This is the downside of Div 1 football - see San Diego State

[shox1989]

I do find it interesting that several posters here think this will be good for the other SDSU sports programs. It could be that this will enhance the other programs b/c of Big East bowl money.

This type of change, with Football-only conferences might make it easier for WSU to bring football back; we wouldn't have to find an entirew new conference for all sports. We could join the Conf USA/Mountain West for football only.

But let me repeat that it is ironic that the state move for this is partly to save on travel costs, while teams like West Virginia join the Big 12.

I would do what San Diego State did in a minute. It means a lot of new revenue and overall lower travel costs. Every team in the Big West is in the state of California. They never have to leave the state to play a conference game. Right now they travel a lot going to places like Boise, ID, Colorado Springs, CO and Ft. Worth, TX for conference games.

West Virginia on the other hand actually seems kind of stupid to me. But it just shows how important football is. They are willing to subject all of their other sports to unbelievably long travel (there will be NO teams close to them in the big 12) just to make sure they stay in a BCS football conference.

[DoubleJayAlum]

I think BYU and SDSU will be just fine in the BWC. Perhaps having two teams like that will get the others in conference to step up their game.

When did BYU say they were going to the BWC? I thought they were locked into the WCC for all sports sans football.

[SubGod22]

When did BYU say they were going to the BWC? I thought they were locked into the WCC for all sports sans football.

Dang it. You got me there. I chalk it up to little sleep and a long boring day at work. I guess I just remembered BYU going to a "lesser" conference and lumped them in for some reason. Still, I think SDSU will be fine and wouldn't be surprised to see a team or two from that conference start to elevate it's basketball over the next handful of years. Competition can have a way of doing that.

[RoyalShock]

By the time the SDSU football program sucks up enough of that additional revenue to try and compete in the Big East, and make up for the loss of basketball revenue by going from a multi-bid conference with better TV to a lower-profile one-bid conference, will the non-football sports really see much financial benefit outside of lower travel expense?

Is this $20 million number additional revenue or total revenue? If it's total, how much more is it than what they already get?

I don't know how the numbers work with a BCS football program, but it's tempting to see $20 million and assume everyone is getting a big pay day. I'm not so sure.

[shocker3]

I do find it interesting that several posters here think this will be good for the other SDSU sports programs. It could be that this will enhance the other programs b/c of Big East bowl money.

This type of change, with Football-only conferences might make it easier for WSU to bring football back; we wouldn't have to find an entire new conference for all sports. We could join the Conf USA/Mountain West for football only.

But let me repeat that it is ironic that the stated move for this is partly to save on travel costs, while teams like West Virginia join the Big 12.

The current Big West line-up isn't exactly awe-inspiring:

Cal Poly, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge, Long Beach State, Pacific, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara.

I bet there was a good Occupy Wall Street on those campuses though.

Actually I think it will help their baseball program because the Big West with Fullerton, UC-Irvine, Long Beach and UC-Santa Babara is traditionally one of the better baseball conferences in the country.

Personally I think it will hurt their basketball program but that will be offset somewhat with the basketball team being able to play teams like UCONN in the non-conference. I was quite surprised to see Steve Fisher (the basketball coach) praising this move in the article. Maybe the AD was twisting his arm as he spoke. Time will tell whether the better non-conference rpi will offset the weaker conference rpi. If they end up totally dominating the Big West (which they might) then it might help them. But I doubt it.

As for all the other sports, who really cares. Nobody attends tennis or golf matches anyway. They will save on travel which is a plus. I really don't see much downside for the minor sports.

I have a feeling that most of the new football money will be spent on football and basketball with maybe a little bit trickling down to the minor sports now and then.

The Occupy Wall Street comment is pretty funny and probably also right on the mark.

[shocker3]

By the time the SDSU football program sucks up enough of that additional revenue to try and compete in the Big East, and make up for the loss of basketball revenue by going from a multi-bid conference with better TV to a lower-profile one-bid conference, will the non-football sports really see much financial benefit outside of lower travel expense?

Is this $20 million number additional revenue or total revenue? If it's total, how much more is it than what they already get?

I don't know how the numbers work with a BCS football program, but it's tempting to see $20 million and assume everyone is getting a big pay day. I'm not so sure.

I don't think the minor sports will see much if any of the new football revenue (which I believe will grow exponentially in the future IF the Big East maintains its BCS status). That money will probably be spent on football and some on basketball.

The minor sports big gain from this move, in my opinion, is the travel savings (and as I noted in previous posts, baseball also gains from being in a better conference).