Leadership, part deux

[Higher Authority]

For all of those who sometimes question the job Jim Copeland has done as SMU's navigator through the sometimes-choppy waters of college athletics, I'd contend that the lack of leadership starts and ends with WAC commissioner Karl Benson. Copeland has done, in my opinion, a sensational job at SMU. For those who read Sunday's DMN stories about the likely conference realignments that loom on the horizon for college athletics, I would hope that you were as disturbed as I was about Benson's stance. To paraphrase, it seemed like his approach was "well, some things might happen, and if they do, then I guess we'll have to do something in response."

Way to be proactive, Benson! While Copeland and the rest of the SMU athletic staff have been on top of the situation and mapping out myriad possible solutions, and networking with people in other conferences -- "just in case" -- Benson has been twiddling his thumbs and acting as if somehow everything will work out. The "don't do anything unless we need to" approach could leave the WAC throwing its hands up, wondering who will want to join the limping league. If, for example, Fresno goes to the Pac-10, Hawaii and Boise State go to the Mountain West, and SMU, Rice, Tulsa, LaTech and perhaps UTEP migrate to Conference-USA, that would leave the WAC with San Jose State and Nevada. Nice leadership, Benson. I'm sure there will BCS teams lining up to join a league with potentially two teams and nobody willing to offer any form of bowl game affiliation or TV package. In other words, the WAC would cease to exist, or at least become a laughingstock league with the lowest of NCAA bottom-feeders.

I wonder if Benson was captain of the Titanic in a previous life....

[RedRiverPony]

Amen! Benson is a worthless commissioner. Good (and funny) post. He's not welcome on my bass boat - ever..

[EastStang]

While I am no Benson fan, who wants to join the WAC? Only SunBelt teams who nobody in the WAC wants. Nobody from the MWC wants to leave that little cadre of evil. Nobody from CUSA wants to join the WAC unless things start to break down. I am sure that Copeland and Benson have contacted TCU (which has visions of a BCS invite), UH, Tulane and others should things start to break down.

[PonyTales]

Exactly - no self-respecting team wants to join the WAC.
Are you suggesting that Benson's vision of conference leadership includes trying to lure back a school (TCU) that left because it had a better offer elsewhere and two schools (Tulane and Houston) that are teetering on the edge of financial ruin and grappling with the idea of folding their athletic programs or at least stepping down a few levels? Higher Authority is right - that's ridiculous leadership. He's approached a school that wanted out in the first place and two that seem unable to survive. Nice choice, Benson.

Maybe the prize acquisition Benson really wants as a feather in his cap is TCU's men's soccer team - which no longer exists.

For the sake of fans at TCU, Tulane and Houston, I hope all three schools survive without having to answer Benson's phone call.