Boise has invested way too much in their Olympic Sports to throw them away. They want them to be as big time as Memphis or Cincy, not as small time as Long Beach State or Idaho. This is why they pressed the American for all sports inclusion. The WCC is probably the minimum they'd consider, but even that is a step down from the Mountain West (everyone else than Gonzaga). Unlike the Big Sky Boise has a real Arena and belongs in an Arena league not a gym league.

It was the American that balked at travel to Boise, not Boise who balked at travel to the American for Basketball and Volleyball.

Boise is more than double the budget of Idaho and Idaho State, and their donation base triple. The days of level playing field are long gone, as in over a generation and a half, maybe two full generations.

Well then hatch a plan to go to 16 and bring in BYU, Col St, AFA, Boise, SDSU.

They can play in a new western division with SMU, Houston and Tulsa.

(12-30-2020 12:39 AM)blazr Wrote:  

(12-29-2020 10:03 AM)colohank Wrote:  

(12-29-2020 08:33 AM)jedclampett Wrote:  .

Question: Why hasn't Mike Aresco picked up the phone and offered Boise a temporary 1-2 membership in the AAC yet, giving them a year or so to find themselves a suitable long-term arrangement, since it's starting to look like it might be the only way he can move his P6 strategic plan forward with the addition of Boise State?

Is the AAC leadership really so completely unimaginative that the possibility of bringing Boise State's football program into the AAC by making BSU BB/olympic sports a generous temporary arrangement has completely escaped them?

After all, they've got a slot open (the #12 slot, formerly occupied by Connecticut). Why not put it to good use?

Answer: Perhaps because the presidents of current institutions in the AAC would consider multiple factors other than football prowess before adding a new member. Better to stay at eleven as long as we possibly can than to add a distant and academically substandard school from a low-population state just because it's enjoyed some recent success on the gridiron.

Bingo. If there was 90% chance AAC adding a team in Idaho in any format would greatly increase profits & profile, it would have been long done by now. It’s not like the AAC would have to Google the phone number of Boise’s President and vice-versa.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The problem with that line of thinking is none of the known evidence supports it.

We already know these same schools have already found Boise acceptable as member back in 2011--but when the money didnt work out as expected---the MW gave Boise a sweet heart deal and Boise went back to the MW. Since then, the AAC got a big raise (making the AAC money more attractive to Boise) and it became even more attractive when the MW told Boise their special deal wasnt permanent (its now set to expire in 6 years).

As for RIGHT NOW---we already know from the emails that the AAC has absolutely ZERO issue with adding Boise---as long as it is for "football only". That tells me the only hangup is finding an acceptable place for Boise to stash their olympic sports. Im pretty sure we shouldnt expect there to be anymore emails on this going forward that will be easily discovered with a simple FOIA request. My guess is the WAC will be the final destination---but not until the WAC can demonstrate that their planned expansion is approved and ready to make the WAC stable.

(12-30-2020 01:17 AM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Boise has invested way too much in their Olympic Sports to throw them away. They want them to be as big time as Memphis or Cincy, not as small time as Long Beach State or Idaho. This is why they pressed the American for all sports inclusion. The WCC is probably the minimum they'd consider, but even that is a step down from the Mountain West (everyone else than Gonzaga). Unlike the Big Sky Boise has a real Arena and belongs in an Arena league not a gym league.

It was the American that balked at travel to Boise, not Boise who balked at travel to the American for Basketball and Volleyball.

Boise is more than double the budget of Idaho and Idaho State, and their donation base triple. The days of level playing field are long gone, as in over a generation and a half, maybe two full generations.

They pressed the AAC for an all sports invite when it became clear Big West and WCC were clearly not going to quickly emerge as options (and might never emerge as options---but that is not known yet). Like I said---this will be revisited in after the Covid crisis has eased. By then---I suspect the WAC will have emerged as a viable home if the WCC and Big West still have no interest.

(12-30-2020 01:59 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(12-30-2020 01:17 AM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Boise has invested way too much in their Olympic Sports to throw them away. They want them to be as big time as Memphis or Cincy, not as small time as Long Beach State or Idaho. This is why they pressed the American for all sports inclusion. The WCC is probably the minimum they'd consider, but even that is a step down from the Mountain West (everyone else than Gonzaga). Unlike the Big Sky Boise has a real Arena and belongs in an Arena league not a gym league.

It was the American that balked at travel to Boise, not Boise who balked at travel to the American for Basketball and Volleyball.

Boise is more than double the budget of Idaho and Idaho State, and their donation base triple. The days of level playing field are long gone, as in over a generation and a half, maybe two full generations.

