WAC General Realignment Thread

freaked4collegefb · **Joined:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:37 pm **Posts:** 7101

Jon Wilner blog article discussing SJSU and future of the WAC at http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegespo ... re-is-soon

JPSchmack · **Joined:** Sat Mar 21, 2009 10:21 pm **Posts:** 851

freaked4collegefb wrote:

Jon Wilner blog article discussing SJSU and future of the WAC at http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegespo ... re-is-soon

Interesting how Wilner makes it sound like the CUSA/MWC "affiliation" may not be a full merger. According to EVERYONE involved, it's only a "non-merger" for TV contract language reasons (i.e. by dissolving both conferences and creating a new one, they can start fresh on TV deal negotiations); but the combination of the two leagues into one conference is DEFINITE.

Fresno St. Alum · **Posted:** Wed Mar 28, 2012 6:21 pm

UTA might back out of the WAC

http://www.theshorthorn.com/index.php/s ... t-join-wac

SJSUFan2010 · **Joined:** Mon Dec 06, 2010 7:52 pm **Posts:** 470

Fresno St. Alum wrote:

UTA might back out of the WAC

http://www.theshorthorn.com/index.php/s ... t-join-wac

Sun Belt and Southland? I guess he can't come out and say he might have to go back to his ex and beg her to take him back. Though, if Benson still wants another non football to offset UALR then here's his best chance.

tkalmus · **Joined:** Fri Sep 10, 2010 11:40 pm **Posts:** 1043

SJSUFan2010 wrote:

Fresno St. Alum wrote:

UTA might back out of the WAC

http://www.theshorthorn.com/index.php/s ... t-join-wac

Sun Belt and Southland? I guess he can't come out and say he might have to go back to his ex and beg her to take him back. Though, if Benson still wants another non football to offset UALR then here's his best chance.

If UTA is backing out it means they'd stay put in the Southland (which probably means UTSA and/or Texas St are going to join the Sun Belt or MWCUSA), unless another conference (like the Sun Belt) is going after them.

tute79 · **Joined:** Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:25 pm **Posts:** 1510

the WAC is a very bad place to be right now.

Not sure they even will have a commissioner, ince Benson moves over to the Sun-Belt.

Seattle and Denver may not have had so much to lose by signing on for this mess,
but a few schools had a secure hom and decided the WAC was a greener pasture....
I thought the WAC was going to be carved up by the MWC and the SunBelt a year ago.
Now it appears it is ready to happen.
It appears UTSA, Texas St., UTA, and Boise St. may have made bad choices leaving a stable conference for the WAC.
How this ultimately shakes out will answer the question.

If the MWC no longer sponsors FB, and MWC schools play as CUSA FB affiliates (as the CUSA West FB division),
I see the MWC adding 3 to expand to 10 in the immediate future.
SJSU, USU, and Boise St. to the MWC. SJSU and USU would play FB in the CUSA West, along with Hawaii.

CUSA would need to add 2 [all-sports including FB] schools in the immediate future to get to 10 for the CUSA FB East.
Those 2 would likely come from: North Texas, La. Tech, Texas St., UTSA, FAU, FIU (I think they recently said they don't think an invitation is coming).

The Sun-Belt will likely lose 2 FB schools. Benson will likely re-stock from: UNC-Charlotte, Georgia State, and / or WAC schools such as UTSA, Texas St., La. Tech, maybe even NMSU.

Idaho, Seattle (no FB), Denver (no FB), and UTA (no FB yet) are in scramble mode.
Not sure who would take them:
Idaho (Big Sky maybe ?)
Seattle (previously rejected by WCC, would WCC take them if BYU leaves for Big XII ?)
Denver (I always htought they might fit well in Summit, maybe Summit could add them with North Dakota)
UTA (retreat to SLC, or MAYBE Sun-Belt takes them to "balance out" the other non-FB school UALR).

There's always the Great West (shudder...)

