|
|
Post by aztecjeff on Nov 16, 2021 4:59:53 GMT -8
|
|
|
|
Post by longtimebooster on Nov 16, 2021 5:21:06 GMT -8
If ever your league has to invite a university with the word "incarnate" in its name, you know you're in dire straits.
|
|
|
|
Post by 94sdsu on Nov 16, 2021 6:47:41 GMT -8
Word…
|
|
|
|
Post by subbass49 on Nov 16, 2021 8:15:38 GMT -8
|
|
|
|
Post by sleepy on Nov 16, 2021 9:12:45 GMT -8
Don't dis Incarnate Word. At least they have their own teaching hospital. My good friend "Juice" was in a bad accident once and had to spend some time there...
|
|
|
|
Post by panammaniac on Nov 16, 2021 10:05:52 GMT -8
You have to hand it to the WAC - they keep getting poached and keep managing to find ways to survive.
This move leaves the Southland with only 5 schools, all FCS. I think the WAC will need to keep adding because it is likely to lose more schools. Grand Canyon openly said they would go conference shopping if NMSU left. Now NMSU is leaving so where will GCU go? Maybe a Big West candidate? Tarleton eventually wants to play FBS football but they're a few years off at best, considering they just moved up from D-II. I don't think CUSA will be in a hurry to add anyone else - with MTSU and WKU staying put they are at 9 schools, but I wouldn't be surprised to see SFA and/or Abilene Christian considered at some point. I envision the WAC pretty much taking on whatever's left of the Southland and remaining an FCS football conference. If they take them all in 2023 that would make them a 17 team conference which is a bit much, but if anyone else leaves it would work out.
|
|
|
|
Post by tonatiuh on Nov 17, 2021 12:56:43 GMT -8
They do have a volleyball team because CAL Baptist use to play them quite often. Don't know anything about other sport teams they have.
|
|
|
|
Post by aztecmusician on Nov 17, 2021 13:18:43 GMT -8
I remember when the WAC was semi legit with BYU, Arizona, Arizona St, Utah, New Mexico, Wyo, Colorado St. and the rest of the truck stop universities.
You have to respect them for hanging in there.
|
|
|
|
Post by panammaniac on Nov 17, 2021 13:57:38 GMT -8
What the WAC will look like after the shuffle, considering the current moves:
School Former Conference
=====================================================
Abilene Christian Southland
Cal Baptist D-II
Dixie State Pacwest (D-II)
Grand Canyon Great West (defunct)
Incarnate Word Southland
Lamar Southland
Seattle D-II
Southern Utah Big Sky
Stephen F. Austin Southland
Tarleton State D-II
UTRGV Great West (defunct)
Utah Valley Great West (defunct)
As I posted above, the Southland will be left with 5 schools, but the WAC can't really absorb all 5 of them as that would make a 17 team conference. However, I believe out of the post-2023 WAC schools, at least two or three are likely to leave within the next couple years. The ones I believe will go elsewhere are Seattle (due to travel reasons - they just aren't a geographic fit), Grand Canyon (has publicly said they would go shopping if NMSU left), and S.F. Austin (may be a good fit for the revamped CUSA). That would make a manageable 14-team conference with long term stability.
So basically, the post-2023 WAC is made up of recent D-II and FCS schools. I don't see any chance of it restoring FCS football now within the next 10 years.
Currently and post-2023, the WAC will have 7 schools playing FCS football. It can certainly use a few more, and I believe the few more will come from the Southland.
So yeah, the WAC is hanging in there, but it is far removed from what it once was, and even from what it is today.
|
|
