1. Sit tight and trust Karl Benson to lead the WAC to the promised land.

2. Lobby the Sunbelt to let them back in.

3. Go independent.

4. Hope like He11 that byu is still working to form a new conference.

5. Keep begging the mwc for an invite.

None of these options seem very realistic. USU's athletic potential may be very limited.

nm

USU has no choices. It simply must wait until something happens that will allow us to find a home with like schools within the geographic fit. Sun Belt? Puhleeeeze!

Our only realistic options seem to be.

1- Invite some other crappy FCS school immediatly.. Even Weber and SUU are on the table here..

Then If #1 happens

2-Try to win som $%^^& games and be on top of the conference so we are somewhat attractive to suitors.

I don't see that we have any control in this situation only good teams get invited.

That is the story here, nothing else matters but winning in football , end of story...

GUS wrote:1. Sit tight and trust Karl Benson to lead the WAC to the promised land.

2. Lobby the Sunbelt to let them back in.

3. Go independent.

4. Hope like He11 that byu is still working to form a new conference.

5. Keep begging the mwc for an invite.

None of these options seem very realistic. USU's athletic potential may be very limited.

Never, ever count on BYU for anything. If they think it is their best interest, they will squash USU athletics like a bug,

The WAC is starting to look worse and worse everyday. Basketball is now us, NMSU, and a bunch of nobody's. Football is looking like we may be moving to 1st place really quickly.

Is there another BCS team in the West that can make the move up by 2012? If not we may have no choice other than independence.

On the bright side however, we would have a consortium of regional independent schools to form a scheduling alliance with. That is a much better situation than we had when the Big West collapsed. We will have no chance at a bowl game and our recruiting will go to hell, but hell look for a silver lining where you can find one,

Ding ding ding! We have a winner!

bigbluebaby wrote:Our only realistic options seem to be.

1- Invite some other crappy FCS school immediatly.. Even Weber and SUU are on the table here..

Then If #1 happens

2-Try to win som $%^^& games and be on top of the conference so we are somewhat attractive to suitors.

I don't see that we have any control in this situation only good teams get invited.

That is the story here, nothing else matters but winning in football , end of story...

Winning cures all ills, even in a craphole conference. We've done squat for decades and we are exactly where we deserve to be until we prove otherwise.

On the bright side, USU football will rise to the top of this craphole conference soon. Very soon indeed. I'm still on board with that. Thereafter, conference affiliation will take care of itself. Crying about it now is a waste of time and energy.

Again, unless we can find another member to play the 2012 season, there will be no conference!

The only thing we could do proactively that would improve things is to lobby the MWC hard for membership. Not that we could persuade them - it is still their call and if they don't invite us, we are stuck in the WAC which will add UC Davis at best to stay at 8 football teams.

I'd rather be in a strong Big Sky conference, than the duct-taped, joke of a conference called the WAC. This whole thing makes me sick. The reality is - money talks..end of story.

Lets resurrect the Pacific Football Program...and bring them in the WAC.......just kidding......but anything and everything is on the table.......how about Alaska-Fairbanks and we get them to host the bowl game that was once in Boise.......

Oh the humanity.........

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And for good measure we need Gen.Patton!
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I think that USU should take a long hard look at the possibility that the athletic program could be a better fit in the Big Sky or Big West. Right now, the Big Sky and West have three things the WAC doesn't: an auto-bid in basketball, stability, and geographic proximity. The only thing the WAC offers that the Big Sky doesn't is FBS football. USU has to determine if staying FBS outweighs the positives the Big Sky offers (auto-bid, stability, reduced travel costs)

I'm inclined to think that it does. FBS football is important and has been played at USU for so long. Furthermore, I'm of the belief that the NCAA will grant the WAC an exception and allow the league an auto-bid in basketball despite not meeting the "6 teams together for 5 years" rule. If the WAC can retain its autobid, the WAC is a better option than the Big Sky. FBS football is very important. Nonetheless, the Big Sky and West merit consideration.

