroy what little RPI cred we have. UOP and the Manure Pile not withstanding, the CBL commish has a SoCal focus; it's MUCH more likely that he'll take in Bako than us. And even if he did, unless enough CBL schools resurrect football for the league to sponsor it again, what meager travel savings we'd realize in hoops would be quickly eaten away by our expenses in either GWFC or indy ball. In addition, such a move would have bad implications for Sac's VB program.

Just my opinion, which has been expressed before. I think that the others here have similar opinions, though probably not as forceful as mine. I'm very happy with the Big Sky, even if we continually have to deal with folk (usually Griz or UNC fans) wanting to dump us.

 

[JackHornet]

SH, you misunderstood and you keep bringing up old things.

I did say that if the Big Sky relaxed their by-laws and allowed associate members. I'm sure many people never expected the Big 10 to expand to 11 teams or the Big 8 to become the Big 12. So things change and change quickly.

And the Big West needed us for some sports because at the time they didn't have enough members to get an automatic bid. It's not like we did anything wrong.

 

[Green Cookie Monster]

If memory serves correctly, we parted ways with the BW because we joined the WAC in baseball/softball and were in the process of joining the BSC. It wasn't because we did anything wrong as pointed out. How could the BW kick us out, I mean we are the spitting image of the BW and its bus teams.

Jack, check out this link it shows the budgets of every NCAA school. http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/Index.aspx

Sac State has a budget of $14M, highest in the BSC. Last year it was $15M, so the economy/budget has trimmed $1M out of our current budget. Hope it doesn't go lower in '10-'11, which would cut into bone.

Keep in mind with our current $14M budget, Sac State has the lowest tuition/schollie costs in the nation and definately in the BSC, so that $14M is pretty strong.

 

[SDHornet]

Great point JH, I have thought about this as well. IF (HUGE IF) the Big Sky allowed football only members, Sac State MUST put all other non-WAC sports in the Big West for the following reasons:

• 1- CP, “the farm extension”, and probably SUU would join the Big West for football. This means if Sac State kept all its sports in the BSC, Sac would be at a huge disadvantage compared against the CA football schools because they would have to continue to spend money on travel for non-football sports the other CA schools wouldn’t be spending money on. These travel costs for non-football sports would then take money away from recruiting, coach salaries, etc which could go towards football or other sports (preferably football). Maybe my wording doesn’t sound right but basically I am saying we should try to stay on a level playing field (regarding expenses) with the CA schools that would play football in the Big Sky.
  
  2- As stated everywhere, travel budget could be trimmed as Sac State wouldn’t have to send all the Big Sky sports all over the mountain states.
  
  3- We can finally do away with that Causeway Cup idea as the fact of being in the same conference as “the farm extension” would make the games meaningful for conference standings and not this “cup”. (Is there an actual trophy for it?)
  
  4- Attendance in non-football sports might see a slight increase from playing in-state schools. (I don’t necessarily agree with this but it has been brought up on these boards before.)

And yes, I agree that the budget will be the driving force if a move to the Big West is made. I currently like the Big Sky more mainly because of the football aspect of it, but I have to imagine all the travel takes a toll on all the teams and more importantly puts a nice big dent in the athletics budget.

 

[Green Cookie Monster]

BW football:

Sac State
UC Farm Extension
Cal Poly

Who else? Sure Foolerton has a nice FCS stadium and UC Santa Barbara and LBSU played at one time, but I don't see them adding the sport. Same with NRidge and UOP. The BW wouldn't add SUU, NAU or PSU because it would then deviate from the California only model.

So that leaves the Great West:

Sac State
UC Farm Extension
Cal Poly
SUU
UND-temporary
USD-temporary
NAU
PSU

I don't see the Big Sky lowering the football requirement, I can see them moving up as a conference to FCS if it becomes watered down, kinda like it was before 1976 when they had university/college divisions.

I say stay the course and grow to the WAC rather than shrink back to the BW or a clone of the AWC.

 

[SDHornet]

GCM, this whole thread was based on IF Big Sky allowed football only members. I don’t think anyone is advocating for a move to the Big West with football going Great West or Independent. The priority is that football remains in the Big Sky imo. The Big Sky and Southland are the only relevant FCS conferences west of the Mississippi.

There is absolutely zero chance ANY of the Big West schools that don’t currently have football, restart their program. If anyone has any hope, it’s UOP as they are private and less dependent on the CA budget.

 

[JackHornet]

GCM, this whole thread was based on IF Big Sky allowed football only members. I don’t think anyone is advocating for a move to the Big West with football going Great West or Independent. The priority is that football remains in the Big Sky imo. The Big Sky and Southland are the only relevant FCS conferences west of the Mississippi.

There is absolutely zero chance ANY of the Big West schools that don’t currently have football, restart their program. If anyone has any hope, it’s UOP as they are private and less dependent on the CA budget.

Yes very good point and that is the point, stay in the Big Sky as football only and the Big West for all other sports. Yes, it is unlikely the Big Sky will ever relax their rules but then again, you don't know for sure.

We could do the Big West in all sports and Great West in football, right now. Cal Poly and Davis are both doing that right now. But thank god that isn't our option right now!!!

 

[Green Cookie Monster]

If you check footballscoop.com, both CP and davis have half a schedule to fill and talk about travel expense. I would hate being an independent or in a league with one foot out the door.

 

[JackHornet]

If you check footballscoop.com, both CP and davis have half a schedule to fill and talk about travel expense. I would hate being an independent or in a league with one foot out the door.

Travel expense for one program, even football with it's large traveling squad, is much less expense than taking MBB, WBB, soccer, VB, to the other Big Sky schools.