Northern Colorado baseball to move from the WAC to the Summit (effective 21-22)

https://thesummitleague.org/news/2020/7/...liate.aspx



Bottom two WAC Baseball teams won't be playing in 2021-22

Good news for the WAC

Addition by subtraction.

Heard about this last week. Great news for the WAC. Now hope Chi State goes away and suddenly the WAC is a pretty respectable baseball conference with a strong western locale.

Not sure where UNC goes from here, wrt to baseball. They rely heavily on western recruits (mainly WA aside from UT and instate CO players). Now that they'll be playing in the Midwest/Plains their recruiting will probably be tougher. I thought they were getting things together a few years ago as their on-field performance saw a bit of an uptick, but I guess they couldn't maintain it.

(08-16-2020 07:20 PM)SDHornet Wrote:  Heard about this last week. Great news for the WAC. Now hope Chi State goes away and suddenly the WAC is a pretty respectable baseball conference with a strong western locale.

Not sure where UNC goes from here, wrt to baseball. They rely heavily on western recruits (mainly WA aside from UT and instate CO players). Now that they'll be playing in the Midwest/Plains their recruiting will probably be tougher. I thought they were getting things together a few years ago as their on-field performance saw a bit of an uptick, but I guess they couldn't maintain it.

Chicago State recently decided to drop baseball. Yes, the WAC is going to be a good baseball conference in the future.

(08-16-2020 07:32 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(08-16-2020 07:20 PM)SDHornet Wrote:  Heard about this last week. Great news for the WAC. Now hope Chi State goes away and suddenly the WAC is a pretty respectable baseball conference with a strong western locale.

Not sure where UNC goes from here, wrt to baseball. They rely heavily on western recruits (mainly WA aside from UT and instate CO players). Now that they'll be playing in the Midwest/Plains their recruiting will probably be tougher. I thought they were getting things together a few years ago as their on-field performance saw a bit of an uptick, but I guess they couldn't maintain it.

Chicago State recently decided to drop baseball. Yes, the WAC is going to be a good baseball conference in the future.

Didn't see that news. Wow! That's great news for WAC baseball.

(08-17-2020 11:53 AM)dancingNMSUaggie Wrote:  

How is this great new for the WAC? UNC has a pretty decent baseball program and they are located out west. The fact they they are willing to be out of our conference that is in their geographical footprint to the Summit shows you what a pathetic conference the WAC is.

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/college/s...sp?T=20462

We might have different definitions on what pretty decent means....

Yikes.

(08-17-2020 11:57 AM)Lopes87 Wrote:  

(08-17-2020 11:53 AM)dancingNMSUaggie Wrote:  

How is this great new for the WAC? UNC has a pretty decent baseball program and they are located out west. The fact they they are willing to be out of our conference that is in their geographical footprint to the Summit shows you what a pathetic conference the WAC is.

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/college/s...sp?T=20462

We might have different definitions on what pretty decent means....

Yikes.

Most NMSU fans will trash the WAC when a team leaves. Even one as bad as UNC baseball

(08-17-2020 12:37 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(08-17-2020 11:57 AM)Lopes87 Wrote:  

(08-17-2020 11:53 AM)dancingNMSUaggie Wrote:  

How is this great new for the WAC? UNC has a pretty decent baseball program and they are located out west. The fact they they are willing to be out of our conference that is in their geographical footprint to the Summit shows you what a pathetic conference the WAC is.

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/college/s...sp?T=20462

We might have different definitions on what pretty decent means....

Yikes.

Most NMSU fans will trash the WAC when a team leaves. Even one as bad as UNC baseball

Could you imagine how hard it would be for NMSU if the WAC wasn't around and played rescue WAC 2.0....

(08-17-2020 01:08 PM)Lopes87 Wrote:  

(08-17-2020 12:37 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(08-17-2020 11:57 AM)Lopes87 Wrote:  

(08-17-2020 11:53 AM)dancingNMSUaggie Wrote:  

How is this great new for the WAC? UNC has a pretty decent baseball program and they are located out west. The fact they they are willing to be out of our conference that is in their geographical footprint to the Summit shows you what a pathetic conference the WAC is.

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/college/s...sp?T=20462

We might have different definitions on what pretty decent means....

Yikes.

Most NMSU fans will trash the WAC when a team leaves. Even one as bad as UNC baseball

Could you imagine how hard it would be for NMSU if the WAC wasn't around and played rescue WAC 2.0....

