(09-30-2010 07:35 PM)BlueRaiderFan. Wrote:  No Belt team wants to be in the WAC. They probably knew better than to ask. This is getting to be embarrassing for the WAC. Turned down again.

Yep. Like the skinny kid at the beach getting sand kicked in his face.

UTSA notebook: WAC boss says UNT not an option
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/utsa_...30484.html

In between lavishing praise on both UTSA and Texas State, Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson touched on numerous league-related topics during a national teleconference Wednesday.
Though he didn't say so directly, he indicated that North Texas, which has repeatedly been mentioned as a potential candidate, will not leave the Sun Belt.

“North Texas was not in (Tuesday's) meeting,” he said. “Right now, we're focusing on the five schools we met with.”

In addition to UTSA and Texas State, the other three were Montana, the University of Denver and Seattle University. The latter two schools are being vetted as basketball-only members.

(10-01-2010 01:10 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  UTSA notebook: WAC boss says UNT not an option
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/utsa_...30484.html

In between lavishing praise on both UTSA and Texas State, Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson touched on numerous league-related topics during a national teleconference Wednesday.
Though he didn't say so directly, he indicated that North Texas, which has repeatedly been mentioned as a potential candidate, will not leave the Sun Belt.
“North Texas was not in (Tuesday's) meeting,” he said. “Right now, we're focusing on the five schools we met with.”

In addition to UTSA and Texas State, the other three were Montana, the University of Denver and Seattle University. The latter two schools are being vetted as basketball-only members.

He keeps trying and NT keeps turning down the overtures/offers . . . he would have loved for NT to be at that meeting, but all he could attract were FCS schools desperate for any FBS conference invite.

Getting an invitation from the WAC is like winning free luxury suite and class tickets on the Titanic.

(10-04-2010 02:11 PM)WKUSledgeHammer Wrote:  Getting an invitation from the WAC is like winning free luxury suite and class tickets on the Titanic.

UTSA and Texas State are lobbying the Sun Belt hard hoping that the Sun Belt will make room for them but both seem prepared to go to the WAC because its their only path to FBS.

As noted above moving fast is full of danger. FIU has had two encounters with the NCAA in large part because the academic side wasn't equipped to handle all the certification needs of that many student athletes. Both FIU and FAU had planned to get their stadium situation squared away before moving and what sure looks like politics has posed a lot of hurdles for FAU's stadium quest.

(10-05-2010 11:23 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  UTSA and Texas State are lobbying the Sun Belt hard hoping that the Sun Belt will make room for them but both seem prepared to go to the WAC because its their only path to FBS.

As noted above moving fast is full of danger. FIU has had two encounters with the NCAA in large part because the academic side wasn't equipped to handle all the certification needs of that many student athletes. Both FIU and FAU had planned to get their stadium situation squared away before moving and what sure looks like politics has posed a lot of hurdles for FAU's stadium quest.

I would take UTSA as a non-football member (Like South Alabama) and let them do like USA over the next 3-4 years while they build their program... I would take Appalation (sp?) State over Texas State...

(10-05-2010 11:23 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  UTSA and Texas State are lobbying the Sun Belt hard hoping that the Sun Belt will make room for them but both seem prepared to go to the WAC because its their only path to FBS.
As noted above moving fast is full of danger. FIU has had two encounters with the NCAA in large part because the academic side wasn't equipped to handle all the certification needs of that many student athletes. Both FIU and FAU had planned to get their stadium situation squared away before moving and what sure looks like politics has posed a lot of hurdles for FAU's stadium quest.

Correct. FIU was in no hurry and even pushed the start of football back a year to do things the right way (we announced football plans long before FAU and actually played our first game a year after them). We were chugging along just fine in D-IAA with plans to move to D-IA three or four years down the line when that first expansion wave hit and the 3 western Sun Belt schools went to the WAC. The Sun Belt then went into survival mode and rushed up the F_U's, ULM and I think that's when Troy joined.

In any event, football sure as heck hasn't been on our time schedule.

(10-06-2010 08:05 AM)FIUFan Wrote:  Correct. FIU was in no hurry and even pushed the start of football back a year to do things the right way (we announced football plans long before FAU and actually played our first game a year after them). We were chugging along just fine in D-IAA with plans to move to D-IA three or four years down the line when that first expansion wave hit and the 3 western Sun Belt schools went to the WAC. The Sun Belt then went into survival mode and rushed up the F_U's, ULM and I think that's when Troy joined.

In any event, football sure as heck hasn't been on our time schedule.

:Iagree:

Ive said a few times that both of the F_U's would of benefited from 3-5 more years at the FCS level. Both would of been competative in FCS (FAU actually was ranked 4th in the country in FCS at one point), the stadiums would of been built, and the fan base would of had a chance to grow without so much pressure to perform.

