Could the Big West Move to FBS?

[cpalum]

Could this Work?

With the recent talk that Hawaii may go independent in football and join the Big West for all other sports and talk that USU has also reached out to the Big West....could the Big West bring back football as a FBS conference similar to Big East (e.g. football and non football members)

Would it be too far fetched to think that some of the remaining WAC schools would join the Big West to add some stability and reduce travel expenses? There seem to be some advantages. In basketball there is a very strong possibility that a depleted WAC could loose its auto bid in the NCAA. Cal Poly and UC Davis would simply add football as a Big West members? Thoughts

[UAalum72]

The WAC will lose its autobid only if it falls to five members. As it shrinks, the odds of the remaining schools winning the bid gets better, along with fewer teams to share the money with.

[cpalum]

The WAC will lose its autobid only if it falls to five members. As it shrinks, the odds of the remaining schools winning the bid gets better, along with fewer teams to share the money with.

I'd say the chances of it falling to 5 is pretty high. USU is gonna bolt to the MWC if it has any chance at all. Hawaii has said they are reday to bolt. La Tech will go at the first chance. The WAC is in survival mode...and I think for the remaining teams to survive partnering in some way with the Big West could work.

[techstate]

So it would look like

WAC Football
SJSU
Idaho
Utah State
Hawaii
New Mexico
La Tech
UC Davis
Cal Poly

Non Football
SJSU
Idaho
Utah State
Hawaii
New Mexico
La Tech
UC Davis
Cal Poly
UCSB
UCI
UCR
CSUF
CSULB
Pacific
CSUN

or are you saying that the 3 hawaii, la tech and USU are going to jump?

I personally don't think it will happen but i kinda like it.

[biobengal]

Zzzzz... more should we move to FBS on a FCS board. Take a hike.

[slostang]

Zzzzz... more should we move to FBS on a FCS board. Take a hike.

If teams like Idaho State did not buy out of their contract with Cal Poly the last two years in a row we may not being having this conversation. Try scheduling 7 OOC games a year (more when teams like ISU and NWSU buy out at the last minute). Add to the fact that UND and USD are mostly likely gone from the conference in 2 years and we are up to nine.

[coover]

Try scheduling 7 OOC games a year (more when teams like ISU and NWSU buy out at the last minute). Add to the fact that UND and USD are mostly likely gone from the conference in 2 years and we are up to nine.

Try 11! With the Dakota Schools gone, there will be no more Great West. Poly, UCDavis, and probably Southern Utah will have to become Independents or FBS. If Poly and Davis remain Independents, I, unfortunately, predict a quick end of Football at the two schools. California Schools will all soon be FBS or gone. Sacramento and San Diego may remain, but I believe that Sacramento will eventually go FBS and San Diego will soon abandon football.

The only way FCS football can be saved in California is an expansion of the Big Sky. Yes, I know the Big Sky forbids Football only members, but they will soon understand that FCS football will die on the west coast without adding orphan schools such as Poly and Davis.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

If Hawai'i goes WCC/Indy in football, wouldn't the Big West be a better incarnation as an FCS conference? Poly, Davis, and SUU would fit very nicely in with football start-ups Cal State-Fullerton and Pacific, and WAC refugees New Mexico State and San Jose State (if they choose to keep football) and maybe even San Diego.

If they choose to go FBS, won't they have identical problems to the current WAC? Hawai'i will always be rumored to be leaving, as would USU (and I just don't think they'll go to the Big West, I think they want to stay FBS and go to C-USA), and then you'd be stuck with schools that all belong in FCS anyway. And I don't think the NCAA wants to prop up another conference - they will either save the WAC, or make an example of it. The Big West would be best to exist as an FCS alternative to the destroyed WAC.

[cpalum]

I guess what I am saying is that I don't see the WAC surviving this. ....e.g. I dont believe there is a WAC to save. Outside of maybe Idaho and SJSU I don't see a team in the conference that is happy to be there. The remaining teams are looking for a better option, based on geography, competition travel, money etc. To this point I am not sure if I even support a Cal Poly move to the WAC. For all of the scheduling problems noted above I support a move to FBS but the WAC does not look like it has a future.....I mean c'mon they are down to 6 and of that 6 at least three are likely headed elsewhere in the near future.

Why not take the teams that want to stay (SJSU, Idaho, maybe Hawai'i sans football) and add a few of the FCS teams in need of a football home (UCD, Cal Poly, Sac St....maybe Portland St.).

The Big West offers stability, reduced travel expenses, a respectable basketball conference with an auto bid, great soccer and baseball. Football members would all be comfortable in there own skin e.g none will be banging for an invite to a more prestigious conference for quite some time.xcoffeex

[Big Al]

Hawai'i will always be rumored to be leaving, as would USU (and I just don't think they'll go to the Big West, I think they want to stay FBS and go to C-USA), and then you'd be stuck with schools that all belong in FCS anyway.

I know USU likes being FBS to distinguish themselves from their "lesser" brethren in WSU & SUU, but I honestly don't know how they stay FBS unless they're in the WAC or the MWC. They passed on the MWC because they (incorrectly) believed the WAC to be stable but with UNR & FSU now going to the MWC, I see them tagging along for the ride. Their only other option is Big Sky in FCS (which wouldn't be a bad thing, imo).

One thing I've never understood is why doesn't the Big Sky pick up SUU?

One other thought:

Utah has enough D-I schools, they could start a new conference on their own, if they wanted to. Between WSU, USU, SUU & UVU, you'd have a solid core with pretty low travel costs, a rarity out west. While UVU doesn't have football, you can bet your bottom dollar they want it -- that school has delusions of grandeur. You could easily throw in ISU & NAU without radically expanding the footprint and UNC is an option, as well.

[aceinthehole]

If Hawai'i goes WCC/Indy in football, wouldn't the Big West be a better incarnation as an FCS conference?

If Hawaii goes Indy in football, they will move all their other sports to the Big West. The WCC wants nothing to do with any public school.


Hawaii has talked to the Big West about adding all its sports -- save football -- to the California-based conference, but it will only happen if the Warriors decide to go independent in football.

That's according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation. The move to the Big West would make sense for men's and women's basketball and certainly for softball, baseball and volleyball, where the addition of Hawaii would give the Big West the needed six members for an automatic berth. http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/blog/_/name/katz_andy/id/5492091/wac-teams-cautious-move

Now if BYU goes through with Indy football, they will likely join the WCC in other sports, now that the WAC is looking like a dying conference. The WCC has reached out to BYU and has said that their religious affiliation would work fit their profile.


WCC commissioner Jamie Zaninovich told ESPN.com early Wednesday that the league would be interested in pursuing BYU for all sports except football. Zaninovich said BYU would fit well with the other church-based institutions in the eight-team league. Zaninovich told ESPN.com that he reached out to BYU but had not heard back. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5474774

[NoCoDanny]

When did Utah State pass on the MWC? That's hilarious! Yeah I passed on Eva Longoria because Rossanne Barr was more stable!

[cpalum]

I had a similar reaction to that ......

[darell1976]

When did Utah State pass on the MWC? That's hilarious! Yeah I passed on Eva Longoria because Rossanne Barr was more stable!

xlolxxlolxxlolx

[Green Cookie Monster]

Are we talking about the stables where cows are kept?