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Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
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dancingNMSUaggie Offline
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Post: #61
RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
The Big Sky sucks.
08-17-2020 07:08 PM
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HerdZoned Offline
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Post: #62
RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
There isn't 1 school is this version of the WAC that wouldn't move to a stable conference. The WAC is the home of the misfits and homeless. I can bet not one school actually wants to be in the conference. If Seattle, Cal Baptist or Grand Canyon were ask to be the 12th member of the Big West they would jump at it in a heartbeat.

The Big Sky isn't taking anyone, its a bloated conference as is, that needs to split in half.

If Chicago State was even halfway decent and on stable ground they would be in the Summit or Horizon, but they aren't so they are where they are. Bakersfield and UMKC have already pulled up and left.

The Southland is in the same boat as The Big Sky, they are already bloated and probably shouldn't have taken on Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word and New Orleans. The should have stopped at Central Arkansas and Corpus Chrisiti in 2006 and said that was it.
08-18-2020 01:51 AM
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NMSUPistolPete Offline
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Post: #63
RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
(08-18-2020 01:51 AM)HerdZoned Wrote:  There isn't 1 school is this version of the WAC that wouldn't move to a stable conference. The WAC is the home of the misfits and homeless. I can bet not one school actually wants to be in the conference. If Seattle, Cal Baptist or Grand Canyon were ask to be the 12th member of the Big West they would jump at it in a heartbeat.

The Big Sky isn't taking anyone, its a bloated conference as is, that needs to split in half.

If Chicago State was even halfway decent and on stable ground they would be in the Summit or Horizon, but they aren't so they are where they are. Bakersfield and UMKC have already pulled up and left.

The Southland is in the same boat as The Big Sky, they are already bloated and probably shouldn't have taken on Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word and New Orleans. The should have stopped at Central Arkansas and Corpus Chrisiti in 2006 and said that was it.

First, GCU, CBU, and Seattle U have higher aspirations than the Big West. As Christian universities, all three would really like to be in the WCC. However, as long as Gonzaga is calling the shots, the WCC will not add more mouths to feed.

Summit or Horizon League are a better fit for Chicago State. But as stated many times, it doesn't have the financial support to pull itself out of the dregs. Chicago State was only fortunate that, at one point, the WAC was on life support and was taking in all comers; Or, Chicago State wouldn't have a conference home now. So, unless Chicago State gets an influx of cash flow, it is the WAC or bust.

To fortify their footing in the region, both the Big Sky and Southland commissioners took in more members than they probably should have. Prior the WAC's almost total collapse the former WAC commissioner was poaching the Southland for new WAC members and he had his eyes on Montana and possibly Montana State from the Big Sky.
08-18-2020 05:05 AM
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SDHornet Offline
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Post: #64
RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
(08-18-2020 01:51 AM)HerdZoned Wrote:  There isn't 1 school is this version of the WAC that wouldn't move to a stable conference. The WAC is the home of the misfits and homeless. I can bet not one school actually wants to be in the conference. If Seattle, Cal Baptist or Grand Canyon were ask to be the 12th member of the Big West they would jump at it in a heartbeat.

The Big Sky isn't taking anyone, its a bloated conference as is, that needs to split in half.

If Chicago State was even halfway decent and on stable ground they would be in the Summit or Horizon, but they aren't so they are where they are. Bakersfield and UMKC have already pulled up and left.

The Southland is in the same boat as The Big Sky, they are already bloated and probably shouldn't have taken on Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word and New Orleans. The should have stopped at Central Arkansas and Corpus Chrisiti in 2006 and said that was it.

Huh? The BSC is at 11 full members, and the BW will be at 11 when Bako and UCSD joins. But the BSC should split and the BW should add a small private school that has nothing in common with the BW membership? Did you even think before you posted this?
08-18-2020 11:28 AM
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HawaiiMongoose Offline
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Post: #65
RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
I think it's very unlikely that any of the Big Sky full members will leave to join the WAC, because the Big Sky is a better institutional fit. They are all public universities. Two are state flagships (Montana and Idaho). Six have "very high research" or "high research" Carnegie classifications and eight offer multiple doctoral degree programs, and I'm pretty sure the outliers aspire to do the same and value rubbing shoulders with schools they want to join as academic peers. Remember that realignment decisions are made by university presidents, not athletic directors.

