Weber State Athletic Profile
-Market: Ogden/Clearfield/Layton population 550,000
-Student Body: 25,000 Undergraduates
-Academic Ranking: #56 Regional, West Region, US News and World Report
-Mascot: Wildcats
-Colors: Purple, White and Black
-Sports Sponsored:
Men's: Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Tennis, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field
Women's: Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Tennis, Soccer, Softball, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field, Volleyball
-Facilities:
Football Stadium: Stewart Stadium Capacity 17,300
Basketball Court: Dee Events Center Capacity 12,000
-Financial: Sports programs are profitable.
Concerns:
1. Utah already has 3 FBS programs (Brigham Young, Utah, Utah State) and a population just under 3,000,000. Is there room for another FBS program? Utah's population growth have been over 20% for the past two decades and likely to continue to be one of the fastest growing in the union. The three counties in the Ogden metro (Weber, Davis and Morgan) are receiving a big portion of that growth.
2. Too close to Utah State. It is said that Utah State would block the admission of Weber State to the WAC. This topic will be addressed further in a future blog, but the proximity between Weber State and Utah State may be more of an advantage to both schools than a disadvantage. Plus, it would generate a new rivalry. The WAC already has a foothold in this market and has since the conference was organized back in the 60s.
3. Facilities. The football stadium would need a facelift and an expansion if WSU were to move up. Some of this has already started. Field turf is being installed and there will be restroom and concession upgrades included.
4. Attendance at football games has been weak.
Bonuses
1. Street and Smith ranks WSU as the #51 all time basketball program. This puts them ahead of everyone left in the WAC. (Sorry Utah State fans. You are at #82. Likely NCAA tournament success is the difference. But head to head, Utah State has an advantage.)
2. BYU would definitely schedule WSU in football including games in Ogden if Weber moves up. Utah likely would do so as well. This would bring large crowds to the game.
3. Weber State receives generous support from the Ogden Business Community.
Conclusion
Attendance would likely not be an issue should Weber State move to the FBS, with some smart scheduling. The only real question is whether or not Utah State can live with themselves having Weber State in the same conference. Weber can add Swimming for women and be FBS and Title IX compliant. If WAC survival were not at stake, it would be easy to pass on Weber State. But these are not ordinary times. This can work if WSU and it's boosters are willing to invest to expand Stewart Stadium to 30,000+ and modernize it. And if WSU can schedule regular games against BYU and Utah. BYU, being independent, will need teams to play in November and WSU and the WAC should be willing to accommodate.
Showing posts with label WAC Expansion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WAC Expansion. Show all posts
Saturday, June 18, 2011
WAC Expansion, Why Not Northern Arizona?
Northern Arizona University Athletic Profile:
-Market: Flagstaff metro: 75,000
-Student Body: 17,500 Undergraduates
-Academic Ranking: #78 Forbes Best America's Best Public Colleges and Universities, #96 Washington Monthly
-Mascot: Lumberjacks
-Colors: Blue, Gold and White
-Sports Sponsored:
Men's: Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field
Women's: Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Soccer, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field, Volleyball
-Facilities:
Football Stadium: Walkup Skydome, Capacity 16,200
Basketball Court: Walkup Skydome, Capacity 16,200
-Financial: Sports programs are profitable.
Concerns:
1. Market Size. Even in the WAC, 75,000 is a small market city. This would likely be the third smallest market in the WAC were they to join (Ahead of Idaho and Louisiana Tech. Pullman/Moscow is about 55,000. Lincoln Parish/Jackson Parrish has about 50,000). Smaller markets mean a lack of corporate sponsorships and a smaller recruiting base. NAU is two hours north of Phoenix.
2. Travel. How do you get to Flagstaff? Usually teams that do not take the bus directly to Flagstaff fly to Phoenix or Las Vegas and bus to Flagstaff. NAU does not need more sports programs, they need a larger airport.
3. In the shadow of two PAC-12 programs in the state. But Arizona has 6,400,000 citizens and plenty of room to support another FBS sports program.
4. Facilities. The Skydome is large enough for the FBS, but it is not easily expandable.
Bonuses:
Destination City. The Grand Canyon, Painted Desert, Petrified Forest, and Lake Powell are nearby.
Conclusion:
It will be hard for WAC presidents to overlook the small market and the difficulty in getting to Flagstaff in considering Northern Arizona. But if comes to Northern Arizona or breakup the conference, they may still vote to add the Lumberjacks than to break up. After all, the conference already has two other micro cities. Idaho and Louisiana Tech are in small towns that are hard to get to as well. This is probably not what the WAC needs unless it comes to survival and there is no one else to add. My guess is that Northern Arizona will remain an FCS program for the foreseeable future unless Flagstaff experiences a major boom. They present the same problems that Idaho has, just in a slightly larger market.
