Which conference would you move to?

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SFASawmillGuy
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In reply to SFA Jack Fanatic • 6:01p, 11/1/20
SFA Jack Fanatic said:
BigJack85 said:
SFA Jack Fanatic said:
I'm confused about all of this conference monopoly game talk. How much of it is pure conjecture and how much is based on actual knowledge of what's happening behind the scenes? Seems to me to be the former.
. Fanatic , There are a couple of articles related to the specific subject of the WAC building a football position. Not clear the precise direction FCS or FBS. The WAC Holds a golden ticket in the form of a waiver to grandfather schools joining the WAC allowing an easier path to FBS. I personally think much of this is the a reaction to the incredibly weak decision to add HBU and UIW

Thanks, 85. I was aware of most of that. But IMO, anyone thinking we will EVER become an FBS school is peeing into the wind.

BTW, adding UIW and HBU to the conference was the worst decision the SLC has made since the league was formed. I initially felt the same way about ACU but they have more than proven their worth.


The FBS is certainly a long term goal of the athletic department and Ryan Ivey and certainly not outside the realm of possibility. We wouldn't be the smallest FBS school, joining the FBS generally means an increase in money for scholarships and resources. And the increase in quality of competition and recognizability of opponents to our students and fans would naturally lead to an increase in fan attendance.
It is definitely a long term goal though, as massive renovations to Homer Bryce will be needed.
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BigJack85
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In reply to SFA Jack Fanatic • 6:43p, 11/1/20
SFA Jack Fanatic said:
BigJack85 said:
SFA Jack Fanatic said:
I'm confused about all of this conference monopoly game talk. How much of it is pure conjecture and how much is based on actual knowledge of what's happening behind the scenes? Seems to me to be the former.
. Fanatic , There are a couple of articles related to the specific subject of the WAC building a football position. Not clear the precise direction FCS or FBS. The WAC Holds a golden ticket in the form of a waiver to grandfather schools joining the WAC allowing an easier path to FBS. I personally think much of this is the a reaction to the incredibly weak decision to add HBU and UIW

Thanks, 85. I was aware of most of that. But IMO, anyone thinking we will EVER become an FBS school is peeing into the wind.

BTW, adding UIW and HBU to the conference was the worst decision the SLC has made since the league was formed. I initially felt the same way about ACU but they have more than proven their worth.


Whether it's a FBS play is certainly up in the air. That there is so much conversation (even if they are 2nd tier publications) along with some quasi rational thought processes going on makes me think there is at minimum, serious conversations. Will it come of anything? I'd probably lean against any major changes. But if the SLC doesn't become a little more dynamic and relevant we (SFA) should continue to explore all reasonable avenues. SLC is a big blanket e blank.
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TallTexan
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6:54p, 11/1/20
I think right now it's probably an FCS play. The budgets to become even the smallest FBS team would be quite a jump and I don't think anyone is doing that til we know how the next year or two shakes out.
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BigJack85
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7:19p, 11/1/20
We shall see.
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TallTexan
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9:28a, 11/2/20
Check out this article.
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nacluth
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10:33a, 11/2/20
Well let's just say that if we go to the WAC our out of town presence at games will go down dramatically. But maybe I'd use some frequent flyer miles occasionally.
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PurpleOut
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In reply to nacluth • 11:03a, 11/2/20
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nacluth said:
Well let's just say that if we go to the WAC our out of town presence at games will go down dramatically. But maybe I'd use some frequent flyer miles occasionally.
I'd definitely try to go to some road hoops games, especially NMSU and GCU. And of course could schedule a vacation around a trip back to Seattle for me.

On the other hand, another aspect that I don't think a WAC move improves is home turnout based on the schools. Forever we've heard from some fans/students that they don't care to come watch us play someone like Nicholls State or Southeastern Louisiana...regardless if that team is actually good that season. And that they'd come out if we played better teams.

Obviously some of us understand NMSU at home for hoops would be a HUGE game. But to the average fan? Doubtful. For the average fan seeing Cal Baptist or UT Rio Grande Valley? Definitely not.
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nacluth
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11:21a, 11/2/20
I do think conference games in basketball build their rivalries quicker. Football, we're probably only getting rivalry from any SLC teams that go with us for a while. (I'm firmly in the camp that we're not moving yet btw.)

Draw in Nacogdoches is always going to be tough until the town undergoes some major changes. We're poorer than most realize. The huge pre-internet crowds of the 80's/90's aren't coming back anytime soon. I think leadership is trying what they can, but there's no quick fixes and COVID ain't helping.

I've said many times before on other threads, Nac is great at supporting their teams, but unlike other SLC towns where games draw less than 10% of potential fan base, Nac consistently draws 30%+ of their local fan base to games. If we're going to have huge crowds, it has to come from our student body, not the community.
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TallTexan
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In reply to PurpleOut • 1:15p, 11/2/20
I'm not sure anything short of CUSA gets us better home crowds based on opponents.

