|
|
Post by Outsider on Apr 27, 2024 15:27:03 GMT -6
Any idea if GCU plans to move up to a "larger" conference. The WAC really can't afford to lose any members but I also don't think it is a very fair playing field when GCU seems to be able to buy their way to dominating the conference in the sports they offer. GCU wants to be part of the WCC but are stuck unless Gonzaga leaves. They tried to make the WAC like the WCC. |
|
|
|
Post by jaminthebody on Apr 27, 2024 15:42:52 GMT -6
I posted this on another thread but if you haven’t seen it …. At the most recent WAC Council meeting, it came to light that GCU MBB is paying from $500k up to $1mm per player. The ACU person who was there said that he didn’t think anyone else was paying anything although someone posted on The Sawmill that they were paying $15k but that’s unverified. That means, of course, that GCU is paying P4 money. It’s an overwhelming competitive advantage for the rest of the WAC. GCU is a built-in corporation money machine. The more I think about this, the more frustrated I become. An”institution” that was not for profit until recently and has been under investigation by the Department of Education multiple times is also a publicly traded company. The fact that an NIL contribution is tax deductible and also has great potential to grow the “institution” by creating exposure for itself is borderline unethical. If I were to find an opportunity to buy an investment and find a way for the equity to grow by getting a tax break, I would likely end up in prison. |
|
|
|
Post by Cap'n on Apr 27, 2024 16:21:22 GMT -6
Any idea if GCU plans to move up to a "larger" conference. The WAC really can't afford to lose any members but I also don't think it is a very fair playing field when GCU seems to be able to buy their way to dominating the conference in the sports they offer. There are rumors that they would love to go to the West Coast Conference which is a non-football conference that includes Gonzaga. Of course the WAC is also non-football although some of us play football in the UAC. |
|
|
|
Post by rc on Apr 27, 2024 20:22:41 GMT -6
Hearing about the large NIL payments at GCU for basketball players makes last year's defeat of those guys in Moody even sweeter. I remember how out of place it was for the GCU coach to engage the officials in private exchanges outside of the coaching area but during the game. He complained and complained. Somehow we still won.
|
|
|
|
Post by OSCAR P on Apr 28, 2024 0:02:53 GMT -6
RC aways a pleasure seeing you! GCU poses an unfair competitive advantage for sure! I do not think they should even be allowed in the NCAA but it is what it is I guess. Tarleton wanting to go FBS sooner rather than later does not mean that they will go sooner than later. I hope they do, but it is not a foregone conclusion and I think things might have to shake out in the West PAC/MWC to get a clearer picture. ACU has to make a decision on whether they WANT to go FBS. I would love for them and Tarleton to go because they make great travel partners and it has always been a great rivalry with uber competitive games 90+% of the time. I think if Tarleton was in C-USA (or any other conference) they would fiercely advocate for ACU to join. Right now I just hope SFA stays (doubtful) and WTAMU and Angelo St decide to move up.
|
|
|
|
Post by bucfan on Apr 28, 2024 8:25:56 GMT -6
With SFA now being a member of the UT system it seems like they should have more money to move up or to stay in any conference they wanted. Moving back to the Southland seems like a step backward solely for money reasons. Oscar P have you heard reasons why anyone would be pushing for SFA to go back?
|
|
|
|
Post by rc on Apr 28, 2024 20:16:11 GMT -6
Glad to see you as well Oscar. I feel the same way about Tarleton. We have a pretty classy rivalry and we are neighbors. The way Tarleton has zoomed up the ladder is impressive. I think both schools are improving and that is satisfying. I wish the WAC was a more complete football conference and our commissioner was intent on creating a conference that could harvest some schools and build a more robust and fuller group of Universities. The WAC is a bit like a group with very different agendas and operations, not to mention the irregular commitment to various sports.
