(07-18-2018 04:24 PM)jdgaucho Wrote: (07-18-2018 03:33 PM)joeben69 Wrote: (07-18-2018 01:52 PM)seaking4steel Wrote: (07-18-2018 12:47 AM)Shox Wrote: (07-17-2018 05:27 PM)chargeradio Wrote: You also have to wonder if this is the end of GNAC football - all that is left is Simon Fraser, Central Washington, Western Oregon, and Azusa Pacific.
Azusa Pacific is probably the only realistic Division I candidate and would be a lock for a Big Sky affiliate (if not full member) given their location.
Central Washington needs to add sports to get up to the Division I minimum, even with football, despite having an enrollment similar to FCS schools.
Western Oregon doesn’t have enough students to make the jump, and would still need one sport.
Simon Fraser is in Canada, so Division I is a non-starter.
The other option is to become the western division of the RMAC.
Makes complete sense for AP to follow Cal Baptist to DI and head to the WAC. They are pretty loyal to that football program though, would the Big Sky take that program? It would give everybody at least two games in California most years. WOU should look at NAIA with the other NW directionals and Simon Fraser is completely screwed. CWU could possibly pull off DI assuming the Big Sky takes them. Maybe they could work out an affialete deal with the RMAC.
Could see APU to the WAC, but football will either be cut or parked in Pioneer/Big Sky
Couldn't Humboldt State follow Bakersfield's footsteps and join the WAC, and put football in the Pioneer League???
APU could follow Cal Baptist to the WAC, and put football in the Pioneer League also...
Humboldt State has struggled financially to keep football. I can't see the solution being a move up to Division 1 joining the WAC and send all of their teams to Kansas City, Chicago, Orem, Edinburg and Las Cruces every year. The travel expenses would shoot up way too much. They couldn't afford to do that
My idea is much better to keep cost down. GNAC football gets a waiver to just send football to the D1 level just for the one sport. Big Sky would be north. WAC football would be the Big Sky football south.
WAC football Big Sky South:
Humboldt State
Azusa Pacific WAC full member
UC-Davis
Cal. Poly, SLO
Sacramento State
Dixie State (WAC full member)
Southern Utah
Northern Arizona
West Texas A&M WAC full member
CSU-Peublo WAC full member
Bg Sky North members:
Western Oregon
Portland State
Central Washington
Eastern Washington
Simon Fraser (wants to move their men's hockey to D1)
Idaho
Idaho State
Weber State
Montana
Montana State
Northern Colorado
Colorado Mesa
Could move Weber State to the south to make it 11 and 11. Humboldt's only long distance would be West Texas A&M. Humboldt State could play Azusa Pacific, Sacramento State, UC-Davis, Cal. Poly, UNR, UNLV, Dixie State, Southern Utah, Fresno State, San Diego State, California, USC, Stanford, U. of San Diego, Arizona, Arizona State, Northern Arizona, New Mexico and UCLA. GNAC do have more options at the D1 FCS for OOC games. Playing bodybag games against P5 opponents could give them more extra cash that they do not get when they are in D2. The GNAC schools now could play D1 opponents since they would count towards football opponents.
CWU could moved the rugby as a varsity sports and their games are shown on NBC Sports network. They could add women's hockey as varsity sports and women's wrestling. They are not really that far behind on sports since they offered 12. Adding the 2 women's sports and the rugby team would bring them to 15. Bring it to 16 with women's beach volleyball as well.
So, you see how the GNAC could work with both the Big Sky and WAC to create a cooperation on football. It could ease the D2 schools to move up all of their sports to D1. If you see the D2 landscape? They are too far apart to play football right to cut the cost down on travel expense. We need more schools out west to restart or add football instead of dropping it.