Predictable.

Everyone seems to have a good landing spot save UTA…

(01-20-2025 02:18 AM)FoUTASportscaster Wrote:  Predictable.

Everyone seems to have a good landing spot save UTA…

Could this be an impetus for adding football?

(01-20-2025 02:18 AM)FoUTASportscaster Wrote:  Predictable.

Everyone seems to have a good landing spot save UTA…

Join former conference-mate Little Rock in the OVC? They seem to have found their footing there. If the WAC members do scramble and the MVC doesnt come knocking, then the OVC isn't a horrible choice for UTA.

Here is more...

https://x.com/KcSmurthwaite/status/1881474642084573453

(01-20-2025 08:18 PM)Outsider Wrote:  Here is more...

https://x.com/KcSmurthwaite/status/1881474642084573453

Pretty much what Matt posted.

(01-20-2025 08:32 PM)EKUSteve Wrote:  

(01-20-2025 08:18 PM)Outsider Wrote:  Here is more...

https://x.com/KcSmurthwaite/status/1881474642084573453

Pretty much what Matt posted.

Agree, does KC have the same info? Tweeting out Matts thoughts? Was he in a position to be hearing the same chatter? Either way, the next few weeks will be interesting.

(01-20-2025 10:02 AM)TexanFan Wrote:  

(01-20-2025 02:18 AM)FoUTASportscaster Wrote:  Predictable.

Everyone seems to have a good landing spot save UTA…

Could this be an impetus for adding football?

If being in an FBS conference wasn't impetus enough, I don't know if this changes it.

If getting kicked out of an FBS conference wasn't impetus enough, I don't know if this changes it.

If not having a great option after getting kicked out wasn't impetus enough, I don't know if this changes it.

Sadly, getting reduced in the conference pecking order likely won't be impetus enough.

When TCU was left at the altar after the Southwest Conference failed. They took a long hard look in the mirror. They took a long, stable and steady rise to eventually play in a national title game in football while all other sports have become quite competitive. UTA used to consistently get the better of TCU in volleyball and baseball, has two wins in six tries on football and were 3-4 against them in men's bball at one point. Now, other than a baseball winning one out of every three or four games, UTA doesn't touch TCU in any sport.

Same with SMU. For decades after the death penalty, they treated football and sports in general at arm's length. About a decade and a half ago, some boosters stepped up and said a new stadium wasn't enough. Now they translated their football success to an ACC membership and are doing well in men's bball early in conference play.

Meanwhile, UTA looks in the mirror, sees the fire and says everything is fine.

(01-20-2025 12:00 PM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  

(01-20-2025 02:18 AM)FoUTASportscaster Wrote:  Predictable.

Everyone seems to have a good landing spot save UTA…

Join former conference-mate Little Rock in the OVC? They seem to have found their footing there. If the WAC members do scramble and the MVC doesnt come knocking, then the OVC isn't a horrible choice for UTA.

I've thought about it and others in that ballpark, like the ASUN. There's just no rivalry there. The WAC was a better bball conference than the SBC, but felt like a downgrade. The WAC was tenth last year, and UTA played a good part in that.

The WAC move was salvaged by regional rivalries with ACU, Sam, SFA, Tarleton and a renewal with MNSU, which we play often. The Summitt, OVC and ASUN have no regional rivalries. The SLC and the others mentioned are also a huge step down in competition level. It is basically a white flag that our attempt to elevate athletics when we moved from the SLC is/was a failure. That's the most depressing part.

Bottom line is that if the WAC does actually fold, it's going to be bad for all of us.

If Tarleton and ACU are able to move together, they can salvage something. UTA's best case scenario is tag along with those two or get an SLC invite. Hardly enticing.

Why has the WAC not taken advantage of the situation and made itself into an even better conference? It has some really good programs and fine competitions in multiple sports. For the footprint it has, the conference has not risen to a more respectable level where universities would be asking to join? It is leadership or something else?

(01-20-2025 09:56 PM)RCI Wrote:  Why has the WAC not taken advantage of the situation and made itself into an even better conference? It has some really good programs and fine competitions in multiple sports. For the footprint it has, the conference has not risen to a more respectable level where universities would be asking to join? It is leadership or something else?

I think it starts with a bad commissioner hire.

(01-20-2025 09:43 PM)FoUTASportscaster Wrote:  If Tarleton and ACU are able to move together, they can salvage something. UTA's best case scenario is tag along with those two or get an SLC invite. Hardly enticing.

I would love to move with ACU and UTA but I don’t want to go down to the Southland. I would rather go on our own than move with our friends to the Southland.

(01-20-2025 10:05 PM)TexanFan Wrote:  

(01-20-2025 09:56 PM)RCI Wrote:  Why has the WAC not taken advantage of the situation and made itself into an even better conference? It has some really good programs and fine competitions in multiple sports. For the footprint it has, the conference has not risen to a more respectable level where universities would be asking to join? It is leadership or something else?

I think it starts with a bad commissioner hire.

I would go with the lack of adequate leadership, which definitely included a very poor commissioner hire.

A few years ago the WAC had suddenly righted the ship. They were resuming football and had so many members they could afford to cut Chicago State loose. They got a Big Sky member to defect. The Southland was on life support.