The only reason all here have a WAC home is because of NMSU football. NMSU's and Idaho's determination to maintain FBS football allowed the WAC to stay alive on life support. NMSU and Idaho stuck their respective football programs in the Sun Belt; keeping every other sport in the WAC. If NMSU had decided to drop down to the FCS level, (like Idaho) they would be in the Big Sky now. And, the WAC would be gone. And, the Great West Conference would be everyone's D1 lifeline. So who rescued who? NMSU has always been D1... That is not the case for GCU, CBU, UVU, CSUB, Tarleton State, and Dixie State.

(08-17-2020 02:17 PM)NMSUPistolPete Wrote:  

(08-17-2020 01:08 PM)Lopes87 Wrote:  

(08-17-2020 12:37 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(08-17-2020 11:57 AM)Lopes87 Wrote:  

(08-17-2020 11:53 AM)dancingNMSUaggie Wrote:  

How is this great new for the WAC? UNC has a pretty decent baseball program and they are located out west. The fact they they are willing to be out of our conference that is in their geographical footprint to the Summit shows you what a pathetic conference the WAC is.

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/college/s...sp?T=20462

We might have different definitions on what pretty decent means....

Yikes.

Most NMSU fans will trash the WAC when a team leaves. Even one as bad as UNC baseball

Could you imagine how hard it would be for NMSU if the WAC wasn't around and played rescue WAC 2.0....

The only reason all here have a WAC home is because of NMSU football. NMSU's and Idaho's determination to maintain FBS football allowed the WAC to stay alive on life support. NMSU and Idaho stuck their respective football programs in the Sun Belt; keeping every other sport in the WAC. If NMSU had decided to drop down to the FCS level, (like Idaho) they would be in the Big Sky now. And, the WAC would be gone. And, the Great West Conference would be everyone's D1 lifeline. So who rescued who? NMSU has always been D1... That is not the case for GCU, CBU, UVU, CSUB, Tarleton State, and Dixie State.

NMSU saved the WAC more than any other school. Just having a credible basketball program kept the WAC from becoming the SWAC. But for the conference to get to the next level, GCU, CBU and Seattle need to play to their potential. Those three have the markets and the upside to take the WAC to a second bid level in basketball and baseball. CSUB performed well for the WAC and UVU has been a pleasant surprise as well.

I know I’m new here but it sure seems like we The WAC have a major self confidence problem.

(08-17-2020 11:57 AM)Lopes87 Wrote:  

(08-17-2020 11:53 AM)dancingNMSUaggie Wrote:  

How is this great new for the WAC? UNC has a pretty decent baseball program and they are located out west. The fact they they are willing to be out of our conference that is in their geographical footprint to the Summit shows you what a pathetic conference the WAC is.

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/college/s...sp?T=20462

We might have different definitions on what pretty decent means....

Yikes.

Yup. They were decent in the 2010-2013 years when in the GWC and then another blip in 2017 & 18 (talking overall records) and typically bottom third in WAC play. For being the only D1 program in CO and access to western markets via WAC membership I thought they would be better.

My guess is that program was never very well supported from a budgeting standpoint, and this move to the Summit is essentially them giving up on baseball. This makes sense considering UNC went all in on the Ed McCaffrey hire as I would guess they had to roll out the red carpet to land that spalshy hire.

(08-17-2020 03:07 PM)TexanFan Wrote:  I know I’m new here but it sure seems like we The WAC have a major self confidence problem.

I think you may be mistaking NMSU's little-brother complex with UNM for the identity of the entire conference. I don't think you'lll find another school or fan base in the WAC who insists on telling you how great they think they are or why your school is trash. I'm pretty sure it's just an Aggie thing. We good over here in AZ.

(08-17-2020 03:07 PM)TexanFan Wrote:  I know I’m new here but it sure seems like we The WAC have a major self confidence problem.

More like a conference membership problem. But even then the WAC has managed to stick around.

