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Texas, aTm and OU stay in Big XII-2

S

SactoHornetAlum

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Staff member
Those three just announced they will stay in the conference formerly known as the Big XII. Which means Utah will more than likely get a Pac 10 invite, which means the MWC might raid more of the WAC or even C-USA team like Houston or UTEP.

This ride isnt over yet...
 
Kind of surprised by the decision of the remaining Big 12 schools to stay. Still, the shake-ups are far from over.

Houston (CUSA) is upgrading its facilities, would be a prime target for MWC.
Memphis wants out of CUSA and is offering $10 million a season to any BCS conference that will take them, (MWC expansion may give them BCS classification).
LA Tech wants out of the WAC, and wants out fast. Could be a replacement for CUSA if they loose any schools or maybe even Sunbelt bound.
Nevada and Fresno badly want to be in the MWC.

I think there will be many more vacant spaces to fill in the WAC before the end of the summer. Its possible Sac, Poly, Montana, the dung pile and even PSU may be saying goodbye to the FCS in order to keep the WAC afloat very soon.

Then again, I could be completely wrong.
 
I've seen in reports that July 1st is the deadline for many schools to make a decision or face a hefty penalty. Not sure if that holds for the WAC.

Wanless responded to my email and confirmed that the powers that be are definately speaking with the 'appropriate' people concerning the WAC but didn't speculate further.
 
SJHornet said:
Kind of surprised by the decision of the remaining Big 12 schools to stay. Still, the shake-ups are far from over.

Houston (CUSA) is upgrading its facilities, would be a prime target for MWC.
Memphis wants out of CUSA and is offering $10 million a season to any BCS conference that will take them, (MWC expansion may give them BCS classification).
LA Tech wants out of the WAC, and wants out fast. Could be a replacement for CUSA if they loose any schools or maybe even Sunbelt bound.
Nevada and Fresno badly want to be in the MWC.

I think there will be many more vacant spaces to fill in the WAC before the end of the summer. Its possible Sac, Poly, Montana, the dung pile and even PSU may be saying goodbye to the FCS in order to keep the WAC afloat very soon.

Then again, I could be completely wrong.
Click to expand...

If Nevada and Fresno State join the MWC, then I question whether we should move up. We need the traveling attendance from those schools for a successful FCS division launch in my opinion. I just don't think we are going to draw with North Texas coming to town like we would with Fresno State or Nevada.
 
SJ: You might want to check your semantics there. Memphis State is in no way, shape, or form bribing B(C)$ conferences for membership. A local company is doing that, but Memphis State is steering clear of that, at least officially. If the NCAA were to get a whiff of tampering, they might get the SMU treatment for their entire athletic program.
 
Hammerhead Dad said:
If Nevada and Fresno State join the MWC, then I question whether we should move up. We need the traveling attendance from those schools for a successful FCS division launch in my opinion. I just don't think we are going to draw with North Texas coming to town like we would with Fresno State or Nevada.
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I agree. The attendance from the regional conference schools will be the driving force for higher revenue to support the program at FBS. If Fresno State and Nevada leave, the WAC would essentially become an FBS version of the Big Sky.
 
SD: I follow you right up to your last few words. WAC - {FSU, Reno, Boise} = BSC? If you'll remember back about 15 years, the then-I-AA Big Sky was Sagarin-rated higher than the then-I-A Big West. I think an argument could be made that the correct relation would be WAC - {FSU, Reno, Boise} <<BSC.
 
Where would Fresno and Nevada go, the MWC? Both have a very limited media share and Fresno has had it's recent spate of scandals, lawsuits and bad press. Nevada is second fiddle in a very small populated state, did you know the Federal Gov't owns 85% of all Nevada land that is how unproductive it is? I would be hard pressed to see UNR and UNLV fighting for the same dime.

The MWC could go for Houston, NMSU or Hawaii when Utah bolts. Baylor seems locked into the new B12 agreement with the TX/OK schools. And I don't think the MWC would entertain thoughts of UNT, La Tech and FCS newbies TXST or UTSA.

I would think that with declining state funding and travel, SJSU, Fresno and Nevada would welcome a close based school like Sac State to be part of the rotation. Sac State is almost ground zero for three schools and their fans.

All this talk has schools scrambling. What if UM and MSU pull a dark horse and get the invite while the Cali schools are left behind? If the Big Sky adds SUU and the Nowhere Dakota's that really puts us out to pasture. FCS is dead west of the Pecos and any team that is 'trapped' will find it increasingly difficult to schdule and make the books balance. It is almsot paramount at this point to get into FBS or be left out.
 
Okay guys... I've really been thinking about this, and this is how I think things will shake out...

UTAH from the MWC to the PAC-10 : Colorado needs a travel partner and this will nicely round out the conference.

UTEP from the C-USA to the MWC: UTEP is yearning to get out of C-USA and will continue a nice rivalry with TCU

LA TECH from the WAC to C-USA: LA TECH's athletic department is getting killed with the WAC travel schedules/costs. They'll jump at a shot to move to C-USA for more regional match ups. What the hel! are they doing in the WESTERN Athletic Conference Anyways?

