If I were an AD at a WAC school (other than Tech), I would not vote to expand in the central time zone. Based on geography, I would probably vote to add Idaho.
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If I were an AD at a WAC school (other than Tech), I would not vote to expand in the central time zone. Based on geography, I would probably vote to add Idaho.
If CUSA is going to act in say three to five years why would any Sun Belt school other than Idaho want to join the WAC?
At a minimum the entry fee would be $600,000 and the annual increase in travel would be $300,000. If something shakes in three years that means an investment of $1.5 million to be in a conference for three years or worse an investment of $1.5 million to be left behind in a conference that no longer works geographically because CUSA raided out all the neighbors. If its five years then you are looking at an investment of $2.1 million.
It's a terribly kept secret that the WAC will take a run at going to 12 adding UNT, ULL, ASU, and MTSU. Why pay $1.5 million to dump Troy in favor Nevada, FIU in favor of Hawaii, FAU for SJSU, ULM for Boise, the only gain is Idaho for Tech. We would pay $1.5 million to give up the bus trip to UALR? To give up flying to WKY, bussing over to MTSU and flying back for flying to Boise and then flying to USU? We would give up flying to UNO bussing to ULL and flying back for flying to Fresno and flying to SJSU?
The WAC patch isn't worth $1.5 million to $2.1 million for us. If it were going to be a long term home maybe it looks different.
That is fine, ASU. Actually, I haven't seen your school's name in the mix of candidates yet. So, you can stay in the Belt, if you wish.
And that's why I say the WAC will go to 9 by adding Idaho -
The west WAC schools will see it the same way the SBC schools will see it -
I think that the Clausen report will play a part in our decision and I look for that decision to come prior to July 1 -
Seperation is achieved through domination - beat them on the playing fields and courts and try to get everything else in order and then let the chips fall where they may - if we deserve to get into CUSA the next time around we will, if we don't we won't...
You can't go to Disney World and Epcot when all you can afford is Six Flags on a coke can pass -
And this decision should be MONETARY at this point in time - we've had almost four years to get it right why makes anyone think we can solve the compounded problems in 18 to 24 months?
''Don't be a bad dagh..."
ArkStFan - Your post makes a lot of sense. Of course CUSA showed us that common sense has very little to do with today's conference bingo. If the WAC does just go to 9 by adding Idaho, we are still no better off. If they do not or cannot build an eastern WAC, I don't see how Tech can survive by itself. We will continue to sell our souls to the bcs to barely keep our heads above water with no improvements to facilities, marketing, etc. and get passed up again in the next round.
Ah that may explain why the WAC is taking so long on expansion. Wait and see what is going to happen with Tech and then adjust accordingly.Originally Posted by Dwayne From Minden
from Fresno Bee
We'll stay put, vow those left
Conference officials focus on expansion, TV deal.
By David White
The Fresno Bee
(Updated Wednesday, May 5, 2004, 6:10 AM)
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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Expansion, cable contracts, revenue sharing ... and golf.
These topics dominated the Western Athletic Conference's spring meeting of officials, athletic directors and faculty representatives, which ended Tuesday with a friendly round of golf after two marathon days of discussions.
Fresno State, Boise State, Hawaii, Louisiana Tech, Nevada and San Jose State vow to stay in the WAC -- though nothing is in writing -- and make the most of a bad situation (see four defections in six months and 13 since 1998).
How long the truce lasts is anyone's guess. If the Mountain West Conference decides to expand again, it's hard to imagine any WAC teams declining an invite.
"The only constant in college athletics anymore is change," Louisiana Tech athletic director Jim Oakes said. "The WAC has proven to be very resilient and will come out of this just fine."
The top news coming out of meetings in the desert:
1. Forget reports that the WAC and ESPN have a new TV deal.
A deal was all but done two weeks ago, but no more. Negotiations hit a snag when Texas-El Paso announced its departure Friday, two sources said.
ESPN apparently wants to pay less because the Miners' football team and new coach Mike Price leave for Conference USA in 2005. One athletic director described talks as "a little contentious."
WAC commissioner Karl Benson said it's a matter of time before a deal is done.
"ESPN will eventually make the announcement that we have received an offer," Benson said. He declined to reveal figures.
WAC athletic directors voted in April to accept a multiyear, $1 million deal that doubled its number of televised football and men's basketball games.