The Southland is less homogenous. As Itinerant Texan has pointed out, there are private schools in the conference (ACU, UIW, HBU) just as there are in the WAC. Only two members have "high research" Carnegie classifications and most are focused on awarding bachelor's and master's degrees, which is comparable to the situation in the WAC where there are also just two "high research" schools. So institutional fit should not be as much of an issue to a Southland school considering a move to the WAC.

This is why I've said for the past couple of years that the WAC's future is in Texas. Whether we're talking Southland transfers or Lone Star move-ups, that's where the potential for new members is greatest.
(This post was last modified: 08-18-2020 06:17 PM by HawaiiMongoose.)
08-18-2020 06:16 PM
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Todor Offline
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Post: #66
RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
the WAC is dynamic and the schools in the WAC are dynamic. Nothing is happening with BSC schools or within the conference. The Southland is geographically stuck and monetarily stuck. No reason for anyone with aspirations to look at either.
(This post was last modified: 08-18-2020 08:02 PM by Todor.)
08-18-2020 08:01 PM
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joeben69 Offline
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Post: #67
RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
(08-18-2020 11:28 AM)SDHornet Wrote:  
(08-18-2020 01:51 AM)HerdZoned Wrote:  There isn't 1 school is this version of the WAC that wouldn't move to a stable conference. The WAC is the home of the misfits and homeless. I can bet not one school actually wants to be in the conference. If Seattle, Cal Baptist or Grand Canyon were ask to be the 12th member of the Big West they would jump at it in a heartbeat.

The Big Sky isn't taking anyone, its a bloated conference as is, that needs to split in half.

If Chicago State was even halfway decent and on stable ground they would be in the Summit or Horizon, but they aren't so they are where they are. Bakersfield and UMKC have already pulled up and left.

The Southland is in the same boat as The Big Sky, they are already bloated and probably shouldn't have taken on Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word and New Orleans. The should have stopped at Central Arkansas and Corpus Chrisiti in 2006 and said that was it.

Huh? The BSC is at 11 full members, and the BW will be at 11 when Bako and UCSD joins. But the BSC should split and the BW should add a small private school that has nothing in common with the BW membership? Did you even think before you posted this?

UCSD & Bako have already joined the BWC back on July 1st, 2020...

CSU Bakersfield, UC San Diego Officially Join Big West Conference
https://bigwest.org/news/2020/7/1/cross-...rence.aspx
08-19-2020 01:06 AM
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DoubleRSU Offline
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Post: #68
RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
(08-18-2020 08:01 PM)Todor Wrote:  the WAC is dynamic and the schools in the WAC are dynamic. Nothing is happening with BSC schools or within the conference. The Southland is geographically stuck and monetarily stuck. No reason for anyone with aspirations to look at either.

If you all want to talk about aspirations and potential for WAC teams, I will accept that as an answer. How long do the Presidents and ADs hold out for those two things though? When budgets are looked at and scrutinized years later, sending the volleyball team to Seattle and Los Angeles won’t look too good, when you could send them to Huntsville and Beaumont, TX instead. I think you Tarleton and RGV fans that are saying you’re better off in the WAC than the Southland are fooling yourselves.

If the SLC was expanding by 2 teams, UTRGV and Tarleton would be the first two schools to put their names in for consideration.
(This post was last modified: 08-19-2020 11:22 AM by DoubleRSU.)
08-19-2020 11:21 AM
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Itinerant Texan Offline
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Post: #69
RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
(08-19-2020 11:21 AM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  
(08-18-2020 08:01 PM)Todor Wrote:  the WAC is dynamic and the schools in the WAC are dynamic. Nothing is happening with BSC schools or within the conference. The Southland is geographically stuck and monetarily stuck. No reason for anyone with aspirations to look at either.

