WAC? CUSA?

cdawgrun · May 21, 2006

Do we have an option to be in the WAC or C-USA?? It would make more sense...we travel all over the place anyways being in the Sun Belt...(closest opponent is Denver)...if we moved into the WAC we would still be able to compete in football and basketball with San Jose St., New Mexico State, Utah St. and Idaho are similar to some of the league teams we have in the sun belt..But we would have an opportunity to knock off...NEVADA...or Fresno St....would that not be better than just knocking off a team called "Denver" or "South Alabama"..i think it would only help us with our image...and more fan support would follow with a move to the WAC...recruiting would be better..the atheletes we recruit will know the teams by name in our conference...its more known than the sun belt..the move just makes sense to me...but is there an opportunity?

foutsrouts · May 21, 2006

Do we have an option to be in the WAC or C-USA?? It would make more sense...we travel all over the place anyways being in the Sun Belt...(closest opponent is Denver)...if we moved into the WAC we would still be able to compete in football and basketball with San Jose St., New Mexico State, Utah St. and Idaho are similar to some of the league teams we have in the sun belt..But we would have an opportunity to knock off...NEVADA...or Fresno St....would that not be better than just knocking off a team called "Denver" or "South Alabama"..i think it would only help us with our image...and more fan support would follow with a move to the WAC...recruiting would be better..the atheletes we recruit will know the teams by name in our conference...its more known than the sun belt..the move just makes sense to me...but is there an opportunity?
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I agree that we SHOULD have gone to the WAC a couple of years ago. Rumors were very strong that it was ours for the taking. We chose not to. I'm not sure that opportunity still exists today. As for Conference USA, SMU did their usual cowardly "buck tossing" to make sure that we wouldn't be accepted into that conference two years ago.

We do travel all over the place in the SBC, but there are closer teams in the Belt than Denver. Just in football, Arky State, LA-Monroe, LA-Lafayette, Middle Tennessee, and even Troy are all closer than Denver. In the WAC, we would have LA Tech as our closest rival with New Mexico State being around 700 miles away. The rest of them are all a pretty good cruise down the road.

I think it was (is) very short-sighted for us to not at least attempt to join the WAC in football only and find a way to play the other sports in a different conference or as an independent. LA-Monroe has been an SBC football only member for the past several years, and I don't see why we couldn't find a way to do something similar with the WAC. The WAC travel costs in football only vs. the SBC would be negligible in my opinion.

The WAC is clearly a much more prestigious conference and the top half of that conference is pretty much solid Mountain West type material. The bottom half of the WAC is basically made up of SBC refugees. Some people forget that we were conference mates a few years ago with Nevada and Boise State. Those two have nationally recognized athletic programs these days.

Again, I think it is very ignorant to stand pat when and if we have a chance to move up in stature. This is coming from a guy who has been around the program since the late seventies and has seen one opportunity after another slip away. I know that it's easier said than done, but it's time for the powers that be to start thinking big instead of little. If we were in the WAC, other people around the country (and around here) would look at us in a much more favorable light.

On a different note, baseball would be an easy and relatively inexpensive way to get things started in the right direction. I cannot believe that we continue to have no program when we are sitting in one of the most talented high school baseball regions in the country. Sure there has been plenty of talk, but WHEN will it finally come to fruition? Pardon my rambling, but I have a few minutes to burn before the woman gets home and couldn't resist throwing in my couple of pennies. Good weekend to all!

good_ken · May 21, 2006

...(closest opponent is Denver)...

On what map is Denver closer than the state of Louisianna? Travel costs may only be moderatley more expensive for basketball; but they would shut down UNT atheltics for the costs associated with WAC football. Stebo posted some excellent cost predictions about UNT in the WAC; it makes no sense for us.

LoveMG · May 21, 2006

On what map is Denver closer than the state of Louisianna? Travel costs may only be moderatley more expensive for basketball; but they would shut down UNT atheltics for the costs associated with WAC football. Stebo posted some excellent cost predictions about UNT in the WAC; it makes no sense for us.
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it is not football that the costs are too high, that is only 4 road games per season and miami is as far as the west coast. it is travel for softball and soccer and volleyball etc to those places that hurts the budget. but I would break our budget to get out of the sbc.

Edited May 21, 2006 by LoveMG

May 21, 2006

Again, I think it is very ignorant to stand pat when and if we have a chance to move up in stature. This is coming from a guy who has been around the program since the late seventies and has seen one opportunity after another slip away. I know that it's easier said than done, but it's time for the powers that be to start thinking big instead of little. If we were in the WAC, other people around the country (and around here) would look at us in a much more favorable light.
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Ignorant? I'm sure the people who made the decision had much greater knowledge of the costs and other factors involved in making the decision. So ignorance is not really something you accuse anyone of in this instance. Unless it's the ignorance of the fans who blindly say to join another conference because they think it would make us look better, yet have no knowledge of travel costs and other issues that make the decision much more complex.

LoveMG · May 21, 2006

Ignorant? I'm sure the people who made the decision had much greater knowledge of the costs and other factors involved in making the decision. So ignorance is not really something you accuse anyone of in this instance. Unless it's the ignorance of the fans who blindly say to join another conference because they think it would make us look better, yet have no knowledge of travel costs and other issues that make the decision much more complex.
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the same geniuses that retained dickey and slinker?

May 21, 2006

the same geniuses that retained dickey and slinker?
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Again, you can't accuse them of ignorance. Bad decision? Maybe, if that is your opinon.

MICHAELSPAPPY · May 25, 2006

Actually, next year Monroe, Lafayette, Jonesboro, Little Rock and New Orleans makes a fairly compact division for basketball. Other sports that are not similarly divided would be more far-flung.

cdawgrun · May 25, 2006

i agree..its not bad..i think its better than most conferences out there..but id still love to be in the wac or c-usa...but im not complaining too much...atleast its not the southland conference or the swac lol...Any opinions on where we will finish next season??? i'm hearing good things