Can the WAC carve up the Southland?
The Southland has 13 schools, and is consistently a one-bid league to the Big Dance. The WAC is scheduled to have no more than seven members as of July 1, 2020, and even that seems shaky given the smoke coming out of Kansas City.
The proposal is to slim down the Southland by sending five of its members to the WAC. A few caveats:
(1) Cal Baptist cancels its transition to Division I, unless if it finds another home (Big Sky, Big West).
(2) Grand Canyon, New Mexico State, and UTRGV stay.
(3) Chicago State is not renewed.
(4) Seattle and Utah Valley are welcome to stay, but are encouraged to leave.
(5) UMKC hops back to the Summit.
WAC - Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word, Houston Baptist, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston State, New Mexico State*, Grand Canyon*, UTRGV* (Seattle, UVU)
SLC - New Orleans*, Southeast Louisiana, Nicholas State, Northwestern State, McNeese State, Central Arkansas, Lamar, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi*
Now you will notice that the WAC only has five teams in football. The sixth comes from one of NMSU downgrading, a school starting football, or further expansion (like Tarleton State or Central Oklahoma). If all of those fail, the Southland maintains its current membership in football by taking the WAC schools as affiliates.
Even if the WAC is stuck with Seattle and UVU, it’s only one trip to the northwest in most team sports.
|