As the Boise State Broncos get ready to make the switch to the (used to be better than the WAC) Mountain West Conference, the state of college football in the West remains in flux. MWC commissioner Craig Thompson and school representatives met in Las Vegas to make a decision on two things; if the conference will expand from 8 members to 10 and if TCU should visit The Blue for the lone conference match up between two of the nation's top non-AQ teams instead of the other way around, as was originally scheduled. Here's the catch; the Horned Frogs don't have a vote on either matter because they are leaving the conference in 2012.
It was decided that the league will stay at eight teams (sorry Utah State, San Jose State. You're welcome Idaho). Here's the deal; it doesn't mean very much. Remember last year around this time when Thompson announced that they would not be inviting Boise State and then two days later they back-peddled and extended their needy hand to the Broncos? All it signifies is that the MWC won't expand right now. Don't be surprised if that changes sometime in the next two days or next year.
The other item on the docket went the way of the Broncos. The representatives decided that TCU will visit Boise State in Boise next season. You have to feel bad for Horned Frog athletic director Chris del Conte. He was sitting there the whole time while the votes were cast and he could do absolutely nothing about it. Sucks to be him. Naturally, he was overly upset about it.
"I'm disappointed. We were told that they were going to be here at TCU and I'm disappointed for our fans, our community and I'm disappointed in the conference. We made an agreement that this was what it was going to be, and to switch it this late in the game leaves a bitter taste in your mouth."
You really can't blame him. Here is how the Mountain West explained their decision;
"The Board felt the change was in the best interest of the Mountain West Conference and would help address current and future scheduling concerns created by the new set of circumstances which stemmed from another change in membership."
In other words, any win that the Broncos get over ranked teams bolsters the Mountain West's status in their quest to gain automatic qualifying status in the BCS so let's give them the advantage over a departing TCU team. In other, other words, "TCU is kinda' screwing us so let's kinda' screw them back!"
It is of the upmost importance that an athletic conference do every thing it can to survive and strengthen itself in this unstable and constantly shifting college football world. The Mountain West is doing just that. The motives behind the schedule change decision may not be the most upright or ethical, but who can blame them?
Both del Conte and Thompson have valid points in this situation. So where does that leave us? In pretty much the same situation we were before. Call it a draw. As a Bronco fan, I am incredibly excited to have the Horned Frogs on The Blue next fall. Even with my move to Pocatello, you better believe that I will be at the game. TCU is renovating their stadium this year anyway, rendering a large portion of it useless during the football season. Bring on the Frogs and let the battle ensue. You know they will have a huge chip on their shoulder and they are going to have a better than average chance of winning, even with Boise State's incredible home winning streak on the line. Can it be football season yet, please!?!?
Showing posts with label Mountain West Conference. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mountain West Conference. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Weekend Picks, 2nd Edition (Week 4 of the season)
Here we are again for this weekend’s edition of: Weekend Picks! (I know, kind of redundant.) Saturday night is when all WAC games go down, so you only need to pay attention to the times (there will be no days listed, just kickoff times. Oh yeah, all times listed below are Mountain Time. Adjust according to what part of the nation you live in).
4:30 PM, Fresno State Bulldogs at Ole’ Miss Rebels.
This is a huge game for Pat Hill and his squad. Fresno State has started off really well this season at 2-0, including a severe beating of Cincinnati at home in week one and an impressive road win at WAC foe Utah State last week. Quarterback Ryan Colburn has had a stellar start in their two wins and their rushing game has been on par to form a complete offensive threat. Also, defensive tackle Chris Carter spends a lot of time in the opposing backfield, mauling whoever has the ball. In other words, the Bulldog defense is not too shabby in its own right. For Ole’ Miss, the Rebels, led by police record wielding former Oregon Duck QB Jeremiah Masoli, have been nothing short of underwhelming. They lost at home to FCS opponent Jacksonville State. It was a very ugly loss. Then won at Tulane, but followed it up with a loss to SEC bottom dweller Vanderbilt, also at home. There is not a lot to cheer for in Oxford. Still, the Bulldogs playing on the road at an SEC school will be as difficult as it gets for Fresno State this season. Because they are at home, Ole’ Miss has the advantage.
Prediction: Rebels 32, Bulldogs 28
2 PM, Idaho Vandals at Colorado State Rams.
Robb Akey and Co. followed up an embarrassing performance at Nebraska with a complete domination of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels 30-7. The Vandal defense decided to take control while the offense continued to put up decent numbers. However, Idaho’s offensive line still has some work to do to improve their protection of QB Nathan Enderle. The size and desire is there, but the experience has not arrived quite yet. The Rams are 0-3, scoring only 19 total points while giving up 106. Yikes. There has been nothing impressive to talk about for Colorado State. They even lost at Miami of Ohio. The Vandals are not that good of a team, but they still should be too much for the Rams.