But, with a gurantee FBS football spot open, you cant pass that up even if your not totally ready. It did set both programs back a bit development wise though.

Quote:Both FIU and FAU had planned to get their stadium situation squared away before moving and what sure looks like politics has posed a lot of hurdles for FAU's stadium quest.

Well, a little bit of politics (less than many people imagined) and a whole lot of bad ecomomy, lack of corporate sponsors and donors, financing issues and a serious state money crunch.

(10-05-2010 11:23 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  UTSA and Texas State are lobbying the Sun Belt hard hoping that the Sun Belt will make room for them but both seem prepared to go to the WAC because its their only path to FBS.

As noted above moving fast is full of danger. FIU has had two encounters with the NCAA in large part because the academic side wasn't equipped to handle all the certification needs of that many student athletes. Both FIU and FAU had planned to get their stadium situation squared away before moving and what sure looks like politics has posed a lot of hurdles for FAU's stadium quest.

Can you imagine what Benson would do if the Belt did offer, and they accepted!

(10-01-2010 01:10 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  UTSA notebook: WAC boss says UNT not an option
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/utsa_...30484.html

In between lavishing praise on both UTSA and Texas State, Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson touched on numerous league-related topics during a national teleconference Wednesday.
Though he didn't say so directly, he indicated that North Texas, which has repeatedly been mentioned as a potential candidate, will not leave the Sun Belt.

“North Texas was not in (Tuesday's) meeting,” he said. “Right now, we're focusing on the five schools we met with.”

In addition to UTSA and Texas State, the other three were Montana, the University of Denver and Seattle University. The latter two schools are being vetted as basketball-only members.

Quality of journalism...another example of the all-time low. They need to think about what the words they use actually mean. Those schools are not being considered for basketball-only membership, which means they would play only basketball in the WAC. They are being considered for non-football membership, meaning they play all sports that they offer and the WAC offers in the WAC, but they don't offer football.

(10-06-2010 10:36 AM)Shof Wrote:  

(10-05-2010 11:23 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  UTSA and Texas State are lobbying the Sun Belt hard hoping that the Sun Belt will make room for them but both seem prepared to go to the WAC because its their only path to FBS.

As noted above moving fast is full of danger. FIU has had two encounters with the NCAA in large part because the academic side wasn't equipped to handle all the certification needs of that many student athletes. Both FIU and FAU had planned to get their stadium situation squared away before moving and what sure looks like politics has posed a lot of hurdles for FAU's stadium quest.

Can you imagine what Benson would do if the Belt did offer, and they accepted!

He would be pissed. I think Montana is a maybe with Texas state/UTSA potentially joining (reason they went to Dallas to hear the presentations), but if the WAC were to draw from even worse FCS ranks (e.g. Portland State), Montana IMO wouldn't join.

And for the record, I am not against the WAC or belt at this point, just begging for someone to ask us to prom. This could get very interesting.

(10-06-2010 10:48 AM)CitrusUCF Wrote:  Quality of journalism...another example of the all-time low. They need to think about what the words they use actually mean. Those schools are not being considered for basketball-only membership, which means they would play only basketball in the WAC. They are being considered for non-football membership, meaning they play all sports that they offer and the WAC offers in the WAC, but they don't offer football.

That confused the hell out of me too Citrus, so much that I started a thread about it. Very poor choice of words.

And for the record, I am not against the WAC or belt at this point, just begging for someone to ask us to prom. This could get very interesting.
[/quote]

Just be careful, that initial Prom dance is nice and is very exciting but it can cause issues if your not ready. See the F_U example above.

FIU had NCAA compliance issues and FAU just wasnt ready facility wise. Moving up early hurt our programs growth quite a bit IMHO.

(09-30-2010 01:51 PM)OwlFamily Wrote:  If the WAC cant get anything but FCS to move up, I cant imagine that its not going to be pretty over there.

If Hawaii goes Indy and moves its other sports to the Big West, does that pretty much slam the door on the WAC?

I don't think the door will be slammed shut. i think the WAC will exist. But what you do have here is the WAC falling way behind the other conferences. The Sunbelt will clearly pass them as other conferences such as CUSA and the MAC will leave them in the dust as well. Im still not sold on what Hawaii is going to do though.

So. Is there mass suicide at Loserana Tech?

(10-06-2010 01:48 PM)WKUSledgeHammer Wrote:  So. Is there mass suicide at Loserana Tech?

I'd be willing to bet they're talking to the MAC about being that 14th team the MAC needs to balance their divisions. Everything else to the Southland or Summit?