They pressed the AAC for an all sports invite when it became clear Big West and WCC were clearly not going to quickly emerge as options (and might never emerge as options---but that is not known yet). Like I said---this will be revisited in after the Covid crisis has eased. By then---I suspect the WAC will have emerged as a viable home if the WCC and Big West still have no interest.

The WCC would not be interested. They are all privates. The Big West unlikely to be interested. Hawaii offers Hawaii. And they are good in similar sports. I don't know what Boise offers the Big West other than a long road trip. MVC would not be interested. WAC would gladly take them. Don't know about the Big Sky.

(12-30-2020 01:17 AM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Boise has invested way too much in their Olympic Sports to throw them away. They want them to be as big time as Memphis or Cincy, not as small time as Long Beach State or Idaho. This is why they pressed the American for all sports inclusion. The WCC is probably the minimum they'd consider, but even that is a step down from the Mountain West (everyone else than Gonzaga). Unlike the Big Sky Boise has a real Arena and belongs in an Arena league not a gym league.

It was the American that balked at travel to Boise, not Boise who balked at travel to the American for Basketball and Volleyball.

Boise is more than double the budget of Idaho and Idaho State, and their donation base triple. The days of level playing field are long gone, as in over a generation and a half, maybe two full generations.

Boise also has zero NCAA wins.

After reading the emails, I get the impression there’s an issue, either financial or something more institutional, about the “all AAC or nothing” stance. Be it that AAC football alone can’t cover the losses or drops for Boise’s other sports, or a sense of superiority that Boise feels above certain options, such as the WAC. I don’t get the impression the Big West doesn’t want them. I get the impression what the two sides want is no different now than it was those years back, and Boise still doesn’t want those terms.

I think it does bug Boise leadership a bit to know that it can’t park its olympic sports into options like BYU can with the WCC, or how easy and readily the Big West was to take SDSU. They don’t have the same cache as those two. I don’t think Boise wants to pay for Big West travel, especially paying to ship teams to Hawaii. I also suspect the leadership overlooks WAC on purpose, seeing it as a joke and disgrace.

(12-30-2020 02:13 AM)bullet Wrote:  

(12-30-2020 01:59 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(12-30-2020 01:17 AM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Boise has invested way too much in their Olympic Sports to throw them away. They want them to be as big time as Memphis or Cincy, not as small time as Long Beach State or Idaho. This is why they pressed the American for all sports inclusion. The WCC is probably the minimum they'd consider, but even that is a step down from the Mountain West (everyone else than Gonzaga). Unlike the Big Sky Boise has a real Arena and belongs in an Arena league not a gym league.

It was the American that balked at travel to Boise, not Boise who balked at travel to the American for Basketball and Volleyball.

Boise is more than double the budget of Idaho and Idaho State, and their donation base triple. The days of level playing field are long gone, as in over a generation and a half, maybe two full generations.

They pressed the AAC for an all sports invite when it became clear Big West and WCC were clearly not going to quickly emerge as options (and might never emerge as options---but that is not known yet). Like I said---this will be revisited in after the Covid crisis has eased. By then---I suspect the WAC will have emerged as a viable home if the WCC and Big West still have no interest.

The WCC would not be interested. They are all privates. The Big West unlikely to be interested. Hawaii offers Hawaii. And they are good in similar sports. I don't know what Boise offers the Big West other than a long road trip. MVC would not be interested. WAC would gladly take them. Don't know about the Big Sky.

I think the BIG reason Boise doesn’t want the WAC is they know NMSU would replace them in the MW. But, even without NMSU, the WAC is more competitive than the Big Sky.

(12-30-2020 07:58 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(12-30-2020 02:13 AM)bullet Wrote:  

(12-30-2020 01:59 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(12-30-2020 01:17 AM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Boise has invested way too much in their Olympic Sports to throw them away. They want them to be as big time as Memphis or Cincy, not as small time as Long Beach State or Idaho. This is why they pressed the American for all sports inclusion. The WCC is probably the minimum they'd consider, but even that is a step down from the Mountain West (everyone else than Gonzaga). Unlike the Big Sky Boise has a real Arena and belongs in an Arena league not a gym league.

It was the American that balked at travel to Boise, not Boise who balked at travel to the American for Basketball and Volleyball.

Boise is more than double the budget of Idaho and Idaho State, and their donation base triple. The days of level playing field are long gone, as in over a generation and a half, maybe two full generations.

