(01-14-2021 03:13 PM)TexasTerror Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 02:46 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  SFA, Lamar, and SHSU have all had some success in basketball---but its not like they are adding VCU or Duke. That said, the #1 WAC team among the current membership in the NET ratings is Grand Canyon at #130. The second best WAC team in the NET ratings is Utah Valley at #225. The worst current WAC team is ranked #344. Thus, Abilene Christian, one of the incoming Southland teams, would be the highest ranked WAC team (#81). Sam Houston , #159 in the NET rankings, would be the third best team in the league. All the incoming Texas teams are better than the bottom of the WAC. So---yeah, there is reason to believe the league could improve its overall standing with respect to other D1 leagues.

Losing Chicago State and New Mexico State playing a full schedule will go a long way. Tarleton State and Dixie State upgrading their schedules as they come into full Division I status will help... and then the SLC schools coming in not playing as many 300+ games by just shedding the rest of the Southland, also will help.

The league should easily be able to move up the pecking order by the changes, especially if some of the more successful programs hold their spots and are joined by others. Certainly more potential of that in this new WAC than where we're coming from.

When it comes to basketball, the best move they could make would to convince Boise olympics to come over. Boise would be the highest ranked program in the league---and it wouldnt be close (I think Boise had a NET ranking of around #21 last time I looked).

(01-14-2021 05:46 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  I was going by the definition here, in which SLO is in SoCal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_California <shrugs>

Yeah that's wrong. SLO is central coast.

(01-14-2021 05:58 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 05:33 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 05:28 PM)AllTideUp Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 05:24 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 01:08 PM)TDenverFan Wrote:  University of San Diego is an FCS school

Ok, True. Doesn't really change the math though. 1 FCS-non-scholarship competitor instead of 0 FCS competitors.

Aren't UC-Davis and Cal Poly in FCS?

Yes, you got me there. I'm an NAIA guy, FCS is really off my radar.

But I know Cal Baptist from the old days, and I know they considered football before going D2. And actually, having USD, Davis and Cal Poly in FCS just makes it all the more attractive because there will be close OOC games to schedule. And still, there are far more athletes in California than the existing California teams can accommodate.

Cal Baptist wants to be the Liberty of the West. They need football to do that.

First they need to enroll 100,000 people to take worthless on-line courses paid for by the Federal Government, then have a President that has a Pool Boy.

Next Stop - FBS!

I noticed an error in the WAC press release.

They are saying Division play in all team sports, and baseball, softball, volleyball, men's soccer and women's soccer will be Division only play. Cross play in Basketball

However none of the incoming schools play men's soccer, but 5 affiliates do (SJSU, UNLV, Air Force, HBU, UIW). I suspect they will just keep doing what they are doing now in men's soccer, a single round robin of 11 schools (5 home games, 5 road games).

They might move NSMU Softball and Women's Soccer to the Texas Division for 6 teams in each, as RGV doesn't sponsor Softball and Tarleton doesn't have Women's Soccer. Double round robin in soccer would get 10 games in that way.

I wonder if Sac State will be retained as an affiliate in baseball. They make the West unbalanced with 7 teams (SUU doesn't sponsor). There is no crossover, so it doesn't much matter except for scheduling -- it's not that uncommon to have unbalanced divisions in baseball with different number of games for each.

Basketball scheduling wont work quite right. You could have the 6 Texas schools play each other twice and one game against each of the 7 West schools, and do the same for the West. But you'd wind up with 18 games for the West and only 17 for the Texas schools. I supposed 3 West games could not be played freeing 6 schools to play a 2nd game against a Texas school. (That's what I expect they'll do)

Volleyball will be funky with no cross games. Typically there are 16 to 18 conference games in WVB. Double round robin with 7 schools yields only 12 games and for 6 schools only 10 games. That's not enough. The West could play 3 times for 18 games, but you get a weird 15 with 3 games for the Texas group. Playing the same school 3 or 4 times in a season seems excessive. I suspect Volleyball may wind up like Basketball with some crossover, but maybe only 16 games to limit the crossover travel.

Just my quick take on the schedule.

