This thread is for specalation on a WAC/SunBelt merger.

IMHO this is an idea whose time will come in some form. If the new attendance rules force 2 or 3 schools in each conference to drop to 1AA, they could merge into 1 conference with an east and a west division. If they are worried about losing some teams, they might merge before 2005.

The merger could be in the form of one conference picking up the peices of the other.


FBfan

Only SJSU is hanging by a thread, the rest of the WAC is very stable as far as requirements go. Both Aggies will need improvement, but will have better attendance in the new look WAC. UC-Davis is building new facilities and could move up before 2010 if San Jose slips. Three Aggies in a single conference, Sounds like a WACky conference.

Bring in Texas A&M and you've got four of a kind. Any other Aggies out there?

North Carolina A&T, Delaware Valley

An article provided by sig757 on the WAC thread (#99) suggested that SJSU's last thread may be unraveling. With UTEP being the leading canidate for C-USA's last spot (see #98 on WAC), my prediction is looking better. Note, if they merge, they can have a championship game. Also, Idaho and LA Tech would have reduced travel cost.

FBfan

Who would attend? Hawaii vs. La Laf or Ark St vs. Nevada is hardly compelling stuff.

If UTEP goes to the CUSA. MTSU and WKU goes to the MAC. You can bet on the WAC and SUNBELT merge. North Texas, Arkansas St., Idaho along with Louisiana- Lafayette will go. What does that leave in the Sunbelt Louisiana-Monroe, Florida-International, Florida-Atlantic and Troy St.

_________________
The Bear may be dead but he still hates Tennessee. Roll Damn Tide

MTSU and WKU MIGHT go to the MAC IF the western schools leave for the WAC. Not the other way around.

The deal being tossed around if it comes to that is throw in Troy and leave out Idaho.

It doesn't matter anyway. There is 0.0001% that it would happen.

UTEP to CUSA. Idaho to WAC. DONE.

KIBBIE DOME!

Kibbie Dome! is no longer a problem. With the requirements as they are, we can meet the attendance number by having one game a year in a nuetral site. Martin Stadium (WSU) is 8 miles away and we can also use Seattle Stadium.

I think Idaho will be in the WAC. It depends on what happens with other schools, but I think that if you add the fact that the WAC will lose at least one to CUSA (whether its UTEP or LaTech), and the fact that San Jose State seems to be very shaky, Idaho suddenly looks like a good addition. It is known that we are not looking to drop divisions or drop athletics. We are committed to remaining 1-A. Attendance requirements (while "Kibbie Dome!" does shout 1-AA) can be manipulated and indeed they are by many schools... Bottom line: Idaho meets the 1-A requirements, they are a good regional school, academics are great, and they fit in the WAC.

I really hope the MWC administration gets their $hit together soon and realizes what a great opportunity we have right now to destroy the Western Athletic Conference.

UTEP will be accepting a CUSA invite in a matter of days. As soon as UTEP accepts that invite it will be crucial that the Mountain West make a bold move to completely destroy the WAC!

Fresno State, Nevada and Boise State should be offered immediate MWC-12 invites the second that UTEP accepts the bid to CUSA-12.

Our main competition the WAC would be absolutely destroyed if that happened, they would be left with Hawaii, Louisiana Tech and bunch of dead weight in between. The WAC would not be able to survive the losses of Fresno State, Nevada, Boise State and UTEP,.... that would be the end of the WAC.

Hawaii would have to go independent in Football.

San Jose State would drop Football and join the Big West.

Utah State, New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech would be forced to go back to the Sunbelt with their tails between their legs.

This a strategic move that the Mountain West leadership must make to secure our spot as a Western Power for the next 50+ years! This is a critical time in the history of College Sports and if we could eliminate the WAC from existence it would do wonders to help the future chances for the Mountain West in all sports!

We must become the MWC-12 right now!

UTEP leaving the WAC and joining CUSA is a major blow to the stability of the WAC. The WAC is ready to be destroyed and the MWC leaders must have the guts to do what has to be done.

These moves must be made for the long term good of the Mountain West, if we take a hit financially in the short term that is fine because we know we will make it up over the long haul.

Adding three schools like Boise State, Nevada and Fresno State may not be something that helps the Mountain West today but it is without a doubt what needs to be done to secure our seat at the BCS table tommorrow.

The Mountain West must make bold moves to secure our future. We must lock up the Western part of the United States so that only two conferences exist out here (PAC-10 and MWC-12), this will guarantee us a spot at the table within 15-20 years. The West is growing at an unbelievable rate and will continue to grow faster than the rest of the country, long term this is good news for the PAC-10 and MWC-12 because it means we will have more recruits available to choose from and to stack our conferences with. It is only a matter of time until the MWC-12 and PAC-10 would completely dominate the collegiate sports world. That is why the WAC must be eliminated, no matter what it takes it must be accomplished. We do not need the WAC sticking around, growing stronger and becoming our competition. The WAC shouldn't even exist.

The MWC-12 could host a Football Championship game in a new Football Stadium that will be built in San Diego California. This MWC-12 Championship may not be a huge success from day one but over time as we build the tradition it will grow and become a great source of revenue for this conference. This Championship game is something that has to be built over time, right now we are wasting year after year of not building this great tradition while other Conferences are only getting stronger and making more and more money.

A MWC-12 Basketball Tournament could become a huge money maker for this conference over time also. It isn't going to sellout 20,000 per game in the first year but if we built the Tournament it wouldn't be long before each of the MWC-12 schools would be bringing 2,000 or 3,000 fans each year and the Tournament would become a huge success! I am talking standing room only for people to attend the event. This won't happen overnite but must be built, each year we waste a great opportunity to build stronger rivalries and stronger Conference Championships.

Imagine Football rivalry weekend at the end of November for the MWC-12 with:

MWC Rivalry Weekend
UNLV vs. Nevada
BYU vs. Utah
Fresno State vs. SDSU
Colorado State vs. Wyoming
Air Force vs. Boise State
New Mexico vs. TCU

We could build rivalry weekend into a great tradition for this conference but that isn't going to happen unless we make the bold move to 12 teams and kill off the annoying WAC!

We without a doubt want to improve our Mountain West Conference image. The way to do that is by investing in the future and making bold moves that will secure us a place at the table, not today but maybe tommorrow. To do that we must lock up the Western part of the United States so that only two major conferences will exist out here.... The PAC-10 and MWC-12!

The 12 of us need to work together to build a great conference, otherwise alone we are going to all crumble. The MWC could be great if it was willing to invest in the future, if it keeps living in the past or is afraid to fight for what is rightfully ours.... we will die a slow death. That is what is happening now, a slow painful death into nothingness.

Kill the WAC Now!

MWC-12

Western Division
BYU
Utah
Fresno State
San Diego State
UNLV
Nevada


Eastern Division
Air Force
Boise State
Colorado State
Wyoming
New Mexico
TCU

Grow some balls Thompson! Do what needs to be done for our future.