American Athletic Conference

[Heinro]

Personally, I am in the pray for a positive meeting this month in the Big East or content ourselves with the Valley. I am absolutely anti-WSU football, especially since the best it will get us is the Mountain West or an, eventually-to-be, Conference USA level AAC.

[Heinro]

No negotiating power on who's end? WSUs? Or some other conference not named the MWC. I can imagine a scenario where WSU has the MWC rated high on their list of conferences to join when C. Koch drops half a billion to get football off the ground, and some other as yet unnamed conference wants WSU to know they are the better option to land in. "Hey look, I know you have eyes for them, but they don't even want you!"

If C. Koch is willing to drop half a billion to get us into a new conference. How about he just offers the current Big East teams $10 million each, and save himself $400 million. I don't get the desire to have football. In the most optimistic of situations we would be Bowling Green level in a few decades. In the least optimistic, UMass level, hemorrhaging money into something no one cares about.

[ShockerPrez]

If C. Koch is willing to drop half a billion to get us into a new conference. How about he just offers the current Big East teams $10 million each, and save himself $400 million. I don't get the desire to have football. In the most optimistic of situations we would be Bowling Green level in a few decades. In the least optimistic, UMass level, hemorrhaging money into something no one cares about.

Pretty much. If all the schools ***** about adding schools to the conference because their share is smaller, why not just buy ourselves into a new conference by making up the difference to each school?

If our iclusion is all about money, why sink money creating a neverending overhead cost into a football program that will more than likely suck, as opposed to paying off said schools until we are included in their next revenue generating deal?

[shocker_torero]

Pretty much. If all the schools ***** about adding schools to the conference because their share is smaller, why not just buy ourselves into a new conference by making up the difference to each school?

If our iclusion is all about money, why sink money creating a neverending overhead cost into a football program that will more than likely suck, as opposed to paying off said schools until we are included in their next revenue generating deal?

Because. Football matters. And Bardo doesn't think small. Yes, football is a risk. But so is the Innovation Campus. This president does not think stagnate. And I firmly believe that his desire, as well as those around him is to put not only the basketball program in a better spot, but the university and city as a whole. I am not a big fan of college football either, but in today's day and age, football, does, matter. From a prestige standpoint, a community pride standpoint, a recruiting standpoint, etc. Looking at the basketball program specifically, Gregg Marshall will eventually leave here if things stay the same. That's not a knock on WSU, but a probable reality based on the climate created by football. WSU starting up a football program is a risk yes, but it comes with even greater rewards. For all. If WSU was to create a football program the risks are high, but the possible rewards are astronomical. For student recruitment, retention, academic/sports fundraising, community pride, the long term future of the basketball program, etc.

[_kai_]

Dr. Bardo is no fool. However, not sure he is driving the bus on this issue. He is an important passenger but not really in control of the route the bus is taking.

72, Presidents of universities ALWAYS drive the bus with conference realignment. No one else is driving this thing but Bardo.

(everything else in this post isn't directed specifically at you 72, fyi just didn't want to make 2 posts)

And I highly doubt the MWC is the target.

This is the portion of the conference realignment that is dealing with the addition of football. The MWC is the only feasible conference if WSU were to add football.

I wouldn't be surprised to see sometime in June or July a release about finalizing a plan for the future of Athletics and that future is without Football, after looking long and hard at that reality. Then the talks of realignment and the conferences that pop up during that time are the real targets.

I fully expect this football thing to just be negotiation fodder with other conferences that WSU would potentially join as olympic sport only. (no football).

[ShockdaWorld]

I know there are some schools that are football independents. Is that possible with basketball as well? Or is that kind of out of reality based on the difficulties of scheduling?

[Heinro]

Because. Football matters. And Bardo doesn't think small. Yes, football is a risk. But so is the Innovation Campus. This president does not think stagnate. And I firmly believe that his desire, as well as those around him is to put not only the basketball program in a better spot, but the university and city as a whole. I am not a big fan of college football either, but in today's day and age, football, does, matter. From a prestige standpoint, a community pride standpoint, a recruiting standpoint, etc. Looking at the basketball program specifically, Gregg Marshall will eventually leave here if things stay the same. That's not a knock on WSU, but a probable reality based on the climate created by football. WSU starting up a football program is a risk yes, but it comes with even greater rewards. For all. If WSU was to create a football program the risks are high, but the possible rewards are astronomical. For student recruitment, retention, academic/sports fundraising, community pride, the long term future of the basketball program, etc.

I really don't like this argument. I understand the power of football. From Friday night football to the fantasy most of us enjoy on Sundays, but starting a football program is not going to bring prestige or pride or whatever you imagine in this ideal situation. There are already 2 floundering FBS programs in our state. Ask a KU fan how much pride they have in their football. My guess is most would tell you it gives them an excuse to get together and drink beers for a few hours before the football game starts and they go home.