I've found that when people say better opponents they mean Texas & A&M, that's just not going to happen regularly. And if Texas & A&M are any indication, big name opponents are no guarantee of attendance.

Hey, what night does WAC play basketball on. Tuesday vs Wednesday would make a big difference in Nac.
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TallTexan
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In reply to nacluth • 1:17p, 11/2/20
Good point on Nac's wealth. 3/4 of town is in an economic opportunity zone, which is based on poverty level.

You might be able to increase turnout, but the next focus for us should be student attendance.
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PurpleOut
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In reply to TallTexan • 3:40p, 11/2/20
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TallTexan said:
I'm not sure anything short of CUSA gets us better home crowds based on opponents.

I've found that when people say better opponents they mean Texas & A&M, that's just not going to happen regularly. And if Texas & A&M are any indication, big name opponents are no guarantee of attendance.

Hey, what night does WAC play basketball on. Tuesday vs Wednesday would make a big difference in Nac.
I believe the WAC was one of the conferences I looked at last year that predominantly played on Thursdays, but always had one other match up on other days of the week.

Playing every Wednesday and Saturday is just the easiest thing to set up (and the laziest) so we know that's why our league did it. There isn't any reason that a league should have all matchups in a single day. Almost every other conference I looked had half of their games on one day, and the other half spread out Monday-Friday.
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BigJack85
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5:19p, 11/2/20
If we joined a WAC that would ultimately be a 14 team conference I would be fine with an "eastern" division with ACU, Lamar, NMSU, SAM, SFA, Tarleton and UTRGV. A much better basketball platform for SFA and the others. Add a couple football playing squads in the "western" division Southern Utah and Dixie State (don't like the name) and it could be interesting and at least a small uplift from the SLC.
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djsfw57
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9:09a, 11/3/20
There has been quite a lot of chatter up here in Ohio about the Mid-American Conference expanding and adding SFA. Travel would be awful, but it would definitely up our profile and give us some great games, both in basketball (Men's and Women's) and football. I have no idea if there is any real talk among the powers that be in the MAC, but there has been lots of talk about it among the fans. Of course I would love it because it would mean me getting to go see us play at Akron, Kent, Bowling Green, Toledo, and Buffalo with regularity.
SFA, Class of 1979
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BigJack85
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9:34a, 11/3/20
The MAC? Seems like a bridge to far.
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nacluth
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In reply to BigJack85 • 10:38a, 11/3/20
True, but all the teams are closer than half of the WAC teams.
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TallTexan
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In reply to djsfw57 • 10:48a, 11/3/20
djsfw57 said:
There has been quite a lot of chatter up here in Ohio about the Mid-American Conference expanding and adding SFA. Travel would be awful, but it would definitely up our profile and give us some great games, both in basketball (Men's and Women's) and football. I have no idea if there is any real talk among the powers that be in the MAC, but there has been lots of talk about it among the fans. Of course I would love it because it would mean me getting to go see us play at Akron, Kent, Bowling Green, Toledo, and Buffalo with regularity.


I'd jump at this chance.
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TallTexan
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In reply to nacluth • 10:48a, 11/3/20
nacluth said:
True, but all the teams are closer than half of the WAC teams.


It really is incredible how big the western US is.
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TallTexan
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12:41p, 11/3/20
57's comment got me wondering about other leagues. What about SFA+3 looking to join the Summit league? Same time zone, etc.

I don't know that we're properly account for how much a 9:30 PM tipoff for an SFA @ Seattle game would suck.

Other similar league setups could be SOCON or OHV.
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djsfw57
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In reply to TallTexan • 4:10p, 11/3/20
TallTexan said:
djsfw57 said:
There has been quite a lot of chatter up here in Ohio about the Mid-American Conference expanding and adding SFA. Travel would be awful, but it would definitely up our profile and give us some great games, both in basketball (Men's and Women's) and football. I have no idea if there is any real talk among the powers that be in the MAC, but there has been lots of talk about it among the fans. Of course I would love it because it would mean me getting to go see us play at Akron, Kent, Bowling Green, Toledo, and Buffalo with regularity.


I'd jump at this chance.
I would too!!
SFA, Class of 1979
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PurpleOut
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4:42p, 11/3/20
Staff
I would definitely like that over the WAC, but I don't think it makes a lot of sense either geography wise. Especially if we're talking about all sports. We'd run into some bad weather too, but that's not really much of a factor to consider.

That would also be an extremely tough conference for the football program.

I may still be in the minority, but I'm still in favor of a hoops only move to the Missouri Valley. Hoops is our ticket, and our biggest ticket to become bigger as an athletic department overall in my opinion. I don't think you can convince me to move to a difference conference for football where FBS isn't the end goal. I love college football as much as the next guy, but sorry FCS football just doesn't do much. What did Sam get out of their string of playoff and title game runs? Very little.

