The WAC's geographic stretch is different, as they are located in Western states, which are big, and teams are inherently spread out. However, they are in a conference that is about as tight as it can get for a third-tier western conference. Even the Big Sky is also spread out, as well as the MWC. Only the West Coast Conference and even the Pac 10 provide the most tightest western conferences, and really, relatively speaking they too are spread out. In the west, you can't help it. But for all those conferences, they are as tight as they can be at their pecking orders in the west.

La Tech is one of two outposts of the WAC. It joined the WAC, when the Sun Belt became a football conference. They were more competitive than NMSU, USU, UIdaho at the time, so they were offered. Hawaii, is a holdover from the teams in the old WAC. La Tech is really the only outlyer.

Its no different than USF in the BE.

But a whole conference of outposts, or a 1/3 or 1/2 of your conference as outposts makes less sense for long-term stability and sustainability. Especially when there is no TV contract involved. The conference, as stated in the article, really is a temporary fix. Sooner or later these teams will find conferences. The most likely opportunity is a potential BE split domino effect.

All of these teams, save maybe NJIT, are already playing each other twice already. This is really nothing more than formalizing the scheduling so that it can be done when other D-I schools are tied up with their conference scheduling. For instance, NDSU and SDSU and UVSC and IPFW are all playing each other twice this season, as they did last year.

Of course the west is spread out and historical development has played a part. And, BC chose to join the ACC, USF chose to join the BE, TCU the MWC, UTEP C-USA, etc. for reasons other than close proximity to most of the competition. In UTEP's case, other Texas schools to play were valued. LA Tech did not want to go back to the Sun Belt and were turned down by C-USA. This being, even if there are no current Texas or other Louisiana schools in the WAC. Geographically detached schools will travel for the best conference they think they can garner.

The involved "Dakota" schools may engage a spread more extensive than many further west.

Arguably, the Big Sky has a sort of base...

Missoula and Bozeman are about 2.5 hours apart (driving time, assuming no winter conditions). Missoula and Cheney, WA are 3 hours apart. Bozeman and Pocatello are 4 hours apart, and Ogden is 1.6 hours south of Pocatello. Well, for the West, those are easy drives. Advice: stick to numbered highways in wintertime.

PDX, Sac State, Northern Arizona, and upcoming Northern Colorado are your outliers... and Portland is about 5 hours from Cheney.

Then you have the WAC. Back in the day, I could get from San Jose to Fresno in 3 hours, and from San Jose to Reno in 4... but the traffic in the South Bay has to be JUST right. Boise is a relatively economical 4.5 hours from Logan. After that, given Moscow, Honolulu, Las Cruces, and Ruston, things are a bit out of hand. I'm also tempted to believe that San Jose to Honolulu might be the only direct FLIGHT in the entire league, but I don't have enough research to back that up. In other words, the Sky is somewhat more sensible in at least two aspects... though I'm not about to assess the flight situation in the Sky.

Meanwhile, Newark to Salt Lake isn't as tough as you might think by air. Fort Wayne, eh, maybe? Fargo and Edinburg and Brookings? Good luck! Mind you, it still isn't cheap.

Thats all understood. The conferences that are always under discussion with them is the Mid Con and the BSC. This is a grouping of schools that already play each other, this is for formalizing scheduling and to give out awards. Northern Colorado will be joining the Big Sky next year, so they are losing a team to double schedule, as well as Texas A & M-Corpus Christi joining the Southland, thus eliminating a doubling scheduling partner for UTPA, and perhaps 1 or 2 of the other 5 schools in this alignment. They need to shore up teams that they know will be there for scheduling during January and February.

There are a number of challenges with it ever becoming a complete conference. On top of that, if one or more teams leave as they get conference invites, it makes it even less stable. The only way it stays stable if no one gets a conference invite, and that is not likely to happen over the next 13 years.

