All I've got is a blog, plus some mention on a hockey website that UAA officials are not only geared to build an on-campus arena, but apparently are now talking (despite what the blog says) about building a 10K seater.

http://uaafan.blogspot.com/

The "Aces" being referred to are the 2005-06 ECHL Champion Anchorage Aces.

Of course, if they go D-1 (hockey already is, everything else is D-2), noting that football does NOT seem to be in their plans, where do they go? What conference? Interesting stuff...

Sarcastic answer: the Mid-Con, of course. That's where all the moveups north of the Mason-Dixon line end up.

Slightly more realistic answer: UAA becomes the Big Sky's legendary 10th and non-football member. (Of course, they don't deliver the Denver market (snort) so that's a big minus.)

Real answer: I can't see many existing D-I basketball conferences willingly taking on the travel burden necessary to get up to Anchorage. Pac-10 is out of the question, as would be the MWC and probably the WAC unless UAA adds I-A football. I don't see the West Coast adding a state school let alone one in Alaska. The Big Sky really looks like the best option, and that league is so infatuated with big markets that I really don't see it happening. So my final answer is None Of The Above--UAA would toil in D-I Independent purgatory for an extended period of time, IMHO.

Maybe if they build it as a Fieldhouse type venue (so that they can do basketball, football, gymnastics, and track and field as well as hockey) like Idaho's Kibbie Dome, Syracuse's Carrier Dome, or Northern Iowa's UNI Dome, the Big Sky or even the Pac Ten might take a good look at them.

The Student body at UAA is larger than Oregon's, Oregon State's or Washington State's.

if they dont add football i dont think anyone would take them.

So far, I have half a potential conference... at least by my reckoning.

Alaska-Anchorage (moving on up)
Denver (escaping the Sun Belt)
Portland State (assuming they drop football)
Southern Utah (football stays in Great West)
Utah Valley State (becomes a very happy bunch)

Must find three more. Even better to find five. I'm assuming this bunch doesn't squeeze anyone out of the current Big West or West Coast.

There is one thought:

We've assumed that Cal-State Bakersfield will end up in the Big West. What if San Jose State drops football first?

Does the BW go to 11? Does UC Irvine subsequently die in a bizarre gardening accident? :D

Does the BW land SJSU as 10 and advises CSB to make their own luck?

Is there a 12 for the BW?

Well, even with Bakersfield, I'd need two more, and want four more.

One more thought in passing... if UAA goes up, will Fairbanks follow?

EDIT- Guess I'll have as many thoughts as I can muster. In this case, I'm probably full of it. However, I find the tone of this article on the Western Washington football website to be kind of odd, especially for how long it goes on about the departure of North Dakota from the NCC.

http://wwuvikings.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/062206aaa.html

I swear I see a wink and a hint in there.

Of course, it's highly likely I'm full of it.

I would think UAF would move up with UAA simply because they will be awfully isolated if they don't. Playing two games in Alaska on one trip might be more worthwhile than just one.

The other possibility would be for Hawaii, UAA, UAF, and another Hawaii school (Hilo, Chaminade, etc.) to all be in Division I in the same conference, but I don't know if UH-Manoa would want to be a football independent again, and I doubt the WAC would take on all three newbies.

If enough Division II schools move up, we could see a merger of the Great Northwest and Pacific West Conferences.

Big Sky

UAA and UAF are in different hockey conferences so the precedent is already set.

How about UAA in the Pac-10?

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

The Pac-10 already recruits Hawaii better than Hawaii does, and considers Hawaii a bit too small of a market for consideration. Alaska holds neither Hawaii's recruiting nor population advantages. Answer: no.

Speculation is fun, but let's remember 1 thing: a current BCS conference will never invite a member that is just upgrading to division 1 (if UAA ever even did).

If the Pac-10 isn't inviting BYU, Utah, New Mexico, San Diego St., Fresno St., Boise St., Colorado St...the list goes on...they surely wouldn't invite a non-D1 school. The upgrade process is simple: upgrade to D1, join any conference that will take you, perform well (both on the field/courts and revenue draw), and lobby for an invite to a better conference.

_________________


@ncaasports csi.com/facebook


Like the new CSI Userbar? Feel free to use it here and any other forums.
You can save and host it yourself or link from here.

that said, if UAA upgraded, they would target the Mid-Con but would likely get shut out by them. Their best bet would be to hope that some other western school upgrades and that there was an eventual push for a new conference.

_________________


@ncaasports csi.com/facebook


Like the new CSI Userbar? Feel free to use it here and any other forums.
You can save and host it yourself or link from here.

Much as I would wish it otherwise, Even if any of the Alaska campuses started football and upgraded to Division 1A, they would have about as much chance of joining the Pac 10 as the Dakota schools have of joining the Big Ten or Big XII.

:sigh:

how about a new conference of north dakota state, south dakota state, north dakota, southern utah, denver, UAA, oral roberts, texas pan american, maybe south dakota, and uc davis and cal poly as footall only members.

Wouldn't the distance from Laredo to Anchorage be even longer than the distance from Rushton to Honululu?

I'd actually guess that Ruston to Honolulu would be longer. "Guess" is the key word there... no time to look it up.

I think the Dakota schools are Mid-Con bound, with an eye on the Sky. My previous post shows that a western non-FB conference could eventually be scraped together; figure that if 4 or 5 schools can start the ball rolling, that will bring enough schools out of D-2 to bring it to fruition. No Central Time Zone schools, by my guess.