Montana/Texas State/Montana State/Sac State/Cal Poly/Portland State/UC Davis (2 of this group) to the WAC: I put these in order of "invite" to the WAC, not necessarily "acceptance". I don't think we're as high up on the wish list as we think we are. The WAC may get crafty and try to add both Montana schools. I know there's some athletic department infrastructure and logistical nightmares with some of the schools ahead of us in my scenario, but I still think this is where THEY view US.


FSU and UNR stand pat.
 
What about UNT? They are building a $78M new football stadium and gotta hate the SB.

I agree with you about our slot, the only reason those montana papers did an article with Wanless was to jump start/ incite panic the montana schools to take this seriously and go. Otherwise they would be losing to a 'lesser' program.
 
So many interesting possibilities and problems concerning realignment

First to SH: yeah, I agree. It would be a major no-no for Fed Ex to offer that much money for Memphis to be "promoted" to another conference. But the money is pretty tantalizing. The money should really go directly to the program in order to make it a BSC-caliber program.

As for Texas State and UTSA, I see them going 1-A, but Sunbelt rather than WAC. It makes more sense regionally. The schools within the WAC are already complaining about massive travel budgets.

As for Nevada and Fresno, I just voiced what has come from their mouths. Fresno is a school that thinks it is bigger and more important than it is. They think they are Pac-10 quality, and live in the delusion that MWC will allow them to show the NCAA that they are one of the nation's best programs. Nevada probably won't go anywhere, and with the addition of Sac and that school down the road, will be a little happier with closer regional rivals.

LA Tech is out at some point, preferably soon. I don't think they will hold out for CUSA. The school is in more serious financial trouble as us from what I've read. I can easily see them going Sunbelt just to save some bucks if they don't get the CUSA invite. LA Tech made sense when the WAC was a 17 school monster with institutions in Texas and Oklahoma. unfortunately for both sides, when the Texas schools, (and OK school), left, LA Tech was left behind as a major outlier.

As for us, I think the Sky will be affected one way or another and we will see a conference change one way or another. If Montana and MSU go to the WAC, why do we stay in the Sky? Especially if SUU and the Dakotas get an invite. It makes sense for us to go to the WAC or find a new FCS conference. The Sky will loose much of that prestige that makes the travel in the conference worth it.

I think Sac has allot to offer the WAC, and vice versa. Sac is a big market, and if the WAC can do what the Sky couldn't and promote it properly, there is some money and exposure to be made. For us, the WAC gives the students, alumni and fans a reason to come to the stadium/arena and turn on the TV, (or computer), to watch the games. I think Sac fans will have far more interest in Nevada, SJSU, Hawaii and the other schools than Idaho State and Northern Colorado, (especially if the Montanas are gone).

That’s enough ranting for now. surely more to come.
 
Kadeezy: LA Tech has been playing out west for years. They were members of the Big West with SW LA for crying out loud. I have the '95 UOP schedule to prove it.

The Kitties have not been mentioned in any of the rumors I've heard for the WAC. All I've heard are Montana, Sac, PSU, and (occasionally) Weber. But I think the Weber rumors only hold if there's still a State of Utah presence in the WAC. If the other Utah school leaves, that kills any shot Weber has.

I thought UTEP was in the Sun Belt. Regardless, I can't see them as being a good fit for a conference as good as the MWC.

As far as Utah to the Pac-10: people I've broached the idea of Colorado State with have literally laughed at the idea of travel partners being important to a megaconference, aspiring or otherwise. I did get one guy at the UOP board to agree. For me, CSU makes a more natural travel partner for Colorado and continues the UW/WSU, UO/OSU, UA/ASU pattern already established in the Pac-Whatever.

GCM: North TX is a great suggestion. They have the best OC known to man (or at least to SH) and would fit in well with others in the region.
 
The more I look into this the more I think the WAC is going to go after an existing FBS team. I would guess one of the following:

1. UTEP - close to NMSU, good fit in all sports
2. UNT - Texas and serious upgrade to facilities - they want out of Sun Belt
 
OH: How is UTEP a good fit in all sports for the WAC? They haven't done anything since they were Texas-Western. North Texas is a MUCH better choice.
 
WAC pays far less than CUSA. It would be a step financially for them. They still put 30,000 butts in the seats and had $10.5M in football revenue. Average WAC football revenue, san Boise, is $4-6M.

Too bad the old Southwest Conference couldn't be revived. It makes perfect sense....

NMSU
UTEP
La Tech
UNT
UTSA
TXST
Houston
 
Super Hornet said:
OH: How is UTEP a good fit in all sports for the WAC? They haven't done anything since they were Texas-Western. North Texas is a MUCH better choice.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Performance from both schools has been middle of the road but CUSA is a much better conference than the Sun Belt. Even if we make them equal on the field the other factors are not even close.

UTEP vs. UNT

Football attendance:
UTEP - 30k / game in 2009
UNT - 18K / game in 2009

Baskeball attendance:
UTEP - over 10K / game
UNT - 2.7k / game

Metro population;
El Paso - 750K
Denton - 118K
 
Apperently everything isn't fine in Big Twelve country yet:

http://tamu.scout.com/2/978071.html

Also, Texas Tech hasn't signed off on the new agreement yet. I think the remaining schools are starting to see the situation they are in, and are resenting the hell out of Texas because of it.
 
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