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Open Letter to BSC Adniniustrators
- Thread starter oldrunner
- Start date
wsucatfan said:
I'm on board with that type of thinking. My dream list would be:
Weber (of course)
Montana
Montana State
Idaho State
Northern Arizona
Denver (no football)
Cal Poly (never happen)
UC Davis (never happen)
Eastern Washington
Seattle (no football)
Idaho would be fine, but I feel they are responsible for all the bad changes in the conference and North Dakota is too freaking far away. Sac would be fine but definitely no on unco and suu.
SWeberCat02
Active member
Have to reduce travel and geographical size, while keeping traditional & geographical rivals and long time members. Only thing is Idaho would have to drop down in football. If they won't then add PSU instead.
EWU
Idaho
UM
MSU
ISU
Weber
SUU
NAU
EWU
Idaho
UM
MSU
ISU
Weber
SUU
NAU
Webergrad02
Active member
The problem is that the Big Sky holds the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Sure we can form a new league, but the hard part will be getting an automatic bid.
oldrunner
Active member
The auto bid wouldn't be a problem. The new league would get the bid and the BSC would be left scrambling. There is a precedence for this, when the MWC slit off from the WAC.
My eight teams would be:
WSU
UM
MSU
ISU
UI
NAU
EWU
Sac St/PSU... I'm torn... both have great potential, but are under achievers.
My eight teams would be:
WSU
UM
MSU
ISU
UI
NAU
EWU
Sac St/PSU... I'm torn... both have great potential, but are under achievers.
Webergrad02
Active member
Nope you're wrong. When the MWC split from the WAC they did not have an auto bid the first two years. The existing conference is who holds the bid, not the schools. A better example Olds would be the Big East and AAC split. But the our schools are not power schools like exist in the Big East.
This is from an ESPN article about the Great West Conference struggling to get an Auto bid.
"So the question won't come to the forefront until the middle part of the next decade, but the Great West could eventually find its quorum somehow. And the issues raised by the 32nd conference will be the same as those broached at the turn of the century, when the Mountain West splintered from the WAC in 1999. After a two-year wait, the MWC was granted an automatic bid in 2001. The event created a seismic shift in Bracketville, hastening the creation of a "play-in" game in Dayton, Ohio, once the NCAA chose to expand the field to 65 instead of paring the number of at-large bids from 34 to 33."
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=whelliston_kyle&id=3609171" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
This is from an ESPN article about the Great West Conference struggling to get an Auto bid.
"So the question won't come to the forefront until the middle part of the next decade, but the Great West could eventually find its quorum somehow. And the issues raised by the 32nd conference will be the same as those broached at the turn of the century, when the Mountain West splintered from the WAC in 1999. After a two-year wait, the MWC was granted an automatic bid in 2001. The event created a seismic shift in Bracketville, hastening the creation of a "play-in" game in Dayton, Ohio, once the NCAA chose to expand the field to 65 instead of paring the number of at-large bids from 34 to 33."
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=whelliston_kyle&id=3609171" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Good point made on the automatic bid for a new conference issue. That would be a problem, at least for awhile. But the "leftover" Big Sky would need to immediately scramble to get the necessary #s of members to retain their bid, or could join & regrow the WAC. Animosity would happen whatever.
I second 'SWeberCat02's list of a new gang membership, if that were ever to happen. But chances are about as slim as 'SWWeatherCat' attending next year's BSCT in Reno (I get your drift, but just suggesting you & others don't withdraw your support of Weber State basketball, you're surely not alone in dissin' the conference decision).
The present Big Sky Conference makeup is arguably not locked in & on solid ground forever. The grow-big ideas lead to problems & dissension happens. There's problems with having member schools who are not totally in (football or basketball split) & the Big Sky is a bad travel conference (too spread out); the cracks in the foundation are just beginning to show. :twocents:
PS: Interesting that I tend to second (agree) to almost all of 'SWeberCat02's posts...but rest assured 'webergrad02', I'm not an alter-ego, you can check it out if you want... :-D
I second 'SWeberCat02's list of a new gang membership, if that were ever to happen. But chances are about as slim as 'SWWeatherCat' attending next year's BSCT in Reno (I get your drift, but just suggesting you & others don't withdraw your support of Weber State basketball, you're surely not alone in dissin' the conference decision).
The present Big Sky Conference makeup is arguably not locked in & on solid ground forever. The grow-big ideas lead to problems & dissension happens. There's problems with having member schools who are not totally in (football or basketball split) & the Big Sky is a bad travel conference (too spread out); the cracks in the foundation are just beginning to show. :twocents:
PS: Interesting that I tend to second (agree) to almost all of 'SWeberCat02's posts...but rest assured 'webergrad02', I'm not an alter-ego, you can check it out if you want... :-D
oldrunner
Active member
Thanks for the clarification on the auto bid situation. Yes it would be a strain to wait a few years, if that happened, to regain the auto bid. However, I don't think the BSC could hang on to it with the teams they had left, even if they scrambled and found a couple of schools to join them. They could call their new league the ridiculous travel league.
