Something to make you go, hmmm....
In a Q & A session with New Mexico State's AD, Mario Moccia acknowledged that Aggie fans pine for the days in the Big West Conference. One fan addressed the current conference woes the WAC provides them with and Moccia had this to say:
I agree that many of our fans pine for the days in the Big West Conference. As you can see independent of the UNM and UTEP games, Coach Weir has scheduled as many Big West and Mountain West teams as we can. Air Force, Colorado State, UC Irvine and Long Beach State are just a start. Next year we will be playing in ESPN's Diamond Head Classic for our MTE Tournament, guaranteeing 3 quality games on national TV.
http://nmstatesports.com/news/2016/12/21...occia.aspx
Taken out of context, or could NMSU be quietly interested in rejoining the Big West? There are three open spots...
Could the Big West add NMSU, Denver, and Seattle? Denver gives the Big West another option for Mountain Time Zone inventory. Seattle gives you a non-California market, and I figure Seattle gets the short straw on being Hawaii's travel partner:
Denver/NMSU
Seattle/Hawaii
Cal Poly/UC Davis
CSU Fullerton/UC Santa Barbara
UC Riverside/UC Irvine
CSU Northridge/CSU Long Beach
It would technically not be lights out for the WAC just yet, but they would need to figure out how to steal Omaha or Oral Roberts from the Summit, add UCSD from Division II, and have a replacement lined up for Chicago State.
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That would be a fun BW. But it won't work because of UC San Diego sitting there ready for an invite. They are poised for an invite. Besides, if NMSU is added that takes Seattle out of the mix. You can't have both of them.
Why would any current big west school want to significantly increase cost of travel without any discernable financial benefit?
New Mexico State is still in the WAC for good reasons.
1) Holding tank until an FBS all sport invite comes around. In their case it could be SBC, MWC or even CUSA. A few realistic options.
2) Milking the WAC autobid. The WAC may not make it another 5 or 10 years but in the short run NMSU can milk it.
When the WAC is finally through, NMSU if still not in an FBS conference can make a pitch to the Big West.
10 years there is a reorganization of FBS and the MWC moves down short of Boise State. NMSU then could replace Boise in an FCS version of the MWC.
Several possibilities before NMSU is ready to run to the Big West.
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Too bad the Big West that they remember isn't what it is now.
(12-27-2016 07:33 PM)MWC Tex Wrote: [ -> ]Too bad the Big West that they remember isn't what it is now.
LBSU, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, Cal State Fullerton, Hawaii, Cal Poly. That looks familiar.
(12-27-2016 07:33 PM)MWC Tex Wrote: [ -> ]Too bad the Big West that they remember isn't what it is now.
By my count:
UCSB, Long Beach State, CS-Fullerton, UC-Irvine are current Big West teams that were there for 100% of NMSU's previous Big West run (1982-2000).
NMSU also overlapped with Cal Poly at the end of the Aggies' Big West run: 1996-2000.
NMSU was in the WAC with Hawaii for several years in the 2000s.
Northridge, UC-Davis and UC-Riverside are 3 current Big West teams that NMSU never shared a conference with.
UNLV is the big difference, of course. It won't be like the "glory days" when UNLV came to Las Cruses and Dick Vitale would come along as well. But it's still a heck of a lot more interesting than the WAC, especially if an Arizona school (Grand Canyon or even NAU) comes along as well.
When New Mexico State was in the Big West, it also included Northern Illinois, Louisiana Tech, Utah State and Arkansas State for football only.
(12-27-2016 10:53 PM)southernwolf Wrote: [ -> ]When New Mexico State was in the Big West, it also included Northern Illinois, Louisiana Tech, Utah State and Arkansas State for football only.
And they were all happy to be there.
(12-27-2016 10:53 PM)southernwolf Wrote: [ -> ]When New Mexico State was in the Big West, it also included Northern Illinois, Louisiana Tech, Utah State and Arkansas State for football only.
Good memory. Add Louisiana-Lafayette as well. Subtract Utah State, they were a full-time conference member during their Big West football days.
(12-27-2016 10:53 PM)southernwolf Wrote: [ -> ]When New Mexico State was in the Big West, it also included Northern Illinois, Louisiana Tech, Utah State and Arkansas State for football only.
That's what geography that the AD is referring too IMHO.
Just can't see NMSU going to a California league if it means travel allowances. NMSU will already be financially stressed as an FBS indy.
From his Q&A it's obvious that NMSU views itself as western first and foremost. They'd have a good home in the Missouri Valley or Horizon, but they prefer the Mountain West or Big West more.
(12-27-2016 06:50 PM)Kittonhead Wrote: [ -> ]10 years there is a reorganization of FBS and the MWC moves down short of Boise State. NMSU then could replace Boise in an FCS version of the MWC.
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What? Why does the MWC move down to FCS?
(12-27-2016 05:38 PM)jdgaucho Wrote: [ -> ]Taken out of context, or could NMSU be quietly interested in rejoining the Big West?
The Big West today and the Big West that was a DI-A football conference in the 1990's have
nothing to do with each other.
No more than the current day Big East and the Big East of the 2000's.
I'll be here to remind you of this, every time you try to pull this slight of hand on unsuspecting posters.
(12-27-2016 06:20 PM)jdgaucho Wrote: [ -> ]That would be a fun BW. But it won't work because of UC San Diego sitting there ready for an invite. They are poised for an invite. Besides, if NMSU is added that takes Seattle out of the mix. You can't have both of them.
Denver isn't on the table in either case. They have no desire to join a California DI-AAA conference.
Summit is working out great for them, and they'll be staying there with hockey rivals Omaha and UND in the future.
(12-28-2016 07:19 AM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote: [ -> ] (12-27-2016 06:50 PM)Kittonhead Wrote: [ -> ]10 years there is a reorganization of FBS and the MWC moves down short of Boise State. NMSU then could replace Boise in an FCS version of the MWC.
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What? Why does the MWC move down to FCS?
My guess he is thinking top eighty schools form a new division. And Boise would be included not the rest of the MWC?
Maybe unless they are average the next ten years or worse.
They are last in endowment academic prestige near the bottom in research.
Have the sixth biggest stadium and little athletic success accept for football.
They didn't make the final twelve Big Twelve candidates list. Air force ,UNM and Colorado state did.
The AD would only say that NMSU's fans are pining for the old Big West if a change is imminent and already arranged. January could be interesting.
Perhaps, but not for UND. It's fate is uninteresting ... in that it is already well-known: Summit with Big Sky football. This is the same arrangement as UC Davis and Cal Poly have, so not only can't the Big Sky deny it, but are begging for UND to take it.
If and when Missouri St leaves the MVFC, that slot opens up for UND.
(12-28-2016 04:00 PM)MplsBison Wrote: [ -> ]Perhaps, but not for UND. It's fate is uninteresting ... in that it is already well-known: Summit with Big Sky football. This is the same arrangement as UC Davis and Cal Poly have, so not only can't the Big Sky deny it, but are begging for UND to take it.
If and when Missouri St leaves the MVFC, that slot opens up for UND.
That's been a certainty according to you for six years. Not holding my breath. UND has deep pocket alumni, compared to NDSU, so facilities get built on their dimes.