PonyFans.com

Very interesting article from San Jose. They are warning the WAC West schools to be proactive or the WAC will lose SMU, Tulsa and Rice to Conf. USA-West and a reunion with TCU. Well reasoned from SJS's and WAC West perspective but a real long shot.

<A HREF="http://sanjosestate.theinsiders.com/2/116465.html" TARGET=_blank>http://sanjosestate.theinsiders.com/2/116465.html</A>

[This message has been edited by Water Pony (edited 06-18-2003).]

Sounds like a very good plan to save the WAC, but unfortunately it will never be given serious consideration.

TCU fans universally pooh, pooh the idea of returning to the WAC. UH, Tulane might be more receptive. The major flaw in this plan is that there is no backup if SDS and UNLV say no. Who do you go to then? At that point Rice, SMU, and Tulsa have entered into a binding agreement and can't join CUSA.

The funny thing is - San Jose State is going to be demoted to Division 1AA next summer...

2002 attendance was sub 11,000/game

I agree Eastang. TCU would want to stay in Conf. USA unless it implodes after a big raid by the Big East (Louisville, Cincinnati, Memphis, etc.).

Either way, WAC East or Conf. USA West is the logically move for TCU/SMU, Rice/Houston, Tulsa, Tulane, etc.

What you are looking at is the "Yoda Plan" -- which I wrote and I'm not a SJSU fan but a Fresno fan.

The operators of the SJSU site like the proposal and featured it as an "article". It is also available in a pdf format at http:westsports.com/yodaplan.pdf .

I can assure you that it will be seen and considered by the WAC community. Every President and every AD has a copy. UTEP's AD (and I believe SMU's AD) will be discussing it on a UTEP sports radio station next Tuesday evening.

That doesn't mean it will become policy but it will get considered.

Yoda out...

My personal preference is to bolt from the WAC. C-USA is simply more lucrative than trying to save the WAC. I am sick and tired of these W-WAC schools. Let's align with schools that actually want to be in their conference.

Yoda:

Welcome to Mustang Country. As you can see and did comment on, the current model doesn't work for us and the other eastern WAC schools. SMU's AD just spoke on a Dallas Sports Radio Station. His strongest comment was that SMU and its natural rivals need stronger regional membership, either in or out of the WAC.

Also, the assumption that UNLV and SDSU would leave the Mtn. West doesn't make sense. The WAC would need to project a stronger image and future than the Mtn. West, which would be a real stretch.

Second, TCU would run from Conf. USA, only if it imploded. In that case, they would look to Mtn. West first unless a WAC East was created which included SMU, Rice, Tulsa, Tulane, etc.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Water Pony:
<B>Also, the assumption that UNLV and SDSU would leave the Mtn. West doesn't make sense. The WAC would need to project a stronger image and future than the Mtn. West, which would be a real stretch.

Second, TCU would run from Conf. USA, only if it imploded. In that case, they would look to Mtn. West first unless a WAC East was created which included SMU, Rice, Tulsa, Tulane, etc.</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>First, thanks for the welcome.

The plan makes no assumption that SDSU and UNLV would leave -- it is a strategy designed to strengthen the WAC and, as part of that objective, to pursue a couple of MWC schools. That said, I believe that the addition of both TCU and USM, combined with the self confidence inherent in a 5 year binding agreement, would go a long way toward projecting the stronger image that you think is necessary.

There are no guarantees, of course, but I think we would be successful.

It is too dangerous for SDSU and UNLV to remain in a conference with only 8 schools and no real expansion candidates (and with a binding 5 year agreement and TCU coming on board, there wouldn't be any other expansion candidates except for USU and NMSU).

What happens if Wyoming doesn't retain its D1-A status? What happens if UU or BYU gets a bid to join a BCS conference? And what happens if UNLV or SDSU says “No”, but CSU then says “YES”? They don't know who we will ask next if they say “No”?

With a five year binding agreement, we go from the least stable of all the non-BCS conferences to the most stable of them. We offer a safe haven to the best of the BCS wannabes who are worried about the stability of their own conferences. SDSU, UNLV, TCU and USM have every reason to be worried..

As for TCU preferring the MWC, I don’t think so. You know that the gang of five will hang together with Boise State for a northern division which leaves TCU in a southern division that stretches all the way to Hawaii. You think that their home attendance went down when they went into CUSA, watch it sink now. And E-WAC affiliation makes a heck of a lot more sense.

And incidentally, SDSU and UNLV fans are not totally enamored with the MWC. Check out what some Aztecs are saying about how they enjoy the relationship. They are fed up and many of them would like to come back into the WAC -- or at least wouldn't be too adverse to it. =Bob and waztec don't have the same impression of the MWC that you do. Check out their comments, starting about 3/4ths of the way down this page...http://aztectalk.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php ... 1;t=017258

Yoda out…

Yoda with all due respect, check out the Froggie Board that says say no to SMU, or no to the WAC. Yes to MWC. MWC+TCU=BCS. They are delusional. Hopefully their administration is not. But they really think this is their ticket for stardom, so they would be really loathe to join a WAC with its current cast of characters. But they've made lots of bad choices in the past. Personally, I think the addition of Navy and Army to some conference alignment would make it more likely that SDS and AFA would be interested. Those are my two cents.

I understand what they think but they (along with the W-WAC Presidents) are operating under an out of date paradigm. They are looking at them today and at us yesterday -- when the split occurred.
If the logic is there, they will eventually come around. And I think that the logic is there.

Yoda out...

The idea of AFA would be very appealing but hard to imagine with their proxmity to CSU, NM, BYU, UT. But the idea of AFA, Army, Navy and the SW Private Universities would be a strong play for all involved.

Although SDSU is a state school, San Diego is a big time Navy town. Won't happen, but fun to think about it, e.g weather, bowl. but geographically the least desireable for us but great for WAC West.

There is certainly potential in this type of arrangement to change the landscape of the non- BCS conferences (and exact a measure of revenge against the BYU/Utah lead mountain goats). I can't avoid going back to the comment that "having 16 teams wasn't the WAC's problem".

I agree, and would like to see Houston and Tulane included to bring the number to 16. That way, you could even go to 9 conference games (something the MAC is discussing) to further assure your membership gets it's 5 home games against I-A opponents. In football, you'd play 7 divisional games and 2 cross-over games, meaning only one long distance game each year. In bball, play 14 divisional games and 4 cross-overs, meaning one long road trip where 2 games are played.

The WAC east would feature rivalries such as: SMU/TCU, Rice/Houston & USM/Tulane. The west would have Nevada/UNLV to supplement some of the rivalries the western group has developed over the years. In a 16 team WAC, UTEP rejoins the western group.

The problem convincing all the candidates that this could work is the same old story...bowl games! Who wants a 5 year commitment to no post season opportunities?The WAC would have Hawaii, San Jose, Boise & Vegas bowls and that would be very appealing to it's western members, but would still need help in the east. The Ft Worth Bowl would have to be supplemented by either Houston or Mobile, or both. Or, do we play fellow conference members in the western bowls if the two schools didn't meet in the regular season? That doesn't do much to increase your conference's credibility.

There is potential in this type of arrangement, but it looks a lot like a "Big East Alliance" type of arrangement with a western flavor. I have to admit, though, it would be fun watching the goats beg NMSU, Idaho & USU to join them so their conference could survive. CUSA and the SBC would have to come together for survival as well. Maybe this is meant to be...UAB playing Troy St, Memphis playing Midd Tenn, Cincy begging the MAC to join.

Highly unlikely, indeed. But, with all the what ifs flying around these days, nothing is impossible to imagine.