Is SUU leaving the Big Sky for the WAC?

[CatGrad-UMGradStu]

Thanks. I'm sitting here flipping through games on television today watching the Coastal Carolina-Georgia Southern game and just got off the phone with a kid who played in Statesboro about the time the WAC got too big to effectively manage anything. Amazing how all of the Group of 5 conferences keep restructuring. A lot of folks my age feel the WAC could easily become the same mid-major basketball power and provide good football as the Missouri Valley. I suppose patience is key now to see how many small schools continue playing football after all of this. Wish the Nevada-Wyoming game would be shown tonight...

I got the Wyoming-Nevada game on CBSSN, followed by the UNLV-San Diego St game.

Over here in West Dakota all we got on CBSSN was that freaken Boise State game...

 

[SWeberCat02]

https://twitter.com/MattBrownEP/status/1336069811437268993?s=19

 

[Hoops watcher]

So why would SHSU and SFA leave the established conference they are in? Did I miss that the WACers want to go FBS? SUU and FBS don't belong in the same sentence.

 

[AZGrizFan]

So why would SHSU and SFA leave the established conference they are in? Did I miss that the WACers want to go FBS? SUU and FBS don't belong in the same sentence.

Well the only guy who had the inside scoop apparently died recently, so we’ll never know.

 

[alabamagrizzly]

So why would SHSU and SFA leave the established conference they are in? Did I miss that the WACers want to go FBS? SUU and FBS don't belong in the same sentence.

Well the only guy who had the inside scoop apparently died recently, so we’ll never know.

That shouldn’t have made me laugh.

 

[dbackjon]

I think the WAC is planning to poach a few of our bottom dwellers. By that I mean the schools with the worst facilities, lowest budgets, and lowest chances of doing anything about it. I can think of several programs they might target. I think they are planning to have at least 6 FCS football plaing additions. If they can't pull this off, they will likely fold up shop. I think they will go after west coast schools first. I think that NCU would be a last resort. I'm not sure that anyone really wants them. I can see them going after SDU, SUU, DSU, CD, Sac, Polly, and maybe PSU.

I'd add NAU to the list; more likely than PSU.

Let's not add NAU to the list.

 

[dbackjon]

Think I'll head over to the SUU fan site to see what they think. Wait, they don't have one. A fan or a fan site. Where's that north dakota guy with all the realignment theories when we need clarity on all of this?

He passed away over the summer

 

[oldrunner]

I'd add NAU to the list; more likely than PSU.

Let's not add NAU to the list.

They went south east. Now UVU becomes the outlier in the WAC. I don't see this as a money saver for SUU, but it does put them in with schools more like themselves. They never were going to compete consistently in the BSC anyway. Dixie will surpass them in budget, fans and market in a very short while. UVU has a bigger market and potential budget than most of the WAC schools. The two schools most likey to leave the WAC are UVU and NMSU. Now, with the potential ousting of all FBS programs from the NCAA, the landscape for NCAA D1 football is changing, probably for the better.

 

[EverettGriz]

So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen goodbye!!!!!

I'm just damn giddy!!! Goooooooood riddance. Now there's about 6 friends it'd be great if you took with you.

 

[UTGrizFan]

Just got wind of this and honestly I think overall this would be a good move for both Big Sky and the WAC moving forward as I never really been a fan of a single West FCS Conference. Personally based on the available info I think this would be the best for both conferences breaking down like this:

BIG SKY
Montana, Montana State, EWU, Idaho, Idaho State, Weber State, PSU, Sac State, UNC, Denver/Seattle?(Basketball Only)

WAC
SHSU, Lamar, Abilene Christian, Stephen F Austin, SUU, UC-Davis, CalPoly, Dixie State, NAU, UVU (Basketball only)

Would be two 9 team Football Conferences making it easier to schedule games against FCS competition to assist with playoffs (hell could even play 3 teams from each conferences for OOC) and somewhat geographically aligned with a Northwest and a Southwest Conference. Also Weber could still schedule SUU every year for the rivalry game.

Went with only FCS schools as I feel that is a lot more justifiable/likely then convincing NMSU to move down or getting D2 schools to pay the $$ to move up. San Diego is another option as well but they seem content to sit in a mediocre conference with insane travel. Granted though I still have a little bit of hard time believing all four of those Texas schools would leave the Southland for the WAC. Also I don't know shit about basketball so couldn't really think of any other members to add to the Big Sky just went off geography

 

[Pounder]

What I’m hearing... the Louisiana schools in the Southland have been in financial crisis since before the pandemic, and the Southland has gone into defense mode to try to shore them up at the expense of other schools wanting to grow. There might also be some animosity with a couple of the Texas private schools, who have overly political triggers.

That makes 5 schools with established programs. The WAC will need a 6th to ramp up football. Any guesses?

 

[SWeberCat02]

What I’m hearing... the Louisiana schools in the Southland have been in financial crisis since before the pandemic, and the Southland has gone into defense mode to try to shore them up at the expense of other schools wanting to grow. There might also be some animosity with a couple of the Texas private schools, who have overly political triggers.

