Karl Benson to Sun Belt?

[Green Cookie Monster]

Sun Belt Conference: WAC commissioner Karl Benson has accepted the same position with the Sun Belt.

http://www.footballscoop.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The WAC is officially dead.

 

[superhornet]

You sure about this, GCM? The cite you link has nothing about this. ESPN says nothing. The WAC site still lists Benson as commish, and the Sun Belt site still lists Wright Waters as commish. The Sun Belt commish bio sounds a bit fishy, though. They claim to be one of 11 BCS conferences, which supposedly happened on Waters' watch. Um, no. Unless a team they lost to another conference pulled that trick, NOBODY in the Sun Belt has, and the elitists at B(C)$ Central certainly haven't let the Sun Belt in as a conference. hno:

 

[SDHornet]

I've also heard this. This finally means the wac is dead. FINALLY!!!! I have no links to backup my drunken claims. We can finally kill all the "Sac to the WAC" nonesense.

 

[superhornet]

While there is still nothing to substantiate this move, it turns out that the move is certainly plausible. ESPN reported back in OCT 2011 that Waters would retire as Sun Belt commish effective 01 JUL 2012 (which I believe coincides with the start of the new sports year). So SOMEBODY has to take over. I'm not sure it makes sense for Benson to make this move unless he's convinced that he's done all he can with the WAC or that the presidents are about to can him. In any canse, this seems like a lateral move at best, and a steep drop at worst.

It'll be interesting to see if this pans out. I wonder if there's any chance that the WAC will take either Big West commish Dumb Dumb Dennis Farrell or Big Sky commish Doug Fullerton of my hands. I don't like EITHER of them....

 

[SDHornet]

SH you have read this all wrong. What a Benson move from the WAC means is that it is over. He has given up on the WAC and rightfully so. He quit and knows the WAC is done.

 

[Green Cookie Monster]

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/7581038/report-western-athletic-conference-karl-benson-taking-reins-sun-belt" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is proof.

The Big Sky needs to add SJSU as a travel partner for Sac State. SJSU, NMSU, USU, Idaho et al are all dead in the water at the FBS level.

 

[SDHornet]

No FBS program will ever “drop down” to the FCS. These bottom tier FBS programs have nothing to cling to other than the “we are playing with the big boys” mantra while the gap between the haves and have nots continues to widen at an exasperated rate. SJSU will park its Oly sports in the Big West before ever considering the BSC. What happens to their football program is anyone’s guess. Only an invite the MW-UCSA Alliance can save them now.

 

[superhornet]

GCM: If they even bother with a travel partner concept for football (not sure about that), we've already got one in the manure-laden ones. But for hoops? You could be right with the SJSU thing. Unless, that is, they try to snag the CP/UCFE sweetheart deal with the Sky and move their other applicable sports to the Big West.

SD: Are you sure they won't at least attempt to appoint a caretaker commish to cover the schools until they can make other arrangements?

Edit: This also brings up the question of Sac baseball and gymnastics. Indy status? Try for the Pac-12? Yeah, good luck with THAT.

 

[SJHornet]

This might not be the last nail in the coffin, but that sucker isn't opening back up.

I predict in the next few months the Texas triplets, nmsu, and Idaho (if they're lucky), will merge with the sun belt creating a crappier version of the Mountain USA. I also predict the MUSA will probably take pitty on SJSU, USU, and most likeley La Tech, and let them in after some heavy groveling. The only way I see the Sky getting involved is by trying to get Denver and/or Seattle. It would also be nice if we were able to get Boise after this mess is sorted.

The WAC is all but done. I guess Fullerton wasn't so crazy when he predicted the Sky would be around long after the WAC was pushing up daisies.

 

[superhornet]

I just heard from CatMom that there are talks in the works to merge the remaining WAC schools into the Sun Belt.

Let's get our kids out of there QUICK!

 

[SJHornet]

I just heard from CatMom that there are talks in the works to merge the remaining WAC schools into the Sun Belt.

Let's get our kids out of there QUICK!

Hello Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. Think the Big West will take our baseball team?

 

[SDHornet]

I just heard from CatMom that there are talks in the works to merge the remaining WAC schools into the Sun Belt.

Let's get our kids out of there QUICK!

I could see the Sun Belt having interest in the eastern WAC schools. UTSA and Texas State are in good markets and would compliment the current SBC western outlier UNT. The SBC would probably have interest in LA Tech as well (assuming they can get over their prideful stance of being in the same conference as ULM). Maybe NMSU gets in somehow but I just don’t see why the SBC would have any interest in adding Utah State, Idalol and SJSU given their geography and costs associated with their location.

Maybe Benson throws them a lifeline but adding more geographic outliers will impact budgets and ultimately it’s the SBC presidents who make the decisions and not Benson alone. Also keep in mind adding these new schools would only split their revenue pie even further. If the WAC leftovers can’t be financially justified for an invite (i.e. bringing in more revenue for the conference via TV markets or reduced travel costs in split divisions), I have a hard time seeing invites being issued to all the WAC leftovers.