-Market: Flagstaff metro: 75,000
-Student Body: 17,500 Undergraduates
-Academic Ranking: #78 Forbes Best America's Best Public Colleges and Universities, #96 Washington Monthly
-Mascot: Lumberjacks
-Colors: Blue, Gold and White
-Sports Sponsored:
Men's: Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field
Women's: Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Soccer, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field, Volleyball
-Facilities:
Football Stadium: Walkup Skydome, Capacity 16,200
Basketball Court: Walkup Skydome, Capacity 16,200
-Financial: Sports programs are profitable.
Concerns:
1. Market Size. Even in the WAC, 75,000 is a small market city. This would likely be the third smallest market in the WAC were they to join (Ahead of Idaho and Louisiana Tech. Pullman/Moscow is about 55,000. Lincoln Parish/Jackson Parrish has about 50,000). Smaller markets mean a lack of corporate sponsorships and a smaller recruiting base. NAU is two hours north of Phoenix.
2. Travel. How do you get to Flagstaff? Usually teams that do not take the bus directly to Flagstaff fly to Phoenix or Las Vegas and bus to Flagstaff. NAU does not need more sports programs, they need a larger airport.
3. In the shadow of two PAC-12 programs in the state. But Arizona has 6,400,000 citizens and plenty of room to support another FBS sports program.
4. Facilities. The Skydome is large enough for the FBS, but it is not easily expandable.
Bonuses:
Destination City. The Grand Canyon, Painted Desert, Petrified Forest, and Lake Powell are nearby.
Conclusion:
It will be hard for WAC presidents to overlook the small market and the difficulty in getting to Flagstaff in considering Northern Arizona. But if comes to Northern Arizona or breakup the conference, they may still vote to add the Lumberjacks than to break up. After all, the conference already has two other micro cities. Idaho and Louisiana Tech are in small towns that are hard to get to as well. This is probably not what the WAC needs unless it comes to survival and there is no one else to add. My guess is that Northern Arizona will remain an FCS program for the foreseeable future unless Flagstaff experiences a major boom. They present the same problems that Idaho has, just in a slightly larger market.
WAC Expansion, why not Eastern Washington?
Eastern Washington University Athletic Profile:
-Market: Spokane/Coeur d'Alene combined metro; 610,000
-Student Body: 8,500 Undergraduates
-Academic Ranking: #56 West Region, US News and World Report. Consumer Digest top 50 best value.
-Mascot: Eagles
-Colors: Red, Black and White
-Sports Sponsored:
Men's: Football, Basketball, Cross Country, Tennis, Track and Field
Women's: Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field, Cross Country
-Facilities:
Football Stadium: Roos Field, Capacity 11,700: Current expansion underway: to 20,000
Basketball Court: Reese Court: 6,000
-Financial: Sports programs are breaking even, likely would be profitable if not paying for facility upgrades.
Concerns About Upgrading:
1. Number of Sponsored Sports. Eastern will need to add at least one Men's team and 3 Women's teams to be FBS and Title IX compliant. Baseball, Golf or Indoor Track could be easily added for the men. The Women could add Swimming and Diving, Softball, Indoor Track or Gymnastics.
2. Facilities. The football stadium is being upgraded to seat at least 20,000, but the WAC average (after current realignment) is about 30,500. The University will likely need another expansion soon afterwords. The basketball arena seems a little on the small side, but about average for the WAC.
3. In the shadow of two PAC-12 programs. This is true, but the population of Washington is 6.7 million and could easily support another FBS team.
4. Small student body. A small student body translates to a small alumni base, and fewer alumni donations. The university has been able to successfully find the funding to upgrade the football stadium. This is no easy task with the economy in recession. The student body would be the smallest in the WAC.
5. Market size. Yes, it is small, but it is also larger than Las Cruces, Logan, Moscow or Rushton. In the WAC (with no other expansion), it would be the median market. A larger market usually means more opportunity for corporate sponsorship and a stronger recruiting base.
Bonuses:
Would be a good travel partner for Seattle University.
Conclusion:
The main concern about Eastern Washington is the number of sponsored sports and their small student body. Their athletic programs were breaking even in 2009 but it will be interesting to see what happens once the stadium renovations are complete. It is not unrealistic for them to add Golf for men; with Gymnastics, Swimming and Softball for the women; the facilities are in place. They will simply need to find the scholarship money to cover these new sports. They will need the football program to step up and generate revenues for the rest of the athletic programs in order to survive in the FBS. They will have to be successful at the higher level almost right away. A small student body means that they will not be able to generate a lot of additional revenue with student fees to cover any short falls the way that other schools do. They may have to push a little harder for corporate sponsorships. If I was the president of another WAC institution, I would be concerned about adding Eastern Washington, although the prospect does have potential. They may be a strong WAC member in the 2020's.
