UCLA/USC

[3-7-77]

So what sport are you going to add to become FBS eligible? Because right now you’re not. So forget about this talk to the Mountain West.

Baseball, Hockey, Wrestling would be my choices.

Facts are a bitch. Ya just don't waive that magic wand around and POOF! there is a wrestling program.
http://johnnythompsonnum1.blogspot.com/2020/02/gone-lost-forgotten-their-best-montana_20.html
Thank you, Title IX.


Thursday, February 20, 2020
Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Montana
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was the 1986-1987 wrestling season for head coach Scott Bliss of the Montana Grizzlies. He had recently been informed that the BIG SKY was no longer going to sponsor wrestling & that rival Montana State had announced that this would be their last season on the mat. While his wrestlers were away on a short Christmas break, athletic director Harley Lewis walked into Bliss's office and informed him that due to Title IX violations & not having the budget to field a new women's team plus wrestling that this would also be the Grizzlies last season the mat. Lewis asked Bliss to let his team know when they returned. Bliss informed Lewis that he could tell them himself.

After Lewis left the wrestling room a few days later with the unfortunate news, the team spirit as anyone could imagine was down. Bliss told his team that there was only one thing left to do. Go undefeated in duals the rest of the season and win the final BIG SKY conference title. They came extremely close in both goals. They won twelve of their last thirteen duals, losing out only to Utah State (another program we've lost). They won the BIG SKY title with a record four individual champions. It was the final year of Grizzly wrestling but it was also the best year of Grizzly wrestling.

Harley Lewis didn't care much about the BIG SKY conference title that the Grizzly wrestling team won, but years later another athletic director did. Wayne Hogan was unable to reinstate varsity wrestling at Montana, but he did invite Bliss & the 1987 championship team to be honored at a football game in 2000. He asked Bliss for the championship trophy so that it could be displayed in a case along with the other athletic accomplishments that the school has earned.

Today Montana has a successful club program in the NCWA.

 

[Pounder]

The Oregon and Washington State Legislatures’ will not allow Oregon State or Washington State to be separated from their respective “big”bros Oregon and Washington.

That was law in Washington in the early 60s to get Washington State into the AAWU. It’s not the case in Oregon, the law apparently sunset in Washington, and nobody’s called a special session yet.

The bigger issue is the B1G being told (apparently) by their main TV partner that Washington and Oregon wouldn’t increase their per-school payout. So the only real issue there is whether conditions are created for the B1G to make a power play. Even then, they’ll wait out Notre Dame.

So there’s three Pac-x (I won’t put a number on it for now, because who really knows) schools running rather large deficits, especially Cal. The point for the Pac will be to minimize the hurt. This means, barring another turn of events, the Pac won’t be in position to add more mouths to feed unless there’s a true value. And the TV NETWORKS are only adding value based on markets, not quality of football (Oregon + Washington has 6 championships in the 12 era, USC 1). This is primarily a money game and TV runs sports.

 

[grizpsych]

Baseball, Hockey, Wrestling would be my choices.

Facts are a bitch. Ya just don't waive that magic wand around and POOF! there is a wrestling program.
http://johnnythompsonnum1.blogspot.com/2020/02/gone-lost-forgotten-their-best-montana_20.html
Thank you, Title IX.


Thursday, February 20, 2020
Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Montana
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was the 1986-1987 wrestling season for head coach Scott Bliss of the Montana Grizzlies. He had recently been informed that the BIG SKY was no longer going to sponsor wrestling & that rival Montana State had announced that this would be their last season on the mat. While his wrestlers were away on a short Christmas break, athletic director Harley Lewis walked into Bliss's office and informed him that due to Title IX violations & not having the budget to field a new women's team plus wrestling that this would also be the Grizzlies last season the mat. Lewis asked Bliss to let his team know when they returned. Bliss informed Lewis that he could tell them himself.