That makes 5 schools with established programs. The WAC will need a 6th to ramp up football. Any guesses?

The WAC already has FCS football playing members Dixie St and Tarleton St. That makes 7, enough for an FCS conference.

 

[Kadeezy]

Think I'll head over to the SUU fan site to see what they think. Wait, they don't have one. A fan or a fan site. Where's that north dakota guy with all the realignment theories when we need clarity on all of this?

He passed away over the summer

Are you talking about SiouxFan?!

 

[kemajic]

Just got wind of this and honestly I think overall this would be a good move for both Big Sky and the WAC moving forward as I never really been a fan of a single West FCS Conference. Personally based on the available info I think this would be the best for both conferences breaking down like this:

BIG SKY
Montana, Montana State, EWU, Idaho, Idaho State, Weber State, PSU, Sac State, UNC, Denver/Seattle?(Basketball Only)

WAC
SHSU, Lamar, Abilene Christian, Stephen F Austin, SUU, UC-Davis, CalPoly, Dixie State, NAU, UVU (Basketball only)

Would be two 9 team Football Conferences making it easier to schedule games against FCS competition to assist with playoffs (hell could even play 3 teams from each conferences for OOC) and somewhat geographically aligned with a Northwest and a Southwest Conference. Also Weber could still schedule SUU every year for the rivalry game.

Went with only FCS schools as I feel that is a lot more justifiable/likely then convincing NMSU to move down or getting D2 schools to pay the $$ to move up. San Diego is another option as well but they seem content to sit in a mediocre conference with insane travel. Granted though I still have a little bit of hard time believing all four of those Texas schools would leave the Southland for the WAC. Also I don't know shit about basketball so couldn't really think of any other members to add to the Big Sky just went off geography

Pulling SacSt away from Davis and CPSLO makes no sense. CMU to the BSC makes the best geographical sense; a lot of bus trips; would be economical.

 

[alabamagrizzly]

He passed away over the summer

Are you talking about SiouxFan?!

UNDfan

 

[Griz til I die]

Just got wind of this and honestly I think overall this would be a good move for both Big Sky and the WAC moving forward as I never really been a fan of a single West FCS Conference. Personally based on the available info I think this would be the best for both conferences breaking down like this:

BIG SKY
Montana, Montana State, EWU, Idaho, Idaho State, Weber State, PSU, Sac State, UNC, Denver/Seattle?(Basketball Only)

WAC
SHSU, Lamar, Abilene Christian, Stephen F Austin, SUU, UC-Davis, CalPoly, Dixie State, NAU, UVU (Basketball only)

Would be two 9 team Football Conferences making it easier to schedule games against FCS competition to assist with playoffs (hell could even play 3 teams from each conferences for OOC) and somewhat geographically aligned with a Northwest and a Southwest Conference. Also Weber could still schedule SUU every year for the rivalry game.

Went with only FCS schools as I feel that is a lot more justifiable/likely then convincing NMSU to move down or getting D2 schools to pay the $$ to move up. San Diego is another option as well but they seem content to sit in a mediocre conference with insane travel. Granted though I still have a little bit of hard time believing all four of those Texas schools would leave the Southland for the WAC. Also I don't know shit about basketball so couldn't really think of any other members to add to the Big Sky just went off geography

Pulling SacSt away from Davis and CPSLO makes no sense. CMU to the BSC makes the best geographical sense; a lot of bus trips; would be economical.

Who is CMU?

 

[tgreseth]

Pulling SacSt away from Davis and CPSLO makes no sense. CMU to the BSC makes the best geographical sense; a lot of bus trips; would be economical.

Who is CMU?

Carnegie Mellon University
or maybe
Central Michigan University
or maybe
Colorado Mesa University?
but most likely
Central Washington University

 

[dayday]

Pulling SacSt away from Davis and CPSLO makes no sense. CMU to the BSC makes the best geographical sense; a lot of bus trips; would be economical.

Who is CMU?

Probably means central Washington. I think NAU could be invited but would they go? I am not sure as they have a history in the Big Sky. I think if NAU goes it does make it more attractive for New Mexico State to think about the drop down as they are not financially able to sustain a losing independent FBS team.

 

[kemajic]

Who is CMU?

Carnegie Mellon University
or maybe
Central Michigan University
or maybe
Colorado Mesa University?
but most likely
Central Washington University

The winner! My bad.

 

[dancingNMSUaggie]

Montana fans acting like the Big Sky is superior to the WAC hilarious. The WAC teams in Olympic sports overall are better than the Big Sky. NMSU would destroy Montana or Weber or whatever school wins the Big Sky in basketball. Our horrific football program would smoke Montana. I gotta give you guys credit filling a stadium with 25000 fans to beat up on D2 football schools. Too bad your administration can’t grow a pair and move up to FBS football.

When’s like the last time you guys won a bowl game??? Asking for a friend. :lol:

2017. Arizona Bowl in front of 40000 people.