-Market: Spokane/Coeur d'Alene combined metro; 610,000
-Student Body: 8,500 Undergraduates
-Academic Ranking: #56 West Region, US News and World Report. Consumer Digest top 50 best value.
-Mascot: Eagles
-Colors: Red, Black and White
-Sports Sponsored:
Men's: Football, Basketball, Cross Country, Tennis, Track and Field
Women's: Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field, Cross Country
-Facilities:
Football Stadium: Roos Field, Capacity 11,700: Current expansion underway: to 20,000
Basketball Court: Reese Court: 6,000
-Financial: Sports programs are breaking even, likely would be profitable if not paying for facility upgrades.
Concerns About Upgrading:
1. Number of Sponsored Sports. Eastern will need to add at least one Men's team and 3 Women's teams to be FBS and Title IX compliant. Baseball, Golf or Indoor Track could be easily added for the men. The Women could add Swimming and Diving, Softball, Indoor Track or Gymnastics.
2. Facilities. The football stadium is being upgraded to seat at least 20,000, but the WAC average (after current realignment) is about 30,500. The University will likely need another expansion soon afterwords. The basketball arena seems a little on the small side, but about average for the WAC.
3. In the shadow of two PAC-12 programs. This is true, but the population of Washington is 6.7 million and could easily support another FBS team.
4. Small student body. A small student body translates to a small alumni base, and fewer alumni donations. The university has been able to successfully find the funding to upgrade the football stadium. This is no easy task with the economy in recession. The student body would be the smallest in the WAC.
5. Market size. Yes, it is small, but it is also larger than Las Cruces, Logan, Moscow or Rushton. In the WAC (with no other expansion), it would be the median market. A larger market usually means more opportunity for corporate sponsorship and a stronger recruiting base.
Bonuses:
Would be a good travel partner for Seattle University.
Conclusion:
The main concern about Eastern Washington is the number of sponsored sports and their small student body. Their athletic programs were breaking even in 2009 but it will be interesting to see what happens once the stadium renovations are complete. It is not unrealistic for them to add Golf for men; with Gymnastics, Swimming and Softball for the women; the facilities are in place. They will simply need to find the scholarship money to cover these new sports. They will need the football program to step up and generate revenues for the rest of the athletic programs in order to survive in the FBS. They will have to be successful at the higher level almost right away. A small student body means that they will not be able to generate a lot of additional revenue with student fees to cover any short falls the way that other schools do. They may have to push a little harder for corporate sponsorships. If I was the president of another WAC institution, I would be concerned about adding Eastern Washington, although the prospect does have potential. They may be a strong WAC member in the 2020's.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
WAC Expansion Update...June 11, 2011
It has been reported by a San Jose Mercury News Blogger that the WAC will announce expansion plans next Tuesday. Here is what is reported.
The WAC will expand in at least 2 phases.
For the 2012-13 school year, Seattle will be invited as a non-football school. This will bring the membership to 7 football members and 9 non-football members.
For the 2013-14 at least 2 and no more than 5 FCS programs will be added. At a minimum, the WAC will be at 9 football members and 11 non-football members. The goal may be to get to a membership of 12 for football and 14 for non-football and break into divisions. The purpose for breaking into divisions will be to save travel expenses. No specific school were named, and they may not be named on Tuesday as the new members might have political hurdles to overcome.
All perspective new WAC football members will have some upgrade pains. Let me explain:
Need a stadium expansion
Cal Poly: Needs a stadium expansion and may have to drop one men's sports program or add more women's scholarships to comply with Title IX.
UC Davis: Needs a stadium expansion and may have to drop one men's sports program or add more women's scholarships to comply with Title IX.
Eastern Washington: Needs to fund a stadium expansion and fund enough sports programs to comply with FBS standards and Title IX.
Do not need a stadium expansion:
Sacramento State: May have to drop one men's sports program to comply with Title IX. Currently SAC has the easiest path to the WAC and FBS.
Northern Arizona: Will have to add more women's scholarships to comply with Title IX. Currently offer's 16 sports programs, the minimum for FBS inclusion.
Weber State: Will have to add at least two more sports programs and ensure compliance with Title IX. Currently offers 14 sports programs.
Portland State: Will need to add enough sports programs to meet FBS requirements and do so in a manner that is compliant with Title IX.
Montana: Needs to fund two additional women's sports programs to comply with Title IX.
Montana State: Needs to fund one additional women's sports program to comply with Title IX.
Lamar: Needs to fund at least 2 additional sports programs and comply with Title IX.