So what the heck happened?

(01-20-2025 10:38 PM)AssKickingChicken Wrote:  A few years ago the WAC had suddenly righted the ship. They were resuming football and had so many members they could afford to cut Chicago State loose. They got a Big Sky member to defect. The Southland was on life support.

So what the heck happened?

1) Oliver Luck is all talk and no actual leadership. He is a salesman but can't stay anywhere and actually manage. He bolted when he knew the FBS wasn't going to happen and he felt he had already done "his part".

2) Brian Thornton was never about football and wanted the WAC to be a basketball league. He ignored the football side of the schools they brought in and couldn't manage the conference as a whole.

(01-20-2025 10:46 PM)Outsider Wrote:  

(01-20-2025 10:38 PM)AssKickingChicken Wrote:  A few years ago the WAC had suddenly righted the ship. They were resuming football and had so many members they could afford to cut Chicago State loose. They got a Big Sky member to defect. The Southland was on life support.

So what the heck happened?

1) Oliver Luck is all talk and no actual leadership. He is a salesman but can't stay anywhere and actually manage. He bolted when he knew the FBS wasn't going to happen and he felt he had already done "his part".

2) Brian Thornton was never about football and wanted the WAC to be a basketball league. He ignored the football side of the schools they brought in and couldn't manage the conference as a whole.

That stuff didn’t help, but the WAC was too spread out and had a mixture of schools that probably wasn’t going to last anyway. Problem #1, they added Seattle about 15 years ago and couldn’t hang onto Denver or Idaho. Even if they didn’t add Seattle 15 years ago, they would have added them when Chicago St, UTPA, and UVU were all added.

Some will blame OU and UT for leaving to the SEC. Yes that didn’t help the WAC, but eventually something else would have shaken up the league. There are just not that many western options to sustain a good membership. When the SLC schools were added, it looked good on paper, but the SLC didn’t quit.

Schools with ambition, slowly realized that even though they were now relegated to the lesser SLC schools they thought they were better than, at least they didn’t have to worry about league stability or travel costs.

(01-20-2025 11:06 PM)UIWElite Wrote:  

(01-20-2025 10:46 PM)Outsider Wrote:  

(01-20-2025 10:38 PM)AssKickingChicken Wrote:  A few years ago the WAC had suddenly righted the ship. They were resuming football and had so many members they could afford to cut Chicago State loose. They got a Big Sky member to defect. The Southland was on life support.

So what the heck happened?

1) Oliver Luck is all talk and no actual leadership. He is a salesman but can't stay anywhere and actually manage. He bolted when he knew the FBS wasn't going to happen and he felt he had already done "his part".

2) Brian Thornton was never about football and wanted the WAC to be a basketball league. He ignored the football side of the schools they brought in and couldn't manage the conference as a whole.

That stuff didn’t help, but the WAC was too spread out and had a mixture of schools that probably wasn’t going to last anyway. Problem #1, they added Seattle about 15 years ago and couldn’t hang onto Denver or Idaho. Even if they didn’t add Seattle 15 years ago, they would have added them when Chicago St, UTPA, and UVU were all added.

Some will blame OU and UT for leaving to the SEC. Yes that didn’t help the WAC, but eventually something else would have shaken up the league. There are just not that many western options to sustain a good membership. When the SLC schools were added, it looked good on paper, but the SLC didn’t quit.

Schools with ambition, slowly realized that even though they were now relegated to the lesser SLC schools they thought they were better than, at least they didn’t have to worry about league stability or travel costs.

The current Texas WAC schools have nothing in common with the SLC schools and the reasons ACU left are still very much there. Even with the lower travel costs of the SLC, the schools left for something better and got it for the most part, even with the larger travel. The battle between the football and basketball schools was/is real. The Texas schools are for sure serious about our basketball, but we are just as serious about football and all of our other sports. I wouldn't disagree that the geographics help make leaving the conference easier when the leadership isn't there to help align the schools and move them forward together.

(01-20-2025 10:05 PM)TexanFan Wrote:  

(01-20-2025 09:56 PM)RCI Wrote:  Why has the WAC not taken advantage of the situation and made itself into an even better conference? It has some really good programs and fine competitions in multiple sports. For the footprint it has, the conference has not risen to a more respectable level where universities would be asking to join? It is leadership or something else?

I think it starts with a bad commissioner hire.

I’ve been flamed for this on social media, but the apparent ref bias in the conference played a part in SFA’s decision as well as GCU’s budget and funding mechanism. Had GCU never become a WAC member (I know, they played a large role in stabilizing it) then I bet there’s a real chance it’d be better today.

The WAC had a chance. The WAC had a chance to be awesome. Terrible leadership, in fact beyond terrible leadership, doomed it 2-3 years ago. The jugular was cut, it just took a while to bleed out.
It didn’t have to happen. That’s the sad part.
My hope is ACU and Tarleton move together. Somewhere. Anywhere.
Big Sky, MVC( make the MVFC all sports). UTA to the OVC. Anywhere but the Southland.
The MWC talk is ridiculous. CUSA is a big reach. They don’t want us. It’s not a lot of fun going where you aren’t wanted. Some of y’all may not remember the nasty welcome we got from the WAC schools. Most are gone now. Or going. Kinda funny.