At what point does the WAC become a good option?

shaft · July 14, 2011

The WAC is in desperation mode adding unproven fcs-move ups to stabilize the conference. But at certain point the possibility a Texas focused division becomes appealing for UNT. So at what point does the new WAC become a good option for the Mean Green.

oldguystudent · July 14, 2011

Apparently, it's when the Gauchos join.

H-towngreen · July 14, 2011

When Hitler learns how to be more tolerable of others.

MDH · July 14, 2011

The only thing appealing is beating UTSA and Texas St to shut them up, and we can do that by scheduling OOC games.

Green2012 · July 14, 2011

The WAC is in desperation mode adding unproven fcs-move ups to stabilize the conference. But at certain point the possibility a Texas focused division becomes appealing for UNT. So at what point does the new WAC become a good option for the Mean Green.

Well some of this can be attributed to Clinton when he promoted more lax lending standards to meet Community Reinvestment Act goals. The repeal of the Glass Steagall Act didn't exactly help either as this created the "Too big to fail" banks we all became familiar with. Promoting low income/sub-prime mortgages to private banks in MBS's under Bush didn't help either. GSE's abusing their implicit guarantee to not fail from Congress was also no bueno. I mean lets face it. Not everyone has the means to be a homeowner and that shouldn't be forced upon people that should remain renters for life. The fed lowering interest rates to 1% after the dot com bubble clearly helped formulate this artificial housing boom that couldn't be sustained forever. The answer to your question is never. As the WAC continues down its path to desperately add new subprime additions (that have no business being in FBS or homeowners for that matter) to its failing family you can expect to see people continue to jump ship just like our own US banks were betting against America before the housing bust. After that happens the new subprime additions that received adjustable rate mortgages will default on their loans as it was clear all along that they were overvalued and never AAA quality. This will in turn require them to return to the Southland and into a deep recession. I imagine T.state or UTA's president (or whoever is now involved in this diluted conference) will gather its university and convince they must spend more to fix the problem and to get back to their ever short glory days in the WAC. Recent history shows this won't work and they'll end up worse than where they were most likely causing them to play D3 football for many years.

Edited July 14, 2011 by Green2012

oldschoollefty · July 14, 2011

The WAC is in desperation mode adding unproven fcs-move ups to stabilize the conference. But at certain point the possibility a Texas focused division becomes appealing for UNT. So at what point does the new WAC become a good option for the Mean Green.

Somewhere between when hell freezes over and when pigs fly.

GreenFlag · July 14, 2011

When it becomes stable and exclusively southwestern in membership. The core of TSU, UTSA, UTA, NMSU, La Tech is nice but Seattle, Utah State, Idaho, & San Jose State just don't work for geographical reasons alone.

There are the numbers for a Sun Belt like conference in the southwest but there would need to be a "gang of 8" like bolt from both the Sun Belt and the WAC. That imaginary conference would be ok but you would still face a stability problem and be precariously close to a numbers problem if 1 or 2 members were to bolt. That would put you in scramble mode again to add teams and you would most likely have to leave your footprint to do so. That would put you right back where you started.

The Sun Belt keeps looking better all of the time. Very stable, improving commitmentment, and ability to add if there are defections. I would be very happy to have Texas State and UTSA in the fold as well.

So the "Gang of 8" would be:

UNT

Texas State

UTSA

New Mexico State

La. Tech

Ark. State

UL(L)

And then you would have to add:

Lamar (8) or a long shot of SHSU (9)

Nice and regional for sure but you are at the minumum of 8. If you had a defection or two who the heck would you add to keep it regional? Would SHSU be ready to move up? Would you want SHSU? I'll answer that, no you wouldn't. Would the Sun Belt members want to bolt? Probably not.

I can't believe I just posted this crap, football season can't get here fast enough.

Edited July 14, 2011 by GreenFlag

UNTflyer · July 14, 2011

When Hitler learns how to be more tolerable of others.

From 0 to the Godwin Singularity in record time!

UNTflyer · July 14, 2011

Never.

DeepGreen · July 14, 2011

I can't either. Why not join the Southland and call it a day?

UNTLifer · July 14, 2011

What's going to happen to the Southland?

Lurker · July 14, 2011

Somewhere between when hell freezes over and when pigs fly.

