Great West Conferece ADs to meet in Vegas

[WYOBISONMAN]

From the Saturday Forum:

College football: NDSU eyes football-only conference

By Jeff Kolpack
The Forum - 11/22/2003

Athletic directors from six Division I-AA schools will meet next month in what appears to be a serious step in forming a football-only conference.

North Dakota State athletic director Gene Taylor will be joined by representatives from South Dakota State, Southern Utah, Cal Poly, California Davis and Northern Colorado Dec. 8-9 in Las Vegas.

St. Mary’s College (Calif.) is allied with the group, but its athletic director will not be present. The agenda includes issues such as bylaws, schedules, conference management and possible names and logos.

“A little bit of everything,” Taylor said.

It will be the second meeting regarding the league. The same schools met in June at a national athletic directors convention in Orlando, Fla.

This time the group may get down to the fine details.

“It’s not a done deal at this point,” said Cal Poly Athletic Director John McCutcheon, “but I think all of us are encouraged by the nature and the spirit of the conversations. I’m real optimistic something will develop.”

Cal Poly, Davis, St. Mary’s, Northern Colorado and Southern Utah are independents in football. NDSU and SDSU will be starting their respective transition periods next year, most likely as independents in all sports.

“At this point, there doesn’t seem to be anything overwhelmingly challenging that lies ahead of us,” McCutcheon said.

That could change if the Big Sky Conference has a change of heart and begins looking seriously at NDSU and SDSU. Both would like to join.

But NDSU has to balance the issue of how long the school is willing to wait for the Big Sky vs. the probable formation of the new football league.

“If the Big Sky came knocking on our door, we obviously couldn’t say ‘let us join without football,’” Taylor said. “Yet, (the independents) are going to want a commitment.”

Asked if he anticipates any concrete resolution from the December meeting, Taylor isn’t sure.

“I don’t know if we’ll come out of it with a signed agreement or not,” he said.

Taylor said the proposed league might look to the Mid-Continent Conference to help manage it. Southern Utah is a member of the Mid-Con, which does not have football.

For a fee, the Mid-Con would act as the conference office and handle matters like statistics, media and NCAA regulations.

Most of the schools have already started scheduling each other. Davis has agreements to play the other six teams next year, according to The Davis Enterprise newspaper.

NDSU has UNC, Davis and St. Mary’s on its 2004 schedule -- all road games. Taylor said Cal Poly and Southern Utah remain possibilities.

It appears the earliest the league could get going with a full round-robin schedule would be 2005.

“It’s going to be fun to sit down and formally talk about some sort of conference,” Taylor said.

[Bisonfan1234]

I guess we're looking at this new conference/mid-con.

Seems good enough for now...i'm still holding out for the Gateway/MVC.

[wfduck]

I

Seems good enough for now...i'm still holding out for the Gateway/MVC.

I hope we dont jump the gun---just to get into a conf and then find out if we waited the BIG SKY would open up and rain

but what do I know

[89rabbit]

The key here is that if the Big Sky wants us they better get off the A** soon. I personally am ok with the Mid-Con/Great West.

Go SDSU!
Go NDSU!

[Bisonfan1234]

If we get the Great West rolling ... screw the Big Sky for good!

The Great West would easily rival the Big Sky in football power.

The mid-con will do for now for baseketball as we awit our turn to upgrade to something better.

[ndsubison]

I say Great West all the way. I do like the BSC as well but the idea of the Great West sounds very exciting to me.

[Bisonfan1234]

The only way that i want to *stay* in the great west is if it immediately becomes and auto-big conf.

If not then i think we should make our move to the Gateway along with upgrading our bball conf as well.

Until then, i'm thinking NDSU BISON Great Western conference champions 2005 season.

[Bisonguy]

I doubt the GWC would recieve an autobid right away. They only allow eight autobids, which are already taken. Somebody would have to lose an autobid for the GWC to receive one.

[Bisonfan1234]

I doubt the GWC would recieve an autobid right away. They only allow eight autobids, which are already taken. Somebody would have to lose an autobid for the GWC to receive one.



I don't see how you can possibly know this...unless you are on the D1AA board.

Maybe they will.

[Bisonguy]

Half of the I-AA playoff spots have to be at-large bids. That only leaves eight spots for autobids.

[Bisonguy]

Here's something else to consider why the GWC may not be the best route- This is the proposed legislation to move the probationary period down to two years for sports other than BB- NCAA 2003-13 (http://www1.ncaa.org/membership/governance/division_I/champ_cabinet/2003/September_Meeting_Materials/2003-13.htm)


31.3.4.2 Additional Requirements, Sports Other Than Men's Basketball. To be considered eligible for automatic qualification in a particular sport, a member conference (including a single-sport conference) must include six core institutions that satisfy continuity of membership. For the purposes of this legislation, core refers to an institution that has been an active member of Division I the eight preceding years. Further, the continuity-of-membership requirement shall be met only if a minimum of six core institutions have conducted conference competition together in Division I the preceding two years in the applicable sport.


