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LA Tech & the WAC

Sep
02
2010
By
Category: Featured News, WAC Expansion & Realignment

latechlogo LA Tech & the WAC

Let’s face it LA Tech fans, being in the WAC now is a liability & not the advantage it was a year ago compared to the Sunbelt.

Since 2001, LA Tech has been a member of the WAC. Many have questioned their membership as the conference was comprised of schools as west as Hawaii, San Jose and Fresno and north into Idaho. Meanwhile LA Tech remained a member, despite being all the way in Louisiana. That wouldn’t be much different than Boston College being in the Big 12 or LSU being in the Pac-10.

Despite the high costs of travel for every single LA Tech sports program to fly to these WAC school locations, the WAC had something to offer: a better football conference.

Buy “better” is relative.

Since the inception of CUSA, LA Tech has wanted to gain membership. But each time CUSA expanded, they looked at other schools. They added a number of Texas schools such as TCU (now in the MWC), Rice, SMU and UTEP. CUSA also expanded north into West Virginia with Marshall and into Oklahoma with Tulsa. LA Tech never made the cut.

So LA Tech has had (2) real options:
* Remain in the WAC
* Join the Sunbelt

The answer of what to do has for years been easy: remain in the WAC, a superior conference to the Sunbelt, and hope that there is movement within CUSA and an invitation is extended. If LA Tech proved itself a worthy program while in the WAC, then CUSA might make a move.

But with the recent defections of Boise St., Nevada and Fresno St. to the Mountain West conference, the WAC is no longer a superior conference over the Sunbelt.

In the blink of an eye, the WAC went from light-years above the Sunbelt to quite far below.

So if you’re LA Tech, perhaps it’s time to make a move.

In joining the Sunbelt, LA Tech would immediately see the revenue benefits via their travel budget. Despite losing 3 programs though, the WAC still has a better TV contract than the Sunbelt. But for how long?

LA Tech wants to join CUSA, but CUSA has no need to expand now. So if your LA Tech, which home is better right now to prove your worthiness? You can prove yourself to be the top school in the CUSA footprint as a member of the Sunbelt, participating against other potential CUSA candidates like North Texas and Troy, along with others like Florida Atlantic, FIU, South Alabama, MTSU and WKU. Or you can stay in a league that is hoping to get FCS upgrades like Texas St., Montana, UC Davis, Portland St., and Sacramento St…as well as UTSA, a school yet to play a football game.

One thing is clear, the LA Tech administrators have some thinking to do.

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  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/03716145501337728000 Matt Peloquin

    Benjamin, perhaps LA Tech should upgrade their conference affiliation from the WAC to the MAC then. They'd achieve you same alleged primary goal of "separation from the other LA schools" but at a quarter of the cost….and would be in a superior conference.

    Or of course, they could bite the bullet as Nathan said, and join the Sunbelt. Just remember that the WAC of now is a poorer product than the old Big West football conference. You sure that's what LA Tech should be associated with if one is looking out for their best interest?

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/01893617308064596095 Benjamin

    You think the Big 12 will stay at 10. I give it two years maximum before expansion. I disagree 100% with all of you and with the article. Whether the WAC is head and shoulders above the Sunbelt(which it has been for years) or whether it is equal to the Sunbelt(which it will be when all defections are complete), the benefit of being in the WAC is separation from the other LA schools. We will not be clumped together unless absolutely forced to. LSU is separate and we are separate from the rest of the LA schools. Competitively we aren't too far apart, but in the perception of public opinion separate conferences allow us distinction from other LA schools and the well known mediocre conference of the Sunbelt. It is better to be in the former conference of BCS Game Winners than in the conference of New Orleans Bowl Champs.

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/07829911459870773896 Nathan Brice

    The artist formerly known as the Big XII has said that they will stay at 10, and I do believe them. If the WAC drops to six members, which it might after this season, Hawaii would hold the keys to the WAC's future. If it decides to stay, the WAC might make it. If it goes independent, then the WAC is done. La Tech would then go to the Sun Belt and the Mountain West might try to get two of the four teams left from what was the WAC. The Mountain West would go to 12 and two teams are left out in the cold, whoever those are. I can see where you are going with that, Lynn, but I just don't see it happening.

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/09793209079055234968 Lynn

    I would submit that the Big 12 will help La Tech. The Big 12 will not sit tight with ten members and will not give up a Conf Championship Game. You will see after this season ends, the Big 12 move to add two teams (at least).

    Top candidates are Houston, TCU, SMU, and maybe Arkansas. Texas politicians are pushing hard for Houston.

    Whether the Big 12 adds two or four, Houston will probably be included, therefore opening up a spot for La Tech.

    The SunBelt would be better than the current WAC situation, but it seems La Tech has always considered themselves a higher rank than La-Monroe and La-Lafayette. Joining them would give their ego a beating.

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/08141427447547237948 Michael

    I cannot believe UALR would return to the Atlantic Sun (it was the TAAC then).

    As to La. Tech, there is no leadership on that campus. There was no reason to send athletes to the far corners of this country for competition. I think Nathan makes a good point that the Sunbelt moment could have passed them by. Why did CUSA refuse to consider La Tech?

    There could be hope if the western CUSA breaks off to form a conference.

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/07829911459870773896 Nathan Brice

    The Roadrunners cannot join FBS football full-time until 2013. They might be trying to make a play for the Sun Belt going independent in football for 2011. Denver MIGHT be the 10th team in the West Coast Conference, and UALR might be the team to replace a team leaving the Southland Conference, unless they force all their schools to play football. UALR might also look to join to Atlantic Sun, since they are losing Campbell. As far as Louisiana Tech, the WAC has probably taken them as far as they can go. They have tried to hold out for Conference USA, but it does not appear as if it will happen this time. The Sun Belt just makes so much more sense for many, many reasons. They would be wise to consider them.

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/03716145501337728000 Matt Peloquin

    I hear you.

    Along your same line of thought, you can actually say that they might run out of time to even join the Sunbelt.

    As you stated, USA joins and brings them to 10 (12 with UALR and Denver without fotball). But there is UTSA and Texas St. coming into the mix. It seems pretty straight forward that BOTH schools would prefer to be in the sunbelt over the Hawaii/Idaho/SJSU/Utah St/NMSU mix that might add more western (CA schools) or northern schools (Montana).

    If LA Tech doesn't make the move to the Sunbelt, and those 2 schools do, then the Sunbelt is at 12, CUSA at 12. LA Tech would have no option. Because at that point, if CUSA lost a school, forget just North Texas being more appealing (or Temple). You'd have big market UTSA ready to take a spot.

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/07829911459870773896 Nathan Brice

    Lousiana Tech might just need to bit the bullet here. They need to get out of the WAC for many reasons. The Mountain West looks to be stable at ten, whenever that happens. Conference USA looks to be happy at 12. The Sun Belt will be at 10 when South Alabama joins and you can only wonder if they will try to get to 12 with another team, whoever it is. There should be some more movement here shortly and they will have a chance to improve their position. They would be very wise to not make any more trips to Hawaii any time soon.

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