If you all want to talk about aspirations and potential for WAC teams, I will accept that as an answer. How long do the Presidents and ADs hold out for those two things though? When budgets are looked at and scrutinized years later, sending the volleyball team to Seattle and Los Angeles won’t look too good, when you could send them to Huntsville and Beaumont, TX instead. I think you Tarleton and RGV fans that are saying you’re better off in the WAC than the Southland are fooling yourselves.

If the SLC was expanding by 2 teams, UTRGV and Tarleton would be the first two schools to put their names in for consideration.

Nah. But you're entitled to your opinion.
A healthy, stable FCS playin' WAC behooves both the Southland and the Big Sky. An FCS conference in the Southwest bridges the geographic gap between the two conferences. Opens up a ton of scheduling options for the WAC, too. Tarleton brass, and most importantly, the Texas A&M Chancellor, prefers the WAC. They've made no bones about it.
(This post was last modified: 08-19-2020 12:20 PM by Itinerant Texan.)
08-19-2020 11:47 AM
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RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
(08-19-2020 11:47 AM)Itinerant Texan Wrote:  
(08-19-2020 11:21 AM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  
(08-18-2020 08:01 PM)Todor Wrote:  the WAC is dynamic and the schools in the WAC are dynamic. Nothing is happening with BSC schools or within the conference. The Southland is geographically stuck and monetarily stuck. No reason for anyone with aspirations to look at either.

If you all want to talk about aspirations and potential for WAC teams, I will accept that as an answer. How long do the Presidents and ADs hold out for those two things though? When budgets are looked at and scrutinized years later, sending the volleyball team to Seattle and Los Angeles won’t look too good, when you could send them to Huntsville and Beaumont, TX instead. I think you Tarleton and RGV fans that are saying you’re better off in the WAC than the Southland are fooling yourselves.

If the SLC was expanding by 2 teams, UTRGV and Tarleton would be the first two schools to put their names in for consideration.

Nah. But you're entitled to your opinion.
A healthy, stable FCS playin' WAC behooves both the Southland and the Big Sky. An FCS conference in the Southwest bridges the geographic gap between the two conferences. Opens up a ton of scheduling options for the WAC, too. Tarleton brass, and most importantly, the Texas A&M Chancellor, prefers the WAC. They've made no bones about it.

Ok but an FCS WAC doesnt exist. How long are yall going to wait before giving up on a football WAC? Even if the WAC were to get FCS football theres no way theyd be percieved as a better conference than the SL or BS.
(This post was last modified: 08-19-2020 01:29 PM by Bobcat2013.)
08-19-2020 01:05 PM
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edinburger Offline
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RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
(08-19-2020 11:21 AM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  
(08-18-2020 08:01 PM)Todor Wrote:  the WAC is dynamic and the schools in the WAC are dynamic. Nothing is happening with BSC schools or within the conference. The Southland is geographically stuck and monetarily stuck. No reason for anyone with aspirations to look at either.

If you all want to talk about aspirations and potential for WAC teams, I will accept that as an answer. How long do the Presidents and ADs hold out for those two things though? When budgets are looked at and scrutinized years later, sending the volleyball team to Seattle and Los Angeles won’t look too good, when you could send them to Huntsville and Beaumont, TX instead. I think you Tarleton and RGV fans that are saying you’re better off in the WAC than the Southland are fooling yourselves.

If the SLC was expanding by 2 teams, UTRGV and Tarleton would be the first two schools to put their names in for consideration.

In the past there have been some presidents (no longer with us) and ADs (no longer with us) who hinted they wanted to be in the SLC. I think that's long gone. Maybe if there was football but there isn't football and won't be anytime soon.

Three points:

1. Don't look at maps, look at plane tickets. Seattle/LA $158 today, but it's an in-city bus trip. Houston $97, but then there's 4 extra round trip hours of charter bus to Beaumont or Huntsville, maybe an overnight stay for the driver. Could be almost a wash.

