The Rise and Fall of Western Athletics
Posted 08-19-2010 at 09:10 AM by beaverdaleguy
“We’ll take what the other team gives us. We’ll scratch where it itches.” – Hayden Fry
Oh, how prophetic those words are in many aspects of College Football today. We look at situations reactively and jump to the nearest conclusion in order to not be left behind and become irrelevant. My goal is to be proactive about certain topics. If you aren’t prepared, you are already a step behind everyone else.
Take a look at the current changing landscape as of late. Brigham Young University decides to test the waters and announce that it will consider applying for independence for their football program and rejoin the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in the rest of their sports. The reason: to have an easier road to the NCAA tournament for basketball and to get the “Notre Dame” preferential treatment in football. If you are asking yourself if that is a little selfish and cowardly; you aren’t alone.
How does the Mountain West Conference (MWC), the proverbial parent, respond? How would parent respond? They go out and offer invitations to two of the WAC’s top remaining teams; Nevada and Fresno State. Sly…shrewd…I like it. This forces the WAC to scramble for the worst-case scenario that they suddenly find themselves in and are rumored to submit counter-offers for invitations to San Diego State and UNLV, both of the Mountain West Conference. Does this remind anyone else of two kids fighting in a car and stealing the other’s toys until they are both mad and no better off? Thought so.
Here’s how I see this whole situation shaping up:
*Mountain West and Western Athletic Conferences steal a few of each other’s teams to keep the status quo. The WAC is suffering due to the quality of the teams it is stealing. The MWC is slightly better in the long run, but still ends up short for qualifying criteria in the end and remains without an automatic BCS berth.
*The WAC is so depleted that it must resort to helping FCS powerhouse Montana apply for and gain FBS status before “graciously” giving them a home once they become one of the boys.
*The Big Ten announces it will look at the Big East and possible ACC teams for future expansion after the season. The Pac # launches another pre-emptive strike, this time on BYU, Boise State (luring them in with auto BCS and better competition), and perhaps others , depending on the stability of the Big XII once Nebraska and Colorado are gone (can anyone say Kansas/K-State + anyone in Texas who wants to listen?)
*The Mountain West decides to finish off the WAC and brings up newly-acquired Montana and whatever teams the WAC stole from them back in order to remain strong, the WAC folds, though to save face they both call it a “merger for the best interests of their schools”
*The Big Ten raids who they want from the East Coast, the Big East either decides to become a basketball conference or picks up the likes of MAC and C-USA schools to balance out – either way they cease being a huge threat in football for a decade or two until their programs can be brought up to snuff with national standards.
*The SEC/ACC/PAC #/and even Big TEN futures hinge on the success of the Big XII as we have seen. Do they grow? Split up the sisterhood that is the Big Texas League with Oklahoma and their little brother? Or do they keep some of them together, eventually launching “super conferences”? We shall see. Either way, the WAC’s doomsday clock is nearing midnight. The Mountain West will hit a triple only to be stranded on base. And life in the Big Ten will be dramatic with all that goes on, but will continue as usual and per the Delany Plan.
Oh, how prophetic those words are in many aspects of College Football today. We look at situations reactively and jump to the nearest conclusion in order to not be left behind and become irrelevant. My goal is to be proactive about certain topics. If you aren’t prepared, you are already a step behind everyone else.
Take a look at the current changing landscape as of late. Brigham Young University decides to test the waters and announce that it will consider applying for independence for their football program and rejoin the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in the rest of their sports. The reason: to have an easier road to the NCAA tournament for basketball and to get the “Notre Dame” preferential treatment in football. If you are asking yourself if that is a little selfish and cowardly; you aren’t alone.
How does the Mountain West Conference (MWC), the proverbial parent, respond? How would parent respond? They go out and offer invitations to two of the WAC’s top remaining teams; Nevada and Fresno State. Sly…shrewd…I like it. This forces the WAC to scramble for the worst-case scenario that they suddenly find themselves in and are rumored to submit counter-offers for invitations to San Diego State and UNLV, both of the Mountain West Conference. Does this remind anyone else of two kids fighting in a car and stealing the other’s toys until they are both mad and no better off? Thought so.
Here’s how I see this whole situation shaping up:
*Mountain West and Western Athletic Conferences steal a few of each other’s teams to keep the status quo. The WAC is suffering due to the quality of the teams it is stealing. The MWC is slightly better in the long run, but still ends up short for qualifying criteria in the end and remains without an automatic BCS berth.
*The WAC is so depleted that it must resort to helping FCS powerhouse Montana apply for and gain FBS status before “graciously” giving them a home once they become one of the boys.
*The Big Ten announces it will look at the Big East and possible ACC teams for future expansion after the season. The Pac # launches another pre-emptive strike, this time on BYU, Boise State (luring them in with auto BCS and better competition), and perhaps others , depending on the stability of the Big XII once Nebraska and Colorado are gone (can anyone say Kansas/K-State + anyone in Texas who wants to listen?)
*The Mountain West decides to finish off the WAC and brings up newly-acquired Montana and whatever teams the WAC stole from them back in order to remain strong, the WAC folds, though to save face they both call it a “merger for the best interests of their schools”
*The Big Ten raids who they want from the East Coast, the Big East either decides to become a basketball conference or picks up the likes of MAC and C-USA schools to balance out – either way they cease being a huge threat in football for a decade or two until their programs can be brought up to snuff with national standards.
*The SEC/ACC/PAC #/and even Big TEN futures hinge on the success of the Big XII as we have seen. Do they grow? Split up the sisterhood that is the Big Texas League with Oklahoma and their little brother? Or do they keep some of them together, eventually launching “super conferences”? We shall see. Either way, the WAC’s doomsday clock is nearing midnight. The Mountain West will hit a triple only to be stranded on base. And life in the Big Ten will be dramatic with all that goes on, but will continue as usual and per the Delany Plan.
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