Actually San Diego IS part of the UC system (UCSD). San Diego State is part of the Cal State system (SDSU).

Okay, I got confused between CS and UC, but I like I said, I am not a CCAA expert, but at least I know the difference between UC-San Diego and San Diego State. The Pepperdine reference was a sarcastic one directed at the person who for some reason thought that I was confusing CS-San Bernadino with UC-Riverside...

You might be right, the WAC needs eight baseball playing teams to retain auto NCAA tournament bids. All of this realignment has the WAC on potentially shaky baseball ground. Sac State was a member of the WAC in baseball and softball. So, Pepperdine joining the WAC for baseball seems remotely credible. I would see Sac State in the WAC playing baseball and softball again before the Waves though.

Sorry about the off-topic comment here: Is it right that conferences need 8 baseball members to get an auto NCAA bid? The WAC website only lists 6 teams for the 2003 and 2002 years. Have they not worried about an automatic bid because of the perennial strength of Rice, or are they covered by some other rule? I know very little about the baseball world.

The WAC needs six baseball members to get an automatic NCAA berth. Right now, they'll be able to keep it with Fresno, UH, Nevada, SJSU, LA Tech and NMSU.

The Sacramento State Athletic web site reported that its school is CONSIDERING a move to the Big West conference for all sports and playing in a football only conference with future BW member UC davis amongst others. Here is the article:

A multi-use arena, health and fitness center was endorsed today by a campus task force and the President of California State University, Sacramento.

The new facility would house basketball, volleyball and other activities, including commencement. The center will be included as part of a new master plan proposal for the campus that will be forwarded to the CSU Board of Trustees for preliminary approval next week.

CSUS President Alexander Gonzalez said the proposed multi-use facility would draw minimally on state funds, and would be dependent on community and student support.

Gonzalez said, “We’re at square one now. We’re doing our homework in terms of carefully planning this.”

The improvement of facilities was a key area addressed by the athletics task force in its seven-page report, which includes 10 specific recommendations. The group was appointed by Gonzalez last semester.

Two other key recommendations endorsed by the President are to re-evaluate conference affiliation and to have the director of athletics report directly to the President.

The task force also recommended a committee, including community members, be established to study the University’s public relations. The nature of campus and community relations emerged during the study as an issue needing attention. Graduation rates of athletes also came to the attention of the task force along with the need for programs to support student athletes.

With the state and University facing a difficult budget, the task force emphasized the role that the public would need to play in helping improve athletics. The report states, “In the current budget environment, any changes that reallocate funding from other programs at the University will be opposed by the campus (community).”

David Raske, a professor of education who chaired the task force said, “As we noted in the report, a successful athletics program enhances the campus community. Therefore, any budgetary changes that distract from the rest of the University’s ability to serve its mission would be counterproductive.”

The report to the President concludes that each of its 10 recommendations, while specific to athletics, is intertwined with numerous other campus issues including a growing residential student body, public and campus relationships, campus environment, and “continuing the development of an outstanding academic environment which engages and excites not only the mind, but the body and spirit.”

The athletics task force was established in October 2003 and directed to conduct a program review, research issues and needs, analyze program benefits and submit its work by the end of December. The report has since been under review by the president. The task force undertook numerous community interviews and two public meetings.

The 10 members of the task force included faculty, students, staff and the community. They are: Bill Campbell, Cindy Collins, Eric Guerra, Phil Hitchthingy, Equilla Luke, Stephen Perez, Steve Pleau, David Raske, Gloria Solomon and Peter Ucovich.

The full report is available at www.csus.edu/president/athletictaskforce.htm. Media assistance is available from CSUS public affairs at (916) 278-6156.

The school president made some interesting remarks in yesterday's Sac Bee:

http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/8136748p-9068634c.html

If you dare read between THESE lines, perhaps you'll pick up my little guess- that getting an arena built (not a sure thing) means dropping football... not that this matters to the Big West.

Why? Why will football be dropped to build an arena? That is not logical, you are reading something into something that is not factual.

I think that Sac State wants to play in a football only conference with NDSU, SDSU, and some others (northern colorado, UC davis, Cal Poly) that were mentioned in other threads. They just want Big West for all other sports to save on commuting expenses. I do not think they want to drop football.

"As far as I'm concerned, football is here for now unless someone convinces me otherwise," Gonzalez said. "I don't think getting rid of football is the panacea. ... We have to assume that we're in the Big Sky, and we have to beef up that football team, attract the best players we can get, until we look carefully at the Big West."

Doesn't sound to me like football is in trouble.

Here is another...Gonzalez's goal boon for football
His desire for a 'flagship university' seems to require support for the sport.
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 a.m. PST Thursday, January 22, 2004

http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/8141570p-9073424c.html

Did Cal Poly drop football? Why would Sac?

here is the article:

Gonzalez's goal boon for football

His desire for a 'flagship university' seems to require support for the sport.

