It's kind of a shame what has become of the Big West. It's become the California public school league, and its politics pretty putrid.

It's bad enough what they do to interstate prospects with travel subsidies. When the real conversation should be "maybe D1 isn't for you," the bloc just circles its wagons, swells its ranks, and becomes this clique bearing a familiar name.

What sucks about this is that if you're the WAC, this is a cheap momentary thrill. UCSD will be with the Big West... the conference is making them pay their dues in the transitional years... as if a conference with schools needing travel assistance for anything more than bus rentals should be pulling such nonsense. Yeah, the WAC will get these guys... and will lose them in less than five years. Nothing to build upon, just passing through.