2. As an employee (not in athletics), I'll let you in on a secret I've been hiding to avoid inflating egos here: in our academic planning meetings NMSU is often on the short list of places we are aspiring to be like. Their level of research and program offerings is where we want to be, and their demographics are closer to ours. No one here longs to be like Sam Houston or Stephen F. Austin, fine places but serving a different kind of population with different kinds of goals. We like to think we're already past them (whether it's true or not is a different question).

2. Already multiple generations of students and alumni vested in the WAC. The Texas rivalry thing doesn't seem to work: very low turn out for OOC games against SLC opponents, on the other hand we get decent attendance for important WAC games.
08-19-2020 01:30 PM
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PojoaquePosse Offline
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Post: #72
RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
(08-19-2020 01:30 PM)edinburger Wrote:  
(08-19-2020 11:21 AM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  
(08-18-2020 08:01 PM)Todor Wrote:  the WAC is dynamic and the schools in the WAC are dynamic. Nothing is happening with BSC schools or within the conference. The Southland is geographically stuck and monetarily stuck. No reason for anyone with aspirations to look at either.

If you all want to talk about aspirations and potential for WAC teams, I will accept that as an answer. How long do the Presidents and ADs hold out for those two things though? When budgets are looked at and scrutinized years later, sending the volleyball team to Seattle and Los Angeles won’t look too good, when you could send them to Huntsville and Beaumont, TX instead. I think you Tarleton and RGV fans that are saying you’re better off in the WAC than the Southland are fooling yourselves.

If the SLC was expanding by 2 teams, UTRGV and Tarleton would be the first two schools to put their names in for consideration.

In the past there have been some presidents (no longer with us) and ADs (no longer with us) who hinted they wanted to be in the SLC. I think that's long gone. Maybe if there was football but there isn't football and won't be anytime soon.

Three points:

1. Don't look at maps, look at plane tickets. Seattle/LA $158 today, but it's an in-city bus trip. Houston $97, but then there's 4 extra round trip hours of charter bus to Beaumont or Huntsville, maybe an overnight stay for the driver. Could be almost a wash.

2. As an employee (not in athletics), I'll let you in on a secret I've been hiding to avoid inflating egos here: in our academic planning meetings NMSU is often on the short list of places we are aspiring to be like. Their level of research and program offerings is where we want to be, and their demographics are closer to ours. No one here longs to be like Sam Houston or Stephen F. Austin, fine places but serving a different kind of population with different kinds of goals. We like to think we're already past them (whether it's true or not is a different question).

2. Already multiple generations of students and alumni vested in the WAC. The Texas rivalry thing doesn't seem to work: very low turn out for OOC games against SLC opponents, on the other hand we get decent attendance for important WAC games.

Nice insights, burger. Much appreciated.

I will go out on a limb and say that NMSU "aspires" to several schools in the MWC/ConfUSA both academically and athletically. I think we feel that we are closer to them in both regards than we are to the schools in the WAC. That is why folks on harp on the fact that NMSU needs to leave the WAC.

Personally, I am grateful for the WAC for giving us a home and allowing our crown jewel, MBB, to continue to shine. But I long for the days that we have all of our sports in one FBS conference.
08-19-2020 02:30 PM
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Itinerant Texan Offline
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RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
(08-19-2020 01:05 PM)Bobcat2013 Wrote:  
(08-19-2020 11:47 AM)Itinerant Texan Wrote:  
(08-19-2020 11:21 AM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  
(08-18-2020 08:01 PM)Todor Wrote:  the WAC is dynamic and the schools in the WAC are dynamic. Nothing is happening with BSC schools or within the conference. The Southland is geographically stuck and monetarily stuck. No reason for anyone with aspirations to look at either.

If you all want to talk about aspirations and potential for WAC teams, I will accept that as an answer. How long do the Presidents and ADs hold out for those two things though? When budgets are looked at and scrutinized years later, sending the volleyball team to Seattle and Los Angeles won’t look too good, when you could send them to Huntsville and Beaumont, TX instead. I think you Tarleton and RGV fans that are saying you’re better off in the WAC than the Southland are fooling yourselves.

