Boise To...

[MeanMag]

But you have to admit being in the WAC is alot bettr than playing FAU/FIU. The money we save not traveling to their stadiums should help even out the cost of hopefully getting dumped by the SBC.

You can't admit that. If we go west, it better be to the MWC.

I am hoping we hitch our wagon to Baylor. Our 2 teams could deliver a DFW market to some conference, and you have to admit that's what this is about right now. 3 (adding SMU or TCU) teams would deliver even more.

The reason OU, OSU, Texas, and Texas Tech were a package is because of the markets they deliver. DFW is included in that. It wasn't because of politics Tech was included.

If you split any one of those teams off by themselves they gradually lose market share, because the fans of the schools could care less about each other.

The PAC 10 just became a fact of everyday life in this part of the country, much like the BIG 12 was.

Edited June 12, 2010 by MeanMag

[MeanMag]

This means that fans in this part of the country now care about Arizona and Arizona State (to a lesser extent CAL/UCLA/USC/WASH/WASH ST) and will watch any game they play, whether it's against a team they care about or not.

Edited June 12, 2010 by MeanMag

[GreenStreet]

The PAC 10 just became a fact of everyday life in this part of the country, much like the BIG 12 was.

Much like the Big 12 was a power. Whose to say the WAC will not reload. Teams will have to land somewhere. The MWC will fill the Big 12 spot. But if the MWC takes the Big 12 left overs, then there is not a chance in the world, short of creating a new conf that any team in the BELT or WAC moves out in the (right now) era.

[GreenStreet]

This means that fans in this part of the country now care about Arizona and Arizona State (to a lesser extent CAL/UCLA/USC/WASH/WASH ST) and will watch any game they play, whether it's against a team they care about or not.

In addition to all the Nebraska fans in the DFW area, and the Aggies looking to seek out the SEC. The middle part of the country will now experience every college football conference. Genus

[MeanMag]

Nebraska fans in DFW will have a tough time finding their team on TV.

[VideoEagle]

I'll dig up the old threads later, but the former Big West teams don't even draw for each other. We argued this out a year and a half ago, and the average attendance they pull for each other is very unimpressive. They aren't going to bring in a bigger crowd than the one that's already coming to watch North Texas, at least not if the past 5 years of their own gate numbers against each other are any indication.

It's also not helpful that we have to travel more, to more expensive destinations. It hurts us that we'd play a lot of games on Pacific or Mountain (or, Hawaii) time, because it's harder for newspapers to make deadline. And it's less likely that they'll send people to cover us when their travel costs start rising, too.

According to ArkStFan... Now that Boise is gone, the SBC is actually ranked higher in non-AQ BCS money distribution. We'd be getting less BCS money if we jumped ship. In fact, if the SBC kicked us out, they'd be the 2nd best non-AQ league without our program dragging down the league composite score.

Joining the WAC, even a realigned 2 division Eastern portion of the WAC, would gain us nothing, cost us money on multiple fronts, and diminish our already pathetically low level of press coverage.

It was a bad idea when Boise was still in the league, and it's a terrible idea now.

Thank you for saving me typing. I've got to get to sleep so I can watch that Greece vs South Korea match at 6am tomorrow.

By the way, you need to see this cartoon about the demise of the Big XII.

[GreenStreet]

Nebraska fans in DFW will have a tough time finding their team on TV.

ESPN 2 at 11am has a Big 10 team on every Saturday. ABC might even pick them up. The only fans who get hurt in this move, will be those who only turned on FOXSOUTHWEST

[MeanMag]

ESPN 2 at 11am has a Big 10 team on every Saturday. ABC might even pick them up. The only fans who get hurt in this move, will be those who only turned on FOXSOUTHWEST

MWC isn't done expanding. Wouldn't be surprised to see Baylor get an invite. TCU + Baylor delivers TV sets in DFW.

Add Kansas and KState and what you have is the second most watched conference in DFW.

We really should be talking with Baylor.

Edited June 12, 2010 by MeanMag

[TheTastyGreek]

Much like the Big 12 was a power. Whose to say the WAC will not reload. Teams will have to land somewhere.

Reload with who?

Because right now... It's a couple of Sun Belt rejects, a couple of Big West never-did-anything-for-attendance former opponents, Fresno State (which may still end up getting pulled in to the MWC if none of the B12 teams are interested), San Jose State (which had administration threaten to disband the football program at least twice within the past decade), and Hawaii (which couldn't afford to fill their shower dispensers with liquid soap back when June Jones left).

New Mexico State has some fond memories, but not for anyone who graduated within the past 7 or 8 years. And if I had to choose between partnering up with NMSU or WKU, I'll take the Hilltoppers.

