Has anyone heard any new information on the conference's request to receive a waiver so that it can be immediately recognized as an active D-1 multi-sport conference. They were supposed to discuss this again during an April 12th meeting with the Leadership Council. Obviously, not many folks cover the GWC.. so it is a bit hard to find information regarding it.

Wtih all of the forthcoming losses in the WAC, it looks like the WAC will be either merging with or raiding the Great West just to keep the lights on:

Boise State (Big East Football)
Idaho (Football TBD)
New Mexico State (Football TBD)
Denver
Seattle

The WAC could then add Utah Valley, Cal State-Bakersfield, and UTPA from the Great West to get back to 8 schools. If the Big East takes any more football-only members, it could require them to join the WAC-Fresno State, Air Force and BYU come to mind, even though Fresno State all three would prefer either the Big West or WCC. The only caveat is that the Mountain West would probably take Idaho and New Mexico State, leaving the WAC with basically the same number of members. If things got too bad, the WAC could take Chicago State, and then if things really went downhill, NJIT.

The Great West also has some partal members such as Northern Colorado (Baseball), NYIT (Baseball), South Carolina State (Women's Soccer), Delaware State (Women's Soccer), and Howard (Women's Soccer). Dallas Baptist is scheduled to join the WAC for Baseball only, and Sacramento State already plays Baseball in the WAC.

The WAC could even try to sponsor Wrestling, as Cal State Bakersfield, Utah Valley and Boise State already sponsor it. North Dakota is a member of the WAC in Women's Swimming and Diving and also sponsors wrestling. Northern Colorado, a member of the Great West for Baseball, also sponsors Wrestling. Air Force, Wyoming, North Dakota State, and South Dakota State would also be in the footprint. The Pac 12 would then be down to four schools for Wrestling, one of which is Cal Poly.

@ wbyeager I hope your right. Thats the only way I can for see happening. @ joshadam84 its very difficult when the leaders are mum about the issue.

I contacted a member of the media regarding the meeting that the Great West and there was no action taken for the Great West Conference being an AQ. On the other hand there has been no reports of any type from the WAC about absorbing the Great West.

Even if the WAC is down to Seattle and NMSU, it would be wise to invite all 4 GWC schools, CSUB, UNO, and GCU. They'd have an AQ. NJIT might want to be left off the list. I figure after the CAA raids whoever the NEC and AEC will have a spot for NJIT.

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To support what braves86 said about no action being taken on their waiver request, I finally found the report on the April 12th, 2012 meeting on the MAC website.

http://www.mac-sports.com/portals/20/MA ... erials.pdf


On the bottom of page 2 on the report it specifically states, ""The Leadership Council voted not to support the Great West Conference's request. (Unanimous Voice Vote.)"

At this point I really don't see how the conference will be able to survive without being able to invite D2 schools for membership.

At this point, it's really hard to think of the Great West as a "conference".

A possible outcome may involve NJIT getting an invitation to the AE, once the CAA raids it.
The other guys in the GWC might temporarily merge into the WAC (which may survive briefly as a "scheduling allianace").

If Horizon were to take 3 from Summit, I could see the Summit inviting Denver, UVU, and North Dakota (they'd need a FB home).
Seattle wants the WCC, maybe if BYU went to Big XII that would create an opening.
Boise may jion BW, CSUB would hope to come along on their coat-tails...

Chicago State and UTPA are hoping somebody takes pity on them.

Solutions for Chicago State and UTPA...

Chicago State....Division II Great Lakes Valley or the GLIAC.

UTPA....beg the Southland to take you...

Apparently both schools have had "institutional issues" in the past, that have p.o.'ed their conferece mates.

UTPA may have cleaned up their act. They did have discussions about joining the SLC earlier this year, along with UNO, ACU, and IWU.
UTPA lacks FB. UNO does too, but has made rumblings about adding it. The SLC commissioner has stated that FB is a MAJOR consideration.
So, the SLC decided to advance to the campus visit stage with UNO, ACU, and IWU. All have recently been completed.
SLC may announce how is being invited as soon as this coming week.

Chicago State ? Hmmmm..... Nobody seems to excited about them at this time.

I'm kind of surprised no formal talk with the WAC has happened I could see a a merger working. The wac would be a one bid league but one that could have allot of growing potential in the case of any schools wanting to move up in the west. They could expand with schools in California or Texas.

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No conference seems to want NJIT.

NBC Sports article discussing report that Great West member UVU has apparently received a WAC invite at http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports. ... ce-in-2013

Article out of Las Cruces(previously posted in another thread)with comments from WAC Commish regarding WAC expansion and possible future invites to Great West members Texas-Pan American and Chicago State.Link at http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-sp ... ac-invites

If NJIT doesn't get invited by any of the conferences in its footprint, it could leapfrog Chicago State for the WAC simply because NJIT has men's soccer while CSU does not. Once the WAC has to go east of the Mississippi it really won't matter where the school is located because none of the other members could bus there. The Atlantic Soccer Conference, where NJIT currently competes, does not have an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The WAC could then bring on a school like Adelphi as a soccer-only member. Coupled with Utah Valley starting a program in 2014, this gives the WAC a little more insurance to protect the automatic bid:

Full members (Minimum of 4 required):
CSU-Bakersfield (Soccer from MPSF)
Denver (Soccer from MPSF)
NJIT (Soccer from Independent)
Seattle (Soccer from MPSF)
Utah Valley (new program)

Soccer only members:
Adelphi (Soccer from Independent)
Air Force (Soccer from MPSF)
Houston Baptist (Soccer from MPSF)
San Jose State/Sacramento State (Soccer from MPSF)
UNLV (Soccer from MPSF)

BLAST FROM THE PAST REMIX

WAC: adds Lamar, Seattle, Utah Valley, CS Bakersfield (Too soon on Lamar and add UTPA and GCU)
SLC: adds UTPA, HBU, Abilene Christian (Swap UTPA w/ New Orleans and add Incarnate Word)
Summit: adds Chicago St., N.Dakota, UN-Omaha (too soon on NDU and swap Chicago St w/ Denver)
OVC: adds N.Alabama (too sooon)
AEC: adds NJIT (looking more and more likely, could also be NEC)
A-Sun:adds Longwood, Lincoln Memorial (too soon on Lincoln)

I must admit, that's some pretty good guess work...

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