Gonzaga football

[Eagledawg]

When Gonzaga cancelled its football program after WWII was that a blessing for EWU? Heres a few thoughts to ponder. What if Gonzaga had never cancelled their football program?
How would that have affected the groth of EWU football?
Would EWU be in the Big Sky?
What conference would the Zags be in?
Would EWU vs. Zags be a big time cross town rivalry today?
Could Spokane support another D1 school?

 

[Palm Springs Eag]

Good question! Having an FCS peer located in Spokane with a big basketball name brand would be tough to compete with for the Eagles, if in fact, the Big Skys is where Gonzaga would play football. Poly and Davis are somewhat comparable, although nowhere near the hoops success that GU has.

On the other end of that question, does GU have the basketball run they have had if they were trying fund football as well? I read their stadium got condemned shortly before they dropped football.

For me, I am glad we do not have another football program of any size that close to have to compete with for recruits, fans, and resources.

Go Eags!

 

[LDopaPDX]

Keep in mind, Gonzaga funnels ALL of their money into the basketball program. Add a $4mm football operations budget into that mix, and Gonzaga never becomes a basketball power and probably remains closer to Central in football than Eastern.

 

[Palm Springs Eag]

Totally good points Dopa!

 

[Guitarguy]

Prior to their basketball breakthrough, Gonzaga wasn't really on the radar in Spokane. Yes, John Stockton played there, but in the 1980s, EWU was THE basketball program. Coach Krause and his EWU Cage Camp was legendary and considered the best basketball camp in the region by a long shot. As a player in that era, Gonzaga wasn't even in the conversation. NBC camps were a distant second if you didn't choose EWU.

Gonzaga's rise to a basketball powerhouse was a multi-decade journey. However, one could argue that had they only advanced to the round of 32 a time or two, they would be a relatively unknown mid-major.

If anything, EWU's fall into basketball obscurity (until recently) is just as interesting. Gonzaga built upon decades of progress and tradition while we seemed to forget our legacy and lose all momentum. Gonzaga basketball, and EWU football, built their programs by promoting from within the program. EWU lost that along the way until we rediscovered it a few years ago.

So, in my opinion, Gonzaga had more in common with Whitworth in terms of athletics and wouldn't have competed with EWU for football market had they kept the program. Obviously, multiple decades of a program may have resulted in a different outcome, but we can't compare the Gonzaga marketshare of today with who Gonzaga was for most of their athletic history.