Sam Houston State: Needs to fund at least one more women's sports team. Stadium capacity is listed at 14,000, but can hold up to 17,000. Also, SHSU biggest rivals are Texas State and Stephen F. Austin.
It is still being reported on this website that invitations have been sent to Cal Poly, Montana, Montana State and Portland State, but I have found nothing from an old-school media site confirming this information.
The WAC will expand in at least 2 phases.
For the 2012-13 school year, Seattle will be invited as a non-football school. This will bring the membership to 7 football members and 9 non-football members.
For the 2013-14 at least 2 and no more than 5 FCS programs will be added. At a minimum, the WAC will be at 9 football members and 11 non-football members. The goal may be to get to a membership of 12 for football and 14 for non-football and break into divisions. The purpose for breaking into divisions will be to save travel expenses. No specific school were named, and they may not be named on Tuesday as the new members might have political hurdles to overcome.
All perspective new WAC football members will have some upgrade pains. Let me explain:
Need a stadium expansion
Cal Poly: Needs a stadium expansion and may have to drop one men's sports program or add more women's scholarships to comply with Title IX.
UC Davis: Needs a stadium expansion and may have to drop one men's sports program or add more women's scholarships to comply with Title IX.
Eastern Washington: Needs to fund a stadium expansion and fund enough sports programs to comply with FBS standards and Title IX.
Do not need a stadium expansion:
Sacramento State: May have to drop one men's sports program to comply with Title IX. Currently SAC has the easiest path to the WAC and FBS.
Northern Arizona: Will have to add more women's scholarships to comply with Title IX. Currently offer's 16 sports programs, the minimum for FBS inclusion.
Weber State: Will have to add at least two more sports programs and ensure compliance with Title IX. Currently offers 14 sports programs.
Portland State: Will need to add enough sports programs to meet FBS requirements and do so in a manner that is compliant with Title IX.
Montana: Needs to fund two additional women's sports programs to comply with Title IX.
Montana State: Needs to fund one additional women's sports program to comply with Title IX.
Lamar: Needs to fund at least 2 additional sports programs and comply with Title IX.
Sam Houston State: Needs to fund at least one more women's sports team. Stadium capacity is listed at 14,000, but can hold up to 17,000. Also, SHSU biggest rivals are Texas State and Stephen F. Austin.
It is still being reported on this website that invitations have been sent to Cal Poly, Montana, Montana State and Portland State, but I have found nothing from an old-school media site confirming this information.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
The History of WACy Misteps
5 Mistakes that put the WAC where they are today.
#5 August 2010..."The Project." After Boise State left the WAC for the MWC, the WAC instituted a plan to bring them back. It was to invite BYU, after they went independent to re-join the conference with their other sports. They also wanted to invite back UNLV and San Diego State. The project failed when the MWC countered by adding Fresno State and Nevada.
20/20...Hindsight...Instead of pursuing "the Project," the WAC could have still added Cal Poly, UC Davis, Montana, Texas State and UTSA when the conference was still considered a strong conference. At this point, it could have been foreseen that Fresno and Nevada were going to join Boise. It could have also been foreseen at this time that Hawaii was also considering other options. One consequence of the failed projected is that BYU will not travel to Moscow to play in the Kibbie Dome. They could have agreed to the BYU schedule plan provided that the Cougars focus on scheduling schools that are struggling at the gate, including Idaho.
#4 June 2010...No Proactive Expansion. Instead of giving expected invites to Cal Poly, UC Davis and Montana the WAC decided to table their expansion until the conference expansion dust settled...Not expanding proactively before Boise left was perhaps the biggest mistake in the history of the conference. Cal Poly and UC Davis eventually chose to remain FCS schools and join their football programs to the Big Sky Conference.
20/20 Hindsight...Cal Poly, Montana and UC Davis would have joined the WAC then when it was perceived to be a strong conference. Now that the WAC appears to be on life support, these schools are hesitant to make the jump.
#3...2005...Louisiana Tech. Adding the other Bulldogs added to the already bad travel problem in the WAC. The conference would now stretch from Hawaii to Louisiana. That adds to a lot of fuel dollars. Many programs hemorrhage money to pay for the travel, especially Hawaii and Louisiana Tech.
20/20 Hindsight...It is likely that UTEP and Hawaii would have remained in the WAC today had Louisiana Tech had been left to join the Sun Belt Conference.
#2...1994...The WAC 16. With UNLV likely to become the 11th school in the WAC, the conference took advantage of the disbanding Southwest conference by adding SMU, Rice and TCU. They also added Tulsa and San Jose State. The result was the first 16-school super conference. But the Conference would then stretch from Honolulu to Houston. Revenue dropped because of the travel costs. Old rivalries were lost. 8 WAC members eventually bolted and formed the Mountain West Conference.
