Fresno & The Wac

[MeanGreen61]

Fresno Bee article

http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/06/19/1977111/boeh-needs-to-channel-the-duke.html

Fresno State now finds itself on the cusp of an eight-school WAC: The Bulldogs, San Jose State, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah State, Idaho, New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech.

Simply put, for Fresno State to view such a hodgepodge of dispersed, poorly funded programs as a permanent home is to accept Division I intercollegiate athletic suicide.

[MDH]

The Barkboard is undergoing a state of hysteria at the moment, a few are even calling to drop down to FBS....

[NT80]

Fresno Bee article

http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/06/19/1977111/boeh-needs-to-channel-the-duke.html

Fresno State now finds itself on the cusp of an eight-school WAC: The Bulldogs, San Jose State, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah State, Idaho, New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech.

Simply put, for Fresno State to view such a hodgepodge of dispersed, poorly funded programs as a permanent home is to accept Division I intercollegiate athletic suicide.

Sub UNT for Fresno in that quote and that's how many NT fans feel about being where we are now too.

Edited June 20, 2010 by NT80

[NT71]

Based on the article it would seem to me that the WAC is about to implode as Fresno reconizes you can not stay with underfunded programs and hope to get further in the climb to athletic excellence. And many of them will be scrambling to go either into other conferences such as Sunbelt or lower level competition like The Big Sky or Southland or other conferences that would be close the respective universities or colleges.

For those of us who have been around and remember the Big West going to the WAC makes as much no since, been there done that and no thank you.

There are only two conferences that make since in moving up the MWC and the Big 12-2.

However, where do I think we will land? One of three places: a hybrid of Sunbelt/CUSA; the CUSA; or remain in the Sunbelt since there was no additional conference movement from CUSA teams to other conferences.

[GrayEagle]

First of all you have to consider where the article came from. The Fresno Bee is noted for sensationalism. It may be owned by the National Enquirer.

In 2009, playing in this underfunded conference, Fresno State had a surplus of 2.1 million dollars. To put that in perspective, Boise had a surplus of $90K. Two others in the WAC had surpluses; San Jose State with $888,000 and La Tech with a microscopic $3,895. But remember, La Tech has one of the smallest operating revenues in the FBS. Underfunded, but profitable.

Five of the programs had revenues of more than $20 million, often considered the benchmark for an FBS budget. So it's not just money that makes a program successful. Fresno State, with the second highest budget in the WAC, made a good profit...err surplus. I'm sure that Boise wasn't solely responsible for that surplus so Fresno could look forward to good years even after Boise's gone. I think that it's just the Bee's way of saying we need in the Mountain West.

Does that mean that the WAC is stable? Not on your life. With only eight teams and little replacement prospects they can't afford for anyone to stumble. The only schools in their geographic area worthy of replacement is a FCS team...Montana. They have been strong on the field, strong in attendance, and have a good basketball program as well. Other possibilities are Montana State (13,000 attendance) and UC-Davis (10,000 attendance). That's pretty slim pickings.

For now, Fresno is just going to have to be happy being the dominant member of the WAC (maybe along with Hawaii). It could be worse. They are making money and their dominance could lead to the MWC the way that Boise was able to accomplish.

[Cerebus]

Sub UNT for Fresno in that quote and that's how many NT fans feel about being where we are now too.

So we should pay millions in SBC exit and WAC entrance fees to wind up exactly in the same soup?