Ready For Some Changes

[foutsrouts]

For the sake of argument, a WAC football and back to the Southland in all other sports would be an interesting option. In the Sunbelt, we seem to be inept in almost all sports other than football {excepting '05), soccer, and occasionally golf. The "sleeping giant" school in Denton is really just not competing!

It's pretty obvious that football is THE major prestige sport as far as overall national perception is concerned. The WAC may be a top heavy conference, but to me, it's pretty obvious that the football WAC is a full notch above the Sunbelt in national perception as well as in overall talent. Not to belittle the old MVC, but I think that a WAC football affiliation would be the best conference affiliation in our school's history.

I'll list my positives and negatives of such a move, and please feel free to do likewise.

Positives:

1. The WAC would give us a better football conference with MUCH more national prestige. Conference USA would definitely be preferable, but I think that SMU will find a way to keep us out for years to come. They don't want us to be on equal footing with them athletically, and they have the money and influence to make it very difficult for us. Do payoffs happen these days? Look at past history and decide for yourself! We could use the WAC as a stepping stone. I think that our chances of joining an expanded Mountain West down the road may be more likely than USA.

2. As far as football recruiting is concerned, a game or two in beautiful Hawaii would be very enticing. A more historically established conference like the WAC wouldn't hurt much either.

3. In other sports, I think that we would immediately become a powerhouse in the Southland. The NCAA automatic berth in Southland basketball wouldn't be the pain that it is now in the Sunbelt.

4. As far as travel costs and regional rivalries are concerned, a WAC/Southland affiliation would be much more preferable to me. In WAC football, we would still have only one (LA Tech) reasonable day trip. Currently, LA-Monroe is really the only Sunbelt football team within easy day trip driving distance. As far as other sports are concerned, the Southland has roughly a half dozen schools within day trip driving distance of Denton. This is especially important since we HOPEFULLY will have baseball up and running in a couple of years.

Negatives:

1. The Southland in non-football sports is a step down from the Sunbelt. Maybe. But conference championships and regional rivalries could more than make up for that.

2. The WAC in football requires more travel. Maybe a bit. But we're only talking about four games a year.

3. The WAC may break up and go away. Who knows? The same could be said for the fragile Sunbelt.

4. Recruiting in non-football sports. We might lose a bit because the Southland may be perceived as inferior to the Sunbelt. Possibly. But that may be more than covered by our membership in a superior football conference. The WAC may not be the best in the world, but we somehow need to get on the national map. Nothing else has worked thus far.