Boise State

[ADLER]

What if, as speculated on the MWC board, Boise State receives an invitation to the Mountain West after BCS bowl finances are distributed in March? They could leave the WAC as early as this summer with very little financial repercussions.

How would this affect the WAC? How could it affect the other non-BCS conferences? How could it affect North Texas?

Would it be an isolated event or would it cause a chain reaction?

What can North Texas do to prepare for any potential changes?

[Green Mean]

Good question Adler,

After thinking about it I think the one drawback that NT has is the fact that we have a very 3rd rate football stadium. If i'm not mistaken a few years back CUSA rejected NT's bid to get in the conference because the lack of quality facilities. Tho that has changed in almost every sports we have, the most important one football is still the same. If NT had two winning seasons these last two years under DD then I think we would have to be a shoe in to move up because the number of schools to move up is getting watered down so you would automatically think NT would have a decent shot. I think moving to any conference would be a boost and a good thing but all we can do is wait and see what happens to BSU and other schools that would be possible in the hunt for switching conferences. What do you guys think?

[forevereagle]

I don't know if BSU going to the MWC will affect us as much as we would like. Would the WAC look for another team in our geography? There don't seem to be a lot of teams in CUSA that would likely jump to the WAC. Doesn't really seem like a big upgrade for the costs associated with the move. As I recall, NT was mentioned in the last set of conference moves as a WAC candidate and we opted out, if I am not mistaken. I think a conference move that would be more likely to shake things up for us would be the PAC-10 knocking on BSUs door and another team in the WAC or MWC. They may be looking to become a 12 team conference with a championship game. Then there could be a void that may cause enough shake up for us to move on. One team moving probably won't let us see any movement, especially in that area of the country.

[ADLER]

Would North Texas be significantly hampered by not having baseball? If needed, how quickly can a credible baseball program be created? Could a “big name” hire improve that credibility? Who would fit that billing?

[CMJ]

Not having baseball and being non-competitive in practically every sport(other than football) hurt us more than Fouts Field during the last conference shuffle.

[Green Mean]

Would North Texas be significantly hampered by not having baseball? If needed, how quickly can a credible baseball program be created? Could a “big name” hire improve that credibility? Who would fit that billing?

I have just one name and one name only.....THE GREAT RUSY GREER aka THE RED BARON! He would be perfect for this position.

[Green Mean]

Not having baseball and being non-competitive in practically every sport(other than football) hurt us more than Fouts Field during the last conference shuffle.

You may be right but football is the measuring stick practically majority of the universities out there....especially in Texas. The face of a school is usually a football program and with not having a stadium that probably doesnt even compete with several big hs football stadiums and the fact that the football program is still a baby in competing I think thats the biggest factor going into a conference move.

[DallasGreen]

Would North Texas be significantly hampered by not having baseball? If needed, how quickly can a credible baseball program be created? Could a “big name” hire improve that credibility? Who would fit that billing?

I really think baseball is more important to be an overall part of the SBC as we don't now participate. Rice has proved it can help, but SMU has not had a team in years and still got into CUSA. More important than baseball, a football stadium, or any other facility is to have a total buy in by students, fans. faculty, alumni, and Denton of the move being made with the new era of DodgeBall. I have always believed that no matter how difficult we make it to succeed that location would bail us out in the end. We failed to capitalize on SBC dominance mainly because of the distances from our market and the engulfing of the DFW market with overpriced, overhyped pro sports. We now have a local at the helm in Todd Dodge, who really sought the job and wants to be here. If we can continue to build on our recent BB success and convince the students that supporting college BB can be a great entertainment value--we have a shot to move up. It still depends upon dominating SMU, as well as convincing TCU to again come to the table. At least we now have personnel who want NT to succeed and won't whine and moan as to what they don't have, but will instead build upon what they do have, the foremost of which is location. Boise proved last night that a community and good coaching can overcome arrogance and tradition. It's up to us as alums and fans to put up or shut up NOW!!!

[untgirl04]

You may be right but football is the measuring stick practically majority of the universities out there....especially in Texas. The face of a school is usually a football program and with not having a stadium that probably doesnt even compete with several big hs football stadiums and the fact that the football program is still a baby in competing I think thats the biggest factor going into a conference move.

I disagree. While you are correct in that for the state of Texas, football is the primary measuring stick by which people evaluate a program, that is not the case for every other state. When looking at conference alignment, you have to consider all sports equally, or rather, consider the big three: Football, Basketball, and Baseball.

Until recently we have been unable to compete in basketball, and since we have no baseball program, I believe that hurt us more in the alignment than the football team with a mediocre stadium. I'd like to add that since the last conference shakeup, RV has done several things to dress up Fouts somewhat (field turf, jumbo-tron, new paint) so that although it's not a new stadium, it's at least somewhat better.

Now that both our men's and women's basketball teams are somewhat competitive, and we have a softball team, I believe that with just a promise of a coming-soon baseball team we could jump to a better conference--IF, and that's a big IF--our attendance numbers consistantly climb in all sports.

Consider that what conferences really look at is revenue. They'll take a school with a poorer record that travels well over a school with a good record who can't get people to the games. That is in part, I believe, why TCU is in the Mountain West, rather than a BCS conference.

[UNTflyer]

I don't want to go to the WAC. I want to go to C-USA.

[MeanGreenBuzz]

I don't want to go to the WAC. I want to go to C-USA.

I agree 100%.

[ADLER]

I don't think anyone is considering going to the WAC, especially a watered dow version of the current WAC. The WAC could lose more than BSU in the shuffle.

[buff64]

Since baseball is a non-revenue producing sport, it's hard to imagine it being a big factor in a conference realignment. Adding a baseball program would cause the university to add another women's sport as well. No, I'm not anti-baseball.