The soon-to-expire contract was worth $400,000 for a minimum of four football and two men's basketball games per year.
Once the new proposal is signed, expect to see Fresno State play nationally televised football games on Tuesdays and Thursdays. ESPN is offering those nontraditional nights to give the WAC the added exposure it craves.
A related argument has developed over revenue sharing.
Schools with more television appearances -- Fresno State is leading the charge -- want a bigger payout. Not all agree.
Returning members don't want to share appearance money with the four departing schools, all of whom might have to donate their television time during the lame-duck 2004 season.
2. The WAC is not the most unstable conference around.
Just when you feel sorry for the oft-raided WAC, consider: every time it is depleted by Conference USA, it does the same to the Sun Belt Conference, putting the Sun Belt at the bottom of the conference realignment food chain.
In October, the WAC grabbed New Mexico State and Utah State to replace Tulsa, Rice and Southern Methodist.
With UTEP going, the WAC will turn to Idaho, Louisiana-Lafayette or North Texas of the Sun Belt Conference.
The WAC could choose two for a 10-school format, but a nine-school format is most likely. Consider Idaho the early favorite because of geography, though talks have just begun and a decision isn't expected until June.
"You know how much it costs us to fly to Louisiana?" one athletic director said. "I'm not sure adding another team out there makes economic sense."
3. San Jose State expects to stick around.
Spartans athletic director Chuck Bell bristled at the school's recent Academic Senate vote to drop out of Division I-A competition. Same goes for NCAA guidelines that mandate an attendance average of 15,000 to play Division I-A football, starting this season.
The senate passed the same measure in 1993 to no avail. San Jose State interim president Joseph Crowley has said football's 110-year tradition is safe, according to Bell. But, Crowley will be replaced by new president Paul Yu on July 15.
"It means nothing," Bell said of the April 20 vote.
Bell doesn't think the attendance rule will pass legal muster. The Spartans averaged 15,080 last season.
"The NCAA will have to address that to avoid massive lawsuits," Bell said. "We made it last year ... so what? That rule won't stand."
Eleven Division I-A teams did not meet the proposed standard last season, including five from the Mid-American Conference.
4. Rice, on the other hand, could be in hot water.
Although the school's board of trustees announced Tuesday that "Rice should continue to compete at the Division I level," the small private school discussed other options, including dropping football or moving to a lower division.
The concern was big enough to keep Owls athletic director Bobby May in Houston during the WAC meetings.
"It's been awful for football because they've been on the road trying to recruit," said associate athletic director Cristy McKinney, who coaches the women's basketball team. "I had a local girl I signed early and her dad called, and they were very concerned."
5. Louisiana Tech won't face a recall election.
Some athletic directors came to the meetings willing to evict Louisiana Tech, which sits almost 1,000 miles east of its nearest competitor.
Oakes obviously made a compelling case because his peers now sternly reject the possibility.
That keeps the WAC at six baseball teams, the minimum needed to sponsor a sport.
If the number had dipped to five with a Louisiana Tech departure, it would have opened the door for Fresno State baseball to possibly rejoin the Big West Conference -- considered one of the top four baseball conferences in Division I-A.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. The reporter can be reached at dwhite@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6617.
The WAC will vote to expand to nine, the 9th being Idaho, which is a polite way of telling us to take a hike.
Et tu, Brute?
sickening
Et tu, Brute?
sickening[/quote:cf08c0a6f3]
You can just feel the love, can't you ?
Now, if you really read this carefully and think about it after what has just happened....pretty damn funny!
Obviously Oakes worked his magic like he did with CUSA...and you know those WAC AD's wouldn't set up Jimmy like the CUSA AD's did, would they?? YOUR DAMN RIGHT THEY WILL.
I can only hope that Oakes is playing a game of Poker here, too...What I mean is that he was/is trying to buy time until the rest of the Tech admin COME TO YOUR FREAKIN SENSES AND GET US OUT OF THE MESS THAT IS THE WAC AND INTO THE BELT.
What I am saying is this: This scenario is our best option, BAR NONE, and we better had be working on it right now....If not, the sky will start falling.
There is no way in hell that the AD's or the Prez's of the WAC are going to invite anyone east of New Mexico......Not now, not ever again...They have been burned one, two, no TEN TIMES too many times.
Sooooo, to wrap up, let me address those who are counting on an EWAC division ( I can't say EWAC without laughing by the way).
FORGET IT.
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