Montana, North Texas and UC Davis have said no the the WAC. Does anyone want to join the WAC? I have looked and looked, and I have found one school whose fans would welcome the move, and all I had to do was look across town. Yes, Weber State would indeed welcome the move.
A quote from my good friend who runs WeberHoops. Find the comments here.
"YES!!! we would love to move up. there is one thing holding us back and the only reason we are not being mentioned as a serious candidate: football attendance. (Last season, 2009) we averaged 6,500 last season and we had 7 wins and made the playoffs and finished 17th nationally. that is not good. this yr we are averaging about 8,500 after 2 home games. For Basketball and all other sports we would be a shoe in." (Cody tells me he got this information about the attendance obstacle directly from Jerry Bovee, WSU athletic director. But this is not a direct quote.)
Not to mention, WSU currently sponsors 15 sports and only needs to add 1 more to meet FBS standards. They have a quality Swim/Dive club program that could easily offer scholarships and fill that requirement at a low cost.
I checked into the attendance at Texas State, who is joining the WAC in 2012. Their attendance was above 13,000 until late in the season when it became obvious that the Bobcats would finish below .500. There were still 10,000 at their home finale, however. WSU would have to double their home football attendance should they move up.
Many people have commented that they believe that Utah State would block the move. USU has the power with the State Board of Regents. But circumstances have changed and the Regents recognize the winds of change are still blowing. Some Utah State fans look down upon Weber State, but it is not these fans who will make that decision. If the MWC does not come calling, it is not in Utah State's best interest to block Weber State's inclusion in the WAC if the alternative is being without a conference. If not Weber State, then who? Some Utah State fans believe the alternative is football at Utah Valley University. The WAC does not have a lot of alternatives left.
Let's say there is a choice between bringing football to Utah Valley and letting UVU join the WAC vs letting Weber State join the WAC. Some USU fans would probably rather have UVU begin a football program. UVU football is more of a threat to BYU's football program than it is to Utah State. But the Regents, who have to deal with budgets would chose Weber State over UVU. WSU already has a football stadium, it's listed capacity is over 17,000 and it would not take a king's ransom to expand the capacity above 20,000. There are probably a few left over temporary bleachers left over from the 2002 Winter Games collecting dust somewhere that could be set up in the south end zone at Stewart Stadium.
Consider, also, that the NCAA has yet to enforce, a 15,000 fan average to remain in the FCS. Which would be easier sell from a marketing point of view? Start from scratch in an expensive new stadium with a new program that is going to struggle for years or bring up an established program that is struggling at the gate with a stadium that needs a few upgrades? Consider that the latter has a locally popular sports figure at head coach who could recruit the players that would make WSU a success. Who could Utah Valley get that would match the popularity of coach Ron McBride? Consider that UVU is just down the road from BYU and would be playing in the shadow of one of the most popular (or infamous) college football programs in the United States.
Weber State struggles to get 10,000 fans playing in the Big Sky Conference. But against opponents like Utah State and BYU (due to BYU's schedule agreement with the WAC) and perhaps a visit from Utah (it's a long shot, but could happen) it may not be hard to get at least one sellout every season. There is only one Big Sky school that travels well, and that is Montana. 7,000 temporary bleachers at the south end zone at Stewart Stadium with smart scheduling, good marketing and successful recruiting and attendance may not be an issue. The view from Stewart Stadium rivals any in football. Weber State has some quality academic programs for those "going pro in something other than sports."
Utah State fan should consider all of the alternatives. Hopefully, they get into the MWC and don't have to worry about the WAC any longer. From Utah State's point of view, if they are not in the WAC, the old conference can die. What do they do if this does not happen? Let the WAC fold? If independence is risky for BYU, who has a national following, how risky will it be for Utah State who does not? Remember how well independence worked when the Big West stopped sponsoring football?
Utah State does not deserve relegation to the FCS as their fans have come out to support them. They are a quality academic institution. If their fate is playing in the same conference as Weber State, why not welcome the 'Cats to the WAC instead of joining the Big Sky?
Finally, if the WAC is to survive, they will need the NCAA to make concessions. One of those concessions could be the attendance issue for schools like Weber State. Certainly Idaho should have been sent back to the FCS by now. WSU fans should understand that this would not be forever, and attendance figures have to improve. They should help support their school and bring a friend to the game next season. Even if WSU is to remain in the Big Sky Conference, support of the football program could be better.
3 comments:
I'd love to see Weber State in the WAC but it will never happen. Not only is their attendance horrible, they're in the middle of state that's saturated with big names schools like BYU, Utah, and USU. It would be nice but it will never happen.
No doubt that attendance is the biggest obastcle WSU has to overcome should they decide to move up to the FBS. But the population in Utah is growing and there will likely be room for one more FBS school soon enough. (Utah's population could reach 3,500,000 by 2020). This is the best opportunity for WSU to move up as there is an FBS conference desparate for survival and WSU does fit into the travel footprint of that conference very nicely.
A newspaper in Texas Says that Utah Valley is getting in as a basketball member. Weber needs to act now, not next year. When the dust settles they may as well cancel football.
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