I would think the volleyball coaches would insist on there being some crossover play in the WAC schedule. Texas, Arizona and California are such hotbeds of talent/recruiting for all schools (everywhere, not just in this league) that "we play near your hometown every year so your family and friends can come watch" needs to be a reality in both divisions.

(01-14-2021 06:27 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  I noticed an error in the WAC press release.

They are saying Division play in all team sports, and baseball, softball, volleyball, men's soccer and women's soccer will be Division only play. Cross play in Basketball

However none of the incoming schools play men's soccer, but 5 affiliates do (SJSU, UNLV, Air Force, HBU, UIW). I suspect they will just keep doing what they are doing now in men's soccer, a single round robin of 11 schools (5 home games, 5 road games).

They might move NSMU Softball and Women's Soccer to the Texas Division for 6 teams in each, as RGV doesn't sponsor Softball and Tarleton doesn't have Women's Soccer. Double round robin in soccer would get 10 games in that way.

I wonder if Sac State will be retained as an affiliate in baseball. They make the West unbalanced with 7 teams (SUU doesn't sponsor). There is no crossover, so it doesn't much matter except for scheduling -- it's not that uncommon to have unbalanced divisions in baseball with different number of games for each.

Basketball scheduling wont work quite right. You could have the 6 Texas schools play each other twice and one game against each of the 7 West schools, and do the same for the West. But you'd wind up with 18 games for the West and only 17 for the Texas schools. I supposed 3 West games could not be played freeing 6 schools to play a 2nd game against a Texas school. (That's what I expect they'll do)

Volleyball will be funky with no cross games. Typically there are 16 to 18 conference games in WVB. Double round robin with 7 schools yields only 12 games and for 6 schools only 10 games. That's not enough. The West could play 3 times for 18 games, but you get a weird 15 with 3 games for the Texas group. Playing the same school 3 or 4 times in a season seems excessive. I suspect Volleyball may wind up like Basketball with some crossover, but maybe only 16 games to limit the crossover travel.

Just my quick take on the schedule.

Unless Hornet baseball gets a BW invite, I don't see why the WAC wouldn't retain us.

(01-14-2021 06:27 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  I noticed an error in the WAC press release.

They are saying Division play in all team sports, and baseball, softball, volleyball, men's soccer and women's soccer will be Division only play. Cross play in Basketball

However none of the incoming schools play men's soccer, but 5 affiliates do (SJSU, UNLV, Air Force, HBU, UIW). I suspect they will just keep doing what they are doing now in men's soccer, a single round robin of 11 schools (5 home games, 5 road games).

They might move NSMU Softball and Women's Soccer to the Texas Division for 6 teams in each, as RGV doesn't sponsor Softball and Tarleton doesn't have Women's Soccer. Double round robin in soccer would get 10 games in that way.

I wonder if Sac State will be retained as an affiliate in baseball. They make the West unbalanced with 7 teams (SUU doesn't sponsor). There is no crossover, so it doesn't much matter except for scheduling -- it's not that uncommon to have unbalanced divisions in baseball with different number of games for each.

Basketball scheduling wont work quite right. You could have the 6 Texas schools play each other twice and one game against each of the 7 West schools, and do the same for the West. But you'd wind up with 18 games for the West and only 17 for the Texas schools. I supposed 3 West games could not be played freeing 6 schools to play a 2nd game against a Texas school. (That's what I expect they'll do)

Volleyball will be funky with no cross games. Typically there are 16 to 18 conference games in WVB. Double round robin with 7 schools yields only 12 games and for 6 schools only 10 games. That's not enough. The West could play 3 times for 18 games, but you get a weird 15 with 3 games for the Texas group. Playing the same school 3 or 4 times in a season seems excessive. I suspect Volleyball may wind up like Basketball with some crossover, but maybe only 16 games to limit the crossover travel.

Just my quick take on the schedule.

From the Tarleton Press Release on their website: During the reclassification period, 13 of Tarleton's 14 sports will compete in the WAC, while the football program will compete as an independent at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. Tarleton will add women's soccer during the transition to give the Texans 15 sports.