If the SLC was expanding by 2 teams, UTRGV and Tarleton would be the first two schools to put their names in for consideration.

Nah. But you're entitled to your opinion.
A healthy, stable FCS playin' WAC behooves both the Southland and the Big Sky. An FCS conference in the Southwest bridges the geographic gap between the two conferences. Opens up a ton of scheduling options for the WAC, too. Tarleton brass, and most importantly, the Texas A&M Chancellor, prefers the WAC. They've made no bones about it.

Ok but an FCS WAC doesnt exist. How long are yall going to wait before giving up on a football WAC? Even if the WAC were to get FCS football theres no way theyd be percieved as a better conference than the SL or BS.

I'd say about 4 years, which just so happens to be the transitional term. If Hurd hasn't made any headway by then, we'll have to retreat back to the SLC. Tarleton's post-transition options are simple, really: WAC or SLC, or form a new Texas FCS conference, which I don't see happening.

Yes, a new WAC FSC conference would have to gain traction by winning OOC games against the SLC and BSC. However, WAC Basketball and Baseball is a way better conference to be in as it is right now. Also better academically than the SLC.
08-19-2020 05:55 PM
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LUSportsFan Offline
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Post: #74
RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
(08-19-2020 01:30 PM)edinburger Wrote:  
(08-19-2020 11:21 AM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  
(08-18-2020 08:01 PM)Todor Wrote:  the WAC is dynamic and the schools in the WAC are dynamic. Nothing is happening with BSC schools or within the conference. The Southland is geographically stuck and monetarily stuck. No reason for anyone with aspirations to look at either.

If you all want to talk about aspirations and potential for WAC teams, I will accept that as an answer. How long do the Presidents and ADs hold out for those two things though? When budgets are looked at and scrutinized years later, sending the volleyball team to Seattle and Los Angeles won’t look too good, when you could send them to Huntsville and Beaumont, TX instead. I think you Tarleton and RGV fans that are saying you’re better off in the WAC than the Southland are fooling yourselves.

If the SLC was expanding by 2 teams, UTRGV and Tarleton would be the first two schools to put their names in for consideration.

In the past there have been some presidents (no longer with us) and ADs (no longer with us) who hinted they wanted to be in the SLC. I think that's long gone. Maybe if there was football but there isn't football and won't be anytime soon.

Three points:

1. Don't look at maps, look at plane tickets. Seattle/LA $158 today, but it's an in-city bus trip. Houston $97, but then there's 4 extra round trip hours of charter bus to Beaumont or Huntsville, maybe an overnight stay for the driver. Could be almost a wash.
...
I'd probably drive. Driving from Edinburg to Sam Houston State and to Lamar are both about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hour shorter than a flight to Seattle. You wouldn't have to worry about airline connections, either.

Even with flying, it's not quite that bad. Sam Houston State is 50 miles from Bush Intercontinental; about the same distance as New Mexico State from El Paso International (49.7 miles). Lamar is 79 miles away. Those drives should be around 1 hr 10 minutes to 1 1/2 hrs one way (2 hrs 20 min to 3 hrs roundtrip) according to experience and Google Maps. Knock off at least one hour from the 4 hr round trip. Now, if someone really screws up and builds the schedule to hit the peak of the Houston rush hour, it could be a nightmare. That's on the travel scheduler.

The drives to and from Houston Hobby are about the same except maybe more traffic for Sam Houston State, 80 for SHSU and 88 miles for Lamar. For Lamar, the main reason Jack Brooks Regional airport doesn't have more commercial flights than it does is because it is so convenient to drive to either Bush or Hobby. It only took me about 15 to 20 minutes longer to drive from Beaumont to the airports when I lived there as it did when I lived in west Houston. (Just double checked Google Maps to make sure my memory was correct. 04-cheers)
If you are lucky enough to have connections with DFW to Beaumont or are flying charter, Jack Brooks Regional airport is only 7 miles from campus.