|
|
|
|
Post by OSCAR P on Apr 28, 2024 21:25:40 GMT -6
Bucfan I could only surmise that it would be similar to the Lamar move. Not that SFA was not competitive, but they were pretty dominant in a lot of sports in the SLC and they can not dominate the WAC like they did the SLC so they "take their toys and go home" if they can not win everything. Its not about the money, its the competition. UT can easily afford the few hundred thousand dollars extra for travel. What they gain in travel they will lose in ticket revenue/media revenue and really take a big hit on exposure, so in reality they will lose money going back to the SLC, but they will beat up on all the broke La schools and HCU/UIW etc so they can feel good about them selves and beat on their chest about all the winning season/conference championships they will win in the SLC. And yes RC the WAC NEEDS a new commish, Thornton is worthless and needs to go. He only cares about basketball.
|
|
|
|
Post by Outsider on May 1, 2024 13:18:27 GMT -6
Ok, going to throw this out there for discussion purposes only. Is it unlikely? Yes, it is. Is it totally out of the realm of possibility? No, it's not. I think a lot of plan Bs are in discussion right now. Would this be a good mid-major move forward? Sorry, I left someone out: New Map  |
|
|
|
Post by Cap'n on May 2, 2024 7:54:10 GMT -6
Interesting speculation.
I could be wrong but doesn’t the ASUN already have 15 members, only 5 of which have football ?
|
|
|
|
Post by Outsider on May 2, 2024 8:08:45 GMT -6
The ASUN has 11 fulltime members currently and UWG would make 12. IF the Texas 4 joined, that would make the 16 members. If the Utah schools moved on to the Summit, then that would leave the UAC with 8 football schools, 7 eligible ones as UWG would be in their 1st transition. I believe I am counting correctly. I believe Stetson plays in the Pioneer.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cap'n on May 2, 2024 16:38:33 GMT -6
Makes a lot of sense
|
|
|
|
Post by acutrackfan on May 2, 2024 17:17:54 GMT -6
Actually, Outsider, this is an interesting proposition. Right now, ASUN has 12 members, but Kennesaw is leaving after this year. But that could still be 15 members. It would also be cool to be in the same conference as Lipscomb. The WAC looks precarious for sure. Looking at the WAC, it is can certainly lose schools any moment. But, the ASUN has also been pretty fluid for the past few decades as well. Still, it is interesting in this constantly changing world of college athletics.
|
|
|
|
Post by acutrackfan on May 17, 2024 15:55:41 GMT -6
I guess that I am resigned to SFA going back into the SLC and by extension, that could mean that ACU and Tarleton will follow. Reading on the Sawmill that the new AD has been saying he wants to see SFA competing in a conference that is in a footprint that allows students and family members to attend game practically assures the SFA move. The WAC is obviously NOT in the SFA footprint (or ACU, for that matter).
I will never get over the way that the SLC handled ACU's departure. ACU had been scheduled to host the SLC T&F Championships the year that it was announced. The SLC pulled the championship from ACU and ended up having to use a HS track in the Houston area -- hosted ostensibly by HCU. I was scheduled to work the meet when it was ACU, but when it was moved to Houston, all of the officials were told they would not have a role in the meet. The WAC could have welcomed ACU into the conference by letting ACU host the WAC in 2022 -- the first year in the league, but they still had Seattle host the meet and they don't even have a track -- they had to rent the Univ of Washington track.
When the SLC commissioner successfully retained both McNeese and UIW, he used sports championships as a "carrot" to keep schools in the conference. He gave McNeese the baseball championship for multiple years. As part of that effort to keep schools, he gave the UIW the host spot for T&F starting this year. But, UIW was told that they would have to replace a rapidly degrading track surface. In fact, I was scheduled to work the SLC meet there this year. Then, this past December the UIW Board voted to add additional lights to the baseball field at UIW and not put down a new track surface. And, they will not consider a new track for another 2 years -- they do not have enough money to do both for the next 2 years. Doesn't sound like a program that is interested in stepping up to a D-1 level to me. And, that "carrot" does not seem to sway the UIW board. So, at the last minute, HCU was again given the host duties, even though they still don't have a track on campus. This year, they rented Holloway Field at Rice University, so at least they used a college facility.
|
|
|
|
Post by bucfan on May 17, 2024 16:10:04 GMT -6
This makes me dislike the thought of going back to the SLC even more than I already did.
|
|
