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Post by Commissioner on Nov 27, 2017 23:48:47 GMT -5
Cal State-Bakersfield announced today that will leave the WAC for the Big West in 2020. Makes a ton of sense for the Roadrunners. As Mid Major Madness notes: "The Big West is currently made up entirely of schools from California, with the exception of Hawaii, and CSUB would join four other schools — Cal Poly, Cal St. Fullerton, Cal St. Northridge and Long Beach State — that are part of the California State University system." UC-San Diego (not to be confused with the Jesuit University of San Diego or San Diego State) is also expected to join the Big West, moving up from D-II.
We know that Grand Canyon and New Mexico State would love to get out of the WAC, though NM State would also like a football home. We know that both have talked at least a little itty bit with the Horizon. The Big West also has to worry about Chicago State folding up it's athletic program, and UMKC almost certainly regrets leaving the Summit for the WAC. Seattle makes no secret of its desire to join the WCC, where it was a member in the 1970s before dropping from D-I for 30 years in 1980. It's a natural fit for the WCC if that conference decides to expand.
If the Horizon wants to make a move to 12 teams, now is the time to again approach NM State and GCU. I understand that some whine about travel costs (which they almost certainly overestimate) and fit, but in the end it is pretty simple: these are the only two schools remotely available to the Horizon that would boost the conference profile; boost its RPI and other computer numbers; boost its average attendance; boost its average basketball budget; and, at least possibly, increase the possibility of getting multiple NCAA bids.
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Post by Commissioner on Jan 14, 2021 16:28:40 GMT -5
The WAC continues to slowly rejuvenate, after almost folding a few years back. Chicago State has announced that it is getting out. Addition by subtraction.
The WAC also announced today that it will be adding Stephen F. Austin, Abilene Christian, Sam Houston State, Lamar, and Southern Utah. This is a crushing blow to the Southland Conference--SFAustin, Abilene Christian, and Sam Houston currently occupy the top three spots in the conference standings, while Lamar probably has the most long term history of any school in the conference. Last year SFA, Abilene and Sam Houston were 1st, 2d, and 4th in the conference. In 2019, Sam Houston, Abilene and Lamar finished 1-2-3 in the Southland. So they are losing their power, to be sure. The Southland will be left with 8 teams. Meanwhile, Southern Utah is currently in 1st place in the Big Sky Conference. One partial season does not a power make, but at first glance the WAC seems to have done well. The WAC now will have 13 teams. It added Dixie State and Tarleton State this year, moving up from D-2.
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Post by Rogobob77 on Jan 14, 2021 20:41:58 GMT -5
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Post by Commissioner on Jan 14, 2021 21:10:12 GMT -5
I think the football thing was really important to them to keep their flagship school, New Mexico State.
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Post by motorcitysam on Apr 19, 2021 16:24:56 GMT -5
Final WAC Standings for 2020-21.
Grand Canyon 9-3, 17-7 Utah Vallely 9-4, 11-11 New Mexico State 7-6, 12-8 California Baptist Seattle U Tarleton (where the heck is Tarleton??) Dixie State UT Rio Grande Valley Chicago State
The league season was a mess due to Covid, but GCU's conference title and NCAA bid still counts. The Antelopes kept the momentum going in the off season, doing what most mid majors would love to do: land a couple of transfers from one of the instate Power Five schools. Grand Canyon got commitments from two Arizona State guys, guard Holland Woods (7 ppg, 2 apg, 86% from the line) and forward Taeshon Cherry (4 ppg, 2 rpg, 6-8/220).
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Post by ptctitan on Apr 19, 2021 16:54:38 GMT -5
Tarleton State is located in Stephenville, TX and is coached by Billy Gillespie. It is located southwest of Ft. Worth.
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Post by Commissioner on Apr 19, 2021 21:23:28 GMT -5
Tarleton State is located in Stephenville, TX and is coached by Billy Gillespie. It is located southwest of Ft. Worth. As a former resident of Texas and father of a Texan, where the heck is Stephanville?
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Post by ptctitan on Apr 20, 2021 4:14:10 GMT -5
Commish - take I-20 west out of Ft. Worth to US 281. Then south on US 281 to the burgeoning Erath County metropolis of Stephenville. It's about an 80 mile trip. It's home not only to Tarleton State but also to Ranger College, a rather famous JUCO program.
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Post by motorcitysam on Nov 9, 2021 15:07:18 GMT -5
Blue Ribbon's forecast for the WAC.
1. New Mexico State 2. Stephen F. Austin 3. Grand Canyon 4. Seattle 5. Utah Valley 6. Abilene Christian 7. Sam Houston 8. Cal Baptist 9. Tarleton 10. Lamar 11. University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley 12. Dixie State 13. Chicago State
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Post by calihanmole on Nov 9, 2021 16:46:03 GMT -5
Nothing screams WEST quite like Chicago. To be fair, I have been to Chicago State’s campus and it’s probably the scariest place in the US I’ve ever seen. So they do have a Wild West feeling that someone might get shot at any second.
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Post by Commissioner on Nov 9, 2021 17:19:55 GMT -5
Nothing screams WEST quite like Chicago. To be fair, I have been to Chicago State’s campus and it’s probably the scariest place in the US I’ve ever seen. So they do have a Wild West feeling that someone might get shot at any second. Chicago State ought to join the MEAC. It's not an HBCU, but it's the closest thing to an HBCU. The MEAC needs members. It would be less travel for the Cougars and a lower level of competition. They might even win a few games.
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Post by calihanmole on Nov 9, 2021 18:09:55 GMT -5
Nothing screams WEST quite like Chicago. To be fair, I have been to Chicago State’s campus and it’s probably the scariest place in the US I’ve ever seen. So they do have a Wild West feeling that someone might get shot at any second. Chicago State ought to join the MEAC. It's not an HBCU, but it's the closest thing to an HBCU. The MEAC needs members. It would be less travel for the Cougars and a lower level of competition. They might even win a few games. That’s actually not a bad idea. At least Chicago State would be able to rack up a few games on each road trip to the DC/VA/MD area sometimes. But, I have to say, even that seems a bit much for Chicago State considering their lack of financial resources and ability to compete in athletics. They must by hemorrhaging money sending their athletes, not just MBB, to far flung places to compete in games that do not bring any revenue to the school. Chicago State should really be D2 or D3. I generally think too many colleges spend too much money on travel, and we take student athletes out of the classroom way too much. I guess I can see the appeal for football and basketball because of the revenue. But we have tennis and volleyball players flying all over the country based on what makes sense for football. It makes no sense and I hope someday football conferences become separate from everything else.
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Post by motorcitysam on Nov 12, 2021 6:18:48 GMT -5
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Post by calihanmole on Nov 12, 2021 11:07:11 GMT -5
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Post by Commissioner on Nov 12, 2021 16:59:56 GMT -5
Nothing screams WEST quite like Chicago. To be fair, I have been to Chicago State’s campus and it’s probably the scariest place in the US I’ve ever seen. So they do have a Wild West feeling that someone might get shot at any second. Chicago State ought to join the MEAC. It's not an HBCU, but it's the closest thing to an HBCU. The MEAC needs members. It would be less travel for the Cougars and a lower level of competition. They might even win a few games. Maybe we could join the MEAC.
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