(06-21-2017 09:32 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  

(06-21-2017 08:24 PM)jdgaucho Wrote:  

(06-21-2017 07:59 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  What GCU wants is irrelevant. It entirely depends if HL presidents can look past the obvious negatives of having their traditional institutions of higher education associated via athletics to a for-profit Christian enterprise.

For the right price, anything can be overlooked

JD,

Our friend has a personal interest in a Summit and Big Sky realignment. It's more an emotional investment, not financial. Anything that spoils a shake up in that meets with his faux incredulity that such events could happen. It took me awhile to figure out his agenda.

GCU is pretty similar to Liberty, in that nobody controls them, and they have the money and will to force things in their favor. There are heavy hitters, both financial and political, behind both of them.

What our Minnesota resident doesn't want to acknowledge is the strongest proponent of GCU (and NMSU) in the Horizon is LeCrone himself. It seems at least Chicago and Milwaukee agree with that thinking. I am pretty sure the process was simply due diligence to prove there was no better candidate to the member than GCU. So they vetted the 4 others, picked the one with the strongest case to give a presentation to compare against GCU. We have seen how a commissioner's will power can dominate even Presidents who go in thinking a different direction, as Karl Benson shut down NMSU and pushed his candidate CCU through. Doug Fullerton in his madness talked the Big Sky into taking obvious mistakes UND (geography) and SUU (academics, funding levels). A commissioner's vision will often carry the day.

LeCrone's agenda is to make the Horizon as relevant as possible. A selection of any of those schools other than GCU would have sent a message that the Horizon is a bottom feeder and not important. By selecting GCU they open the door to go after schools like NMSU, Belmont, Murray Stat, Liberty and Stephen F. Austin. The sort of conference Colangelo has been hinting at coming, where stronger lower Mid Majors take care of themselves. NMSU was too timid in their approach, GCU more forceful and decisive. And that is why they carried the day. The door is open for heavier hitters to be next.

Keep your head in the sand. The Montanas went to great lengths to get UND and USD invited. The rest of the Big Sky have been fearful ever since Boise, Nevada and Idaho left, that the Montanas will elope with the Dakotas and separate from the Big Sky cabal that hasn't done anything (EWU excepted). Fullerton knew that the Montanas paid the light bills, and no one else, and he wanted to keep them satisfied. Commissioners don't have a separate agenda from Presidents. You should know that but refuse to acknowledge it.