20/20 Hindsight...Tulsa, TCU, SMU and Rice ended up in Conference USA anyway. It would have been best to leave them there for C-USA and not become too greedy. At the time, the Big 10 was at 11. The WAC could have worked with 11 as well. Here was another opportunity to add Utah State and go to 12. Utah State was not the football program they were in the 1970s, but in the 1990s, they were arguably as good as UNLV.
#1...1962...No Utah State, no New Mexico State. When the WAC formed with six original members, Utah State and New Mexico State were left on the sidelines. They would both join 43 years later.
20/20 Hindsight...Imagine how the WAC would have been different in the 1970s if the WAC had Utah State when their football program was still strong. The 1960s and 1970s were the golden age of Aggie football.
#5 August 2010..."The Project." After Boise State left the WAC for the MWC, the WAC instituted a plan to bring them back. It was to invite BYU, after they went independent to re-join the conference with their other sports. They also wanted to invite back UNLV and San Diego State. The project failed when the MWC countered by adding Fresno State and Nevada.
20/20...Hindsight...Instead of pursuing "the Project," the WAC could have still added Cal Poly, UC Davis, Montana, Texas State and UTSA when the conference was still considered a strong conference. At this point, it could have been foreseen that Fresno and Nevada were going to join Boise. It could have also been foreseen at this time that Hawaii was also considering other options. One consequence of the failed projected is that BYU will not travel to Moscow to play in the Kibbie Dome. They could have agreed to the BYU schedule plan provided that the Cougars focus on scheduling schools that are struggling at the gate, including Idaho.
#4 June 2010...No Proactive Expansion. Instead of giving expected invites to Cal Poly, UC Davis and Montana the WAC decided to table their expansion until the conference expansion dust settled...Not expanding proactively before Boise left was perhaps the biggest mistake in the history of the conference. Cal Poly and UC Davis eventually chose to remain FCS schools and join their football programs to the Big Sky Conference.
20/20 Hindsight...Cal Poly, Montana and UC Davis would have joined the WAC then when it was perceived to be a strong conference. Now that the WAC appears to be on life support, these schools are hesitant to make the jump.
#3...2005...Louisiana Tech. Adding the other Bulldogs added to the already bad travel problem in the WAC. The conference would now stretch from Hawaii to Louisiana. That adds to a lot of fuel dollars. Many programs hemorrhage money to pay for the travel, especially Hawaii and Louisiana Tech.
20/20 Hindsight...It is likely that UTEP and Hawaii would have remained in the WAC today had Louisiana Tech had been left to join the Sun Belt Conference.
#2...1994...The WAC 16. With UNLV likely to become the 11th school in the WAC, the conference took advantage of the disbanding Southwest conference by adding SMU, Rice and TCU. They also added Tulsa and San Jose State. The result was the first 16-school super conference. But the Conference would then stretch from Honolulu to Houston. Revenue dropped because of the travel costs. Old rivalries were lost. 8 WAC members eventually bolted and formed the Mountain West Conference.
20/20 Hindsight...Tulsa, TCU, SMU and Rice ended up in Conference USA anyway. It would have been best to leave them there for C-USA and not become too greedy. At the time, the Big 10 was at 11. The WAC could have worked with 11 as well. Here was another opportunity to add Utah State and go to 12. Utah State was not the football program they were in the 1970s, but in the 1990s, they were arguably as good as UNLV.
#1...1962...No Utah State, no New Mexico State. When the WAC formed with six original members, Utah State and New Mexico State were left on the sidelines. They would both join 43 years later.
20/20 Hindsight...Imagine how the WAC would have been different in the 1970s if the WAC had Utah State when their football program was still strong. The 1960s and 1970s were the golden age of Aggie football.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Does Utah State Really Want to Block Utah Valley From the WAC?
Someone once told me to only believe half of what you read, even it is in the Salt Lake Tribune. I have a hard time believing that Utah State wants to Block Utah Valley's admittance to the WAC. It is not a state secret that the WAC is floundering right now. It is also not a state secret that the Mountain West Conference will likely not come to the Aggies rescue should the WAC fold. You would think that Utah State would be all for Utah Valley.
The Tribune Article does not mention that a couple of very good Utah State Basketball Aggies have come from the Utah Valley. But this area is not really Aggie country, it's BYU's backyard. The Cougars have done well enough recruiting in their own back yard and likely do not see UVU as a threat to their basketball prowess. Besides, BYU is private and can not block the move with the regents and after spurning the floundering WAC for the WCC, would not hold sway with any WAC presidents at all. Utah is losing the battle for local recruits, but they are in the PAC-12 and shouldn't need to block anything and would also have little influence with the WAC as well, although they do have a lot of sway with board of regents.