Prediction: Vandals 35, Rams 21
4 PM, Nevada Wolfpack at BYU Cougars.
Nevada completely dismantled a good Cal team last week in every aspect of the game. Colin “Bird Leg” Kaepernick showed why he is one of the top running quarterbacks in the nation, even if his rocket arm leaves something to be desired. The defense harassed Golden Bear QB Kevin Riley all night. He looked really uncomfortable and played terribly. Do not expect that to change in the slightest bit. BYU has been on a roller coaster since beating Washington on opening weekend (it turns out the Huskies still suck, though). They got swamped at Air Force and then played the Florida State Seminoles tough for 3 quarters. It would appear that the Cougars will be sticking with freshman phenom QB Jake Heaps as the starter, seeing as how co-starter Riley Nelson is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Besides, the two-quarterback system wasn’t working very well for them anyway. This may be exactly what the Wolfpack wants them to do. Heaps may have a really long evening ahead of him with Dantay Moch coming off the edge delivering as many snot-bubblers as he can. The way to neutralize Moch is by hitting running back JJ Di Luigi (probably the Cougars' best weapon) with short screens. As a BSU fan, an undefeated Nevada Wolfpack team would be fantastic for the strength of schedule talk, and they would also be ranked when the showdown in Reno takes place. Nevada is a 2 ½ point favorite. BYU will be very tough at home, and the game will be well played on both sides. If it was being played in Reno, I would go with Nevada. But since it’s in Provo…I needed an upset special, and this is the closest game I could find to fit the criteria. I had a hard time picking it. Do I believe BYU can beat Nevada? I don't know. Just don't get angry if I'm right.
UPSET SPECIAL:
Prediction: Cougars 38, Wolfpack 35
5 PM, New Mexico State Aggies at Kansas Jayhawks.
As we all know, the Aggies are one of the worst teams in the nation. They really do suck. They lost at home to a poor San Diego State team and then got crushed on the road at UTEP. It does, however, seem like New Mexico State is at least scoring some points every now and then. Unfortunately, they have not been consistent with Matt Christian under center. Speaking of roller coasters, how about the Kansas Jayhawks?! They only scored 3 points in a home loss to FCS school North Dakota State (WTF!!!!????!? Seriously?!?!?!?!?!), beat a ranked Georgia Tech Yellowjacket team 28-25, and ultimately lost on the road to Southern Mississippi 31-16. As schizophrenic as Kansas has been, they should handle the Aggies at home pretty easily.
Prediction: Jayhawks 28, Aggies 10
5 PM, Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.
This is a hard game to predict. The Bulldogs kicked off the season with a road victory over a really bad Grambling team 20-6. Then they proceeded to lose two straight against Texas A & M and Navy. The offensive numbers have not been impressive for QB’s Colby Cameron and Ross Jenkins (both have started games, Cameron in the last two). Maybe then need to switch back to Jenkins to win. Who knows? A banged up Phillip Livas has been less than stellar, as he was supposed to be the star of the team. Southern Miss has been playing very well. After a tough opening road loss at South Carolina, the Golden Eagles have taken two straight (the exact opposite of LA. Tech). QB Austin Davis gets the job done very well and has some weapons to hand off and pass to. The Bulldogs usually play well at home, but with a new coach and a lack of confidence, the upper-tier mid-major should win on the road.
Prediction: Golden Eagles 35, Bulldogs 24
6 PM, San Jose State Spartans at Utah Utes.
We could possibly dub this game “the battle of the mid-majors.” But since the Spartans play like a FCS or a division 2 school, that would not be accurate. A better one may be “the slaughter in Salt Lake.” San Jose State is 1-2, getting stomped on the road by two ranked BCS schools and then barely beating FCS school Southern Utah last week at home 16-11. QB Jordan La Secla (his name sounds like it belongs to a kicker) has been decent, but has few weapons to utilize. The Utes are 3-0 and ranked 13th in the nation in the AP and media polls. Did I mention they are hosting the Spartans at Rice-Eccles Stadium for this game? Even with starting quarterback Jordan Wynn questionable with a hand injury, back up Terrence Cain will own San Jose State. They are way to good and the game will be a rout.