It looks like there would only be three "core" members of the GWC- Southern Utah, Cal Poly, and St. Mary's . If I'm reading this legal mumbo jumbo correctly that would mean no autobid :(.

[GFBisonFan]

I also think that the autobid wouldn't happen for the GWC. If we got into an autobid conference and the regulations get changed to five years for BB and hopefully two for FB (heard this floating around earlier, not much lately), we would be sitting in a better position. If not, we may have to wait for an at large bid to make the playoffs in FIVE years.

I am also holding out for the big sky (my preference). As an instituition, I feel we fit there better. I don't care where we end up really, as long as it is an autobid conference.

That being said, the GWC would be a substitute rather than independent status.

[89rabbit]

We may not get an Auto Bid right away, but I feel sure our champion would get in. That being said, not having an auto bid may make it tough to get a second team in, I will grant you that. Our GPI this year (without SDSU & NDSU) rated us a #5 spot as a conf. We will be in no worse shape then we are now in D-II. Champ, in 2nd is ify. Just MHO.

Go State!

[GFBisonFan]

I agree that the champion may get in, but only after four years for UCD and UNC and five years for SDSU and NDSU, given that the rule changes would only apply to teams that are eligible for postseason (Southern Utah, Cal Poly, and St. Mary's) or ones in an autobid conference. Cal Poly would be the only realistic choice, with the rest of us waiting, waiting, waiting.......

It would be fun proving our worth both as a team and as a conference (on a consistent basis, not taking anything away from the Montana win), eventually leading to an autobid. ;D

[Bisonguy]

GFBisonFan,

The legislation to reduce the probationary period is still in the works (2003-13).

The link in my previous post gives the explanation of the proposal, and my quote was part of it. The part that raises my eyebrow is the "six core schools" where "core schools" are ones that have been in DI for eight years. If my math is right, that's means eight years before an autobid is a possibility.

Joining an already established conference will reduce a lot of headaches.

[GFBisonFan]

Joining an already established conference will reduce a lot of headaches.

I agree, just the point I was trying to make

[89rabbit]

Here is a story from UNC web site. They want to crown a GWC champ in 2004.

http://uncbears.ocsn.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/112503aac.html


UNC Investigating New Football Conference
Athletic Director's of the proposed schools set a meeting for Dec. 8-9 in Las Vegas.



The UNC football is getting closer to establishing a football-only conference by next season.

DALE BUBLITZ
Associated Press

GREELEY, Colo. (AP) - It didn't take long for Northern Colorado to start looking for another conference.

One year after cutting ties with the Division II North Central Conference, officials at Northern Colorado said Tuesday they are looking forward to exploring the possibility of forming a seven-team Division I-AA football conference.

Athletic director Jim Fallis said he plans to be in Las Vegas on Dec. 8-9 to meet with colleagues from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, UC-Davis, Southern Utah, North Dakota State and South Dakota State to discuss the possibility. St. Mary's College in California is the seventh school.

"I don't think any of us would go to the trouble of going to the meeting if we didn't think that there was some merit and that we didn't think we could put the thing together," Fallis said.

"There is enough commonality and it seems like it would be a good enough and competitive enough conference that everybody would feel comfortable with it."

The meeting is intended to see if the schools can agree on bylaws, rules and other details of running a conference.

"I think it's in the best interest of all the institutions, certainly because when you have a conference, it gives you some identification," Fallis said. "And also it makes it easier to make a connection with your boosters and your team in terms of who they are playing and that they are playing for something."

Ultimate approval would be up to school presidents and trustees. Fallis said there is no reason to wait until 2005.

"If everybody is in agreement, certainly by 2004 you could be playing a five-team championship," he said.

Earlier this week, North Dakota State athletic director Gene Taylor said the proposed league might look to the Mid-Continent Conference to help manage it. Southern Utah is a member of the conference, which does not have football.

North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Cal-Davis and Northern Colorado all are in the process of moving to the Division I.

North Dakota State and South Dakota State have expressed interest in joining the Big Sky Conference.

[WYOBISONMAN]

It would be good to play a championship next year.

[Former_Hitman]

I believe Big Sky Conference would be the best fit for both schools NDSU/SDSU, however Big Sky Conference committee is sitting on their heels.

They need to make a decision or we will move on.

I don't possibly see why they are reluctant to invite us in their conference.

A conference that has established themselves is best.

[IowaBison]

I agree Hitman, but I am more intrigued by the Great West Conference everyday.

[Bisonfan1234]

I believe Big Sky Conference would be the best fit for both schools NDSU/SDSU, however Big Sky Conference committee is sitting on their heels.

They need to make a decision or we will move on.

I don't possibly see why they are reluctant to invite us in their conference.

A conference that has established themselves is best.

Gateway is arguably the best D1AA conf in the nation (maybe the A10 is as good or better). And as far as bball goes...well BSC has Weber State.