They pressed the AAC for an all sports invite when it became clear Big West and WCC were clearly not going to quickly emerge as options (and might never emerge as options---but that is not known yet). Like I said---this will be revisited in after the Covid crisis has eased. By then---I suspect the WAC will have emerged as a viable home if the WCC and Big West still have no interest.

The WCC would not be interested. They are all privates. The Big West unlikely to be interested. Hawaii offers Hawaii. And they are good in similar sports. I don't know what Boise offers the Big West other than a long road trip. MVC would not be interested. WAC would gladly take them. Don't know about the Big Sky.

I think the BIG reason Boise doesn’t want the WAC is they know NMSU would replace them in the MW. But, even without NMSU, the WAC is more competitive than the Big Sky.

That’s a good point. UTEP and NMSU would both be logical replacements in the MWC. If it were NMSU, it would severely weaken the basketball prowess of the WAC as their best basketball program would be gone.

The MWC seriously considered UTEP and Rice a few years ago, not NMSU. I don’t see that changing.

(12-30-2020 09:30 AM)esayem Wrote:  The MWC seriously considered UTEP and Rice a few years ago, not NMSU. I don’t see that changing.

UTEP and Rice were serious about their desire to join; I don’t know how much thought the MWC gave their offer. Both of those programs have spent most of the past decade in the toilet.

Even if NMSU wasn’t Boise’s direct replacement there is a good possibility that the domino effect of Boise St leaving the MWC would result in NMSU leaving the WAC:

MWC replaces Boise with UTEP
C-USA replaces UTEP with an SBC school
SBC replaces lost school with NMSU

(12-30-2020 01:17 AM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Boise has invested way too much in their Olympic Sports to throw them away. They want them to be as big time as Memphis or Cincy, not as small time as Long Beach State or Idaho. This is why they pressed the American for all sports inclusion. The WCC is probably the minimum they'd consider, but even that is a step down from the Mountain West (everyone else than Gonzaga). Unlike the Big Sky Boise has a real Arena and belongs in an Arena league not a gym league.

It was the American that balked at travel to Boise, not Boise who balked at travel to the American for Basketball and Volleyball.

[i]Boise is more than double the budget of Idaho and Idaho State,[/i] and their donation base triple. The days of level playing field are long gone, as in over a generation and a half, maybe two full generations.

Double the budget of Idaho and Idaho State. Wow, Idaho and Idaho State. That's really impressive. And to think...one of those schools is a state flagship.

It all goes to show what you can accomplish if you sell enough potatoes and lamb.

(12-30-2020 09:42 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(12-30-2020 09:30 AM)esayem Wrote:  The MWC seriously considered UTEP and Rice a few years ago, not NMSU. I don’t see that changing.

UTEP and Rice were serious about their desire to join; I don’t know how much thought the MWC gave their offer. Both of those programs have spent most of the past decade in the toilet.

Even if NMSU wasn’t Boise’s direct replacement there is a good possibility that the domino effect of Boise St leaving the MWC would result in NMSU leaving the WAC:

MWC replaces Boise with UTEP
C-USA replaces UTEP with an SBC school
SBC replaces lost school with NMSU

NMSU didn't have the votes to get into the SBC while Texas State and UTA are here. I can't see them getting in without.

(12-30-2020 09:42 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(12-30-2020 09:30 AM)esayem Wrote:  The MWC seriously considered UTEP and Rice a few years ago, not NMSU. I don’t see that changing.

UTEP and Rice were serious about their desire to join; I don’t know how much thought the MWC gave their offer. Both of those programs have spent most of the past decade in the toilet.

More than you’ve lead on.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-footba...expansion/

(12-30-2020 09:42 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(12-30-2020 09:30 AM)esayem Wrote:  The MWC seriously considered UTEP and Rice a few years ago, not NMSU. I don’t see that changing.

UTEP and Rice were serious about their desire to join; I don’t know how much thought the MWC gave their offer. Both of those programs have spent most of the past decade in the toilet.

Even if NMSU wasn’t Boise’s direct replacement there is a good possibility that the domino effect of Boise St leaving the MWC would result in NMSU leaving the WAC:

MWC replaces Boise with UTEP
C-USA replaces UTEP with an SBC school
SBC replaces lost school with NMSU

Why would a SBC team jump to the C-USA?

(12-30-2020 11:27 AM)dbackjon Wrote:  

(12-30-2020 09:42 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(12-30-2020 09:30 AM)esayem Wrote:  The MWC seriously considered UTEP and Rice a few years ago, not NMSU. I don’t see that changing.

UTEP and Rice were serious about their desire to join; I don’t know how much thought the MWC gave their offer. Both of those programs have spent most of the past decade in the toilet.