[MeanGreenBuzz]

Since baseball is a non-revenue producing sport, it's hard to imagine it being a big factor in a conference realignment. Adding a baseball program would cause the university to add another women's sport as well. No, I'm not anti-baseball.

From what I can remember RV already has enough women's sports to add baseball it is just a matter of getting the funding for baseball.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

---The WAC at the moment has a couple of good teams but the rest pretty much on the same level as the Sunbelt. Travel would be more expensive and with the Belt we play teams intermingled with the ACC, SEC, Big-East, and CUSA and get more attention than we would in the Mountain Time zone and beyond. I prefer the Belt over the WAC... the Belt will get better, doubt the WAC will. Basketball and minor sports would kill us financially in the WAC.

---CUSA would be the best for us because of the number of regional (especially Texas) opponents. It would create more fan and media interest in us...(cheaper travel expenses as well) . I really don't think that the current CUSA is much better than Belt however.

Note: --- 50% of the 12 CUSA teams won half or more of their games..... 50% of the 8 SunBelt teams won half or more of their games.....44% of the 9 WAC teams won half of their games or more.

Edited January 2, 2007 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[NM Green]

What we do need to do is get on the horn with Boise and get a home and home series with them. The WAC programs we should try to set up games with include Boise, Fresno, Hawaii and Nevada. Those programs would love to get some Texas exposure and they are all playing competitive football with the big boys. Fresno is the only program that is down right now but they have earned themselves a few tough years if it comes to that.

One of the few drawbacks of losing SMU, Rice and TCU was the fact that they could drag their programs through our lucrative region of the world. Playing any of these programs right now would be good for both sides.

GMG

[ADLER]

I'm not so much asking what people would like to have, I'm asking "what can we possibly attain?" What do we NEED to do in what timeframe to optimize our chances of obtaining our goal?

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

What we do need to do is get on the horn with Boise and get a home and home series with them. The WAC programs we should try to set up games with include Boise, Fresno, Hawaii and Nevada. Those programs would love to get some Texas exposure and they are all playing competitive football with the big boys. Fresno is the only program that is down right now but they have earned themselves a few tough years if it comes to that.

One of the few drawbacks of losing SMU, Rice and TCU was the fact that they could drag their programs through our lucrative region of the world. Playing any of these programs right now would be good for both sides.

GMG

----It would be good for them, maybe us, if the program was Boise and we could compete well with them . (not the others) --- you are saying they get little attention the Mountain Time Zone and that the South/Southeast area teams does get a lot more attention.... We need to stay out of the WAC.

Edited January 2, 2007 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[Green Mean]

I'm not so much asking what people would like to have, I'm asking "what can we possibly attain?" What do we NEED to do in what timeframe to optimize our chances of obtaining our goal?

Adler,

I think first and foremost we need to create a buzz on the field rather than off the field like we have been since november. If that can improve then perhaps we can win 5-7 games this year which certainly wouldnt be a down year in my opinion. If that can happen then more people will want to attend the games....thats key and that will bring in revenue and will look good to opposing teams and conferences. Once that happens maybe there will be more buzz and inclination to attend games in other NT sports and perhaps create some push to bring baseball. The key here is fan attendence and revenue sharing but all this has to be shown on the field. Football I believe is the most influential sport in college sports and if they excel on the field it will be a domino effect of everything else falling to place which will ultimately be a conference move to CUSA, WAC, MWC etc. In the meanwhile of all this happening I think it will only be natural that the stadium planning and construction will be facilitated and expedited but thats not something you can bank on right now because its not a reality at this point.

[forevereagle]

We need to stay out of the WAC.

I think that we can probably rest easy. I don't think that RV is going to be encouraging joining the WAC. The conference is not cost effective. I don't even see too many programs that are in that part of the country being excited about the conference. Hawaii makes it a tough money conference. Not too many programs can afford to make the routine trip out there. If it wasn't for them, there could actually be interest from other programs, just not us.

[Cowtown]

Seems to me from the Wac talk a few years ago that there is something along the lines of if Boise leaves, the Wac is toast.

Had to do with amount of teams and the B-Ball tourney (I think). Where is ArkSt Fan when you need him.

[ADLER]

Good recollection Cowtown:

A conference has to retain 6 same members for the preceding 5 years to get an autobid to the NCAA basketball tournament and for their conference to receive the tournament payout.

If BSU were to leave, Nevada's recent earnings would bypass the WAC offices and be sent directly to Nevada. Other WAC members would not receive anything.

Of the 7 remaining schools, NMSU, Utah State, and Idaho have not been members the required period.

[EagleMBA]

IMHO, what we need is a 5 year plan if we really want to change conferences. It is no time to ditch the Sunbelt when we are bleeding in the water...we need to change conferences from a position of strength. That means reasserting our dominance for two or three years in football, and getting basketball where it needs to be. Both of those sports seem to be moving in the right direction. Along the way, we need to nail a few hides on the barn from teams we were not supposed to beat. The facilities upgrades seem to be making progress. In 4 or 5 years we should be in a position to deal from strength. In the meantime, let's be content to become the best in the Sunbelt. Don't worry, be happy.

Further affiant sayeth not.

[OldTimer]

From what I can remember RV already has enough women's sports to add baseball it is just a matter of getting the funding for baseball.

I am not sure where this baseball program money would come from.....Figure up to $350,000 for the program operational plus the cost of stadium, uniforms, bats etc. When I was VP at El Paso CC they added baseball...and it cost $350,000 to do so. A lot of money for a sport that very few went to there.

[UNTFan23]

We need another sport to go along with Baseball. We added softball so we would be OK with Title 9.