Also, I have reconsidered Sac and PSU. Now I would go with SUU. That would make a nice, compact conference. PSU was somewhat intriguing to keep, in my league, because they have been trying to upgrade their facilities in the past few years. SUU already has nicer facilities than PSU and Sac.
Cutting it down to those teams would raise the league ranking quite a bit, over the long run.
Also, I have reconsidered Sac and PSU. Now I would go with SUU. That would make a nice, compact conference. PSU was somewhat intriguing to keep, in my league, because they have been trying to upgrade their facilities in the past few years. SUU already has nicer facilities than PSU and Sac.
Cutting it down to those teams would raise the league ranking quite a bit, over the long run.
Webergrad02
Active member
Trust me, I have figured out most of the alters. To be a true alter, you need to argue with yourself and answer your own questions. :rofl: I don't think anyone can top the posts sharing all of the rumors flying around the student union building, but the IP address from the posts were from a suburb South of Denver.
The real issue is that it is hard to pull off a coupe when all of the presidents vote unanimously on things. Both what the Mountain West did and then the Big East are examples of how to execute a major shift. I like what the Big East did because they were able to keep their name. It also may have had to due to the fact it was basketball only. With the schools all being state institutions there isn't a lot of money to pull off something epic.
So here is my plan and had I thought of it 12 hours earlier I would have presented it to Dame this morning. We talk our main man Dame Lillard into buying us a TV contract with ESPN. It is estimated he may get a $120 million extension this Summer. I know usually ESPN pays conferences, but when your the Big Sky you have to do what you can. ESPN looks at the member teams and recommends the following conference adjustments.
Sac State - Is out because the big fancy cameras wont fit in the tiny cracker box gym.
Northern Colorado - Is out because the horrible smell of death that permeates from Greeley will have a negative impact on the broadcast.
North Dakota - Is out because when ESPN went to find Grand Forks they ended up in the middle of Canada and decided it was too damn cold anyway.
Portland State - Is in because Dame loves Portland.
The rest of the teams stay. Teams travel to our arenas because they want to play on ESPN and get paid. Top level recruits come to the Big Sky because they want the exposure. Before you know it we are putting multiple teams into the Big Dance and have become one of the top conferences. Once the success comes the presidents decide to fire Foolerton and hire me as commissioner because I have such wonderful ideas.
There you have it folks I have solved all of the conferences problems with Damian Lillards money.
The real issue is that it is hard to pull off a coupe when all of the presidents vote unanimously on things. Both what the Mountain West did and then the Big East are examples of how to execute a major shift. I like what the Big East did because they were able to keep their name. It also may have had to due to the fact it was basketball only. With the schools all being state institutions there isn't a lot of money to pull off something epic.
So here is my plan and had I thought of it 12 hours earlier I would have presented it to Dame this morning. We talk our main man Dame Lillard into buying us a TV contract with ESPN. It is estimated he may get a $120 million extension this Summer. I know usually ESPN pays conferences, but when your the Big Sky you have to do what you can. ESPN looks at the member teams and recommends the following conference adjustments.
Sac State - Is out because the big fancy cameras wont fit in the tiny cracker box gym.
Northern Colorado - Is out because the horrible smell of death that permeates from Greeley will have a negative impact on the broadcast.
North Dakota - Is out because when ESPN went to find Grand Forks they ended up in the middle of Canada and decided it was too damn cold anyway.
Portland State - Is in because Dame loves Portland.
The rest of the teams stay. Teams travel to our arenas because they want to play on ESPN and get paid. Top level recruits come to the Big Sky because they want the exposure. Before you know it we are putting multiple teams into the Big Dance and have become one of the top conferences. Once the success comes the presidents decide to fire Foolerton and hire me as commissioner because I have such wonderful ideas.
There you have it folks I have solved all of the conferences problems with Damian Lillards money.
sacstateman
Active member
Next up is how to fix your football program to bring it up to your new conference's standards.....then work on your womens basketball, soccer and volleyball programs and you got it all covered....
Webergrad02
Active member
SDHornet said:
I would like to add you to the alter ego list but even Superman would have a hard time posting from Stockton then Sacramento in a matter of 4 minutes.
If you couldn't tell my post was a joke. There is no where for any of the Big Sky schools to go. Maybe North Dakota goes to the Summit and Sac goes Big West but those leagues don't have football.
What positive things has Fullerton done as commissioner? I can't think of many.
SDHornet said:
sacstateman is right. If any realignment occurred in the Big Sky, Weber (and likely Sac st.) would likely be on the wrong side of the alignment. Realignment is usually due to football and not basketball.