I may be missing something, but I'd take a 1 hour flight and a little over an hour drive over a 6 1/2-7 hr flight. Even the 400-450 mile drive all the way from Edinburg on a 75 mph highway is not bad, especially for someone used to Texas distances.
(This post was last modified: 08-19-2020 06:29 PM by LUSportsFan.)
08-19-2020 06:10 PM
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edinburger Offline
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RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
(08-19-2020 06:10 PM)LUSportsFan Wrote:  I'd probably drive. Driving from Edinburg to Sam Houston State and to Lamar are both about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hour shorter than a flight to Seattle. You wouldn't have to worry about airline connections, either.

Even with flying, it's not quite that bad. Sam Houston State is 50 miles from Bush Intercontinental; about the same distance as New Mexico State from El Paso International (49.7 miles). Lamar is 79 miles away. Those drives should be around 1 hr 10 minutes to 1 1/2 hrs one way (2 hrs 20 min to 3 hrs roundtrip) according to experience and Google Maps. Knock off at least one hour from the 4 hr round trip. Now, if someone really screws up and builds the schedule to hit the peak of the Houston rush hour, it could be a nightmare. That's on the travel scheduler.

The drives to and from Houston Hobby are about the same except maybe more traffic for Sam Houston State, 80 for SHSU and 88 miles for Lamar. For Lamar, the main reason Jack Brooks Regional airport doesn't have more commercial flights than it does is because it is so convenient to drive to either Bush or Hobby. It only took me about 15 to 20 minutes longer to drive from Beaumont to the airports when I lived there as it did when I lived in west Houston. (Just double checked Google Maps to make sure my memory was correct. 04-cheers)
If you are lucky enough to have connections with DFW to Beaumont or are flying charter, Jack Brooks Regional airport is only 7 miles from campus.

I may be missing something, but I'd take a 1 hour flight and a little over an hour drive over a 6 1/2-7 hr flight. Even the 400-450 mile drive all the way from Edinburg on a 75 mph highway is not bad, especially for someone used to Texas distances.

OK, got to admit that in my younger days I thought people who flew McAllen-DFW were wusses. I'd jump in my no-A/C pickup and arrive 8 hours later with manly pride and the genuine smell of a ... vaquero. Now I fly it unless it's a week+ trip and I need to have the car.

You might be right that SHU and Lamar are in bus range. But I do have to say that if you make Edinburg to Beaumont in 7 hours you've got a giant bladder, a top-end radar detector, and nerves of steel.
(This post was last modified: 08-20-2020 08:51 PM by edinburger.)
08-20-2020 08:48 PM
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edinburger Offline
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Post: #76
RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
(08-19-2020 02:30 PM)PojoaquePosse Wrote:  Nice insights, burger. Much appreciated.

I will go out on a limb and say that NMSU "aspires" to several schools in the MWC/ConfUSA both academically and athletically. I think we feel that we are closer to them in both regards than we are to the schools in the WAC. That is why folks on harp on the fact that NMSU needs to leave the WAC.

Personally, I am grateful for the WAC for giving us a home and allowing our crown jewel, MBB, to continue to shine. But I long for the days that we have all of our sports in one FBS conference.

Agreed that NMSU looks a lot more like the MWC schools. Frankly you're better than most of the CUSA schools though; many of them have good athletics and many have good academics but only a few have both.

I like the WAC. We had no conference membership at all for 10 long years, and a fake-no-autobid conference for three more years after that. Being in a real conference, no matter what problems it has, is better by any standard of comparison.

By the way, that last year of the Great West: Chicago State won the tournament, and smacked us in a semifinal on the way. Times change.
(This post was last modified: 08-20-2020 09:20 PM by edinburger.)
08-20-2020 09:13 PM
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Hilldog Offline
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Post: #77
RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
(08-16-2020 01:15 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  
(08-16-2020 10:53 AM)Itinerant Texan Wrote:  After talking this topic to death in another thread, and looking at all possible scenarios, I was left with only one conclusion: the answer to the WAC's football conundrum lies within three conferences: Big Sky, Lone Star, and Southland. No need for UTRGV to startup football.

BSC needs to shed a school, not add, and USU is right down the road from Dixie. Just sayin.