Prediction, Utes 55, Spartans 16
6 PM, Utah State Aggies at San Diego State Aztecs.
As mentioned last week, Utah State has itself a second year coach and they are well on their way to becoming a respectable, winning program. Last week’s setback against Fresno State shows that they still have a lot of work to do, even after nearly upsetting ranked Oklahoma on the road the week before. On the bright side, QB Diondre Borel is making defenses look silly week in and week out. As a dual threat leader, the Aggies are averaging a middle-of-the-pack 28.7 points a game, which is a considerable step up from previous years. As a matter of fact, Utah State ranks in the middle of all FBS schools in total defense and offense. Like I said, they are getting better. What the Aggies are to the WAC, the Aztecs are to the Mountain West, which is a bottom level team that is slowly improving. In fact, San Diego State is racking up the yardage at 511.3 per game, good for 9th nationwide. They rank in the top third in all other general categories. QB Ryan Lindley is doing a great job of distributing the ball and making plays, and that is why they are currently sitting with a winning record at 2-1. As much as I would like to see Utah State pick up the road win and score one more for the WAC over the MWC, I don’t see it happening.
Prediction: Aztecs 35, Aggies 24
9:30 PM, Charleston Southern Buccaneers at Hawai’I Rainbow Warriors.
As is customary with just about every Hawai’I team since the dawn of time, the Rainbow Warriors are putting up ridiculous offensive numbers, but can’t stop anybody on defense to save their lives. Hawai’I lost an epic battle at home against USC on opening night, but then traveled to Westpoint, NY (some 5,000 miles or so) and notched a big win. Then the high, oxygen-lacking air in Boulder, CO did them in for their second loss. QB Bryant Moniz is chucking the ball all over the yard, mainly to WR Greg Salas, and the Rainbow Warriors are scoring, boasting a 26.7 points per game average. Too bad they are giving up 36 a game at the same time. However, their opponent, the CSU Buccaneers are a FCS school that will travel almost that same distance from the East Coast to Hawai’i. At 2-1, I won’t say much about them, other than they play in a league against such football powerhouses as Stony Brook, Liberty, Gardner-Webb, and the Virginia Military Academy. Yeah.
Prediction: Rainbow Warriors 42, Buccaneers 21
6 PM, ABC, Oregon State Beavers at Boise State Broncos.
Here it is folks, and it should be a dandy. Boise State comes off a complete smack down of the Wyoming Cowboys, flying high and ready for more. Kellen Moore looked good, but not great. The rushing onslaught of Doug Martin, DJ Harper, and Jeremy Avery looks as terrifying for opponents as any other running back group in the country. It also helps that the offensive line is opening up holes large enough for Jaba the Hut to carry the ball through (I must mention fullback Dan Paul, who is as good as a lead blocker as there is). If Austin Pettis can stay on the field (i.e. no flipping into the end zone after a beautiful flea flicker pass from Moore, for which he subsequently gets benched), then the offense should do everything it wants to and there will not be any sort of a letdown. I will say this; the Oregon State Beavers are not the Wyoming Cowboys. What I mean is that with Jacquizz Rodgers in the backfield, the Broncos will not be able to hold them to -22 yards rushing. At the same time, Boise State needs to come up big in stopping Quizz and make sophomore QB Ryan Katz one-dimensional. The problem with making Katz throw is Jacquizz’s brother James is as dangerous and explosive as little bro is. So pick your poison. Speaking of Katz, he has struggled completing passes, with a percentage of just over 47 (compare that to just over 63% for Kellen Moore). He has not, however, thrown an interception this year and has 4 touchdowns. The numbers aren’t that great thus far, but remember, the Beavers opened up against TCU, and that Horned Frog defense will slap you in the face, hard. As the Beavers are ranked 24th in the AP poll, this will be a stiff test for the Broncos. Their defense is in the lower 2/3 of all FBS schools, but is lead by a man-yeti known as Stephen Paea. He will clog up the middle and will be a huge obstacle for the Broncos running game to get through, or around, or over. The Beavers sure are getting ready, as they painted their practice field blue (the purpose of doing so is still unknown). This year’ Boise State team is good enough to win the Pac 10, and I think they could beat Oregon State at home or on the road. The Beavers will come into Bronco Stadium and will have so much to deal with and fight against; they won’t stand much of a chance. Broncos win big and keep their dreams alive for one more week.
Prediction: Broncos 41, Beavers 20
Alright, let me know what you think of my picks. I will have a re-cap of the weekend's action either Sunday or Monday, including how I did with my selections. Also, as mentioned, I will be at Bronco Stadium on Saturday to cheer on the Broncos. It is going to be a crazy scene and I will post pictures as soon as I can. Finally, check back in tomorrow for my Weekly PTW. It will be a lot of fun!
