fwiw, New Mexico State's president says they are not going to the Sun Belt as a full member anytime soon and that they are considering adding men's soccer. They will be the only WAC member without it after Idaho leaves next year.
http://crimsonaggieconnection.weebly.com...02113.html
futbol!
Quote:[NMSU president] Carruthers wants to see 2 or 3 more schools added to the WAC.
Who does he have in mind?
(10-21-2013 02:24 PM)Wedge Wrote: [ -> ]Quote:[NMSU president] Carruthers wants to see 2 or 3 more schools added to the WAC.
Who does he have in mind?
Omaha could be one?
(10-21-2013 02:24 PM)Wedge Wrote: [ -> ]Quote:[NMSU president] Carruthers wants to see 2 or 3 more schools added to the WAC.
Who does he have in mind?
NDSU and the Montana's make sense to give the WAC a western wing.
Perhaps if a couple of Southland Conference teams would be interested. New Orleans and maybe Texas A&M - Corpus Christi or Oral Roberts? That conference now has 14 members and that is a lot for a lower D1 conference.
A&M CC keeps talking about FB but they have the two big issues of 1) space, they are partly on an "island" and dont have any on campus space so a FB stadium would have to be well away from campus, probably renting the local semi-pro soccer stadium and 2) there is very little financial fervor/support for this from the alumni and the students
(10-21-2013 03:50 PM)Kittonhead Wrote: [ -> ] (10-21-2013 02:24 PM)Wedge Wrote: [ -> ]Quote:[NMSU president] Carruthers wants to see 2 or 3 more schools added to the WAC.
Who does he have in mind?
NDSU and the Montana's make sense to give the WAC a western wing.
Why would the Montana's downgrade conferences? Why would NDSU leave a somewhat regional conference that is no better than where they are at?
(10-21-2013 04:28 PM)dbackjon Wrote: [ -> ]Why would the Montana's downgrade conferences? Why would NDSU leave a somewhat regional conference that is no better than where they are at?
Also, all three of those schools play FCS football. Can't see any school with a football program leaving a conference that sponsors football to join a WAC that doesn't. After Idaho leaves at the end of this year, the WAC will have only one school (NMSU) that plays
either FBS or FCS football, and NMSU has the SBC lined up as a football home.
(10-21-2013 04:28 PM)dbackjon Wrote: [ -> ] (10-21-2013 03:50 PM)Kittonhead Wrote: [ -> ] (10-21-2013 02:24 PM)Wedge Wrote: [ -> ]Quote:[NMSU president] Carruthers wants to see 2 or 3 more schools added to the WAC.
Who does he have in mind?
NDSU and the Montana's make sense to give the WAC a western wing.
Why would the Montana's downgrade conferences? Why would NDSU leave a somewhat regional conference that is no better than where they are at?
Oh I was talking about the SBC football conference not the WAC. Sorry fort the typo.
I don't know what Montana would have to do with other sports should they go SBC FB only...they could remain in the Big Sky for olympic sports.
NMSU doesn't have much choice.
The Big Sky isn't going to invite them without football.
The Valley has apparently said no thanks.
By all accounts, they are at least three votes short of full Sun Belt membership
I suspect that there are only 2 ways NMSU will get into the Sun Belt:
1) Further conference realignment leaves the Sun Belt without enough quality members, and NMSU is the last resort.
2) NMSU improves football to such a degree that NMSU has a legitimate shot at moving all sports to another conference (probably CUSA, or a reconstituted Mo Valley) and the Sun Belt presidents don't want to chance losing a quality FB program.
I hope #2 happens. I think #1 is more likely.
(10-21-2013 07:36 PM)arkstfan Wrote: [ -> ]NMSU doesn't have much choice.
The Big Sky isn't going to invite them without football.
The Valley has apparently said no thanks.
By all accounts, they are at least three votes short of full Sun Belt membership
In addition, the MW doesn't want them since they already have UNM. Plus, the conference brass probably still has their heart set on an eventual reunion with BYU.
NMSU could theoretically return to the Big West but as long as Hawaii is around and travel subs are requested (or a request to start up men's soccer), it won't happen there either.
(10-21-2013 02:23 PM)10thMountain Wrote: [ -> ]futbol!
we need more teams out west. NMSU would crush it in that sport.
hope A&M starts it up in the future too.
(10-21-2013 07:57 PM)NuMexAg Wrote: [ -> ]I suspect that there are only 2 ways NMSU will get into the Sun Belt:
1) Further conference realignment leaves the Sun Belt without enough quality members, and NMSU is the last resort.
2) NMSU improves football to such a degree that NMSU has a legitimate shot at moving all sports to another conference (probably CUSA, or a reconstituted Mo Valley) and the Sun Belt presidents don't want to chance losing a quality FB program.
I hope #2 happens. I think #1 is more likely.
#1 can happen rather quickly.
- If the WAC adds D2 call-ups like Alaska Anchorage, Western Washington or Metro State I could see NMSU calling it quits. They are already taking a hit in basketball with conference games vs Chicago State and UTPA; a couple transitional teams for D2 may be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
- the Big West can also step up and poach Seattle, Grand Canyon and Bakersfield (less likely to happen, but not out of the realm of possibility; all three teams fit). Hawaii would have to be on board though.
Would UTEP back NMSt into CUSA...the only conference I see them going to. The only other option is going full time in the Big Sky. I prefer to see them in CUSA.
UTEP and NMSU won't be in the same conference if UTEP has anything to say about it.
If the Pac 12 and/or Big 12 were ever forced to expand to 14, I could see NMSU getting in the Mountain West, especially if UNM lands in a P5 conference. I just don't see the MW landing any schools in Texas.
The WAC won't add any more D2's until the expected Big East expansion and fallout happens. The hope is that the trickledown costs the Summit a couple schools to the Horizon, OVC, or MVC, and then the Summit loses its autobids. Thereby allowing the WAC to take who they want from what's left of the Summit.
The Summit actually doesn't need any help in losing its autobid. It needs to have six schools (other than Omaha, who is transitioning) that play baseball or else the Summit fails the men's team sport requirement. The WAC landing North Dakota and Northern Colorado in baseball may actually be the Summit's mortal wound.
The Horizon League also needs another baseball school next season. Once the Horizon League takes IPFW, the WAC will go to work.
Another wildcard is the Sun Belt taking Missouri State for all-sports - that gets the MVC to hit the Horizon League again, with Western Illinois or IUPUI being next in line for the Horizon. At that point the WAC will have no problem taking 4 of the 6 remaining members.
WAC Pacific:
Bakersfield
Seattle
Grand Canyon
Utah Valley
New Mexico State
UTPA
WAC Central:
Chicago State
Western Illinois
UMKC
Omaha
North Dakota State
South Dakota State
South Dakota could replace Western Illinois should the Leathernecks make the Horizon League.