WAC looking at eight schools


Jafus (Thinker)

Jafus (Thinker)

Well-Known Member
WAC looking at eight schools
Associated Press

http://espn.go.com/ncaa/news/2003/1020/1642537.html

TULSA, Okla. -- The Western Athletic Conference has identified eight schools as possible replacements after losing three teams to Conference USA.

New Mexico State, North Texas, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Arkansas State, Utah State, Idaho and Middle Tennessee State -- all members of the 15-team Sun Belt Conference -- are under consideration, commissioner Karl Benson said Monday.

"When we did a membership analysis in 2000, those schools at that time were on a list to be considered," Benson said in a conference call with reporters. "I would guess that would continue to be the same list of schools."

Wright Waters, commissioner of the New Orleans-based Sun Belt, said he didn't expect any of the schools to join the WAC.

"What we've tried to do is create a league where people are happy and feel like they have a home," Waters said in the telephone interview with The Associated Press. "We've never put up barriers trying to keep people in. But I think our people are happy."

The WAC will look for schools within that list that are competitive in football and basketball, with primary emphasis on football as the league looks to replace Rice, Southern Methodist and Tulsa.

The three schools announced Friday that they would accept invitations to join Conference USA. That league is expanding in anticipation that Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette and DePaul will join the Big East.

Benson said he was surprised more by the timing of the three schools' announcement than by their departures. He had expected Conference USA to wait on the Big East's next move.

"On the one hand, it does allow the WAC to get a head start in our work to replace these three schools," Benson said.

"We are disappointed that SMU, Rice and Tulsa have elected to make this decision," he said. "However, the core members that are left, the seven schools that are left under the WAC banner, they provide a tremendous foundation to build upon."

Tulsa, Rice and Southern Methodist cited geographical distance between them and the WAC's Western schools as reasons for leaving. Also, they were the league's only private schools and will join a conference that has several private institutions.

Those three schools would join current members Texas Christian, Houston and Tulane to form a western division of Conference USA. The eastern division would be Southern Mississippi, UAB, Memphis, South Florida and East Carolina. Marshall officials expect an invitation to replace Army, which has decided to play as an independent again.

Benson said the WAC hopes to choose its new members by the end of the year, adding at least two more teams for nine members. He said the WAC might consider expanding to 12 schools to address geographical concerns.

Benson said he has been contacted by several interested schools, but he declined to name them.

Louisiana Tech is hundreds of miles from its closest WAC rival -- Texas-El Paso -- and much farther from the conference's western teams. Benson said the conference will not rule out adding teams from the Midwest.

"The board today made a commitment to Louisiana Tech that they will take into consideration Louisiana Tech's location" when choosing replacements, Benson said.

Also, losing Rice leaves the WAC with just five baseball teams, putting its future as a league sponsoring that sport in question.

Many conferences started bracing for realignment when the Atlantic Coast Conference picked Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College from the Big East earlier this year.
 
Most of the schools mentioned are treading water as it is. The travel budget of being in the WAC would kick their arse.
 

Originally posted by PNeck019
Most of the schools mentioned are treading water as it is. The travel budget of being in the WAC would kick their arse.
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Well said. There is not a school here -- New Mexico State, North Texas, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Arkansas State, Utah State, Idaho and Middle Tennessee State -- that can afford to do, year-in and year-out, what Louisiana Tech had to do last week.

What's that, you say? Fly a group of girls to play volleyball in Hawaii -- a WAC-sanctioned event. That's just ridiculous.

None could possibly make enough money from football -- they don't play anything close to the SWAC's money-machine "Classic" games -- to solve such a budget dilemma.

At the very least, a move to the WAC is not going to appeal to UNT, ULM, ULL, ASU or MTSU, with the Texas schools now eliminated. Utah and Idaho are a whole lot closer to Fresno, San Jose, Reno, etc.
 
Guys

This is just the beginning of the great domino game. Youre reading that the WAC is ready to feed on the Sunbelt. Well, the Mountain West is ready to feast on the best of the WAC. The WAC just lost SMU, Rice and another school to CUSA.

I see it like this:

The Mountain West will take a few schools like Hawaii, Fresno State and Boise State out of the WAC.

The WAC in turn will take New Mexico State and Utah State out of the Sunbelt.

Louisiana Tech will join the Sunbelt. Troy State is soon to become a Sunbelt member and, word is, FAMU may one day be a member as well. Florida International, a fledgling football program, is already a member of the Sunbelt in basketball and most likely, if not already decided, will be another football playing school in the Sunbelt.

That's my take and it should be fun to watch. Just sit back and enjoy the DOMINO show.
 
I don't think Tech will join the SunBelt. I really think they would go independent rather than join a conference with ULM. A lot of yall (other than PNeck and the Grambling folk) are aware of the extent of Tech's arrogance. Go to their board and mention the possibility of playing a La school (other than ULL, LSU and Tulane) or a SWAC school and see what response you get.

Tech has boosters who still dream of being on par with LSU and they will put their money up. The only thing they can't do is "buy attendance". I'm surprised they haven't tried to join the MAC which would be a better fit than the WAC.
 
