(03-14-2018 11:16 AM)puck swami Wrote:  

(03-13-2018 12:50 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  Denver isn't getting into the MWC - ever. They suck and have no fans.

"They Suck" is a very harsh, and somewhat inaccurate assessment. Denver was 15-15 this year and third place in the Summit League, the second year under a new coaching staff. That's a mediocre record in a solid, 17th-ranked conference.

Head-to-head, DU did well against the MWC schools that would schedule the Pioneers. DU beat Wyoming (by 10) and San Jose State from the MWC and came within a basket of beating Air Force in the three MWC games played this year - 2-1 vs MWC. In most years, DU would likely be a mid-pack MWC team with the current level of recruits that they get. If they became a MWC member, their recruiting level would go up, and I think DU could be very competitive in short order.

DU has a $35 million sports budget without football, which would be mid-mid pack in the MWC already and spends $3 million a year on basketball, and facilities are all excellent and under 18 years old.

As for fans, it's chicken and egg. Right now, playing Summit league teams with a mediocre record is not going to be a big draw here. That said, DU has proven it can average 5,400 fans per game (as in 2012) when the team was winning 22 games per year, and that was playing mostly teams with no local recognition. If Denver were to be a MWC team, attendance would likely go up to 6,000-7,000 per game, and Denver area also has a strong base of fans from other MWC schools.

In short, Denver could bring a lot to the MWC table:
-Good location in league footprint
-Large Denver TV market (top 25) with large media presence
-Easy travel with low cost, direct flights (hub airport)
-Academic prestige (top 85 university)
-Attractive travel destination
-Nice newer facilities
-Strong budgets
-Strong MWC alumni area
-Top non football athletic department in America, with 33 NCAA D-I championships in history
-Most Olympic sports would be immediate contenders in the MWC

In short, Denver doesn't suck, and the fans would come if the Pioneers could schedule attractive MWC opponents.

Won't happen. MWC turned down DU with annual cash payments, what makes you think anything has changed? DU has a problem. Your strongest sports, hockey and LAX, no one cares about. Your soccer programs are solid, but again, no one really cares.

The MWC is a FB first conference that wants to strengthen their basketball to keep up with the AAC. The AAC adds Wichita, the MWC adds Gonzaga. Done. Re-alignment complete.

DU adds nothing to the MWC. The WCC is a possibility, but that would take a number of Pacific based schools showing interest in going east. Adding BYU in the Mountain Time Zone is one thing, it appeased Gonzaga, giving the league another strong program. What does DU offer the WCC but more travel. My guess, if you get an invite into the WCC it will include a large annual cash payment spread among members to cover the additional travel costs into the Mountain time zone.