I do disagree with you, though, SDHornet. We Weber fans may be delusional about realignment, but the Griz are certainly the next team to leave the Big Sky for greener pastures. (I don't consider Big Sky to Big West or Big Sky to Summit/MVC as greener pastures. Maybe better geographical fits for certain teams, but not greener pastures)
sacstateman
Active member
I'm not doubting you pawildcat but I can't figure out where UM would fit into a higher rated conference....the WCC is out and I doubt the MWC is interested in bringing in another small market school, so I ask "Where is UM going to move where they will fit?" When a school moves to another conference they usually have to be asked to join the new conference, I don't see what UM has to offer that is so irresistable.
sacstateman said:
I agree with you, sacstateman. The jump from the Big Sky to the MWC is quite big (and obviously they are not going to the WCC). Living in the east, I saw first hand how different the conference setup is with many more D1 level conferences allowing for more stepping stones to bigger and better conferences. It would be much easier for the Griz to go to the Sun Belt or the MAC then it would be the MWC. Regardless, I suspect that there could be another large shift coming to college football as more and more schools go to paying the full cost of attendance (and likely paying athletes a salary on top of that). Even now there is a big difference between the athletic budgets of the member schools in the MWC, and I don't think all of the MWC schools will be able to use state taxes to keep up with the Jones. There could be a split in that 12 member conference, and when that happens, I think the Griz will become a hot name again just like they were a few years ago.
oldrunner
Active member
The shift I see coming to NCAA D1 athletics is separate from the stipend issue. It is that the 'power 5' want to break off and be their own division. They want all of the money. They are tired of sharing, even on penny, with the mid-majors. That is one of the reasons that BYU wants so desperately to get into one of those leagues. After that happens, and it has already begun, what do you call the rest of D1? Do you start calling them D1AA or D11. Any way you cut it, they all become second class and would probably need to get their own bowls or start up their own playoffs. The line between those teams and what we now call, for football, FCS teams would become a bit blurred. When the 'power 5' threatened to take their ball and go home, and the NCAA caved in to them, it started the ball rolling toward a major shift in the NCAA's
divisional alignment. There is a lot of uncertainty about where this whole thing will end up. Most of the current non 'power 5' D1-FBS programs, not just BYU, are in limbo right now. The line between them and D1-FCS may be eradicated over the next few years. If that happens, and it might be what Fullerton was betting on, then the BSC may be well positioned.
divisional alignment. There is a lot of uncertainty about where this whole thing will end up. Most of the current non 'power 5' D1-FBS programs, not just BYU, are in limbo right now. The line between them and D1-FCS may be eradicated over the next few years. If that happens, and it might be what Fullerton was betting on, then the BSC may be well positioned.
You'll get your wish oldrunner, as the Big Sky will split, but not along the lines you want.oldrunner said:
The powers in the Sky have already voted to go FBS when Idaho has finished up with the Sun Belt in three years.
The Sky will be an FBS conference with the following teams:
Sky Pacific
Cal Poly
UcDavis
Sac St
Port St (if they can swing it)
EWU
Idaho
Sky Mountain
Montana
MSU
UND
NDSU
SDSU
NMSU
The rest of you go scurrying to the WAC:
Weber
UVU
SUU
Dixie St
NAU
Grand Canyon
Bakersfield - maybe gets in the Big West
Seattle
West Washington
No Colo
Metropolitan St
Idaho St
UTPA
A true Utah focused league with a tournament in Salt Lake
Chicago St and UMKC go back to the Slummit
Its been the plan all along, ever since UND and USD were invited, to be the third FBS league out west. Weber doesn't want in, so their out. Montana has been threatening the whole league that they want FBS, but the MWC is too much money for them. So, with Idaho and MSU and certain Dakota friends, they will get their desires met.
sacstateman
Active member
Now that is stirring the pot.........good post siouxfan....
The economy is still growing like a weed, but not that kind!oldrunner said:
Montana and Montana St wanted to join Idaho in the WAC, but California schools wouldn't budge because of the national depression and California budget crisis. The Montana's decided to wait it out, for when Sac St, Poly, and Davis can afford it as they didn't want to be in the WAC with Lamar, Sam Houston St, and S.F. Austin. Next year should be the announcement, when Idaho is kicked to the curb by the Sun Belt, but still will have two years.
Weber St can be the sole king of the hill in the new WAC.
EWU will have announced its Gateway project to greater than 15,000 seats.
UCDavis always had plans for more than 15k for its stadium, and their fundraising now.
Cal Poly will add on to its stadium over the railroad tracks.
Sac St might play in a new MLS stadium.
Idaho always had a plan to stay FBS.
Fullerton has said Presidents have already split themselves in two groups: one going FBS and one staying FCS, so I'm not blowing smoke.
Weber St can't upset USU and BYU, so you're staying FCS. ISU can't fundraise, same as NAU and UNC, so they're staying FBS also.
