Idaho Vandals Back To Big Sky?

[SuperHornet]

Affilliate membership is still membership. Just look at Cow Poly and UCFE....

[SDHornet]

SJ: You mean that Sac isn't budging on joining the WAC for ALL sponsored sports. Sac is ALREADY in the WAC and has won WAC titles.

I think I read somewhere that the $1B cut to the CSU and UC system ($500M cut to each) could possibly be increased to $2B cut ($1B each system). I think the Presidents/admin at each state funded school in CA has more things on their mind right now than worrying about where to park athletics.

[SuperHornet]

SJ: You mean that Sac isn't budging on joining the WAC for ALL sponsored sports. Sac is ALREADY in the WAC and has won WAC titles.

I think I read somewhere that the $1B cut to the CSU and UC system ($500M cut to each) could possibly be increased to $2B cut ($1B each system). I think the Presidents/admin at each state funded school in CA has more things on their mind right now than worrying about where to park athletics.

Given our current situation, where to park athletics will ALWAYS be a concern. But you are correct that there is MORE than that to worry about, too.

Standing pat in the Big Sky/WAC/MPSF/PCSC is probably for the best in the foreseeable future. We get good balance between regional/national exposure and travel cost.

[SDHornet]

I think I read somewhere that the $1B cut to the CSU and UC system ($500M cut to each) could possibly be increased to $2B cut ($1B each system). I think the Presidents/admin at each state funded school in CA has more things on their mind right now than worrying about where to park athletics.

Given our current situation, where to park athletics will ALWAYS be a concern. But you are correct that there is MORE than that to worry about, too.

Standing pat in the Big Sky/WAC/MPSF/PCSC is probably for the best in the foreseeable future. We get good balance between regional/national exposure and travel cost.

We are in a stable conference. The BSC was fine before the ridiculous and costly expansion. As of now, there needs to be a legit reason to move to another conference, the WAC in its new form offers no such reason.

[dbackjon]

Given our current situation, where to park athletics will ALWAYS be a concern. But you are correct that there is MORE than that to worry about, too.

Standing pat in the Big Sky/WAC/MPSF/PCSC is probably for the best in the foreseeable future. We get good balance between regional/national exposure and travel cost.

We are in a stable conference. The BSC was fine before the ridiculous and costly expansion. As of now, there needs to be a legit reason to move to another conference, the WAC in its new form offers no such reason.

For Sac, doesn't the expansion have the potential to reduce travel? three of the four schools added for football are closer to Sac than most of the existing members.

[SDHornet]

We are in a stable conference. The BSC was fine before the ridiculous and costly expansion. As of now, there needs to be a legit reason to move to another conference, the WAC in its new form offers no such reason.

For Sac, doesn't the expansion have the potential to reduce travel? three of the four schools added for football are closer to Sac than most of the existing members.

We already play ucd every year. The CP addition will be a nice boost for attendance and travel, but given the rotating conference schedule there are chances to have the shorter travel savings wiped out by a ridiculous trip to ND. (I haven’t looked at future schedules close enough to know who exactly we are scheduled to play.) The SUU add is nice (relatively speaking) as I imagine it will be comparable to a game at NAU. So yes, potentially there are travel savings to be had, depending on how the actual schedule shapes up will determine whether or not travel will be less than the past BSC travel costs. I’d be much happier if UND wasn’t added. That outlier alone has to potential to throw a wrench in any cost savings gained by the closer schools.

To add on to my rambling, this is just thinking about football. I don’t know how hoops or other sports are to be scheduled which, again, may or may not save on travel.

[SuperHornet]

For Sac, doesn't the expansion have the potential to reduce travel? three of the four schools added for football are closer to Sac than most of the existing members.

We already play ucd every year. The CP addition will be a nice boost for attendance and travel, but given the rotating conference schedule there are chances to have the shorter travel savings wiped out by a ridiculous trip to ND.[/quote]

Exactly!

[Mike Johnson]

The SUU add is nice (relatively speaking) as I imagine it will be comparable to a game at NAU.

It is about 120 miles closer from Sacramento to Cedar City (630 miles) vs. Sacramento to Flagstaff (750). Either way, it is still a long drive.

You get what, one football trip to Grand Forks every four years.

[weberwildcat]

For Sac, doesn't the expansion have the potential to reduce travel? three of the four schools added for football are closer to Sac than most of the existing members.

We already play ucd every year. The CP addition will be a nice boost for attendance and travel, but given the rotating conference schedule there are chances to have the shorter travel savings wiped out by a ridiculous trip to ND.

Exactly!

road trip to UND ridiculous? why would u say that? it is totally feasible.

the closest major airport is in another country. needing a passport to get to UND now that is RIDICULOUS!


Winnipeg airport: 2 hrs 54 min to grand forks
Minneapolis: 5 hrs 9 min




Grand Forks to Cal Poly is the longest distance of any 2 schools in one conference on the continentel US but maybe TCU in the Big East has us beat. Even with Hawaii gone, the WAC has San Jose St to to La Tech which sadley is closer than the 2,000 miles that spans the Big Big Sky.

[Mike Johnson]

Seattle is going to be announced in June, but no one else is coming. This has been implied by several of the WAC athletic directors (including Idaho) and second parties close to the situation.

9 is a strange number for basketball. Perhaps, it would simply be insurance against a defection by La Tech, should C-USA get raided by the Big East or Big 12.

[Mike Johnson]

Grand Forks has an airport served by Delta and Allegiant Airlines. I suppose it isn't bad for SUU, as there are non-stop flights from Las Vegas to Grand Forks.

Fargo, 80 miles away, has a commercial airport as well.

[henfan]

Someone should make a list of teams that have chosen to move from FBS back to FCS. Shouldn't take too long.

Obviously no teams have made the move from FBS to FCS but that's only been a total of 5 seasons. There were plenty of schools that moved from I-A to I-AA back in the early '80's, including McNeese (as prev. indicated) and Yale. I offered a complete list on AGS a year or two ago.

[SuperHornet]

Grand Forks has an airport served by Delta and Allegiant Airlines. I suppose it isn't bad for SUU, as there are non-stop flights from Las Vegas to Grand Forks.

Fargo, 80 miles away, has a commercial airport as well.

Uh, you mean one of those minor league outfits that contracts with the big boys for short turbo-prop trips like from ATL to Charlotte, right?