4:30 PM, Fresno State Bulldogs at Ole’ Miss Rebels.
This is a huge game for Pat Hill and his squad. Fresno State has started off really well this season at 2-0, including a severe beating of Cincinnati at home in week one and an impressive road win at WAC foe Utah State last week. Quarterback Ryan Colburn has had a stellar start in their two wins and their rushing game has been on par to form a complete offensive threat. Also, defensive tackle Chris Carter spends a lot of time in the opposing backfield, mauling whoever has the ball. In other words, the Bulldog defense is not too shabby in its own right. For Ole’ Miss, the Rebels, led by police record wielding former Oregon Duck QB Jeremiah Masoli, have been nothing short of underwhelming. They lost at home to FCS opponent Jacksonville State. It was a very ugly loss. Then won at Tulane, but followed it up with a loss to SEC bottom dweller Vanderbilt, also at home. There is not a lot to cheer for in Oxford. Still, the Bulldogs playing on the road at an SEC school will be as difficult as it gets for Fresno State this season. Because they are at home, Ole’ Miss has the advantage.
Prediction: Rebels 32, Bulldogs 28
2 PM, Idaho Vandals at Colorado State Rams.
Robb Akey and Co. followed up an embarrassing performance at Nebraska with a complete domination of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels 30-7. The Vandal defense decided to take control while the offense continued to put up decent numbers. However, Idaho’s offensive line still has some work to do to improve their protection of QB Nathan Enderle. The size and desire is there, but the experience has not arrived quite yet. The Rams are 0-3, scoring only 19 total points while giving up 106. Yikes. There has been nothing impressive to talk about for Colorado State. They even lost at Miami of Ohio. The Vandals are not that good of a team, but they still should be too much for the Rams.
Prediction: Vandals 35, Rams 21
4 PM, Nevada Wolfpack at BYU Cougars.
Nevada completely dismantled a good Cal team last week in every aspect of the game. Colin “Bird Leg” Kaepernick showed why he is one of the top running quarterbacks in the nation, even if his rocket arm leaves something to be desired. The defense harassed Golden Bear QB Kevin Riley all night. He looked really uncomfortable and played terribly. Do not expect that to change in the slightest bit. BYU has been on a roller coaster since beating Washington on opening weekend (it turns out the Huskies still suck, though). They got swamped at Air Force and then played the Florida State Seminoles tough for 3 quarters. It would appear that the Cougars will be sticking with freshman phenom QB Jake Heaps as the starter, seeing as how co-starter Riley Nelson is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Besides, the two-quarterback system wasn’t working very well for them anyway. This may be exactly what the Wolfpack wants them to do. Heaps may have a really long evening ahead of him with Dantay Moch coming off the edge delivering as many snot-bubblers as he can. The way to neutralize Moch is by hitting running back JJ Di Luigi (probably the Cougars' best weapon) with short screens. As a BSU fan, an undefeated Nevada Wolfpack team would be fantastic for the strength of schedule talk, and they would also be ranked when the showdown in Reno takes place. Nevada is a 2 ½ point favorite. BYU will be very tough at home, and the game will be well played on both sides. If it was being played in Reno, I would go with Nevada. But since it’s in Provo…I needed an upset special, and this is the closest game I could find to fit the criteria. I had a hard time picking it. Do I believe BYU can beat Nevada? I don't know. Just don't get angry if I'm right.
UPSET SPECIAL:
Prediction: Cougars 38, Wolfpack 35
5 PM, New Mexico State Aggies at Kansas Jayhawks.
As we all know, the Aggies are one of the worst teams in the nation. They really do suck. They lost at home to a poor San Diego State team and then got crushed on the road at UTEP. It does, however, seem like New Mexico State is at least scoring some points every now and then. Unfortunately, they have not been consistent with Matt Christian under center. Speaking of roller coasters, how about the Kansas Jayhawks?! They only scored 3 points in a home loss to FCS school North Dakota State (WTF!!!!????!? Seriously?!?!?!?!?!), beat a ranked Georgia Tech Yellowjacket team 28-25, and ultimately lost on the road to Southern Mississippi 31-16. As schizophrenic as Kansas has been, they should handle the Aggies at home pretty easily.