After Lewis left the wrestling room a few days later with the unfortunate news, the team spirit as anyone could imagine was down. Bliss told his team that there was only one thing left to do. Go undefeated in duals the rest of the season and win the final BIG SKY conference title. They came extremely close in both goals. They won twelve of their last thirteen duals, losing out only to Utah State (another program we've lost). They won the BIG SKY title with a record four individual champions. It was the final year of Grizzly wrestling but it was also the best year of Grizzly wrestling.

Harley Lewis didn't care much about the BIG SKY conference title that the Grizzly wrestling team won, but years later another athletic director did. Wayne Hogan was unable to reinstate varsity wrestling at Montana, but he did invite Bliss & the 1987 championship team to be honored at a football game in 2000. He asked Bliss for the championship trophy so that it could be displayed in a case along with the other athletic accomplishments that the school has earned.

Today Montana has a successful club program in the NCWA.

Are you suggesting that I didn't know Montana had a wrestling program. I did, and it was good. that is why I picked the sport to come back.

 

[IdaGriz01]

... Are you suggesting that I didn't know Montana had a wrestling program. I did, and it was good. that is why I picked the sport to come back.

Always in favor of collegiate wrestling making a comeback ... saddest "unintended" (who knows for sure) consequence of Title IX. The beauty is, vis a' vis Title IX: Women's wrestling seems to be on the rise, big time. So you could get a relatively cheap two-fer by starting both. Bonus: Wrestling provides fabulous preparation for football, both physically and in terms of technique. One of my best friends growing up did both. Despite being undersized -- even back in that day -- he made All-League #1 at tackle his junior and senior year. It was always a pleasure to watch him drub guys who out-weighed him by 30-60 pounds.

 

[CDAGRIZ]

Thanks. Excuse me while I advise my sports-betting neighbor to go wild on some Big 10 water polo and golf futures.

Big 10 Beach Volleyball Champs

IDK, HHB, that Iowa squad looks pretty tough. Literally. They look like they’ve been in some brawls.

Has anyone heard anything about what Berkeley and Stanford are planning to do?

 

[Berkeley_Griz]

Big 10 Beach Volleyball Champs

IDK, HHB, that Iowa squad looks pretty tough. Literally. They look like they’ve been in some brawls.

Has anyone heard anything about what Berkeley and Stanford are planning to do?

Berkeley is going to try to, in order 1) pitch itself to the B1G, 2) do anything to keep the PAC together, or 3) face an existential question about what football will be going forward. The stadium debt makes things pretty tense, to put it mildly.

Stanford is actively considering multiple options, with no clearcut winner emerging thus far. They're the one school that might turn down the B1G; they are not at all sure this can conceivably fit with their mission (shipping student-athleted across the country to play the minor sports). They were already beginning to have open conversations about whether they wanted to stick with big-time football, wary of the way the sport had recently been moving with mega-conferences and the NIL game. If the PAC holds together, they likely keep right we're they're at indefinitely. If it crumbles, they may go B1G (if invited), or might use this time to step away.

Summary-
Berkeley: sheer and utter panic, staring oblivion in the face
Stanford: mild discomfort and rethinking plans

*Spent 8 years at those two institutions and know a ton of people out there, so am not talking straight out of my butt here.

 

[CDAGRIZ]

IDK, HHB, that Iowa squad looks pretty tough. Literally. They look like they’ve been in some brawls.

Has anyone heard anything about what Berkeley and Stanford are planning to do?

Berkeley is going to try to, in order 1) pitch itself to the B1G, 2) do anything to keep the PAC together, or 3) face an existential question about what football will be going forward. The stadium debt makes things pretty tense, to put it mildly.

Stanford is actively considering multiple options, with no clearcut winner emerging thus far. They're the one school that might turn down the B1G; they are not at all sure this can conceivably fit with their mission (shipping student-athleted across the country to play the minor sports). They were already beginning to have open conversations about whether they wanted to stick with big-time football, wary of the way the sport had recently been moving with mega-conferences and the NIL game. If the PAC holds together, they likely keep right we're they're at indefinitely. If it crumbles, they may go B1G (if invited), or might use this time to step away.