I don't know if it's even a feasible option, but just my opinion again.
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nacluth
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11:51a, 11/4/20
My biggest hurdle to the WAC is the way it's being presented that the four "top" SLC teams jump ship. Four top teams leaving a conference for a near lateral move to not be the four top teams seems unrealistic. People just don't leave positions of power for dreams.

I wouldn't mind the shake up, but does anyone see this happening realistically?
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TallTexan
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In reply to nacluth • 10:57a, 11/5/20
nacluth said:
My biggest hurdle to the WAC is the way it's being presented that the four "top" SLC teams jump ship. Four top teams leaving a conference for a near lateral move to not be the four top teams seems unrealistic. People just don't leave positions of power for dreams.

I wouldn't mind the shake up, but does anyone see this happening realistically?


Tbh, nothing makes a ton of sense on this deal unless there's an angle they're not announcing.

You make a great point. Additionally, why does it suit SFA to jump to compete for one bid?

The travel sucks & would be a huge cost when we're in a budget cut pandemic. Why would the existing members care about football if they're basketball schools?
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CertifiedAxeman98
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9:10a, 11/9/20
The only advantage I see is moving up to FBS level football. The rest makes little since to me.

https://sportsenthusiasts.net/2020/10/23/wacs-southland-conference-overtures-make-little-sense-for-the-schools/
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BigJack85
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In reply to CertifiedAxeman98 • 2:20p, 11/9/20
CertifiedAxeman98 said:
The only advantage I see is moving up to FBS level football. The rest makes little since to me.

https://sportsenthusiasts.net/2020/10/23/wacs-southland-conference-overtures-make-little-sense-for-the-schools/


I say wait and see. It doesn't cost anything to see what they (WAC) offer. It may be that they offer some significant travel concessions! How many 1A National Championships does the SLC have ? Zero. WAC , at least one with BYU. Not saying it's great BUT it may extract us from the middling (at best SLC) I see some POSSIBLE upside. The downside is the travel. We'll see.
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SFASawmillGuy
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In reply to BigJack85 • 2:24p, 11/9/20
And honestly I see the conference helping out immensely with travel. The Mountain West Conference has the most insane travel of any athletic conference so the conference does financially help their schools with the constant very long trips.
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TallTexan
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In reply to BigJack85 • 2:29p, 11/9/20
WAC flirtation has a few positive side effects. It tells the SLC to shape up & it advertises to the masses that SFA is open to other conferences. That might pay off even if we ultimately stay.
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BigJack85
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In reply to TallTexan • 10:52p, 11/9/20
TallTexan said:
WAC flirtation has a few positive side effects. It tells the SLC to shape up & it advertises to the masses that SFA is open to other conferences. That might pay off even if we ultimately stay.


How do we "shape up" HBU and UIW? More like a wart removal kit. UNO? Almost as big of a turd. And they (UNO) don't even field a football squad. You get a courtesy "turd deduction" if you field a football squad looking at you Nicholls....
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SFASawmillGuy
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In reply to BigJack85 • 12:17a, 11/10/20
UIW and HBU are slowly but steadily improving, but I still think they're so far behind everyone else. Maybe in 5-10 years they'll be consistently good but I think they're already on a good track.
That being said I don't want to wait for them to catch up in order for the SLC to be more competitive.
UNO has everything to be competitive. New Orleans is probably the best city in the SLC in terms of recruiting other than San Antonio. They just need to put it together. As of now, they bring us down though.
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BigJack85
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3:01p, 11/15/20
I think the WAC dalliance is real...... details to be worked out.
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TallTexan
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In reply to BigJack85 • 7:55p, 11/15/20
I heard from someone partially in the know about Sam that there wasn't a snowball's chance that they'd move to the WAC.

It just doesn't make sense to me, still.

And if we're jumping to the WAC, they better make that announcement along with a nice powerpoint on the strategic plan for the WAC.
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BigJack85
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In reply to TallTexan • 8:57p, 11/15/20
When it's laid out completely it does make sense.
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SFAJack_76
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In reply to BigJack85 • 9:28p, 11/15/20
BigJack85 said:
When it's laid out completely it does make sense.
Yep.
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nacluth
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In reply to BigJack85 • 10:37p, 11/15/20
BigJack85 said:
When it's laid out completely it does make sense.
Has anyone laid it out?
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PurpleOut
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In reply to nacluth • 8:05a, 11/16/20
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nacluth said:
BigJack85 said:
When it's laid out completely it does make sense.
Has anyone laid it out?
I think that's the current situation that they are working on.
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nacluth
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9:12a, 11/16/20
Ok. Just sounds like it already had been, and I'm still in the camp where I would be supportive of any move, but honestly would be shocked if the WAC is a benefit to us. I guess a true Eastern regional makes some sense if it's Texas/New Mexico, but if we get the whole conference as competition?

I'll wait with baited breath.
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