RE: Speculating What Scheduling in a New WAC Would Look Like
They will have only in Division games in baseball, softball and women's soccer. (The press release says men's soccer, but none of the 5 new schools play soccer, so I think that is a mistake; probably nothing changes since five schools are associates and no good division lines.) They also say women's volleyball, but I'm skeptical as that wont yield enough games, as conferences typically play 16 games.
Until another Texas school is added, I would think NMSU women's soccer (Tarleton doesn't sponsor) and softball (RGV doesn't sponsor) would move over to the Southwest Division to have 6 schools in each division. Note, SUU doesn't play baseball, so that would be 6 in each leaving NMSU in the West (and letting Sac State's affiliate membership run out, but it's not critical).
For basketball (and I suggest for volleyball) they can make cross conference work by rotating basis 3 West games in the double round robin not to be play (say for example, NMSU at Seattle, Cal Baptist at Utah Valley, Dixie State at GCU; different games each year not played). This would free up 6 West schools to play the 18th game against a South West school. Without that playing every team in Division twice and cross division once works for the West to get 18 games (12 division, 6 crossover) but not the Southwest (10 division, 7 crossover).
I actually think women's volleyball should have 16 games with crossover. It will work better when a 7th Texas school is found because it would mean only one travel weekend for crossover play annually. But even now it's just 3 crossover road games for the Texas schools, 2½ average for the others (four West games would not get played -- that means one school misses two games).
When they get the 7th Texas school, the scheduling gets simpler, 12 games in Division and 4 (women's) or 6 (men's) crossover.
I guess women's soccer will play double round robin for 10 games. Most conferences don't have divisions and you just play everyone once, which would be 11 games in the WAC, but travel reduction is the aim.
Baseball and Softball depends on how many games they want to play. Right now 27 games, once everyone. I guess you could go to 30 with double round robin division only 10 weekend schedule. But you could go 24 games, rotate which 2 schools you only play one weekend. Small size in-division only play is standard for many conferences. So this would be normal.
Men's soccer has six (6) RGV, GCU, Cal Baptist, Dixie State, Utah Valley, Seattle plus five (5) affiliates San Jose State, UNLV, Air Force, Houston Baptist, Incarnate Word. I don't see why they would change anything, as realignment changes nothing. Note, I don't think Chicago State soccer will be allowed to play in the WAC, as they will be next year only anyway.
That is my take how it will actually work.
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