When frozen pigs fly in hell? Just guessing.

The WAC is in desperation mode. They are adding any school they can find just to prop up the conference. Football team? Not required. Do you have any teams that play D-I sports? Good enough! Here's your uniform patch and signs for your stadium. No stadium? We'll find one for you to rent.

GTWT · July 14, 2011

The only way the WAC becomes a good option is if it adds enough quality members that it can split into eastern and western divisions. That doesn't seen likely.

The SBC is a lousy choice but it may be the only choice we have at present. It must be remembered that the best program in the SBC will never be considered anything better than mediocre by the rest of the world. It must be remembered that our university will be judged by the company we keep. In the SBC our 'peer' universities are third-rate athletic programs and 4th-rate academic schools.

UNT needs to be doing everything possible to move up to something respectable. That's not the WAC (at least not right now) and it's certainly not the SBC.

eppy4life · July 14, 2011

Hey, I'm just happy the Sunbelt is no longer the entry level FCS conference.

GTWT · July 14, 2011

Hey, I'm just happy the Sunbelt is no longer the entry level FCS conference.

You're right - now it's the WAC. Before we get too pleased with ourselves, when was the last time a time moved up from the SBC?

shaft · July 14, 2011

Green2012's housing bubble analogy is interesting but flawed. When was the last time a team dropped out of D1/FBS?

These new fcs move-ups might not have enough "equity" in their sports program, but no one is going to kick them out of FBS.

PlummMeanGreen · July 15, 2011

I would think the SBC needs more of a Texas presence, but I don't think Wright Waters has the family jewels to pull that trigger albeit Karl Benson just spit in the face of the SBC and North Texas by adding a school in our backyard. Hey UTA'ers, this is not about you on a personal basis since it wasn't you all that pulled this trigger.

IMHO, the FBS leagues that will fare best in the future will be the ones whose leaders will look the devil in the eye and say: "I don't give a rats behind what other people think, we're adding Texas State and UTSA because of how it strengthens "OUR" conference." (That will never happen with today's SBC).

On the other side of the coin of doing the aforementioned is if North Texas pulls a TCU and distinguishes itself apart from the rest of the Texas pack. How? That's why we pay people the big bucks to go outside the usual box and figure it out. HINT: A relentless blitzkrieg to the powers that be of the MWC would be one helluva' start IMO. We're closer to all the MWC schools than UH for that matter and there are no other Texas schools with as easy travel access (with close proximity airports) than the University of North Texas.

Green2012 · July 15, 2011

Green2012's housing bubble analogy is interesting but flawed. When was the last time a team dropped out of D1/FBS?
These new fcs move-ups might not have enough "equity" in their sports program, but no one is going to kick them out of FBS.

I didn't expect anyone to really take it all too seriously. But kudos hardass. You win the prize.

All About UNT · July 15, 2011

That's When

Aquila_Viridis · July 15, 2011

Regional who cares? If we can't make a rivalry with UH we may as well give up. I hope I never have to read another post on here pining away for a rival in San Marcos or San Antonio or San Arlington. How about San Nacogdoches or San Huntsville?

Texas Stranger · July 15, 2011

So at what point does the new WAC become a good option for the Mean Green.

When UH, Tulsa, SMU, Rice, and Tulane rejoin it.

foutsrouts · July 15, 2011

Regional who cares? If we can't make a rivalry with UH we may as well give up. I hope I never have to read another post on here pining away for a rival in San Marcos or San Antonio or San Arlington. How about San Nacogdoches or San Huntsville?

Don't forget San Beaumont. LOL!!

Albatross · July 15, 2011

If we go to the WAC I will quit being a Mean Green fan. Damn that conference sucks.

Eagle1855 · July 15, 2011

It's time to stop pretending we're that much different than UH. They've got a little bit of history on their side and a head start, but there's no reason we shouldn't view them as a peer institution on just about every level. Texas Tech, too. Without the Big 12, Tech wouldn't have ever enjoyed the successes they have.

Texas State and UTSA are nowhere near UH or Tech's caliber in anything so why people continue to worry about either of these schools or programs is beyond me.

I'm glad for Texas State and UTSA's fans, but we should set our sights higher.