Lone Star has 3-5 solid D2 moveup candidates that are getting a little too big for their britches in the LSC. WTAMU, Commerce, Angelo, etc., etc. Renewed rivals and regional games with Tarleton. Check.

The SLC has a Louisiana problem. The Texas schools might be interested in change. Lets say we get two: ACU and UIW fit in the geographical footprint and have the cash to do whatever they want. They also might be interested in joining other privates like SU, CBU and GCU. Two is a conservative number here.

Add it all up, and you can get to 8 teams without much effort, which is enough to get started. Add a couple more in a few years, and you could build a solid 10 or 12 team, East & West division WAC FCS conference.

A few successful years after that, WAC cashes in its "golden ticket" and goes FBS, and NMSU comes into the fold.

This is the upside the WAC offers schools that the SLC and BSC cannot. It will be interesting to see what Hurd can put together.

Some good points. ACU and UIW would be good targets. With Tarleton, Dixie State, UC-Davis and Cal Poly, the WAC hits the six team minimum for an FCS conference, which is the minimum for automatic qualification into the FCS Playoffs. If UTRGV and San Diego were interested, that gets the conference to eight. If they are not, it would not be difficult to find a couple of D2 schools to join.

I think a WAC FCS conference is a strong possibility. A WAC FBS conference is probably a pipe dream, put sometimes you have got to dream the impossible dream.

How many FCS conferences have an automatic bid? What was the last conference to get an automatic bid. I seem to remember a conference in the early 2010's getting an automatic bid.
08-20-2020 10:55 PM
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Hilldog Offline
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RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
(08-19-2020 11:21 AM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  
(08-18-2020 08:01 PM)Todor Wrote:  the WAC is dynamic and the schools in the WAC are dynamic. Nothing is happening with BSC schools or within the conference. The Southland is geographically stuck and monetarily stuck. No reason for anyone with aspirations to look at either.

If you all want to talk about aspirations and potential for WAC teams, I will accept that as an answer. How long do the Presidents and ADs hold out for those two things though? When budgets are looked at and scrutinized years later, sending the volleyball team to Seattle and Los Angeles won’t look too good, when you could send them to Huntsville and Beaumont, TX instead. I think you Tarleton and RGV fans that are saying you’re better off in the WAC than the Southland are fooling yourselves.

If the SLC was expanding by 2 teams, UTRGV and Tarleton would be the first two schools to put their names in for consideration.

Why would the SLC, currently at 13 teams expand by two more? They are a one bid basketball conference, and will be hard pressed to ever be a two bid conference.
08-20-2020 11:04 PM
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Hilldog Offline
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RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
(08-19-2020 02:30 PM)PojoaquePosse Wrote:  
(08-19-2020 01:30 PM)edinburger Wrote:  
(08-19-2020 11:21 AM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  
(08-18-2020 08:01 PM)Todor Wrote:  the WAC is dynamic and the schools in the WAC are dynamic. Nothing is happening with BSC schools or within the conference. The Southland is geographically stuck and monetarily stuck. No reason for anyone with aspirations to look at either.

If you all want to talk about aspirations and potential for WAC teams, I will accept that as an answer. How long do the Presidents and ADs hold out for those two things though? When budgets are looked at and scrutinized years later, sending the volleyball team to Seattle and Los Angeles won’t look too good, when you could send them to Huntsville and Beaumont, TX instead. I think you Tarleton and RGV fans that are saying you’re better off in the WAC than the Southland are fooling yourselves.

If the SLC was expanding by 2 teams, UTRGV and Tarleton would be the first two schools to put their names in for consideration.

In the past there have been some presidents (no longer with us) and ADs (no longer with us) who hinted they wanted to be in the SLC. I think that's long gone. Maybe if there was football but there isn't football and won't be anytime soon.

Three points:

1. Don't look at maps, look at plane tickets. Seattle/LA $158 today, but it's an in-city bus trip. Houston $97, but then there's 4 extra round trip hours of charter bus to Beaumont or Huntsville, maybe an overnight stay for the driver. Could be almost a wash.

