Given the fact that the WAC could likely lose two schools if Gonzaga leaves the WCC, could the WAC be silently lobbying UVU to add football to help stabilize the league?

How could they incentivize UVU? The school was interested in adding football when they were attempting to get into an auto-bid conference and thought that the Big Sky was their only option. The moment they joined the WAC without the need for football, all of those plans were dropped like a hot potato.

If UVU were to add football, I don't know if they could go past the FCS level. BYU is literally a few miles up the road and would (and currently is) overshadowing everything they do. A lot of UVU students got into the school hoping to transfer to BYU, so their loyalty lies elsewhere. The new soccer stadium would never be big enough for FBS.

As much as I'd like to see football at UVU so they could actually get as much media attention as the other FCS schools in the state (I hear more about Weber, SUU and Utah Tech when it comes to the smaller colleges than I do about Utah Valley) I don't see it happening.

(01-01-2023 10:21 PM)TardisCaptain Wrote:  How could they incentivize UVU? The school was interested in adding football when they were attempting to get into an auto-bid conference and thought that the Big Sky was their only option. The moment they joined the WAC without the need for football, all of those plans were dropped like a hot potato.

If UVU were to add football, I don't know if they could go past the FCS level. BYU is literally a few miles up the road and would (and currently is) overshadowing everything they do. A lot of UVU students got into the school hoping to transfer to BYU, so their loyalty lies elsewhere. The new soccer stadium would never be big enough for FBS.

As much as I'd like to see football at UVU so they could actually get as much media attention as the other FCS schools in the state (I hear more about Weber, SUU and Utah Tech when it comes to the smaller colleges than I do about Utah Valley) I don't see it happening.

I really don't know as to your first question, but I think there is some self-preservation involved for Utah Valley. If two of the privates (GCU, Seattle, or CBU) leave, and there is some schism with the football schools, Utah Valley is in serious trouble in realignment terms.

(01-01-2023 10:07 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  Given the fact that the WAC could likely lose two schools if Gonzaga leaves the WCC, could the WAC be silently lobbying UVU to add football to help stabilize the league?

Wait a minute. Evidence?

There’s usually an article, even if it’s a column from “the right source” that explores directions a school might take.

Otherwise I would mention that Kyle Beckerman is an institution in American soccer and a stadium proposal has more to do with his influence than UVU trying to sidestep their way into pointyball.

If I were running the WAC, I'd try to convince UVU to start a football program... and also try to lure a Big Sky team to join... I personally like northern Arizona or another Texas/Utah member.

I bet no one on this forum or within the WAC ever thought of that before. This idea is GENIUS. Thank goodness you stopped by. We’re all saved now.

Adding a Big Sky member? What didn’t WE think of that?

There’s a school in northern Arizona??? I wonder why we never thought of them? Somebody please research that and find out more about them.

(01-02-2023 01:34 AM)Todor Wrote:  I bet no one on this forum or within the WAC ever thought of that before. This idea is GENIUS. Thank goodness you stopped by. We’re all saved now.

Adding a Big Sky member? What didn’t WE think of that?

There’s a school in Northern Arizona??? I wonder why we never thought of them? Somebody please research that and find out more about them.

Yeahhhh. We’ve been through this many times, a white knight will chime in with a suggestion like those. Unfortunately, some people think the WAC has some great setup or something.

I was shocked when Southern Utah was considering joining, but I would be more shocked to see NAU leave the BSC for the WAC. It’s not happening. NAU would only leave the BSC (without major defections happening) for the Pac 12. They’re not leaving their longtime rivals to join SUU and UTRGV. I would bet my life the WAC has asked multiple times and I would also bet my life on it never happening.

This looks like another thread that was moved here from somewhere else.

(01-02-2023 02:58 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  This looks like another thread that was moved here from somewhere else.

Eh, this thread has real potential for comedy. Who cares where it came from?

(01-01-2023 10:07 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  Given the fact that the WAC could likely lose two schools if Gonzaga leaves the WCC, could the WAC be silently lobbying UVU to add football to help stabilize the league?

No.

(01-02-2023 01:34 AM)Todor Wrote:  I bet no one on this forum or within the WAC ever thought of that before. This idea is GENIUS. Thank goodness you stopped by. We’re all saved now.

Adding a Big Sky member? What didn’t WE think of that?

There’s a school in northern Arizona??? I wonder why we never thought of them? Somebody please research that and find out more about them.

As they have approached schools to join, I think they have been honest about their plans to move up to FBS. This could easily have kept some programs from making a move, and perhaps why the Texas teams went back to the Southland.

Aside from the results, Lamar has an FBS capacity stadium and modern renovations. Of the Texas four plus Incarnate Word, Lamar would have to spend the least to move up.

I think they just weren't ready from a competitive standpoint in pretty much every sport and felt they needed the lower caliber competition.

Now Incarnate Word, probably spot on.

(01-01-2023 10:07 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  Given the fact that the WAC could likely lose two schools if Gonzaga leaves the WCC, could the WAC be silently lobbying UVU to add football to help stabilize the league?

If Seattle and California Baptist left, it would shrink the WAC's footprint, which might open up more options to the east. Grand Canyon leaving probably helps with this also, even if their departure technically doesn't shrink the footprint.

Utah Valley has no realistic landing spot without football (FCS or FBS), so the WAC really doesn't have to worry about losing them. The only issue would be is if the WAC didn't have six for FCS football or eight for FBS football.

UVU seems pretty locked in on having good soccer programs. Can’t say I blame them there’s a lot of folks in Utah that are diehard soccer fans.

I would not mind a UVU FCS program in the WAC. Built in rivalries with SUU, Utah Tech, etc.

Fanbase wise, can Utah sustain another football program? Utah has the money to sustain it if it really wanted to, but I would think that UVU would be smarter to specialize it's sports a little better and be able to separate itself in those.

(01-29-2023 09:48 PM)Outsider Wrote:  Fanbase wise, can Utah sustain another football program? Utah has the money to sustain it if it really wanted to, but I would think that UVU would be smarter to specialize it's sports a little better and be able to separate itself in those.

Never mind Utah. UVU is 4 miles up University Parkway from BYU’s Lavell Edwards Stadium.

If anything, since the UVU arena was built with the hope that it would host secondary hockey events for the 2002 Olympics, and they have hosted indoor football teams, finding a way to ice a hockey program isn’t the worst idea.