My readers know that I have been following WAC expansion very closely. It is my opinion, and only MHO, that the WAC does not want The Valley unless they are willing to add football in the next few years. Something which is not likely to happen in the current economy.
The Tribune Article does not mention that a couple of very good Utah State Basketball Aggies have come from the Utah Valley. But this area is not really Aggie country, it's BYU's backyard. The Cougars have done well enough recruiting in their own back yard and likely do not see UVU as a threat to their basketball prowess. Besides, BYU is private and can not block the move with the regents and after spurning the floundering WAC for the WCC, would not hold sway with any WAC presidents at all. Utah is losing the battle for local recruits, but they are in the PAC-12 and shouldn't need to block anything and would also have little influence with the WAC as well, although they do have a lot of sway with board of regents.
My readers know that I have been following WAC expansion very closely. It is my opinion, and only MHO, that the WAC does not want The Valley unless they are willing to add football in the next few years. Something which is not likely to happen in the current economy.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Who Is Really Ready for the WAC?
How are perspective WAC candidates doing financially? It is not that difficult to find out. The US department of education keeps track for the purposes of enforcing Title IX. Most schools at least break even, as their athletic programs are subsidized by student fees. Most FCS schools will do a little better in the FBS if they can get fans to show up to football games as that represents a big percentage of the money they collect. Below is a list of perspective new WAC members and how profitable their athletic programs are.
This is 2009 data. 2010 data is not yet available.
Here is the site to get the data:
http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/GetOneInstitutionData.aspx
Big Sky Conference:
Cal Poly 2,911,000
UC Davis 1,256,000
Idaho State 625,000
Northern Arizona 426,000
Weber State 287,000
Northern Colo 239,000
North Dakota 161,000
Montana 43,000
Montana State 11,000
Eastern Washington 0
Portland State 0
Sacramento State 0
Southland Conference
Sam Houston State 293,000
Lamar 126,000
Stephen F Austin 0
Others:
North Dakota State 43,000
Basketball Only
CS Bakersfield 0
Seattle 0
Texas Arlington 0
Utah Valley 0
Schools That Could Bring Back Football
CS Fullerton 0
Long Beach State 770
Pacific 0
UC Santa Barbara 490,000
Conclusion:
After seeing this data, I can see why Montana did not join the WAC last fall. They are not ready, the school would lose money with the extra expenses likely outpacing the extra revenues. Cal Poly and UC Davis, if they can get a stadium, would do well in the WAC. So would Sam Houston State and Lamar. Portland State, rumored to have an invitation from the WAC is breaking even, and would probably struggle for a while, unless they can get fans to come to games. You can also see why Utah State is luke warm to Utah Valley and why the WAC is hesitant to bring in any basketball-only schools. You can also see why there are so few schools willing to bring back football.
If you only had the financial numbers, and the size of the market of the schools, who would you pick?
This is 2009 data. 2010 data is not yet available.
Here is the site to get the data:
http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/GetOneInstitutionData.aspx
Big Sky Conference:
Cal Poly 2,911,000
UC Davis 1,256,000
Idaho State 625,000
Northern Arizona 426,000
Weber State 287,000
Northern Colo 239,000
North Dakota 161,000
Montana 43,000
Montana State 11,000
Eastern Washington 0
Portland State 0
Sacramento State 0
Southland Conference
Sam Houston State 293,000
Lamar 126,000
Stephen F Austin 0
Others:
North Dakota State 43,000
Basketball Only
CS Bakersfield 0
Seattle 0
Texas Arlington 0
Utah Valley 0
Schools That Could Bring Back Football
CS Fullerton 0
Long Beach State 770
Pacific 0
UC Santa Barbara 490,000
Conclusion:
After seeing this data, I can see why Montana did not join the WAC last fall. They are not ready, the school would lose money with the extra expenses likely outpacing the extra revenues. Cal Poly and UC Davis, if they can get a stadium, would do well in the WAC. So would Sam Houston State and Lamar. Portland State, rumored to have an invitation from the WAC is breaking even, and would probably struggle for a while, unless they can get fans to come to games. You can also see why Utah State is luke warm to Utah Valley and why the WAC is hesitant to bring in any basketball-only schools. You can also see why there are so few schools willing to bring back football.
If you only had the financial numbers, and the size of the market of the schools, who would you pick?
Friday, November 26, 2010
The WAC's Next Move
TCU seems bound to the Big East and Hawaii seems poised to take their place in football to keep the MWC at ten teams. If this happens, what happens to the WAC? Will they really be worse than the Sun Belt? What is Karl Benson's next real move?
Step 1, Take you lumps.
