jdgaucho
Member
Even if that possibly includes trips to Denver and (who knows?) Arlington??
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Sac State to Big West in 2026
- Thread starter SDHornet
- Start date
Even if that possibly includes trips to Denver and (who knows?) Arlington??
Flying into a major hub a couple times a year >>>>>> flying into a major hub then taking a puddle hopper to a regional airport and/or a long bus ride into podunk country for literally every conference matchup in every non-meet sport. Easy decision for Hornet athletics no matter where these chips fall.
Green Laser
Active member
The Big West is still light years better than the Big Sky. So glad that our athletes won't have to take connecting flights, buses etc. in all kids of weather to play teams that most Californians have no connection with.
jdgaucho
Member
Where I stand is this. If UCI stays and the Big West adds Denver, things are okay. If UCI leaves, then I hope UCSB exits as well. I have little desire to remain in a 1 bid league that's mostly all CSUs who don't contribute to the cause.
We've invested millions into renovating our hoops venue and received a $15 million donation for baseball this year. You don't do these things just to settle for slumming it with Bakersfield and CSUN.
I think the UCI & UCSD combo end up in the MW at some point. UCSD is going to run roughshod over the WCC in due time. They are a financial juggernaut compared to the small enrollment privates of the WCC.
Which bring up another point: Will the WCC remain a multi-bid league with Gonzaga gone? I view all this shuffling between one bid leagues as kind of pointless unless a department is able to lower overhead costs due to a move.
jdgaucho
Member
This guy had Commissioner Butterly on his podcast earlier in the year. I think he may have some high level contacts across the west.
4:15 mark. If UCI leaves, Denver becomes a high priority and that the Big West will look to add another school besides them. My WAG is it's UT Arlington. A couple posters have suggested NMSU could be in play.
4:15 mark. If UCI leaves, Denver becomes a high priority and that the Big West will look to add another school besides them. My WAG is it's UT Arlington. A couple posters have suggested NMSU could be in play.
FootballAlum84
Active member
$15 million for Hornet Baseball? I just had to go look up what that was all about. Is there shovels in the dirt for this baseball facility? Any renderings out there?
UCSB received the alleged baseball donation.
jdgaucho
Member
A Transformative Gift for UCSB Baseball - University of California, Santa Barbara
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - UC Santa Barbara Athletics has received a visionary $15 million gift to support facilities construction and revitalization, including upgrades
ucsbgauchos.com
HeavyistheClown
Active member
PSU had 1,800 at their home opener in an off campus facility. Wouldn’t surprise me if they dropped football.
jdgaucho
Member
WCC will pursue at least one other UC.
www.sandiegouniontribune.com
The WCC may not be done growing. The league is expected to pursue one other UC school, presumably UC Santa Barbara, and could add a second one. The idea is to create a Southern California pod within the WCC featuring existing members USD, Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount.
UC San Diego joining USD in West Coast Conference
Tritons will join the WCC starting in the 2027-28 school year, hope for a crosstown rivalry with Toreros
www.sandiegouniontribune.com
The WCC may not be done growing. The league is expected to pursue one other UC school, presumably UC Santa Barbara, and could add a second one. The idea is to create a Southern California pod within the WCC featuring existing members USD, Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount.
and,WCC will pursue at least one other UC.
UC San Diego joining USD in West Coast Conference
Tritons will join the WCC starting in the 2027-28 school year, hope for a crosstown rivalry with Toreros
The WCC may not be done growing. The league is expected to pursue one other UC school, presumably UC Santa Barbara, and could add a second one. The idea is to create a Southern California pod within the WCC featuring existing members USD, Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount.
But the shifting tectonic plates of college athletes have placed enormous financial burdens on the have-nots, and the fear at an aspirational school like UCSD is that the Tritons may have been dragged down by the Cal State Bakersfields and CSUNs had they stayed in the Big West. Incoming members Utah Valley, Cal Baptist and Sacramento State likely don’t move the needle.
The Big West Announces Membership Change
The Big West Board of Directors has been notified by UC San Diego of its intention to join the West Coast Conference, effective July 1, 2027.
bigwest.org
“As an original member of The Big West, UC Irvine reaffirms our commitment to the Division I student-athlete experience, academic success, competitive excellence, and community engagement,” said UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman. “While college athletics continues to evolve, the values of our conference remain constant and guide us forward.”
Until we are gone! Interesting considering all the rumors swirling that they may bail.
Interesting statement considering the CSU's that UCSD "don't want to get dragged down by" were already in the Big West when they joined. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around UCSD jumping to a conference full of small religious private schools being the answer. Yes athletically, and specifically for men's hoops, the WCC has a better profile but outside of the athletic discussion there is very little UCSD has in common with the existing WCC members.