Further, I would suspect that if we had football today, Marshall would have left a long time ago. Part of what makes our job appealing is the fact that basketball is king. We likely wouldn't be paying Marshall $3 million plus a year. That is essentially why I do not think the "risk" of football is worth it. By starting football, we aren't just risking being terrible at football, we are possibly risking the success of every other athletic program.

I understand there are significant benefits to having a successful football program. However, I think there are more than enough examples where football creates far more problems then it creates. UMass is a perfect example. Missouri St. perhaps would be far better off without football. The simple fact of the matter is, football costs a ton of money and even all the money in the world, we likely won't be good for a very long time. Perhaps significantly good enough to make it worth it, ever.

[1972Shocker]

72, Presidents of universities ALWAYS drive the bus with conference realignment. No one else is driving this thing but Bardo.

(everything else in this post isn't directed specifically at you 72, fyi just didn't want to make 2 posts)

And I highly doubt the MWC is the target.

This is the portion of the conference realignment that is dealing with the addition of football. The MWC is the only feasible conference if WSU were to add football.

I wouldn't be surprised to see sometime in June or July a release about finalizing a plan for the future of Athletics and that future is without Football, after looking long and hard at that reality. Then the talks of realignment and the conferences that pop up during that time are the real targets.

I fully expect this football thing to just be negotiation fodder with other conferences that WSU would potentially join as olympic sport only. (no football).

He is not driving the bus for the MWC, the AAC or the BE. He is the one knocking on the door but he can not force his way in to these other conferences. The Commissioners and Presidents of these other conferences are driving the bus in regards to WSU moving to one of those conferences. Dr. Bardo is the salesman but the buyer has the ultimate power and control.

Yes, Dr. Bardo is obviously driving the WSU bus, but he is not driving the main bus where the decision making and power truly lies.

[ShockerPrez]

Because. Football matters. And Bardo doesn't think small. Yes, football is a risk. But so is the Innovation Campus. This president does not think stagnate. And I firmly believe that his desire, as well as those around him is to put not only the basketball program in a better spot, but the university and city as a whole. I am not a big fan of college football either, but in today's day and age, football, does, matter. From a prestige standpoint, a community pride standpoint, a recruiting standpoint, etc. Looking at the basketball program specifically, Gregg Marshall will eventually leave here if things stay the same. That's not a knock on WSU, but a probable reality based on the climate created by football. WSU starting up a football program is a risk yes, but it comes with even greater rewards. For all. If WSU was to create a football program the risks are high, but the possible rewards are astronomical. For student recruitment, retention, academic/sports fundraising, community pride, the long term future of the basketball program, etc.

I get it, and that's a great goal, but I think that ship for football is sailed looong ago. And the barriers to entry may not be possible to overcome, regardless of desire and resources willing to commit.

[ShockBand]

I know there are some schools that are football independents. Is that possible with basketball as well? Or is that kind of out of reality based on the difficulties of scheduling?

Not just difficulties of scheduling, but also you could only get into the NCAAs as an at-large, obviously. I imagine trying to schedule games during everyone else's non-con would be a horrid nightmare.

[Heinro]

I wouldn't be surprised to see sometime in June or July a release about finalizing a plan for the future of Athletics and that future is without Football, after looking long and hard at that reality. Then the talks of realignment and the conferences that pop up during that time are the real targets.

I fully expect this football thing to just be negotiation fodder with other conferences that WSU would potentially join as olympic sport only. (no football).

I agree 99%. The other 1%, the fact we actually seem to be putting at least a little bit of money into exploring the option, terrifies me.

[ShockdaWorld]

Not just difficulties of scheduling, but also you could only get into the NCAAs as an at-large, obviously. I imagine trying to schedule games during everyone else's non-con would be a horrid nightmare.

I think we'd have a lot better chance of getting in as an at-large as an independent than we do as a member of the Valley IF we could put together even a decent schedule.

[Heinro]

Not just difficulties of scheduling, but also you could only get into the NCAAs as an at-large, obviously. I imagine trying to schedule games during everyone else's non-con would be a horrid nightmare.

BYU is the only real example of this, and they downgraded their conference affiliation to do so. What exactly are the goals of people? To get out of the Valley for basketball purposes? Or to shoot the moon for a good football program?

[ShockdaWorld]

BYU is the only real example of this, and they downgraded their conference affiliation to do so. What exactly are the goals of people? To get out of the Valley for basketball purposes? Or to shoot the moon for a good football program?

My main goal (if my goal mattered) would be to leave the Valley in order to keep WSU basketball trending in an upwards direction. If it takes football to do that, that's fine, but not something I'm avid about one way or the other. I would support a football team whenever possible, but it would never take the place of basketball in my book.

[wu_shizzle]

I'm not the biggest baseball fan, but baseball doesn't seem to get mentioned much and we already make a huge investment there.

Do we really want to be in the MWC baseball conference?