Summary-
Berkeley: sheer and utter panic, staring oblivion in the face
Stanford: mild discomfort and rethinking plans

*Spent 8 years at those two institutions and know a ton of people out there, so am not talking straight out of my butt here.

Great summary and great info. Thank you.

 

[alabamagrizzly]

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10041097-report-pac-12-acc-discuss-loose-partnership-potential-championship-game

The ACC has proposed a "loose partnership" with the Pac-12 that could include a season-ending "championship game" between the two conferences in Las Vegas, according to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports.

The news comes after sports columnist John Canzano reported that the ACC and Pac-12 were discussing a partnership. He reported that the conferences could play regular-season crossover games, in addition to a championship contest.

Having teams from both conferences compete in crossover games should hopefully help both conferences stay relevant in the ever-changing college athletics landscape.

 

[alabamagrizzly]

Not sure why it’s not letting me post the link.

 

[kemajic]

Having teams from both conferences compete in crossover games should hopefully help both conferences stay relevant in the ever-changing college athletics landscape.

Will help them fill out their schedules, not so sure about the relevance.

 

[alabamagrizzly]

Having teams from both conferences compete in crossover games should hopefully help both conferences stay relevant in the ever-changing college athletics landscape.

Will help them fill out their schedules, not so sure about the relevance.

Just to clarify, those are the articles words that I couldn’t post the link for, not mine. I do agree to the extent though that something is better then nothing, sorta. Mostly this de facto deal leaves the B12 way in the dust. Inviting them would help all three parties involved.

 

[Berkeley_Griz]

The PAC/ ACC thing, if it proceeds, is an attempt to raise the media value of both conferences, but I wonder how big of an impact it will actually have. Seems like a hail mary. ESPN essentially owns the ACC, rumor has it FOX is not very interested in bidding on the PAC going forward (got the two best properties in their B1G basket now), and so it's hard to see ESPN deciding to give both the ACC and PAC enough money to come anywhere near making up the difference between what they're earning and what the B1G/ SEC will. On the other hand, it's definitely time to get creative if the PAC has any chance of surviving, and hey, it never hurts to ask.

 

[alabamagrizzly]

The PAC/ ACC thing, if it proceeds, is an attempt to raise the media value of both conferences, but I wonder how big of an impact it will actually have. Seems like a hail mary. ESPN essentially owns the ACC, rumor has it FOX is not very interested in bidding on the PAC going forward (got the two best properties in their B1G basket now), and so it's hard to see ESPN deciding to give both the ACC and PAC enough money to come anywhere near making up the difference between what they're earning and what the B1G/ SEC will. On the other hand, it's definitely time to get creative if the PAC has any chance of surviving, and hey, it never hurts to ask.

100% Hail Mary and yes, if the PAC don’t do something, they won’t keep their already slipping grip on the big boy level.

 

[hm.grwn.grizfan]

So after immersing myself in the conference realignment information for the past week or so, I’m now convinced that UC Davis and sac state will be moving up before us. UC Davis in particular. They have money already set aside for a 30,000 seat stadium, have a student body of ~40k, have an endowment of ~1 billion, better market for television etc….. On field success isn’t the driver behind the decisions being made. It’s all about earning potential, and no one gives a shit about the Montanas in regard to conference realignment. We just don’t move the needle in regard to tv numbers. I was listening to the Nuanez show today, and he pointed out that you could lose every single game in the mountain west and not have a single person attend a home game and still have made more money than UM selling out all its home games. The time for the Montanas of the world to move up slipped away, at least that’s what I fear. Now I think our best chance at moving into a better conference is for the split we’ve all been talking about to happen causing a seismic shift in D1 where we could join what’s left of FBS after the big dogs have all started their own new league governed outside of the NCAA.