And as scary as the Louisiana state funding situation for sports is... It's just as bad for the non-Pac-10 schools out in California.

The WAC is a whole lot of nothing. No value, no prestige, fraught with peril. There is no good reason to jump on that dilapidated, sinking ship.

The SBC is no great shakes, but I'd rather be in the Sun Belt with at least one school that demands greatness (WKU) than stuck in the Rocky Mountain SBC with a different bunch of sisters of the poor.

Making risky moves that don't improve our situation didn't work out in the 70's, and it won't do anything but hurt us now. Either we'll shake out in a better situation, or we won't.

Going for the WAC, today, is the only option out there that actually makes our situation worse.

[NT80]

This means that fans in this part of the country now care about Arizona and Arizona State (to a lesser extent CAL/UCLA/USC/WASH/WASH ST) and will watch any game they play, whether it's against a team they care about or not.

Ah no, won't happen. That is where the PAC10 theory on TV market share is wrong. I won't watch a UCLA-Stanford game over a Arkansas-LSU game. Schools 1500 miles+ away will not convert locals to be hard core fans. There are no Arizona or Oregon St. fans in DFW office buildings to talk up their teams. There are regional alums but not very many west coast alums.

[MeanMag]

Ah no, won't happen. That is where the PAC10 theory on TV market share is wrong. I won't watch a UCLA-Stanford game over a Arkansas-LSU game. Schools 1500 miles+ away will not convert locals to be hard core fans. There are no Arizona or Oregon St. fans in DFW office buildings to talk up their teams. There are regional alums but not very many west coast alums.

If Troy and MTSU were playing each other on TV here, would you still watch Arkansas-LSU?

[VideoEagle]

Ah no, won't happen. That is where the PAC10 theory on TV market share is wrong. I won't watch a UCLA-Stanford game over a Arkansas-LSU game. Schools 1500 miles+ away will not convert locals to be hard core fans. There are no Arizona or Oregon St. fans in DFW office buildings to talk up their teams. There are regional alums but not very many west coast alums.

No, you wouldn't watch a Pac 10 game over an Arkansas-LSU game, but what about a Pac 10 game or George-South Carolina? No the distances and number of alumni are closer to the same, although there are going to be a lot more UCLA and Stanford people in DFW than Georgia or SC. That is a function of a better degree getting the better job. I know ATT actively recruits students with graduate degrees from Stanford.

Alumni of Texas et al will have an interest in the winner of all the Pac 10 games as those games can affect their own teams. Georgia-SC isn't going to affect anything in Texas - not even the Cotton Bowl.

[MDH]

There are no Arizona fans in DFW office buildings to talk up their teams.

They're starting to grow in # a bit. The Californian economy has left Arizona grads looking elsewhere in the southwest. There are also a TON of California transplants in DFW and Austin these days, myself included.

[NM Green]

The difference with the WAC now is that the Texas schools will be out West for the Pac 10, so we are more likely to get coverage by going West this time. We were on a island out there last time. TCU's coverage should pick up too with the big boys headed to the left coast.

GMG

[VideoEagle]

The difference with the WAC now is that the Texas schools will be out West for the Pac 10, so we are more likely to get coverage by going West this time.

What are you putting in your coffee this morning? I'd like some of that please!

[Rudy]

I'll dig up the old threads later, but the former Big West teams don't even draw for each other. We argued this out a year and a half ago, and the average attendance they pull for each other is very unimpressive. They aren't going to bring in a bigger crowd than the one that's already coming to watch North Texas, at least not if the past 5 years of their own gate numbers against each other are any indication.

It's also not helpful that we have to travel more, to more expensive destinations. It hurts us that we'd play a lot of games on Pacific or Mountain (or, Hawaii) time, because it's harder for newspapers to make deadline. And it's less likely that they'll send people to cover us when their travel costs start rising, too.

According to ArkStFan... Now that Boise is gone, the SBC is actually ranked higher in non-AQ BCS money distribution. We'd be getting less BCS money if we jumped ship. In fact, if the SBC kicked us out, they'd be the 2nd best non-AQ league without our program dragging down the league composite score.

Joining the WAC, even a realigned 2 division Eastern portion of the WAC, would gain us nothing, cost us money on multiple fronts, and diminish our already pathetically low level of press coverage.

It was a bad idea when Boise was still in the league, and it's a terrible idea now.

How dare you inject logic for not moving to the Wacky

But you have to admit being in the WAC is alot bettr than playing FAU/FIU. The money we save not traveling to their stadiums should help even out the cost of hopefully getting dumped by the SBC.