Originally posted by MikeBigg
I don't think Tech will join the SunBelt.
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I don't see them having a choice in the long run. It's already killing them financially to be a WAC member. If you remember a couple of years ago, they played in a bowl game in Idaho and played, I think, Clemson. They played great and lost but more importantly, just participating in the bowl game cost them BIG TIME. They lost money instead of gaining it. Unless CUSA would invite them, where else do they go? I mean, being in the SunBelt would be perfect for them geographically. Travel costs would be much less.

Question for you though since you always seem to offer valuable insight into whatever you add to threads. Can a school like Tech even meet scheduling requirements being an independent considering that in order to remain 1-A you must schedule at least 5 home games against fellow 1-A schools? I mean it's not like they are an independent named Notre Dame.
 
Yes they could pull it off. They would schedule teams out of the Sunbelt except ULM. A longtime rival that they have always played (regardless of what conference they were in) is ULL. I would imagine them working a deal to play North Texas State,Middle Tenn and Arkansas State out of the SunBelt. It's very likely that their old WAC members that join CUSA (SMU, Rice and Tulsa) would keep playing them if at all possible. That's 7 teams right there. The other five will probably include some kind of arrangement with UTEP, Bowling Green (who they used to play), Toledo and possibly try to get something going with UAB, Southern Miss, and University of Houston.

What helps them a lot and make them attractive is the Women's basketball program. There must be some cash in Ruston. I've never seen a city so small with so many banking instituitions, savings and loans, law offices, dental offices, etc.
 
I'm not disagreeing with you but what about money games? That's gonna play a huge part in scheduling. Each one of those schools mentioned, with the exception of the past WAC teams, are gonna have at least 2 and more than likely 3 money games per season to play. Even Tech themselves will play at least that many money games per season. That just makes it that much harder for an independent to make a workable schedule.
 
That was just a list of teams to choose from for the 5 home and home games. Tech can always pick up a money game from an SEC or BIG 12 school or someone from the newly revised ACC.
 
IMO, LA Tech would never go back to the Sun Belt. They were once in that conference and would clearly view it as a step backwards. Tech believes they are big time. They love the idea of playing the Miami's, Michigan State's, and Oklahoma State's of the world. They are trying their hardest to get into a higher league. That's why their schedule in past years have always had at least two BCS schools on it. They jumped at the opportunity to get out of the Sun Belt for the WAC. They knew the cost but don't care. They would rather play Boise State or Fresno State on ESPN rather than ULM, Middle Tenn St, New Mexico St, or North Texas on no TV. They truely believe they are big time and that this notarity has increased their student population to around 12,000. Their highest in history. They will spend the money in order to rub shoulders with BCS schools and those from the mid-major conferences.

And MB, there is a lot of money in Ruston alone. A lot of multi-millionares all over the place.
 
Actually, LaTech has never been a football member of the Sunbelt Conference. Besides a short stint in the American South Conference in the mid-90s, LaTech has been an independent. The current Sunbelt has only had football for 3 years or so.

However, you are right. They do view joining the Sunbelt for football as a step backwards and, honestly, since North Texas is the only team in the conference that has a winning record, how could one disagree?

Like LaTech, all Sunbelt schools schedule at least 2/3 games against BCS schools each year. (i.e. This season ULL played @ South Carolina, @ Minnesota and @ Oklahoma State.) They have to do this in order to survive. I know for sure LaTech is on the road at Miami and Auburn next year. Without those money games, they are in deep d**d***.
 
No, they were not a football member but they were for all other sports. So again, I say they look at the Sun Belt as a step backwards. If they would end up back in the Sun Belt for the sake of football then they would have never left in the first place.

Also, the Sun Belt schools do play BCS teams but they have never beaten them unlike Tech. Tech truely believes that they can compete on a year to year bases. They don't feel that it is just a payday. They think they can win. I think that their mind state at the moment is to ride the WAC until the next step up conference sends them an invite.

I believe that this year's game with Miami was a return trip from a game they play them a few years ago. I may be wrong though.
 
Originally posted by GRAM4LIFE
I think that their mind state at the moment is to ride the WAC until the next step up conference sends them an invite.

I believe that this year's game with Miami was a return trip from a game they play them a few years ago. I may be wrong though.
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These statements are correct.

Just to add to this conversation, here is a excerpt from an article Dan McDonald of the Lafayette Advertiser did on this WAC/SB thing:

Sun Belt, WAC among conferences seeking identity
Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com


THE NEXT POSSIBLE STEPS:

Currently the most prevalent rumor: The WAC remains alive by going after New Mexico State, Utah State and Idaho (and possibly Denver?s non-football program) from the Sun Belt. This solidifies the WAC out west but leaves Louisiana Tech virtually by itself to the east, and leaves the Sun Belt without the required number of football schools.


Not talked about much, but considered a strong possibility by some: The Sun Belt expands its western presence and adds UTEP. This solidifies both sides of the Belt and could lead to other defections from an already-wounded WAC.


The geographical alternative: The Sun Belt jettisons its western teams, the WAC gives up its lone eastern presence (Tech) and everybody settles into their own regional leagues. This only happens after some serious pride-swallowing by everyone involved.
 

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