Will it be possible for either Sacramento State or Northern Colorado (or both) to join the WAC as all-sports full members within the future, despite of currently being affiliate members on their respective specific sponsored sports in the upcoming academic season? If so, then it would be open for the Dakota schools (NDSU, UND, SDSU, USD), Nebraska-Omaha (with football to be restored) and Southern Utah as possible candidates to join. Unless the WAC plans to continue to search for fresh ones from the west side of the South Central and Midwest areas within D-I FCS, D-I NF and/or D-II.

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Florida State Seminole fan for life (mostly on football, basketball and baseball)!

Article out of the Kansas City Star providing some insight as to why the 'roos made the jump to the WAC. Some of the points include hosting of the WAC bball championship tourney, waiver of entrance fees, and full payment by the WAC of UMKC's Summit League exit fees.

http://www.kansascity.com/2013/02/14/40 ... tball.html

But here's the real reason near the end of the article, from their AD: “Competitive success matters,” Hall said. “We need to put ourselves in a position to win more frequently, sooner . . . "

Ncaa,
I like your take on that move with the Dakota schools. If you grab them, then that also opens the door for the Montana schools (Montana, Montana St.) plus Portland St. and Northern Arizona U. too! That would give the WAC a good core of what? - 10 or 12 football schools?

If it were to occur, then yes, it would be possible for other West region schools, like the Montanas and Northern Arizona, to join up the WAC, to re-instate football, but as an FCS conference. Unless these other schools plan to upgrade their stadiums' capacity to at least 30k-40k to make it FBS material. However, the Dakota schools (UND, NDSU, USD, SDSU) might be great candidates for the MVC if the MVFC should be absorbed by it.

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Florida State Seminole fan for life (mostly on football, basketball and baseball)!

I understand that Idaho is going Big Sky for all non-football sports and the Sun Belt for football-only. New Mexico St seems to be staying in the WAC for all non-football sports going to the Sun Belt for football-only. Would it be more likely that NMSU get an all-sport invite by the Sun Belt or a non-football invite to another conference like the Big Sky (which I think would be the best option)?

I believe that within a few years to come, New Mexico State should leave the WAC to either join the C-USA or re-join the Sun Belt.

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Florida State Seminole fan for life (mostly on football, basketball and baseball)!

Idaho is a short bus trip for several schools in the Big Sky. NMSU is not.

The Big Sky being at 14 schools counting Idaho also means there really isn't room for NMSU.

I assumed(nothing to back it) that NMSU will get a all sports invite when/if Western Kentucky leaves to the c-usa.(or what ever team leaves if it's a sun belt school.)

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Fan of:
Sun Belt Conference
Summit League
Us National Soccer Team

With the MVC taking Loyola from the Horizon League, the WAC could be in a position to feast on the remains of the Summit League. For example:

Horizon adds Oakland and IPFW to get back to 10 schools, leaving the Summit at 7 (DU, IUPUI, UNO, NDSU, SDSU, USD, and WIU). Since IUPUI, Denver, and South Dakota do not play baseball, and UNO is still transitioning, this leaves the Summit short 3 baseball programs and puts the conference's status in danger. Chicago State and SIU-Edwardsville both decline, and NJIT isn't willing to accept unless if they are guaranteed that the conference would have enough with them.

The WAC moves in and takes South Dakota, South Dakota State, and North Dakota State to get to 11 for 2014. All three begin working on recruiting North Dakota from the Big Sky. The WAC tells UNO and Denver to hang tight.

North Dakota agrees to leave the Big Sky for the WAC on the condition the WAC sponsors FCS football. The WAC then adds Cal Poly SLO and UC Davis for football only. Utah Valley announces plans to begin playing football and women's lacrosse, with the latter to join the MPSF.

The Big Sky then adds Denver, who avoids the awkward situation of returing to the WAC, and provides a travel partner for Northern Colorado.

Either the WAC or Missouri Valley Conference adds Western Illinois and UNO. The WAC allows the Missouri Valley Conference the right of first refusal in exchange for the MVFC's support of the WAC getting an automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs.

Big Sky (*non-football member)

North - Eastern Washington, Portland State, Idaho*, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State
South - Sacramento State, Weber State, Northern Arizona, Southern Utah, Northern Colorado, Denver*

WAC (# plays FCS football, $ plays men's soccer) [without UNO and WIU]

Western - Seattle$, CSU-Bakersfield$, Utah Valley#$, Grand Canyon$, New Mexico State, UTPA$
Central - Chicago State$, UMKC$, North Dakota#, North Dakota State#, South Dakota#, South Dakota State#
Football/Soccer Only - Cal Poly SLO#, UC Davis#, UNLV$, Houston Baptist$, San Jose State$, Air Force$, Oral Roberts$, Denver$

Eastern Illinois moves men's soccer fromt the Summit to the MVC.

WAC (# plays FCS football) [with UNO and WIU]

Western - Seattle$, CSU-Bakersfield$, Utah Valley#$, Grand Canyon$, New Mexico State
South - UTPA$, UMKC$, UNO$, Chicago State$, WIU$#
North - North Dakota#, North Dakota State#, South Dakota#, South Dakota State#
Football Only - Cal Poly SLO#, UC Davis#

MPSF Men's Soccer reforms with UNLV, Houston Baptist, San Jose State, Air Force, Denver, and Oral Roberts. Eastern Illnois moves Men's Soccer from Summit to the MVC.
(Oral Roberts Men to MVC

Love the preview you just made. But I think that the Horizon should also take IUPUI so that IPFW could have a traveling partner along with Oakland. And the Big Sky should invite the remaining Dakota schools (or North Dakota to the WAC from the Big Sky if the Dakotas go to the WAC), along with Nebraska-Omaha (but not as a non-football member, suspecting that it should re-instate football). Maybe the Big Sky (because of Idaho) could try upgrade to FBS status if its members plan to do so, as long as each school has the FBS football stadium minimum requirements (i.e.: 30,000 seats) and inviting New Mexico State for all sports. As far as Western Illinois goes, they should join either in the MVC or the OVC.

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Florida State Seminole fan for life (mostly on football, basketball and baseball)!