Um, no. Despite the travel costs, which were mentioned, why would someone rather watch NT vs San Jose St over NT vs FAU when FAU has been getting some national pub?

Where else is there to go? Granted the WAC is not the best choice, but WAC teams would get CUSA looks before the Belt the teams. And if with all of the Belt teams looking to move out, who would enter, should another school need a home?

How? The Wacky is too far west for the eastern based CUSA.

[LoveMG]

boise made a strong enough program for itself with a wac schedule to get into a bcs bowl and top 10. they could not have done that with an sbc schedule.

[MeanMag]

boise made a strong enough program for itself with a wac schedule to get into a bcs bowl and top 10. they could not have done that with an sbc schedule.

That's speculation.

Don't you think it has more to do with being the only D1 program in a 300 mile radius?

[Rudy]

boise made a strong enough program for itself with a wac schedule to get into a bcs bowl and top 10. they could not have done that with an sbc schedule.

They also had to go undefeated, beat 2 BcS teams a year, and pretty much blow out the Wacky whenever possible. And even then, how many years did it take????

[TheTastyGreek]

They also had to go undefeated, beat 2 BcS teams a year, and pretty much blow out the Wacky whenever possible. And even then, how many years did it take????

Actually, the only time they've ever beaten two BCS teams in a year was 2006, the year they had to play a second one when they took on Oklahoma in a bowl game.

They've usually played one BCS team a year, generally someone like Arkansas (sorry GMG1999) or Washington State, and more often than not they've lost those games. Recent results are better than those at the start of their run at the beginning of the decade.

[Daddy Dumpsalot]

It really isn't.

We can fly into Miami on a direct flight on any major carrier. FIU and FAU are actually a lot cheaper and more convenient than many of the teams we'd have to visit in the WAC.

This is ridiculous...the point is that no one will fly to go see us play these worthless schools.

[MCMLXXX]

This is ridiculous...the point is that no one will fly to go see us play these worthless schools.

As opposed to San Jose State and Idaho (been to the kibbie dome?) I would rather save the money and put it into the facilities, have what media coverage we can get (we would not get it out west), have our athletes arrive back home at a reasonable hour (good for academics), and stay in the SBC than go to Idaho, Nevada, the middle of nowhere Utah (yes I have driven through Logan), San Jose, or Hawaii!!!

[MeanMag]

This is ridiculous...the point is that no one will fly to go see us play these worthless schools.

Get real.

You, like many other fans of UNT, wouldn't fly anywhere to go see us play any school unless it were a bowl game.

If I had gobs of money coming out my ears and could - I'd much rather fly into Miami and drive 1hr max to get to where I need to go.

[CMJ]

This is ridiculous...the point is that no one will fly to go see us play these worthless schools.

It was more to the point that our TEAMS can have a direct flight to these locations. Pay attention.

[UNTflyer]

Just some WAC conference games from last year. Clearly there are three teams that put butts in their seats no matter who they played: Boise St, Hawaii, and Fresno St. LA Tech averaged over 20k for home conference games. Idaho had respectable attendance considering their 16k seat stadium.

The average conference game attendance was 21,583 but the WAC is clearly losing its top draw in Boise State.

Week 3

Boise State at Fresno State - 35,637

Week 5

Hawaii at LA Tech - 21,263

Week 6

LA Tech at Nevada - 11,975

Idaho at San Jose - 15,321

Utah State at New Mexico State - 15,283

Fresno State at Hawaii - 38,556

Week 7

Nevada at Utah State - 15,103

New Mexico State at LA Tech - 20,773

Hawaii at Idaho - 12,763

San Jose at Fresno State - 35,495

Week 8

LA Tech at Utah State - 14,229

Idaho at Nevada - 16,611

Fresno State at New Mexico State - 18,893

Boise State at Hawaii - 37,928

Week 9

San Jose at Boise State - 31,684

Hawaii at Nevada - 13,889

Louisiana Tech at Idaho - 15,236

Utah State at Fresno State - 27,721

Week 10

Boise State at LA Tech - 23,240

Utah State at Hawaii - 31,499

Fresno State at Idaho - 12,418

Nevada at San Jose - 11,103

Week 11

San Jose at Utah State - 13,276

Idaho at Boise State - 33,986

Fresno State at Nevada - 19,331

New Mexico State at Hawaii - 32,628

Week 12

Boise State at Utah State - 18,777

LA Tech at Fresno State - 31,769

Hawaii at San Jose - 18,327

Nevada at New Mexico State - 11,775

Week 13

Nevada at Boise State - 32,642

Utah St at Idaho - 8,532

New Mexico St at San Jose - 10,117

Week 14

San Jose at LA Tech - 15,324

New Mexico St at Boise St - 32,308