2. As an employee (not in athletics), I'll let you in on a secret I've been hiding to avoid inflating egos here: in our academic planning meetings NMSU is often on the short list of places we are aspiring to be like. Their level of research and program offerings is where we want to be, and their demographics are closer to ours. No one here longs to be like Sam Houston or Stephen F. Austin, fine places but serving a different kind of population with different kinds of goals. We like to think we're already past them (whether it's true or not is a different question).

2. Already multiple generations of students and alumni vested in the WAC. The Texas rivalry thing doesn't seem to work: very low turn out for OOC games against SLC opponents, on the other hand we get decent attendance for important WAC games.

Nice insights, burger. Much appreciated.

I will go out on a limb and say that NMSU "aspires" to several schools in the MWC/ConfUSA both academically and athletically. I think we feel that we are closer to them in both regards than we are to the schools in the WAC. That is why folks on harp on the fact that NMSU needs to leave the WAC.

Personally, I am grateful for the WAC for giving us a home and allowing our crown jewel, MBB, to continue to shine. But I long for the days that we have all of our sports in one FBS conference.

If NMSU was great in football, year in and year out, they may get invitations to a football conference. But, that hasn't happened. TCU and Utah both got into P5 conferences, because they were very good/great in football over an extended period of time.

As long as New Mexico is in the MWC, NMSU will never get into the MWC. Utah St always longed to be a MWC member, they finally got an invitation, but only after Utah and BYU left. Samething for NMSU.

UTEP being so close, also hurts NMSU. If UTEP ever leaves CUSA, they would more than likely add Texas St. instead UTEP. That way, no schools west of Denton Texas, in Texas.
08-20-2020 11:15 PM
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Vulpes88 Offline
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RE: Is Dixie St destined for the Big Sky?
(08-20-2020 08:48 PM)edinburger Wrote:  
(08-19-2020 06:10 PM)LUSportsFan Wrote:  I'd probably drive. Driving from Edinburg to Sam Houston State and to Lamar are both about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hour shorter than a flight to Seattle. You wouldn't have to worry about airline connections, either.

Even with flying, it's not quite that bad. Sam Houston State is 50 miles from Bush Intercontinental; about the same distance as New Mexico State from El Paso International (49.7 miles). Lamar is 79 miles away. Those drives should be around 1 hr 10 minutes to 1 1/2 hrs one way (2 hrs 20 min to 3 hrs roundtrip) according to experience and Google Maps. Knock off at least one hour from the 4 hr round trip. Now, if someone really screws up and builds the schedule to hit the peak of the Houston rush hour, it could be a nightmare. That's on the travel scheduler.

The drives to and from Houston Hobby are about the same except maybe more traffic for Sam Houston State, 80 for SHSU and 88 miles for Lamar. For Lamar, the main reason Jack Brooks Regional airport doesn't have more commercial flights than it does is because it is so convenient to drive to either Bush or Hobby. It only took me about 15 to 20 minutes longer to drive from Beaumont to the airports when I lived there as it did when I lived in west Houston. (Just double checked Google Maps to make sure my memory was correct. 04-cheers)
If you are lucky enough to have connections with DFW to Beaumont or are flying charter, Jack Brooks Regional airport is only 7 miles from campus.

I may be missing something, but I'd take a 1 hour flight and a little over an hour drive over a 6 1/2-7 hr flight. Even the 400-450 mile drive all the way from Edinburg on a 75 mph highway is not bad, especially for someone used to Texas distances.

OK, got to admit that in my younger days I thought people who flew McAllen-DFW were wusses. I'd jump in my no-A/C pickup and arrive 8 hours later with manly pride and the genuine smell of a ... vaquero. Now I fly it unless it's a week+ trip and I need to have the car.

You might be right that SHU and Lamar are in bus range. But I do have to say that if you make Edinburg to Beaumont in 7 hours you've got a giant bladder, a top-end radar detector, and nerves of steel.

So overall what 9-10 hours? Still not too bad but I don't see many people making the drive. Worst part would probably be Houston.
08-21-2020 09:49 AM
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