A new and better FBS thread

[MWC]

WAC lost 26 members and dropped football in the space of 15 years. On what planet is that a stable conference?

The WAC morphed into the MW..It all the same players..All of them. By your definition, because schools have left a conference is unstable and dying..You would have to include the MW into your definition. Why on earth would you have any interest in joining under that scenario? NDSU would not stop other schools from coming and going. You have exactly zero respect for the MW and your are certainly entitled to your opinion but schools come and go in lots of conferences.

[The_Sicatoka]

For the longest time the west of the Mississippi River college football hierarchy was

PAC
MWC
WAC
FCS (BSC)

When the WAC gave up football it left a void still not yet filled, namely "entry level" FBS.

[MWC]

For the longest time the west of the Mississippi River college football hierarchy was

PAC
MWC
WAC
FCS (BSC)

When the WAC gave up football it left a void still not yet filled, namely "entry level" FBS.

The WAC was really only entrance level for one year. Boise, Nevada and Idaho all had to start in the Big West before getting a WAC invitation. It was only at the end of things that UTSA and Texas State got an entry level spot for football..

I am not sure there enough western schools left to start another FBS conference.

Actually for the longest time it was

PAC
WAC
Big sky

The MW is a relative new comer to the proceedings and was formed by original WAC founding members, later additions SDSU, AFA and UNLV.

The names change to protect the innocent and the guilty but the basis of everything in the MW is the WAC. The core remains.

[daddy daycare]

Really good listen. 2 things:

1. So why is it this guys job to break that news?
2. Are we just gonna gloss over the comment about how NDSU and SDSU may not fit the footprint? Same shit different day.

And then he gets into Washington state, Oregon state and Texas schools depending on how the chips fall.

Good luck.

[taper]

The WAC morphed into the MW..It all the same players..All of them. By your definition, because schools have left a conference is unstable and dying..You would have to include the MW into your definition. Why on earth would you have any interest in joining under that scenario? NDSU would not stop other schools from coming and going. You have exactly zero respect for the MW and your are certainly entitled to your opinion but schools come and go in lots of conferences.

I think I touched a nerve. Why so emotional?
Yes, by my definition a conference that loses 26 teams and their premier sport is unstable and dying. Who wouldn't say that?
MWC doesn't fit that AT ALL. They've lost 3 members ever, all over a decade ago. That's pretty solid. Since when have I shown zero respect for the MWC? I have my doubts they'd invite us unless they're desperate, but isn't a sign of respect that I think they can afford to be picky?

[The_Sicatoka]

...
2. Are we just gonna gloss over the comment about how NDSU and SDSU may not fit the footprint? Same shit different day.

And then he gets into Washington state, Oregon state ...

Geography sucks.

All along I've speculated UW/UO/Cali-Stan to B1G, 4C to BXII, and WasSU/OrSU to MWC ... and O'Day rolls out the same speculation.

[MWC]

I think I touched a nerve. Why so emotional?
Yes, by my definition a conference that loses 26 teams and their premier sport is unstable and dying. Who wouldn't say that?
MWC doesn't fit that AT ALL. They've lost 3 members ever, all over a decade ago. That's pretty solid. Since when have I shown zero respect for the MWC? I have my doubts they'd invite us unless they're desperate, but isn't a sign of respect that I think they can afford to be picky?

Not emotional at all..The WAC still exists under a different name. There are very few schools out west and every member of the MW was also a WAC member at one time. The one time the WAC tried to expand outside of their region they added TCU, SMU, Rice and Tulsa. It didn't work at all. It messed with rivalries, generated weird schedules and start times. TV providers were not interested.

The airport meeting was designed solely to get out from under the horrible WAC 16 mess. The original founders of the WAC formed the MW then proceeded to add WAC members to fill out the fairly tight regional model that exists to this day. They would have retained the WAC name if they could. The MW is the WAC again. They just don't call themselves the WAC..But it is all schools that have been aligned with one another for decades. Of the 26 members that have left. 4 were the the Texas schools and Tulsa, 3 were former WAC members who didn't make the cut: Idaho, NMSU and UTEP, possibly 6 moved to P5, and UTSA? TX state. So 15 left the conference. The rest are still in the MW..The MW is the WAC.

You see this as a really unstable thing. I just disagree. It is a workable "regional" conference of similar schools with long term rivalries. The conference does quite well in many sports. The travel is not easy but not horrible either. It works pretty well.

The one time it went out of the region it caused a mess but they figured out how to fix it and eventually became one semi-happy family again. However, the MW has lost soon to be 4 members to P5. The AAC just lost 3 too..Those schools got themselves to that position by growing their programs. Hat tip to them.

The MW is no less stable because of that.

[daddy daycare]

Geography sucks.

All along I've speculated UW/UO/Cali-Stan to B1G, 4C to BXII, and WasSU/OrSU to MWC ... and O'Day rolls out the same speculation.

Yep. By far the biggest hurdle for NDSU and it’s not in their control.

[El_Chapo]

Geography is not the hurdle..

Its a plane flight like we do & they do for all away games

[MWC]

Geography is not the hurdle..

Its a plane flight like we do & they do for all away games

If the MW wants you your location won't matter..

However, the last time the WAC/MW went out of their comfort zone and added schools from out of the neighborhood with only very limited history with the newcomers, they blew that model up quickly and reformed as the traditional WAC under a different name.

The MW did add TCU but other than that all expansions were long time western schools.

I don't know that the MW will add anyone but if they do you could be in the mix. The conference is not desperate at all so any add would need to check a lot of positive boxes or why else add at all.