The WAC: Does it morph into an all-sports league without football?

[BucBisonAtLarge]

This is a question, as I honestly have no horse in the race, despite my location. It has seemed like the queues to enter the Big West and WCC have been long, as the two western D-I conferences that do not play football. Would a WAC without football fill a niche for a cluster of schools which do not want or cannot maintain D-I football, or who join another conference for football-only?

The conference seems doomed, if my understanding of the NCAA definition of a conference is up-to-date. (6/7 core members, playing together for a certain number of years?...) Poof... no auto bid, unless the NCAA bails them out

I cannot imagine an easy solution of NMSU, but right now the football program, better than the UNM MW disaster, deserves better. The FCS would not relieve its travel burden much. FBS schools are closer.

[aceinthehole]

They would probably need an NCAA waiver to maintain their AQ, but I guess they could just add Great West and Independent schools.

WAC
1. Idaho
2. New Mexico State
3. Denver (begins 2012-13)
4. Seattle (begins 2012-13)
5. Boise State (begins 2013-14)
+ 6. Utah Valley State (Great West)
+ 7. Chicago State (Great West)
+ 8. New Jersey Tech (Great West)
+ 9. Cal State Bakersfield (Independent)
+ 10. New Orleans (Independent)

[MplsBison]

I doubt Boise is going to end up in the Big East for football. As I was explaining on another thread, their entire reason for moving was to get the Big East's auto-bid to the BCS bowls for winning the conference.

That's gone. Therefore, they may just as well stay in the Mountain West. I'm sure that conf's commissioner has been in their ear telling them and San Diego St the same thing.

[DFW HOYA]

Boise State has a lot more to gain with the Big East than an AQ---the upcoming TV contract could pay Boise $5-8 million a year, whereas the Mountain West's contract is expiring and the Mtn cable network goes out of business this month.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Boise State has a lot more to gain with the Big East than an AQ---the upcoming TV contract could pay Boise $5-8 million a year, whereas the Mountain West's contract is expiring and the Mtn cable network goes out of business this month.

Holy cow, how did I miss that news?


The Mountain has crumbled.

According to Sports Business Daily, The Mtn. ---- the cable network created for the Mountain West Conference, including San Diego State ---- will cease operation May 31.

The network's employees were informed of the decision late Thursday in Denver.

CBS Sports Network and the Mountain West Conference are said to be close to signing a deal for the conference's television rights.

So much for the "lucrative cash cow" that conference-owned TV networks will offer for all FBS conferences.

[MplsBison]

Holy cow, how did I miss that news?



So much for the "lucrative cash cow" that conference-owned TV networks will offer for all FBS conferences.

Yep! If you can't be in a conference with its own TV network -- might as well move down to DIII xnodx