Even if NMSU wasn’t Boise’s direct replacement there is a good possibility that the domino effect of Boise St leaving the MWC would result in NMSU leaving the WAC:

MWC replaces Boise with UTEP
C-USA replaces UTEP with an SBC school
SBC replaces lost school with NMSU

Why would a SBC team jump to the C-USA?

Texas State almost certainly would. Beyond that school, there isnt as much motivation for any other Sunbelt conference school to make that jump.

(12-30-2020 01:41 AM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  Well then hatch a plan to go to 16 and bring in BYU, Col St, AFA, Boise, SDSU.

They can play in a new western division with SMU, Houston and Tulsa.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_...Conference

Been there, done that. See history, 1990s. No thank you, which is what Boise was told.

It will be an BYU, or an Academy, maybe all three, or no one. Seems to be pretty clear in the way the emails finish. Boise can't find anyone to take their other sports and really they want all in. The AAC doesn't want all sports and don't seem all that interested in a Boise football only from Aresco's comments lately, back burner, not a priority, looked at Cincy football, etc.

(12-30-2020 02:13 AM)bullet Wrote:  The WCC would not be interested. They are all privates. The Big West unlikely to be interested. Hawaii offers Hawaii. And they are good in similar sports. I don't know what Boise offers the Big West other than a long road trip. MVC would not be interested. WAC would gladly take them. Don't know about the Big Sky.

I think what everyone misses with Boise State Olympic sports is that they do not fit well with the other Olympic sports conferences in the west. In the WCC, Boise State does not bring a men's soccer program or baseball program. The Boise State men's track & field program will need to find a home, since the WCC does not sponsor that sport. Boise State would only bring basketball, golf, tennis and cross country for men's sports. So, besides the fact that Boise State is not private and their academics are not quite to the standards of the rest of the conference, Boise State does not bring anything to the WCC that they do not already have.

Boise State is a football program that also plays basketball. It is all about FBS football for them and they are not a good fit with Olympic sports conferences. Their best fit is the Big Sky, because the Big Sky does not offer men's soccer or baseball and they are the best regional fit. If they got an invite to the AAC for "football only," they should join the Big Sky, if the BSC will have them. I don't see any Olympic sports conferences being interested.

(12-30-2020 01:41 AM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  Well then hatch a plan to go to 16 and bring in BYU, Col St, AFA, Boise, SDSU.

They can play in a new western division with SMU, Houston and Tulsa.

I think you could do 16 but I’d make some tweaks;

Fresno St instead of Colorado St

Wich St/Navy in the West instead of Houston

West schools would be on CA every season and TX every other; East schools would be in FL every season and TX every other.

Navy will like being in a division with SDSU, AFA, and SMU.

The AAC apparently isn’t still keen on a Coast-to-Coast conference anymore or else we would be talking about Boise St as a potential full member.

Is ESPN irritated enough with the MWC to bankroll a gutting of that conference to make way for a de facto P6?

(12-30-2020 01:13 AM)SDHornet Wrote:  

(12-30-2020 01:03 AM)dtd_vandal Wrote:  I don't think there would be any reason for the Big Sky to want to add Boise at this time. Adding them wouldn't make the Big Sky a 2 bid conference for the tournament so you are asking the current members to split the already tiny revenue with an extra member and they now have to compete with the much better funded BSU program for the autobid.

There's also the slim possibility that BSU leaving the Mountain West causes other programs to leave, opening up the top Big Sky programs to be poached to fill the spots in a decimated MWC. Maybe the more well funded/successful programs could get on board with adding them but I doubt the bottom half of the conference would. I'd be all for it though to get them back on the schedule home and home.

My guess is the BSC admin would love the have Boise oly sports for whatever "prestige" is perceived to come with them. I agree Boise wouldn't bring another bid so adding them makes no monetary sense.

I don't think there are any BSC members high up on the MWC "add" list. They would need to add someone to maintain their TV value and no one in the BSC fits that bill. Ironically the MWC could be in a similar situation as the BSC is with SUU in that staying put might make the most sense if Boise leaves.

Right, they definitely wouldn't be adding any Big Sky teams if it was just Boise leaving, but if BSU leaving causes others to leave at the same time as cohort for a different conference, then the decimated MWC would have few options to backfill. Highly unlikely to happen but even so, there were Big Sky schools that were hesitant to add Idaho as they thought it would be hard to compete with the resources Idaho had, now ask those same schools to do the same but for a school with an athletic budget thats twice that size. Big Sky leadership and maybe the bigger Big Sky schools I think would want it, but maybe not the rest.