What the WAC must do now is invite everyone under the sun, from Sacramento State to Georgia State. The WAC needs to set itself up to survive future poachings (USU would HAVE to be at the top of the list now) or defections (Louisiana Tech, I'm looking at you).

One thing I haven't seen mentioned in all of this is that USU is now, without a doubt, the banner program in the WAC. If USU is stuck in the Duct Tape WAC, then it is crucial that the Aggies dominate the league completely and utterly in football an continue to do so in hoops. The WAC is now a lot like a western Atlantic Sun--the only real hope for athletic programs is to get out of the league. The best way to do that is win and win a lot. And hope against hope that the conference craziness will somehow leave USU in a better spot.

MarioWest wrote:I think that USU should take a long hard look at the possibility that the athletic program could be a better fit in the Big Sky or Big West. Right now, the Big Sky and West have three things the WAC doesn't: an auto-bid in basketball, stability, and geographic proximity. The only thing the WAC offers that the Big Sky doesn't is FBS football. USU has to determine if staying FBS outweighs the positives the Big Sky offers (auto-bid, stability, reduced travel costs)

When is the last time a Div 1A school voluntarily dropped down to Div 1AA?

papaj wrote:

MarioWest wrote:I think that USU should take a long hard look at the possibility that the athletic program could be a better fit in the Big Sky or Big West. Right now, the Big Sky and West have three things the WAC doesn't: an auto-bid in basketball, stability, and geographic proximity. The only thing the WAC offers that the Big Sky doesn't is FBS football. USU has to determine if staying FBS outweighs the positives the Big Sky offers (auto-bid, stability, reduced travel costs)

When is the last time a Div 1A school voluntarily dropped down to Div 1AA?

I don't think it has ever happened.

jackmormon wrote:Is there another BCS team in the West that can make the move up by 2012? If not we may have no choice other than independence.

On the bright side however, we would have a consortium of regional independent schools to form a scheduling alliance with. That is a much better situation than we had when the Big West collapsed. We will have no chance at a bowl game and our recruiting will go to hell, but hell look for a silver lining where you can find one,

The only thing in this post that I don't agree with is the bowl statement. This year there are 35 bowls (with 70 participants) and only 120 FBS schools. Every bowl eligible team will go to a bowl, and that will continue to be true regardless of conference affiliation.

If the football conference can't be salvaged, look for a Sun Belt football affiliation or a group of former WAC independents. In either case, the WAC basketball conference could theoretically survive, but instead look for USU to join the Big Sky for everything but football. I really don't like any of these scenarios, but there is a good chance that this would be the best option.

With that being said, I expect to see TCU and Houston to the Big East, with Hawaii, USU and UTEP to the MWC, with an announcement by Feb. 2011.

dogie wrote:

papaj wrote:

MarioWest wrote:I think that USU should take a long hard look at the possibility that the athletic program could be a better fit in the Big Sky or Big West. Right now, the Big Sky and West have three things the WAC doesn't: an auto-bid in basketball, stability, and geographic proximity. The only thing the WAC offers that the Big Sky doesn't is FBS football. USU has to determine if staying FBS outweighs the positives the Big Sky offers (auto-bid, stability, reduced travel costs)

When is the last time a Div 1A school voluntarily dropped down to Div 1AA?

I don't think it has ever happened.

I believe Villanova did it a few decades ago. I'm not sure of the circumstances but I think it was voluntary...

dogie wrote:
With that being said, I expect to see TCU and Houston to the Big East, with Hawaii, USU and UTEP to the MWC, with an announcement by Feb. 2011.

Really, you "expect" this? Or are you just hoping for it? I sure hope your expectations are met, and I'm curious what makes you expect such a thing.

Might as well keep the WAC going as long as we can. We still have 7 teams with Hawaii leaving. Benson wants North Texas. There's still some possible FCS teams like Portland State and Sacramento St. But still, the core of USU, Idaho, NMSU, and San Jose St is better than any Sunbelt conference.

And we should have been already, and be continuing to beg the MWC to get in. Looks like they'll be going to 12 teams so we have a shot. Let's hope TCU leaves so there's 2 vacancies to fill.

