The P5 conferences are seemingly stabilized. That means if we are continue to improve our athletic relevance, the MWC must change.
The model is probably the old Big East that gathered all the top regional teams and was a player overnight. Initially, it was basketball and football, then the best football programs were poached, but basketball remains.
I still argue that we add Gonzaga in basketball, and BYU and New Mexico State in football and basketball.
That evens us out at 14 for football and basketball (Hawaii only in football, Gonzaga only in basketball).
NMSU plays in Las Cruces, which is obviously not a media hotbed. But they are routinely a top basketball program, and have been for many years ... even though circumstances have led to a lot of conference hopping. Their basketball arena is as large as Viejas, and they have rabid fans that travel. The football team hasn't been good, but it's generally competitive with UNM - okay, that's not saying much. The stadium seats 30,000, and there are a lot of you that think that's ideal.
If we add those three basketball programs, we leapfrog the American and snuggle up to the P5 conferences in top-to-bottom quality. Some years we'll be in the top 3 to 5 conferences. The schedule is challenging, but the realignment is being considered because quality pre-conference games are harder to get. The SEC has 14 teams and they make it work. The trend is toward a 20-game conference schedule, so we'd play 7 teams twice, and 6 teams once per year.
I know the WAC tried this before and failed (hence the birth of the Mountain West), but those were different times. The PAC 12 won't add us, and the Big 12 isn't looking to expand ... and we're a bad geographic fit.
Personally, I'd rather see us merge with the American and create a National conference. Cincinnati, Memphis, San Diego, Boise, New Orleans, Fresno, New Orleans, Albuquerque, Hartford, Las Vegas, South and Central Florida, San Jose, Philadelphia, Reno ... those are some attractive media markets. But I think that idea may have lost steam.
So I hope something happens. Y'all don't like Craig Thompson, but if he can pull off a significant realignment ...
The model is probably the old Big East that gathered all the top regional teams and was a player overnight. Initially, it was basketball and football, then the best football programs were poached, but basketball remains.
I still argue that we add Gonzaga in basketball, and BYU and New Mexico State in football and basketball.
That evens us out at 14 for football and basketball (Hawaii only in football, Gonzaga only in basketball).
NMSU plays in Las Cruces, which is obviously not a media hotbed. But they are routinely a top basketball program, and have been for many years ... even though circumstances have led to a lot of conference hopping. Their basketball arena is as large as Viejas, and they have rabid fans that travel. The football team hasn't been good, but it's generally competitive with UNM - okay, that's not saying much. The stadium seats 30,000, and there are a lot of you that think that's ideal.
If we add those three basketball programs, we leapfrog the American and snuggle up to the P5 conferences in top-to-bottom quality. Some years we'll be in the top 3 to 5 conferences. The schedule is challenging, but the realignment is being considered because quality pre-conference games are harder to get. The SEC has 14 teams and they make it work. The trend is toward a 20-game conference schedule, so we'd play 7 teams twice, and 6 teams once per year.
I know the WAC tried this before and failed (hence the birth of the Mountain West), but those were different times. The PAC 12 won't add us, and the Big 12 isn't looking to expand ... and we're a bad geographic fit.
Personally, I'd rather see us merge with the American and create a National conference. Cincinnati, Memphis, San Diego, Boise, New Orleans, Fresno, New Orleans, Albuquerque, Hartford, Las Vegas, South and Central Florida, San Jose, Philadelphia, Reno ... those are some attractive media markets. But I think that idea may have lost steam.
So I hope something happens. Y'all don't like Craig Thompson, but if he can pull off a significant realignment ...
