(12-05-2017 01:13 PM)RunnerBall Wrote: (12-05-2017 12:34 PM)NMSUPistolPete Wrote: (12-05-2017 12:03 PM)Stugray2 Wrote: WAC has to work with Big Sky to absorb a football school
The Big Sky is already bloated with 14 football schools. I don't think they want to add more football only schools.
1. Montana
2. Montana State
3. Idaho
4. Idaho State
5. Northern Colorado
6. North Dakota (football only)
7. Northern Arizona
8. Eastern Washington
9. Weber State
10. Southern Utah
11. Portland State
12. Sacramento State
13. Cal Poly (football only)
14. UC Davis (football only)
Large conference. I'd think some would find it in their interest to split (of some sort) and flee to WAC. Less competition for an autobid.
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North Dakota is leaving next year, and Football is leaving in 2020. So that is 13 football.
Nobody would voluntarily leave the Big Sky. That is the problem the WAC faces. I do think a shake up is coming, but could be years down the road, even a decade.
But when it comes I expect Montana, Montana State, Idaho State, Idaho, Eastern Washington, Weber State to break off taking Northern Arizona and maybe Portland State with them. Basically jettisoning Sac State and the remaining Great West schools. Sac State would simply roll into the Big West, But southern Utah and Northern Colorado would be stranded. The WAC is I guess where they would go. You'd have five stranded football schools, basically the old Great West except no North Dakota.
(Note, this could also work with the WAC schools joining the Big Sky and in the process jettison Chicago State: so you'd have Seattle, UVU, SUU, NoCo, CBU, GCU, NMSU and UTRGV)
But this is some years down the road. Were Asuza Pacific to join the WAC and put Football in the Big Sky, then the split would be easier as you'd have 6 WAC/Big West Football schools.
But this is all nice perfect world stuff and it never works that way. Instead I see GCU and NMSU bailing, APU staying D-II, and Chicago State folding by 2020. That would strand SU, UVU, CBU, and UTRGV.