But the most important things we can do? Keep supporting USU no matter what. The school, area and market is growing everyday, which is pivotal for success.

MarioWest wrote:One thing I haven't seen mentioned in all of this is that USU is now, without a doubt, the banner program in the WAC.

The reason why you haven't seen this mentioned is because it's not true. Prior to the "announcement", Hawaii could've argued they have a better program. Even now, Idaho can argue quite credibly that they have the better program because they go to bowl games, their fans travel very well (I was really impressed with the contingent they brought with them last night), and they have a winning record against us over the last few years. Sure, we dominate them in men's basketball, but in conference realignment it's football that drives the bus, and right now they have a better football program than we do.

The dust of conference realignment has hardly settled. TCU could go to the Big East. The implosion of the Big 12 is imminent. Both of these events will trickle their way down to the MWC and WAC, giving Utah State opportunities to be in a better position.

StevePark wrote:

MarioWest wrote:One thing I haven't seen mentioned in all of this is that USU is now, without a doubt, the banner program in the WAC.

The reason why you haven't seen this mentioned is because it's not true. Prior to the "announcement", Hawaii could've argued they have a better program. Even now, Idaho can argue quite credibly that they have the better program because they go to bowl games, their fans travel very well (I was really impressed with the contingent they brought with them last night), and they have a winning record against us over the last few years. Sure, we dominate them in men's basketball, but in conference realignment it's football that drives the bus, and right now they have a better football program than we do.

In fairness, Idaho does NOT have a winning record against us over the past few years. With this loss, I believe we are 3-1 against Idaho since 2007.

StevePark wrote:

MarioWest wrote:One thing I haven't seen mentioned in all of this is that USU is now, without a doubt, the banner program in the WAC.

The reason why you haven't seen this mentioned is because it's not true. Prior to the "announcement", Hawaii could've argued they have a better program. Even now, Idaho can argue quite credibly that they have the better program because they go to bowl games, their fans travel very well (I was really impressed with the contingent they brought with them last night), and they have a winning record against us over the last few years. Sure, we dominate them in men's basketball, but in conference realignment it's football that drives the bus, and right now they have a better football program than we do.

I was considering Hawaii as gone when I said that. Of the remaining teams, I think that USU's basketball success trumps anything the other schools have to offer, despite the emphasis on football.

StevePark wrote:

MarioWest wrote:One thing I haven't seen mentioned in all of this is that USU is now, without a doubt, the banner program in the WAC.

The reason why you haven't seen this mentioned is because it's not true. Prior to the "announcement", Hawaii could've argued they have a better program. Even now, Idaho can argue quite credibly that they have the better program because they go to bowl games, their fans travel very well (I was really impressed with the contingent they brought with them last night), and they have a winning record against us over the last few years. Sure, we dominate them in men's basketball, but in conference realignment it's football that drives the bus, and right now they have a better football program than we do.

It's not all about win-loss record against one another in one sport. There's basketball. There's the facilities, market, and fan support. There's the prestige and size of the University, etc. If USU doesn't become the banner program of the new WAC, it's at least considered one of the kings of it, by being one of the final remaining teams, and for sticking with it through all that has happened.

Rabidchild wrote:

dogie wrote:
With that being said, I expect to see TCU and Houston to the Big East, with Hawaii, USU and UTEP to the MWC, with an announcement by Feb. 2011.

Really, you "expect" this? Or are you just hoping for it? I sure hope your expectations are met, and I'm curious what makes you expect such a thing.

I'm mainly just hoping for it. However, what has happened during the past ten days is very consistent with USU being invited to the MWC. I don't have any information other than what I have read in various news article. Also, I found this post on the WAC Message Board to be very interesting: http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=451&f=2368&t=6755852.

I'll concede that there isn't a whole lot of talk identifying USU as a specific target of the MWC. However, if TCU leaves and the MWC wants to go to 12, USU would have to be an odds-on favorite for the 11th or 12th spot.

WacRumorMill is very inaccurate, just look at the post history. Somebody is trying to act like an insider but is really just throwing stuff on the wall and hoping something sticks.