Moving to the FBS from the FCS is not something that can happen suddenly. If this scenario plays out, the WAC should play with seven football schools in 2012. That means no automatic bowl invites, but the WAC should be able to pick a couple of automatic bowl invites in due time. Boise and Hawaii take their bowls with them, anyway. And no, they will not be worse than the Sun Belt, not by a long shot. Without Boise State, Fresno State, Nevada and Hawaii there will be at least two move victories for Louisiana Tech, Idaho and Utah State. This will move these three schools into bowl contention every season.
Step 2, Focus on Basketball.
Denver was admitted as a basketball only program. Look into some others. They could lure TCU's other sports programs. There are some other non-football programs that could fit well with the WAC including Seattle, Utah Valley and Cal State Bakersfield. They could even work out a deal with the Big Sky and allow someone like Weber State to join as a non-football program and leave the football 'Cats in the Big Sky with a plan to bring the Cats into full membership in two years (Basketball 2012, Football 2014).
Step 3, FCS programs.
About the only conference in the FCS that has programs in the football footprint of the WAC is the Big Sky Conference.
People look at Montana's rejection of the WAC as a diss against the WAC. I do not see it that way. It's more economic. It costs money to move up. There are additional scholarships for new sports and in some cases enlarged facilities. Cal Davis was approached, but they only have a 10,000 seat stadium that was just finished--over time and over budget, like most government projects. Do you think they could join the WAC in 2012? More like 2015, and that would be optimistic. When they said, "It's not you, it's me," they were being honest. The WAC may be able to lure Montana if they also were will to consider some of their Big Sky Conference Rivals. There are four others that could make the move, and if the WAC plays their cards right, they could end up with a solid conference again by the end of the decade. Here, again, are some suggestions for Karl Benson and the WAC presidents.
Step 4
Exposure and recruiting. Keep the scheduling agreement with BYU and stay on ESPN. Find the next Boise State and get the kids to chose schools in your conference.
Expansion Plan
2012--Texas State and USTA as full members; Denver, Seattle as non-football members. Montana, Montana State, Weber State, Eastern Washington, and Cal Poly as non-football members for two or three years.
2014-2015-Add the five Big Sky Conference members as full members and split into divisions. This puts the conference at 12 football members and 14 in basketball.
Sports to add:
Montana (2 Women's teams at a minimum): Swimming and Diving (M/W), Baseball and Gymnastics
Montana State (2 teams-both sexes): Swimming and Diving (M/W)
Weber State (2 teams-both sexes): Swimming and Diving (M/W) and butts in the seats at football games.
Eastern Washington (3 teams) : Swimming and Diving (M/W), Gymnastics and also an expanded stadium
Cal Poly (None needed--already have 20 teams). Only needs an expanded stadium.
Step 1, Take you lumps.
Moving to the FBS from the FCS is not something that can happen suddenly. If this scenario plays out, the WAC should play with seven football schools in 2012. That means no automatic bowl invites, but the WAC should be able to pick a couple of automatic bowl invites in due time. Boise and Hawaii take their bowls with them, anyway. And no, they will not be worse than the Sun Belt, not by a long shot. Without Boise State, Fresno State, Nevada and Hawaii there will be at least two move victories for Louisiana Tech, Idaho and Utah State. This will move these three schools into bowl contention every season.
Step 2, Focus on Basketball.
Denver was admitted as a basketball only program. Look into some others. They could lure TCU's other sports programs. There are some other non-football programs that could fit well with the WAC including Seattle, Utah Valley and Cal State Bakersfield. They could even work out a deal with the Big Sky and allow someone like Weber State to join as a non-football program and leave the football 'Cats in the Big Sky with a plan to bring the Cats into full membership in two years (Basketball 2012, Football 2014).
Step 3, FCS programs.
About the only conference in the FCS that has programs in the football footprint of the WAC is the Big Sky Conference.
People look at Montana's rejection of the WAC as a diss against the WAC. I do not see it that way. It's more economic. It costs money to move up. There are additional scholarships for new sports and in some cases enlarged facilities. Cal Davis was approached, but they only have a 10,000 seat stadium that was just finished--over time and over budget, like most government projects. Do you think they could join the WAC in 2012? More like 2015, and that would be optimistic. When they said, "It's not you, it's me," they were being honest. The WAC may be able to lure Montana if they also were will to consider some of their Big Sky Conference Rivals. There are four others that could make the move, and if the WAC plays their cards right, they could end up with a solid conference again by the end of the decade. Here, again, are some suggestions for Karl Benson and the WAC presidents.
Step 4
Exposure and recruiting. Keep the scheduling agreement with BYU and stay on ESPN. Find the next Boise State and get the kids to chose schools in your conference.