By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer

Steve Mooshagian and Terry Wanless stood outside the Sacramento State alumni center Wednesday afternoon, the football coach and athletic director just five minutes removed from a news conference about the future of Hornets athletics.

Across the street, a construction crew was hard at work next to the football field, jackhammers hitting the ground some 200 feet from the end zone and scoreboard.

"What are they doing?" Wanless asked.

"Oh, they're building our new field house," Mooshagian said wishfully.

There were no surprises at the event captained by first-year President Alexander Gonzalez, who officially confirmed the recommendations of the 10-person task force he selected in October.

Sac State will be looking to build an 8,000-seat arena for the basketball and volleyball teams and the students. The Hornets may or may not leave the Big Sky Conference for another league. And, unfortunately for Moosha-gian, there are no imminent plans for a field house or any upgrades to the football stadium.

But for Mooshagian and Co., there was hope in the words of Dave Raske, the task-force chair who offered more insight than Gonzalez. Long after the news vans went away, Raske said Gonzalez's vagueness is not necessarily a sign of doom.

"(Gonzalez) never expressed any concern with football or an interest of eliminating it as a sport at this university," said Raske, headed for his car in the parking lot. "I believe it's part of his vision. His vision is to have a flagship university, and that must include football to meet that definition. That's the direction he's led us from the very beginning, and that's what he wants this place to be."

Earlier, meanwhile, Gonzalez again refused to commit to football's future.

"This is my seventh month, and how many edicts can I issue?" Gonzalez said. " ... I don't think it's appropriate yet for me to make any statements like that at all. I have been supportive, been to the games. I'm there. I think coach Mooshagian has done a great job, I think the students played their hearts out, but the circumstances are what they are, and I think we need to look at it very carefully."

Despite receiving no sign of a vote of confidence from the president, Mooshagian said his confidence is "at an all-time high."

Then he let out a couple of secrets, tidbits he said should explain his optimism.

It seems Mooshagian knows Gonzalez in ways he never let on until Wednesday, dating to Gonzalez's time at Fresno State. During Gonzalez's 18 years there, where he began as an assistant professor in the psychology department and left his post as university provost in 1997, Gonzalez was a neighbor of Mooshagian's parents. Mooshagian considers Gonzalez a friend of the family and expects nothing but friendly treatment.

"Dr. Gonzalez is very methodical in his ways," said Mooshagian, explaining why Gonzalez hasn't committed to football's future. "He has his reasons. He's going to take his steps in order, deliberately. And right now, football is not publicly in his order. ... Football is here, and it's here to stay."

Mooshagian -- the victim of bad timing as he wraps up recruiting before the Feb. 4 letter-of-intent day -- also said he has turned down three NFL assistant coaching jobs since the end of last season, positions he wouldn't refuse if he thought football was in danger.

"If I walk out of town, that's when you'll know that football is in trouble," he said.

What's without debate is that football's place is up in the air, at least publicly. A move to the Big West, which does not compete in football, would not necessarily eliminate the sport at Sac State, but the Hornets would either be independent or in search of another conference. Remaining in the Big Sky seems less than desirable for nearly every team outside of football. Players like Billy White, a freshman wide receiver from Granite Bay High School, are unhappy there's any debate.

"It's frustrating," White said. "It's almost like they don't have any confidence in our ability to bring attention to the school. ... The idea of not having football is not really cool."

For coaches like volleyball's Debby Colberg and men's basketball's Jerome Jenkins, it was a day to rejoice.

"The president seems really committed to (facilities), and that's heartening to hear," Colberg said.

"That's good news," Jenkins said by phone from Idaho (the Hornets play at Idaho State tonight). "Now Sac State has some good people who are determined to get this done. As long as Sac State wants me around, I'll take this program higher."

Gonzalez meets with the state university board of trustees next week to approve the master plan, which includes the arena and "the possibility of expanding and making more permanent the stadium for football."

Decisions regarding conference, costs and arena funding, and the future of the school's football program, will be announced "at the latest by the end of the semester," he said

I'm guessing the logic behind an alignment of this nature is related to:

1. Cheaper travel expenses for Sac State's 19 other sports

2. Local Rivalries

Can someone offer their ideas on why Sac would leave the Big Sky for the Big West but keep football in a football only conference?

If Sac State goes Big West, look for SDSU and NDSU to end up in the Big Sky. That would leave Sac State, UC-Davis, St. Mary's, Southern Utah, Cal-Poly, and UNC for the Football only Conf. However the Big Sky might add UNC as well to bring their ranks to 12.

Help me with the math:

Big Sky is 8 members.
Minus Sac State = 7 members.
Add SDSU and NDSU = 9 members
Add UNC = 10 members

Who is UNC and how do you get 12 members?

My bad, meant 10. :-[