(01-14-2021 05:33 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 05:28 PM)AllTideUp Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 05:24 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 01:08 PM)TDenverFan Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 12:28 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  I predict Cal Baptist will announce football within the next 5 years. There is no football in Southern California positioned between D3 and FBS, lots of athletes, and the closest FBS venue is the Rose Bowl, which is a hour away from Riverside on the best of days, and probably closer to 2.5 hours on game day.

University of San Diego is an FCS school

Ok, True. Doesn't really change the math though. 1 FCS-non-scholarship competitor instead of 0 FCS competitors.

Aren't UC-Davis and Cal Poly in FCS?

Yes, you got me there. I'm an NAIA guy, FCS is really off my radar.

But I know Cal Baptist from the old days, and I know they considered football before going D2. And actually, having USD, Davis and Cal Poly in FCS just makes it all the more attractive because there will be close OOC games to schedule. And still, there are far more athletes in California than the existing California teams can accommodate.

Cal Baptist wants to be the Liberty of the West. They need football to do that.

So Cal Baptist wants to be the Liberty of the West?

That’s funny because Liberty wants to be the BYU of the East.

BYU, in turn, wants to be the ND of the West.

(01-14-2021 07:58 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 05:33 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 05:28 PM)AllTideUp Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 05:24 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 01:08 PM)TDenverFan Wrote:  University of San Diego is an FCS school

Ok, True. Doesn't really change the math though. 1 FCS-non-scholarship competitor instead of 0 FCS competitors.

Aren't UC-Davis and Cal Poly in FCS?

Yes, you got me there. I'm an NAIA guy, FCS is really off my radar.

But I know Cal Baptist from the old days, and I know they considered football before going D2. And actually, having USD, Davis and Cal Poly in FCS just makes it all the more attractive because there will be close OOC games to schedule. And still, there are far more athletes in California than the existing California teams can accommodate.

Cal Baptist wants to be the Liberty of the West. They need football to do that.

So Cal Baptist wants to be the Liberty of the West?

That’s funny because Liberty wants to be the BYU of the East.

BYU, in turn, wants to be the ND of the West.

That's true only in an athletic sense, because they all pursue different demographics. BYU pursues Mormons.
Notre Dame pursues Catholics.
Liberty pursues Baptists.

So wanting to be the Liberty of the West makes perfect sense.

Another Southland defection. Central Arkansas says bye. Atlantic Sun says howdy.

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021...tic-sun-c/

(01-14-2021 07:10 PM)SDHornet Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 06:27 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  ...

I wonder if Sac State will be retained as an affiliate in baseball. They make the West unbalanced with 7 teams (SUU doesn't sponsor). There is no crossover, so it doesn't much matter except for scheduling -- it's not that uncommon to have unbalanced divisions in baseball with different number of games for each.

...

Unless Hornet baseball gets a BW invite, I don't see why the WAC wouldn't retain us.

Usually when a conference doesn't need affiliates they don't renew their contracts. Why give an affiliate a shot at the WAC auto berth to the CWS?

It's also administratively easier not to deal with affiliates. Men's soccer probably keeps them -- they have six in house, but safety in numbers-- and for Swimming and Diving it's just a conference meet, so doesn't matter. But Baseball is more involved since it's a full schedule. Sac makes them an odd number which means somebody is idle every week.

I think it's 50-50 they renew the contract

https://www.southland.org/news/2021/1/13...rnett.aspx
Southland Commissioner's statement:


“"...As previously announced, the Southland Conference is enthusiastically engaged in a comprehensive process that strategically focuses on building more success. With a primary focus on our student-athletes and continuing to meet championship expectations, there has been an extraordinary show of unity among our campus leaders, and a recognition that change is good. A reimagined Southland configuration with new regional partner universities is exciting, and our membership is confidently working toward an outstanding outcome.”"

(01-14-2021 09:46 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 07:10 PM)SDHornet Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 06:27 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  ...

I wonder if Sac State will be retained as an affiliate in baseball. They make the West unbalanced with 7 teams (SUU doesn't sponsor). There is no crossover, so it doesn't much matter except for scheduling -- it's not that uncommon to have unbalanced divisions in baseball with different number of games for each.

