(01-13-2021 11:24 AM)solohawks Wrote:  

(01-13-2021 11:20 AM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  

(01-13-2021 07:40 AM)TexasTerror Wrote:  "My understanding right now is that Chicago State intends to continue to compete at the D-I level, and will compete as an independent if no other conference membership opportunities present themselves." - Matt Brown in today’s Extra Points (behind a paywall)

Interesting. If Chicago State is headed out then with the incoming five schools the WAC will have 13 members. And if the reports are true that the conference is still looking to add two more, that would push membership to 15 which doesn’t make sense.

The implication is that one of the remaing two additions would be football-only, or that one more existing member could leave.

Here’s one way the latter scenario could play out:

- Northern Arizona is invited to replace Chicago State and accepts
- The Big Sky responds to losing Southern Utah and Northern Arizona by inviting Seattle which accepts
- The WAC backfills for Seattle with West Texas A&M

The WAC would end up with 14 full members (7 in Texas and 7 in SoCal/Utah/Arizona/New Mexico) and 9 FCS teams. The Big Sky would end up with 10 full members and 11 FCS teams. Both conferences would have smaller, more manageable geographic footprints.

There you go spouting logical realignment again

This is the scenario that I brought up in the other WAC thread.

This actually makes sense and is the primary goal in this, I think. There are plenty of in between scenarios that work for almost everyone as well. The move isn't earth shattering like the Big Ten taking Maryland or the ACC getting into the Big East. But it's a move that could be a major positive, but really ends up being a positive no matter how it all shakes out.

From where they are now it's really just trading Seattle for NAU (as long as the schools do not object) because it makes more sense for everyone. With nine football schools they have enough that a few might make it FBS. Really as long as three of them can it means they along with NMST could fairly easily maintain FBS status by scheduling each other and their FCS home game (probably against the WAC FCS left back) in November and doing 2-1s or buy games September and October as pay days. Toss in a home and home with an eastern independent and they could make some decent schedules.