(04-18-2018 01:17 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(04-18-2018 11:12 AM)dbackjon Wrote:  

(04-17-2018 07:23 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  

(04-17-2018 06:13 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  So NAIA now has 4 schools in Arizona (Ottawa, Benedictine, ACU and Embry-Riddle). If Park starts athletics in Gilbert, they would want NAIA, so that would be 5

Park is indeed planning on starting athletics, next year. If that's the case I would expect an NAIA application in October. It would follow a similar trajectory as Ottawa in Surprise.

Your implication though is that of an Arizona conference. I've though about that for the last couple of days. I doubt it will come to be. The bare minimum is 6, and at that size you are just 1 school failure or association change from a failed conference. And all schools would have to support the same sports, or you would still have sports that aren't in an officially recognized conference. Meaning you'd still have to rely on other conferences affiliations for scheduling. Now if you get to 7, THEN you've got my attention. However I don't see other existing candidates in Arizona. There's an art school in Tucson, but it's really small...

I think the likely outcome will be for the metro Phoenix schools to become travel partners. ACU paired with Ottawa in the GSAC, and Benedictine-Mesa with Park in the Cal Pac.

Not implying an Arizona conference - the four schools are split among two conferences already, which is a good set up - Non Arizona schools get a two for one trip.

I do expect more schools to follow the Benedictine/Ottawa/Park model - Arizona is vastly underserved when it comes to residential private universities, and athletics is a good way to build a campus.

They only have 3 4 year public schools as well. Arizona Western, Eastern Arizona, Central Arizona, Pima and Phoenix College all seemed to be offering some 4 year degrees in some fields. I suspect one or two of them will go 4 year. A lot of the NAIA schools that they get came from the NJCAA that went 4 years. The west coast do need to get some more 4 year schools pretty soon, and I do not mean privates either.

After a quick look at Pima CC, it looks like any 4-year degree earned there has Northern Arizona on the diploma. No Arizona CC is offering a 4-year degree it is just the location is being used as an extension in cooperation with UofA, NAU, or ASU. Why would Arizona Western have such a program when NAU-Yuma is in the same buildings?