Expansion Plan
2012--Texas State and USTA as full members; Denver, Seattle as non-football members. Montana, Montana State, Weber State, Eastern Washington, and Cal Poly as non-football members for two or three years.
2014-2015-Add the five Big Sky Conference members as full members and split into divisions. This puts the conference at 12 football members and 14 in basketball.
Sports to add:
Montana (2 Women's teams at a minimum): Swimming and Diving (M/W), Baseball and Gymnastics
Montana State (2 teams-both sexes): Swimming and Diving (M/W)
Weber State (2 teams-both sexes): Swimming and Diving (M/W) and butts in the seats at football games.
Eastern Washington (3 teams) : Swimming and Diving (M/W), Gymnastics and also an expanded stadium
Cal Poly (None needed--already have 20 teams). Only needs an expanded stadium.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Officially Official
The Western Athletic Conference officially welcomes Texas San Antonio, Texas State and Denver (Non-Football). Beginning in 2012, that will be 8 schools for football and 9 for men's and women's basketball.
According to ESPN.com, there is also an open invitation to Montana should they decide to move to the FBS. After reading Jim O'Day's comments in the Missoulian last week, that may not be in 2012 but sometime later. The WAC's model is for 9 football schools and 10 schools in other sports.
Of course these new schools will not completely fill the hole left by Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada, right away but the silver lining for the WAC is that it will have a foothold in the fertile Texas recruiting grounds and will give the WAC presumable access to another bowl game at the new bigger Texas State Stadium in San Marcos.
The scheduling agreement with BYU will likely continue beyond 2012 and Cougar fans should expect to see Texas State and UTSA visit LaVell Edwards Stadium in the near future.
According to ESPN.com, there is also an open invitation to Montana should they decide to move to the FBS. After reading Jim O'Day's comments in the Missoulian last week, that may not be in 2012 but sometime later. The WAC's model is for 9 football schools and 10 schools in other sports.
Of course these new schools will not completely fill the hole left by Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada, right away but the silver lining for the WAC is that it will have a foothold in the fertile Texas recruiting grounds and will give the WAC presumable access to another bowl game at the new bigger Texas State Stadium in San Marcos.
The scheduling agreement with BYU will likely continue beyond 2012 and Cougar fans should expect to see Texas State and UTSA visit LaVell Edwards Stadium in the near future.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
WAC Expansion Update--Wither Montana
Earlier this week, the San Jose Mercury News reported that the WAC has invited Texas State and UTSA, but there was no news about Montana. Now there are reports that Montana has been invited to the WAC, but is still considering the option. There is concern about how to pay for the multiple new scholarships involved in the move and the cost of adding two new sports. Some sources are saying Montana will join the WAC later and remain Big Sky Conference for now.
Many news reports state that Montana is the best option for the WAC, but the WAC may not be the best option for Montana. I have written several blogs about this already, and feel like I am rehashing old news. The news reports today seem to indicate that the ball is actually in Montana's court right now. The invitation has been made, but the school is still considering their options. Montana is a good fit for the WAC, but they should move when they are ready, and not a year earlier.
Many news reports state that Montana is the best option for the WAC, but the WAC may not be the best option for Montana. I have written several blogs about this already, and feel like I am rehashing old news. The news reports today seem to indicate that the ball is actually in Montana's court right now. The invitation has been made, but the school is still considering their options. Montana is a good fit for the WAC, but they should move when they are ready, and not a year earlier.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
WAC Expansion update for November 5 -- No Montana.
Here is a report from the San Jose Mercury News stating that the WAC is ready to invite UTSA and Texas State. They are expected to join in 2012. The WAC and MWC have worked out a deal for Fresno State and Nevada to remain in the WAC for 2011 and join the MWC in 2012 and pay only 1 million to leave instead of 5 million. There will not be invitations for Denver nor Seattle. These schools are not a strong enough draw in Basketball to make up for not having a football team. This will leave the WAC with 8 schools.
What about Montana?
I read through this article a couple of days ago and missed what Montana Athletic director Jim O'Day had to say.
From the Missoulian...
It's something I think the Big Sky has to do," O'Day said. "It's similar to what the WAC is going to do in the next few days, when they announce an expansion. It will not include Montana - we're not to that point yet - but they have to do their due diligence."
Montana will not be part of the upcoming WAC expansion!
What about Montana?
I read through this article a couple of days ago and missed what Montana Athletic director Jim O'Day had to say.
From the Missoulian...
It's something I think the Big Sky has to do," O'Day said. "It's similar to what the WAC is going to do in the next few days, when they announce an expansion. It will not include Montana - we're not to that point yet - but they have to do their due diligence."
Montana will not be part of the upcoming WAC expansion!
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