The UCSD move only makes sense if a couple more UC's (I & SB) follow shortly...and UCI's "we're committed to the BW" most certainly means they'll be the next to go to the WCC.
The UCSD move only makes sense if a couple more UC's (I & SB) follow shortly...and UCI's "we're committed to the BW" most certainly means they'll be the next to go to the WCC.
FootballAlum84
Active member
This is one of those times where sometimes I think there’s an alternate universe lol. I swear that before I made my last post, I searched about a donation like that and read a whole article about a former player donating and specifically upgrades to John Smith Field, a new field house, locker room, weight room etc.A Transformative Gift for UCSB Baseball - University of California, Santa Barbara
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - UC Santa Barbara Athletics has received a visionary $15 million gift to support facilities construction and revitalization, including upgrades
The pipe has been put down, sorry everyone
Mark Patton: UCSB Needs to Follow UC San Diego’s Lead into West Coast Conference | Sports | Noozhawk
UC Santa Barbara is one of those mid-major sports schools that must keep its eye on the ball. And not just the ones made of rubber or horsehide. A
www.noozhawk.com
"The UC exodus and Sacramento State’s admittance have given the Cal States a Big West Council voting advantage of 6-3.
That matters to schools like UCSB and UCI which have been constantly frustrated by the frugality of their Cal State brethren."
"UC San Diego has the biggest athletic budget ($33.3 million) among the Big West’s nonfootball schools.
An enrollment of 45,273 — second largest in the nation for NCAA Division I schools that shun the gridiron — has allowed the Tritons to get rich quick with student fees.
UCSB’s budget of $33.2 million is a close second even though its enrollment of 26,133 is just a little more than half of UC San Diego’s. UCI’s budget ranks third in the Big West at $31.4 million.
The Cal State schools all rank below that — some far below. Bakersfield brings up the rear at a paltry $18.7 million.
The Big West has coddled its cheapskates by mandating none of the investments in recruiting, scheduling and other enhancements that upgraded the WCC into a two-bid conference in NCAA men’s basketball."
CSU's are teacher colleges that dont offer professional degrees that build wealthy alumni (MD, Law, Pharmacy, Dental, VET, etc.) or interest from corporations who want to pour $$$ into the campus for research and ultimate PhD's, etc.
UC's dont pull $$ from the General Fund, they have their own guaranteed funding mechanism much higher than the CSU's who wrestle for funding from the same paltry pool as the DMV.
Sac State joining the BW is saying we belong to the sisters of the poor D1 like minded CSU's who have laughable athletic facilities, funding or desire. Not to mention 1950's era academic infrastructure and deferred maintenance on these buildings going back a decade.
UCSB and SD are right in wanting to distance themselves from this public perception nightmare. However, Sac State embraces it to save airfare.
UC's dont pull $$ from the General Fund, they have their own guaranteed funding mechanism much higher than the CSU's who wrestle for funding from the same paltry pool as the DMV.
Sac State joining the BW is saying we belong to the sisters of the poor D1 like minded CSU's who have laughable athletic facilities, funding or desire. Not to mention 1950's era academic infrastructure and deferred maintenance on these buildings going back a decade.
UCSB and SD are right in wanting to distance themselves from this public perception nightmare. However, Sac State embraces it to save airfare.
Yeah because the Big Sky was loaded with wealthy schools just crushing it on the athletic side of things. We're moving from a one bid conference spread among 6 different states to a one bid conference with all but one in-state member. This isn't more complicated than that for us. The crying about the UC's being "dragged down" by the CSU's in the article is just your typical UC arrogance. The discrepancy in funding between the two systems isn't a new issue so this is all just crying over spilled milk. I did like the backstory on how UCSB didn't have the balls to maintain a football program, that was a nice touch.
If SMC bails then what is the outlook of the new look WCC with UCSD and what would it look like with the further additions of UCI & UCSB. WCC will lose a lot of its clout with Gonzaga and SMC gone. Hard to see the membership changes being worthwhile if both the WCC and BW are one bid leagues.
I'm also curious to know if the current WCC members pour a bunch of funds into athletics. Aside from MBB, is the WCC notable in any other sports? Exchanging underfunded CSU's for underfunded privates with a looming enrollment cliff seems like a move just to placate egos.
If SMC bails then what is the outlook of the new look WCC with UCSD and what would it look like with the further additions of UCI & UCSB. WCC will lose a lot of its clout with Gonzaga and SMC gone. Hard to see the membership changes being worthwhile if both the WCC and BW are one bid leagues.
I'm also curious to know if the current WCC members pour a bunch of funds into athletics. Aside from MBB, is the WCC notable in any other sports? Exchanging underfunded CSU's for underfunded privates with a looming enrollment cliff seems like a move just to placate egos.