 

[indian-outlaw]

So after immersing myself in the conference realignment information for the past week or so, I’m now convinced that UC Davis and sac state will be moving up before us. UC Davis in particular. They have money already set aside for a 30,000 seat stadium, have a student body of ~40k, have an endowment of ~1 billion, better market for television etc….. On field success isn’t the driver behind the decisions being made. It’s all about earning potential, and no one gives a shit about the Montanas in regard to conference realignment. We just don’t move the needle in regard to tv numbers. I was listening to the Nuanez show today, and he pointed out that you could lose every single game in the mountain west and not have a single person attend a home game and still have made more money than UM selling out all its home games. The time for the Montanas of the world to move up slipped away, at least that’s what I fear. Now I think our best chance at moving into a better conference is for the split we’ve all been talking about to happen causing a seismic shift in D1 where we could join what’s left of FBS after the big dogs have all started their own new league governed outside of the NCAA.

Been saying this for years. UCD is far and away the best positioned to make a move to the Mountain West or Even the PAC. I couldn't believe it when they actually joined the BSC. They are one of the premier public universities in the country. Cal Poly could also make a move easier than us. SSU is not the same caliber of school. Our new achievement of being a tier I research university is the only thing that distinguishes us from EWU, UNC, Southern Utah and PSU.

 

[hm.grwn.grizfan]

So after immersing myself in the conference realignment information for the past week or so, I’m now convinced that UC Davis and sac state will be moving up before us. UC Davis in particular. They have money already set aside for a 30,000 seat stadium, have a student body of ~40k, have an endowment of ~1 billion, better market for television etc….. On field success isn’t the driver behind the decisions being made. It’s all about earning potential, and no one gives a shit about the Montanas in regard to conference realignment. We just don’t move the needle in regard to tv numbers. I was listening to the Nuanez show today, and he pointed out that you could lose every single game in the mountain west and not have a single person attend a home game and still have made more money than UM selling out all its home games. The time for the Montanas of the world to move up slipped away, at least that’s what I fear. Now I think our best chance at moving into a better conference is for the split we’ve all been talking about to happen causing a seismic shift in D1 where we could join what’s left of FBS after the big dogs have all started their own new league governed outside of the NCAA.

Been saying this for years. UCD is far and away the best positioned to make a move to the Mountain West or Even the PAC. I couldn't believe it when they actually joined the BSC. They are one of the premier public universities in the country. Cal Poly could also make a move easier than us. SSU is not the same caliber of school. Our new achievement of being a tier I research university is the only thing that distinguishes us from EWU, UNC, Southern Utah and PSU.

Sadly that’s true. A step that we could take now that would better position us is to increase student fees for athletics and fund enough sports so that if we want to go and have an opportunity we can. The only things we have going for us is our brand, tier 1 status, and fan support. Unfortunately none of those top the list for prospective conferences looking for new members. It’s all about the all mighty dollar. But hey, at least we’re still competing for championships :roll: Hell, Tarleton state will be moving up before us too, that just goes to show how little on field success means.

 

[grizpsych]

According to The FCS Fans Nation Podcast, Pac-12 bylaws state that members must be a Tier I research institution. Boise State is not Tier I. However, Montana and Montana State are Tier I research institutions.

 

[hm.grwn.grizfan]

According to The FCS Fans Nation Podcast, Pac-12 bylaws state that members must be a Tier I research institution. Boise State is not Tier I. However, Montana and Montana State are Tier I research institutions.

That’s true but if they want to the PAC could modify that. Right now as odd as it sounds their best options might be SDSU, UNLV, CSU. They check the boxes for both Tier 1 status and market potential.

 

[Griz til I die]

https://twitter.com/KOAColorado/status/1545040585668677632?s=20&t=HXENYOZFzn-BlrYIX6-WqQ
Here's an interview with MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson. He states that there's been a number of FCS schools reaching out to gauge interest, but said they are more likely to add whatever teams fall out of the fold in he PAC and Big 12. And Sac State will never get an invite. Have you seen their Basketball gym? :lol:

 

[3-7-77]

*Spent 8 years at those two institutions and know a ton of people out there, so am not talking straight out of my butt here.

But......but............this is eGriz. Talking out your ass is what this site is all about. Check the algorithm.