Speaking of Great West, anyone heard whether UTPA got favorable review from SLC ?
SLC may want to sit tight, and see if some "prodigal sons" including UTA and others want back in....

SJSUFan2010 · **Joined:** Mon Dec 06, 2010 7:52 pm **Posts:** 470

I think Benson has probably offered soft landings to any school that needs it in the event that the WAC is dismantled. I think Denver is headed to the Summit after all the trickle down from the A10 expansion. Utah St and SJSU are probably getting into the MWC. NMSU, Tex St, UTSA, La Tech or whoever is left after C-USA expansion will probably be invited to the Sun Belt by Benson. After the next big round of expansion, some of those schools probably won't even remain in the conference anymore anyway, so it's just temporary. UT-A apparently will head back to the Southland or may squeeze into the Sun Belt.

That leaves Seattle, Boise St, and Idaho.

The best thing would be for the three to be invited to the Big Sky and everyone will be happy and have a home. In reality, the Big Sky might not take non football members and Idaho is unlikely to downgrade. If Idaho can find a non football home, I think Benson would offer Idaho a football home in the Sun Belt. Boise isn't getting any favors from Benson as it's their fault the WAC fell apart anyway.

What makes this even more interesting is if Boise State has to leave the Big East to go back to the MWC. If they're out and the AQ is dropped in the coming months, why even bother with the Western division. They might come calling for the likes of ECU, Tulsa, Southern Miss, or whomever they can get out of C-USA at this point. SDSU might be asked to leave. Once again the Big Sky's decision is key to the next step of realignment.

tute79 · **Joined:** Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:25 pm **Posts:** 1510

I think we agree on a lot of it.

Whether or not the Sun-Belt can take in the entire remnants of the WAC (and possibly UNCC and Georgia State)
will depend on how big MWC and CUSA want to grow at this time, and how many of the WAC / Sun-Belt teams they poach first.

If the ultimate structure is that CUSA sponsors the FBS FB for both conferences,
and the MWC becomes a non-FB conference and it's schools are CUSA FB affiliates,
then Boise St. (minus FB (FB in Big East)) + Hawaii (FB only, other sports in Big West) conveniently = 1 all-sports school.
That is why I see Boise St. (minus FB) possibly re-joining the MWC with USU and SJSU to create a 10 team league,
They could even bring in Idaho and UTEP for 12. Who knows what they are thinking.

Fresno St. Alum · **Posted:** Thu Mar 29, 2012 2:03 pm

tute79 wrote:

I think we agree on a lot of it.

Whether or not the Sun-Belt can take in the entire remnants of the WAC (and possibly UNCC and Georgia State)
will depend on how big MWC and CUSA want to grow at this time, and how many of the WAC / Sun-Belt teams they poach first.

If the ultimate structure is that CUSA sponsors the FBS FB for both conferences,
and the MWC becomes a non-FB conference and it's schools are CUSA FB affiliates,
then Boise St. (minus FB (FB in Big East)) + Hawaii (FB only, other sports in Big West) conveniently = 1 all-sports school.
That is why I see Boise St. (minus FB) possibly re-joining the MWC with USU and SJSU to create a 10 team league,
They could even bring in Idaho and UTEP for 12. Who knows what they are thinking.

I've said this. But if we're only taking 1 for other sports SDSU is far better than BSU other sports.

I said if we can't be 1 conf of 16. Then let SDSU, BSU, AFA(if they go to the BE) be MWC members. If they want keep Hawaii for all sports and bring back BYU for other sports(if they want). that's 10/12 w/o diluting the product. Then for fb you figure CUSA would bring in 2 more full members. FIU, UNT. so MWC bball(10 to 12) CUSA bball(10) CUSA fb(18)

Fresno St. Alum · **Posted:** Thu Mar 29, 2012 2:15 pm

MWC
Fresno
Nevada
Colorado St.
New Mexico
UNLV
Wyoming
Air Force
Hawaii (If Hawaii stays fb only put BYU there)
SDSU*
BSU*