When NMSU has been in conferences with a Larry Bird led Indiana State program, a Antoine Carr & Cliff Livingston led Wichita State program, a Larry Johnson, Stacy Augmon, and Greg Anthony led UNLV program, and a Nick Fazekes led Nevada program, among other conference members which had more modest success, the current WAC members have a lot to live up to for Aggie fans. As I pointed out, if not for the desire to maintain FBS level football, NMSU could have chosen stay put in either the Missouri Valley, Big West, or Sun Belt at certain stages in its history. Because of NMSU's pursuit of maintaining DI/FBS football, it has put NMSU square into this WAC environment now; as a FBS football independent. So, if some Aggie fans are somewhat hard on these newly added former D2 schools, its because NMSU has competed against stiff competition and they know the real deal when they see it. I think GCU has a realistic opportunity to make things interesting for Aggie fans. But until that day comes, being in the revised WAC is a step down in competition and somewhat disappointing. Aggie fans like winning WAC Championship. But being truly challenged by peers of comparable talent over the course of a season and still still winning a championship means a lot more to Aggie fans. WAC teams just needs to win OOC games and the rest will fix itself; self confidence wise.

(08-17-2020 03:28 PM)gleadley Wrote:  

(08-17-2020 03:07 PM)TexanFan Wrote:  I know I’m new here but it sure seems like we The WAC have a major self confidence problem.

I think you may be mistaking NMSU's little-brother complex with UNM for the identity of the entire conference. I don't think you'lll find another school or fan base in the WAC who insists on telling you how great they think they are or why your school is trash. I'm pretty sure it's just an Aggie thing. We good over here in AZ.

NMSU has D1 facilities in FB and Basketball that are much larger than those of the other WAC members. We see NuM, the minors, Utah State, etc. as our peers. We have a lot in common with those types of institutions. We don't fit so well with the current WAC. As Pistol said, we have been in multi-bid conferences before and have competed at the highest levels in those conferences. Surely you can see how the WAC is not so appealing to NMSU.

As for the "fan base in the WAC who insists on telling you how great they think they are or why your school is trash", it is really only of couple of guys from NMSU that do that. They think a conference board is there to strictly talk to trash to every other school. I wouldn't call that an entire fan base.

(08-17-2020 04:19 PM)NMSUPistolPete Wrote:  When NMSU has been in conferences with a Larry Bird led Indiana State program, a Antoine Carr & Cliff Livingston led Wichita State program, a Larry Johnson, Stacy Augmon, and Greg Anthony led UNLV program, and a Nick Fazekes led Nevada program, among other conference members which had more modest success, the current WAC members have a lot to live up to for Aggie fans. As I pointed out, if not for the desire to maintain FBS level football, NMSU could have chosen stay put in either the Missouri Valley, Big West, or Sun Belt at certain stages in its history. Because of NMSU's pursuit of maintaining DI/FBS football, it has put NMSU square into this WAC environment now; as a FBS football independent. So, if some Aggie fans are somewhat hard on these newly added former D2 schools, its because NMSU has competed against stiff competition and they know the real deal when they see it. I think GCU has a realistic opportunity to make things interesting for Aggie fans. But until that day comes, being in the revised WAC is a step down in competition and somewhat disappointing. Aggie fans like winning WAC Championship. But being truly challenged by peers of comparable talent over the course of a season and still still winning a championship means a lot more to Aggie fans. WAC teams just needs to win OOC games and the rest will fix itself; self confidence wise.

That has been the song for 7 years.

(08-17-2020 02:17 PM)NMSUPistolPete Wrote:  

(08-17-2020 01:08 PM)Lopes87 Wrote:  

(08-17-2020 12:37 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(08-17-2020 11:57 AM)Lopes87 Wrote:  

(08-17-2020 11:53 AM)dancingNMSUaggie Wrote:  

How is this great new for the WAC? UNC has a pretty decent baseball program and they are located out west. The fact they they are willing to be out of our conference that is in their geographical footprint to the Summit shows you what a pathetic conference the WAC is.

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/college/s...sp?T=20462

We might have different definitions on what pretty decent means....

Yikes.

Most NMSU fans will trash the WAC when a team leaves. Even one as bad as UNC baseball

Could you imagine how hard it would be for NMSU if the WAC wasn't around and played rescue WAC 2.0....

The only reason all here have a WAC home is because of NMSU football. NMSU's and Idaho's determination to maintain FBS football allowed the WAC to stay alive on life support. NMSU and Idaho stuck their respective football programs in the Sun Belt; keeping every other sport in the WAC. If NMSU had decided to drop down to the FCS level, (like Idaho) they would be in the Big Sky now. And, the WAC would be gone. And, the Great West Conference would be everyone's D1 lifeline. So who rescued who? NMSU has always been D1... That is not the case for GCU, CBU, UVU, CSUB, Tarleton State, and Dixie State.

Don't forget Seattle.