 

[GoldenEagleHornet]

Craig Thompson (MWC commish) entertaining the idea of returning to UMinn, his Alma Mater, as AD. This article is from two weeks ago; http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_19922468" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

KB's move is not definitely a step down, but this one, without question is. I wonder what he knows or sees coming that he would rather be an AD instead of a conference commissioner.

 

[GoldenEagleHornet]

There's a lot of anti-WAC sentiment on this thread. If the WAC offered Sac St an invitation, what would it take for you guys that are opposed, to be supportive of Sac St accepting it?

 

[superhornet]

There's a lot of anti-WAC sentiment on this thread. If the WAC offered Sac St an invitation, what would it take for you guys that are opposed, to be supportive of Sac St accepting it?

I can't speak for the others here, and I won't speak as admin here, but personally, I would NEVER support a move to the WAC. That is a sinking ship just waiting to happen. I would dearly hate to be stuck in subdivision limbo when that mostly-dead conference implodes.

 

[SJHornet]

There's a lot of anti-WAC sentiment on this thread. If the WAC offered Sac St an invitation, what would it take for you guys that are opposed, to be supportive of Sac St accepting it?

For me it would take quite a few things
A) SJSU stayed
B) Poly and Davis came along
C) LA Tech leaves to keep travel at a sane level
D) conference expansion happened in our footprint
E) the WAC got some bowls that meant something

I don't realistically see any of these things happening. I also don't see the WAC making it very much further. We haven't seen the last of conference re-alignment and I'm sure things are going to be shaken up again, but I just don't see our future involving the WAC at this point in time. The Big Sky has more to offer us at this point anyway. I would love to see the Hornets advance and grow to bigger and better things, but I want it to happen in a stable conference with a realistic game plan that isn't based on pure survival.
twocents:

My :twocents:

 

[SDHornet]

Craig Thompson (MWC commish) entertaining the idea of returning to UMinn, his Alma Mater, as AD. This article is from two weeks ago; http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_19922468" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

KB's move is not definitely a step down, but this one, without question is. I wonder what he knows or sees coming that he would rather be an AD instead of a conference commissioner.

Thompson’s move is probably due to the fact that the MWC-CUSA conference will only need one commissioner, and so he is stepping out of the way and into a role (assuming he lands the job) that will still pay him good money.

 

[SDHornet]

There's a lot of anti-WAC sentiment on this thread. If the WAC offered Sac St an invitation, what would it take for you guys that are opposed, to be supportive of Sac St accepting it?

For me it would take quite a few things
A) SJSU stayed
B) Poly and Davis came along
C) LA Tech leaves to keep travel at a sane level
D) conference expansion happened in our footprint
E) the WAC got some bowls that meant something

I don't realistically see any of these things happening. I also don't see the WAC making it very much further. We haven't seen the last of conference re-alignment and I'm sure things are going to be shaken up again, but I just don't see our future involving the WAC at this point in time. The Big Sky has more to offer us at this point anyway. I would love to see the Hornets advance and grow to bigger and better things, but I want it to happen in a stable conference with a realistic game plan that isn't based on pure survival.
twocents:

My :twocents:

This. Not to mention the WAC needs to become more financially viable. A respectable WAC TV deal would have to materialize shortly after a move to the WAC to make the move worthwhile (and financially sustainable in the long run). Otherwise Sac State will be competing at a higher expense for little guaranteed revenue in return for the investment. The only way a WAC move is attractive is if fellow regional opponents also move which would reduce annual expenses.

 

[superhornet]

There's a lot of anti-WAC sentiment on this thread. If the WAC offered Sac St an invitation, what would it take for you guys that are opposed, to be supportive of Sac St accepting it?

For me it would take quite a few things
A) SJSU stayed
B) Poly and Davis came along
C) LA Tech leaves to keep travel at a sane level
D) conference expansion happened in our footprint
E) the WAC got some bowls that meant something

I don't realistically see any of these things happening. I also don't see the WAC making it very much further. We haven't seen the last of conference re-alignment and I'm sure things are going to be shaken up again, but I just don't see our future involving the WAC at this point in time. The Big Sky has more to offer us at this point anyway. I would love to see the Hornets advance and grow to bigger and better things, but I want it to happen in a stable conference with a realistic game plan that isn't based on pure survival.
twocents:

My :twocents:

This. Not to mention the WAC needs to become more financially viable. A respectable WAC TV deal would have to materialize shortly after a move to the WAC to make the move worthwhile (and financially sustainable in the long run). Otherwise Sac State will be competing at a higher expense for little guaranteed revenue in return for the investment. The only way a WAC move is attractive is if fellow regional opponents also move which would reduce annual expenses.

Read: Either the Sky jumps en masse (unprecedented) or at least a significant portion thereof does so. But the vast majority of schools in the Sky are too smart to fall for the WAC snake oil salesmen.

Otherwise, SD says this in the best way possible (or at least the best in this thread).

Overall, this topic is :dead: , IMO.