...

Unless Hornet baseball gets a BW invite, I don't see why the WAC wouldn't retain us.

Usually when a conference doesn't need affiliates they don't renew their contracts. Why give an affiliate a shot at the WAC auto berth to the CWS?

It's also administratively easier not to deal with affiliates. Men's soccer probably keeps them -- they have six in house, but safety in numbers-- and for Swimming and Diving it's just a conference meet, so doesn't matter. But Baseball is more involved since it's a full schedule. Sac makes them an odd number which means somebody is idle every week.

I think it's 50-50 they renew the contract

Sac State has been in the WAC since 2006, and had a prior stint from 93-96. We're not getting booted from the WAC. If we were a garbage program like Chi State then sure, I could see it. But now? Get serious.

(01-14-2021 10:25 PM)bullet Wrote:  https://www.southland.org/news/2021/1/13...rnett.aspx
Southland Commissioner's statement:


“"...As previously announced, the Southland Conference is enthusiastically engaged in a comprehensive process that strategically focuses on building more success. With a primary focus on our student-athletes and continuing to meet championship expectations, there has been an extraordinary show of unity among our campus leaders, and a recognition that change is good. A reimagined Southland configuration with new regional partner universities is exciting, and our membership is confidently working toward an outstanding outcome.”"

So, meaningless corporate BS.

(01-14-2021 05:33 PM)SDHornet Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 05:28 PM)AllTideUp Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 05:24 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 01:08 PM)TDenverFan Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 12:28 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  I predict Cal Baptist will announce football within the next 5 years. There is no football in Southern California positioned between D3 and FBS, lots of athletes, and the closest FBS venue is the Rose Bowl, which is a hour away from Riverside on the best of days, and probably closer to 2.5 hours on game day.

University of San Diego is an FCS school

Ok, True. Doesn't really change the math though. 1 FCS-non-scholarship competitor instead of 0 FCS competitors.

Aren't UC-Davis and Cal Poly in FCS?

They're not in Southern CA.

My mistake. It appears the only LA I'm terribly familiar with is Lower Alabama.

(01-14-2021 11:00 PM)AllTideUp Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 05:33 PM)SDHornet Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 05:28 PM)AllTideUp Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 05:24 PM)teamvsn Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 01:08 PM)TDenverFan Wrote:  University of San Diego is an FCS school

Ok, True. Doesn't really change the math though. 1 FCS-non-scholarship competitor instead of 0 FCS competitors.

Aren't UC-Davis and Cal Poly in FCS?

They're not in Southern CA.

My mistake. It appears the only LA I'm terribly familiar with is Lower Alabama.

It's all good. No one really live in CA north of Santa Rosa on the coast, and north of the Sac metro area in the central valley. That large northern area doesn't really give a true identity as to what is "north vs south" when looking at a map of CA.

(01-14-2021 10:55 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(01-14-2021 10:25 PM)bullet Wrote:  https://www.southland.org/news/2021/1/13...rnett.aspx
Southland Commissioner's statement:


“"...As previously announced, the Southland Conference is enthusiastically engaged in a comprehensive process that strategically focuses on building more success. With a primary focus on our student-athletes and continuing to meet championship expectations, there has been an extraordinary show of unity among our campus leaders, and a recognition that change is good. A reimagined Southland configuration with new regional partner universities is exciting, and our membership is confidently working toward an outstanding outcome.”"

So, meaningless corporate BS.

I interpreted that as they are talking to potential new members.

Yeah, talking to new members lol. More like stocking up on Depends.

I think the Southland will be ok and will be able to get back up to a more stable number. If they were afraid of dropping below the minimum, they would have not rushed out the Texas 4 and let them stay for the extra transition year as originally planned.

(01-15-2021 07:27 AM)solohawks Wrote:  I think the Southland will be ok and will be able to get back up to a more stable number. If they were afraid of dropping below the minimum, they would have not rushed out the Texas 4 and let them stay for the extra transition year as originally planned.

I hope you are right. I’d hate to think our leaving brought about the demise of a FCS/low mid major conference. I’d rather think our decision prompts a bit of self reflection and steps are taken to address problems.