(05-15-2023 01:12 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(05-15-2023 11:05 AM)nodak651 Wrote:  

(05-15-2023 10:34 AM)solohawks Wrote:  

(05-15-2023 08:14 AM)The Sicatoka Wrote:  The OVC sponsoring men's soccer and then picking up WIU really jammed up the Summit.
The OVCs returning home put it to six and WIU puts it to five for Summit men's soccer.

The NSIC schools in footprint are all fiscally tenuous. puck swami was being polite about UNC: DU'd rather do weekend travel to Chernobyl and Fukashima than Greeley.

There aren't great, ready, backfill candidates in-region.

Frankly, if there was ever a time for a "haves/have nots" (flagships/not) split of the Summit and Big Sky it might be now.

I think taking over hockey would be the easiest.

There are 4 Summit League hockey schools and 3 MAC hockey schools between the NCHC and CCHA.

With Bowling Green in the CCHA they probably would be a yes to Summit Hockey and playing the bigger Summit NCHC more regularly.

With the 4 Summit Schools plus Bowling Green, I bet Western Michigan and and Miami could be swayed to come over. From their, you pick and chose the Northern Sun schools you want and if Colorado College is wanted as well.

I don't see how that's the easiest when multiple reports have recently come out about NCHC membership not being interested, and only 2 of the 3 Summit/NCHC schools were reportedly on board. Miami's AD would 100% be against that idea based on his comments from over the Summer, as well. Issues could potentially be resolved, but a huge problem would be if the league wanted to add a school like Lindenwood, for example. They would be a great add for the Summit League as it currently stands, but not for hockey with the NCHC schools who are on the verge of adding ASU. Hockey schools are worried about control, and I think that is an issue that may be much more difficult to resolve in reality than it appears.

The Summit League is getting a million for the WIU buyout. Couldn't they just pay an affiliate or two to join for soccer? I think that would be the easiest solution.

I do think hockey in the Summit could make sense and work out in the long run, but it's not something that can be or will be rushed to solve an issue like this.

If taking over hockey is a no go and they don't wanna bully their way into doing it, then you gotta find soccer teams. Or try to start Summit League football, which I figure would be much harder than hockey.

Northern Colorado is already in for baseball so they don't help as they don't have a soccer.

Air Force is probably the best bet if you wanna go the soccer affiliate route.

If I'm Air Force would I prefer

WAC Soccer: Cal Baptist, Grand Canyon, Seattle, Utah Tech, Utah Valley, UTRGV, San Jose State, UNLV

OR

Summit Soccer: Denver, Kansas City, Omaha, Oral Roberts, St. Thomas

Summit could take on Air Force swimming and diving too allowing Air Force to completely cut ties with the WAC

I don't know if Air Force would go for it but they are your best bet. Make it revenue positive move for Air Force is travel and affiliate fee savings.

The WAC took over sponsorship of the MPSF soccer when WAC football collapsed. At the time there were 5 Mountain West schools that sponsored soccer, but the conference did not. San Diego State was affiliated with the PAC and San Jose State, UNLV, AFA, and New Mexico were part of the MPSF.

So the soccer affiliation is not connected to the pre-Mountain West WAC.

Denver left the MPSF for the Summit, New Mexico left for CUSA and later dropped the sport.

Seattle, HBU (now HCU), CSU Bakersfield, AFA, San Jose State, and UNLV moved to WAC soccer, where they were joined by Kansas City and Grand Canyon.

The only holdover from the FBS football-sponsoring WAC was NMSU. The WAC added Grand Canyon, Seattle, CSU Bakersfield, Chicago State, UTRGV, Kansas City, and Utah Valley as it became the life raft for DII promotees.

New schools were required to sponsor soccer while some of the extraneous schools such as HCU, Kansas City, Chicago State, and CSU Bakersfield (which left for the Big West).

For 2023, WAC soccer will have 6 members plus the three Mountain West affiliates.

AFA has a very broad sports program and many of its teams are affiliated with conferences other than the Mountain West. AFA has 17 men's teams, 8 play within the Mountain West, 9 play in other conferences. AFA is less concerned about travel than most schools, and uses its sports teams to recruit students throughout the US. In 2022, the men's soccer team traveled to Wake Forest, North Carolina, and Washington.

WAC soccer uses travel pairs, so conference play would consist of two weekend trips playing two matches.

If AFA were to leave the WAC, it would be to join the PAC. The PAC-12 has five-soccer playing schools. San Diego State has been affiliated since 2005. UCLA will leave in 2024, leaving the conference one short of the six needed for an AQ.

The conference could try to get San Jose State or UNLV to flip, but it could make just as much sense to add all three. If the PAC adds SMU that would also get the PAC back up to six.