The BSC and the Mid Con, both spread-out conferences, relatively speaking, are the likely destinations for any and all Dakota schools. The BSC is probably the bottom rung D I conference of the West (if not then the West Coast Conference), while the Mid Con is the Bottom rung Midwestern Conference. The Dakotas are not headed for the Atlantic Sun, Big South or the MAAC or the American East, or even the Horizon League, nor the Missouri Valley. There is really no other destination for them at this point in time. Unless this alignment of 6 teams stay together for 13 years without losing a team to another conference. UTEP, La Tech, BC, USF, TCU are not really the same situation, as they are not in a bottom level situation. La Tech can choose the WAC over the Sun Belt, because they are not quite at the bottom of I-A. They've been to bowls before, including the Independence Bowl, which is a higher level bowl with more history than the New Orleans Bowl. UTEP can choose between the WAC or CUSA, TCU can choose between MWC and CUSA, USF can choose between the BE and CUSA and BC can choose between the ACC and the BE. For these Dakota schools, its more like "take whatever conference gives us a home". There's a poster at www.bisonville.com that says that he prefers "the conference that gives the Bison a home, whoever that may be," or something like that. They don't have much choice for conferences in their situation and these I-As really do.

With a potential BE split or a MWC raid of the WAC, a domino effect could take place that makes those two conferences either tighter, or the conference footprint core becomes centered geographically on the teams in the Dakotas, especially the Mid Con. If a large number of BSC teams and WAC remnant teams merge in a alignment together, what could happen is that any remnant BSC teams could merge with the Dakotas, and could create an all-sport Great West Conference out of the Great West Football Conference. If any other NCC teams move up, they would cause the tighter alignments to be centered on the Dakotas. The Dakotas may then only have an IPFW and a UVSC and maybe SUU or a Chicago State as the only long distant conference trips, and all the other conference trips would be with neighboring teams in their backyard who they have played a series with for a long time.

Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Tribune is reporting this morning that the Gophers will play the NDSU BISON October 21 at the Metrodome:

... Indications are that when the 2006 football schedule is completed the Gophers will face Kent State at Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 31, Temple here on Sept. 16 and North Dakota State on Oct. 21. North Dakota State backed out of a previous commitment but negotiations have since resumed. ...

http://www.startribune.com/507/story/205850.html

If true that gives NDSU 2 DI-A games next season, Ball State and the Gophers.

How did Ball State do last year? Is that a winable game?

I think Ball State is winnable. Its a real good game for NDSU. Heres some basics on them and some last season results:

Ball State is in Muncie. They play the Mid-American Last season they went 4-7 and in the MAC 4-4. Out of conference they lost to Iowa 56-0, Auburn 63-3, Boston College 38-0 and Ohio 38-21.

NDSU will have to be ready to give it their all. Until the Gopher game was announced this was our biggest game if only because they are our first DI-A ballclub. They are a 500 team but they are good. We open in Fargo against Northeastern University on 9/16 and then to Ball State 9/23. I think its possible a DII could be added on 9/9 in Fargo. That would be a perfect build up to BSU. If we can get by them or even stay with them the Gopher game might look a little different. Im a very optimistic fan but would have to say we might be overmatched there.

This will take you to BSUs official site, maybe even football!

http://www.ballstatesports.com/football/footballsched/

Heres the MAC site:

http://mac-sports.collegesports.com/

For some of the Homers that might be interested here is the Minneapolis Star Tribune write up on last nights NDSU/Gopher womens BB game:

http://www.startribune.com/512/story/208457.html

Its official NDSU @ Minnesota Gophers, Oct 21, 2006 at the MetroDome!!

Go BISON!!!

Big News from the Mid-Con. :o

http://www.mid-con.com/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=3889

Chicago State to leave the Mid-Continent Conference



ELMHURST, ILL. — The Mid-Continent Conference and Chicago State jointly announced today that Chicago State will withdraw as a conference member, effective June 30, 2006.

The Cougars will compete as an NCAA Division I independent during the 2006-07 school year. However, CSU will play non-conference contests against Mid-Con schools in the sports of volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball.

“We respect the decision of [Chicago State] President Elnora Daniel to relocate Chicago State’s athletics programs and are here to assist in any way that we can in that process,” Mid-Continent Conference Commissioner Tom Douple said. “We wish Chicago State the best of luck in its future endeavors and in the next steps in the progression of its athletics programs.” . . . (read more)