CUSA
UTEP
Rice
Tulsa
Tulane
S.Miss
ECU
UAB
Marshall
FIU
UNT

CUSA fb
West
Fresno
Nevada
Hawaii
UNLV
Colorado St.
Wyoming
New Mexico
Air Force
UTEP
East
Tulsa
Rice
Tulane
S.Miss
UAB
Marshall
ECU
FIU
UNT

If AFA joins the BE in 2015 keep their bball in the MWC and either add USU or SJSU or move UTEP to the MWC and add UTSA to CUSA. If AFA says no again then leave Fresno in for Bball and replace them w/ SJSU to keep an all sports school in CA.

Fresno St. Alum · **Posted:** Thu Mar 29, 2012 2:24 pm

If they stay 2 and don't allow schools for other sports. Like the Pac and CA being in the north/south, my theory(w/ the 1st) is both sides would want to be in texas to help recruit

MWC
Fresno
UNLV
Nevada
Wyoming
Colorado St.
New Mexico
Air Force (SJSU or USU replaces them when they leave)
Hawaii(if they don't stay w/ 9 for bball)
UTEP
UNT

CUSA
Tulsa
Rice
Tulane
S.Miss
ECU
UAB
Marshall
FIU
UTSA
La Tech

Fb would be MWC=West, CUSA=East

Option 2
MWC
Fresno
Nevada
UNLV
Colorado St.
Wyoming
New Mexico
Air Force (if they leave either move UTEP to the MWC and put UTSA in CUSA or take Idaho)
Hawaii
Utah St.
SJSU

CUSA
UTEP
Tulsa
Rice
Tulane
S.Miss
ECU
UAB
Marshall
FIU
UNT

tute79 · **Joined:** Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:25 pm **Posts:** 1510

I guess this will all go down in early June.

BCS hopes to finalize the new format by then. MWCUSA will want to wait and see what impact loss of AQ's has on Boise St. and SDSU decision to stay in BE FB.

If Big XII is going to expand (rumors seem to involve Louisville and BYU), Neinas indicated it would likely happen once his replacement is named.
I think Chuck Neinas was thinking about disengaging around the April time frame.

You absolutely want to have realignment in place by June 30th, or NCAA makes you wait another year.

So maybe MWCUSA could announce their intended structure with the initial 16 in the near future,
but their expansion may want to wait until the other stuff is resolved (which could leave them with more desirable candidates).

pounder · **Posted:** Tue Apr 03, 2012 3:20 pm

Fans in Boise (I can't say if this is a majority or not, never try to judge that on message boards) are trying to convince themselves that the Mountain West will want them back- without football- if the WAC self-destructs.

Of course, the majority are in line with the "football is what really matters" theory. It's funny how they've made their own bed.

The oddest part of this- they would semi-routinely come close to selling out, or outright selling out- basketball games in their 12,500-seat arena when they were in the Big Sky. Duly note that football, while a 1-AA national champion in 1980 and finalist in 1994, wasn't what it is now. Once they started the climbing into the Big West and then the WAC, crowds went DOWN.

So I'm left to wonder if the basketball crowds would get better back in the Big Sky (except there's a rumor that the Big Sky doesn't want BSU back because of the income discrepancy between BSU and the rest)...

...or who really wants them. Perhaps they buy their way into the Big West?

Of course, many are still begging for the school to make the threat to the Big East- "give us a western division or we walk." Could that be a bluff to get called?

Fresno St. Alum · **Posted:** Wed Apr 04, 2012 3:46 am

looks like UTSA wants a date w/ the MWC or CUSA in case we don't join CUSA as 1 group. We had dates w/ USU and SJSU recently.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/coll ... 454274.php

Fresno St. Alum · **Posted:** Wed Apr 04, 2012 4:26 pm

News from the WAC Presidents :twisted:

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=451&f=2368&t=8879894

WAC General Realignment Thread

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