Prediction: Jayhawks 28, Aggies 10
5 PM, Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.
This is a hard game to predict. The Bulldogs kicked off the season with a road victory over a really bad Grambling team 20-6. Then they proceeded to lose two straight against Texas A & M and Navy. The offensive numbers have not been impressive for QB’s Colby Cameron and Ross Jenkins (both have started games, Cameron in the last two). Maybe then need to switch back to Jenkins to win. Who knows? A banged up Phillip Livas has been less than stellar, as he was supposed to be the star of the team. Southern Miss has been playing very well. After a tough opening road loss at South Carolina, the Golden Eagles have taken two straight (the exact opposite of LA. Tech). QB Austin Davis gets the job done very well and has some weapons to hand off and pass to. The Bulldogs usually play well at home, but with a new coach and a lack of confidence, the upper-tier mid-major should win on the road.
Prediction: Golden Eagles 35, Bulldogs 24
6 PM, San Jose State Spartans at Utah Utes.
We could possibly dub this game “the battle of the mid-majors.” But since the Spartans play like a FCS or a division 2 school, that would not be accurate. A better one may be “the slaughter in Salt Lake.” San Jose State is 1-2, getting stomped on the road by two ranked BCS schools and then barely beating FCS school Southern Utah last week at home 16-11. QB Jordan La Secla (his name sounds like it belongs to a kicker) has been decent, but has few weapons to utilize. The Utes are 3-0 and ranked 13th in the nation in the AP and media polls. Did I mention they are hosting the Spartans at Rice-Eccles Stadium for this game? Even with starting quarterback Jordan Wynn questionable with a hand injury, back up Terrence Cain will own San Jose State. They are way to good and the game will be a rout.
Prediction, Utes 55, Spartans 16
6 PM, Utah State Aggies at San Diego State Aztecs.
As mentioned last week, Utah State has itself a second year coach and they are well on their way to becoming a respectable, winning program. Last week’s setback against Fresno State shows that they still have a lot of work to do, even after nearly upsetting ranked Oklahoma on the road the week before. On the bright side, QB Diondre Borel is making defenses look silly week in and week out. As a dual threat leader, the Aggies are averaging a middle-of-the-pack 28.7 points a game, which is a considerable step up from previous years. As a matter of fact, Utah State ranks in the middle of all FBS schools in total defense and offense. Like I said, they are getting better. What the Aggies are to the WAC, the Aztecs are to the Mountain West, which is a bottom level team that is slowly improving. In fact, San Diego State is racking up the yardage at 511.3 per game, good for 9th nationwide. They rank in the top third in all other general categories. QB Ryan Lindley is doing a great job of distributing the ball and making plays, and that is why they are currently sitting with a winning record at 2-1. As much as I would like to see Utah State pick up the road win and score one more for the WAC over the MWC, I don’t see it happening.
Prediction: Aztecs 35, Aggies 24
9:30 PM, Charleston Southern Buccaneers at Hawai’I Rainbow Warriors.
As is customary with just about every Hawai’I team since the dawn of time, the Rainbow Warriors are putting up ridiculous offensive numbers, but can’t stop anybody on defense to save their lives. Hawai’I lost an epic battle at home against USC on opening night, but then traveled to Westpoint, NY (some 5,000 miles or so) and notched a big win. Then the high, oxygen-lacking air in Boulder, CO did them in for their second loss. QB Bryant Moniz is chucking the ball all over the yard, mainly to WR Greg Salas, and the Rainbow Warriors are scoring, boasting a 26.7 points per game average. Too bad they are giving up 36 a game at the same time. However, their opponent, the CSU Buccaneers are a FCS school that will travel almost that same distance from the East Coast to Hawai’i. At 2-1, I won’t say much about them, other than they play in a league against such football powerhouses as Stony Brook, Liberty, Gardner-Webb, and the Virginia Military Academy. Yeah.
Prediction: Rainbow Warriors 42, Buccaneers 21
6 PM, ABC, Oregon State Beavers at Boise State Broncos.
Here it is folks, and it should be a dandy. Boise State comes off a complete smack down of the Wyoming Cowboys, flying high and ready for more. Kellen Moore looked good, but not great. The rushing onslaught of Doug Martin, DJ Harper, and Jeremy Avery looks as terrifying for opponents as any other running back group in the country. It also helps that the offensive line is opening up holes large enough for Jaba the Hut to carry the ball through (I must mention fullback Dan Paul, who is as good as a lead blocker as there is). If Austin Pettis can stay on the field (i.e. no flipping into the end zone after a beautiful flea flicker pass from Moore, for which he subsequently gets benched), then the offense should do everything it wants to and there will not be any sort of a letdown. I will say this; the Oregon State Beavers are not the Wyoming Cowboys. What I mean is that with Jacquizz Rodgers in the backfield, the Broncos will not be able to hold them to -22 yards rushing. At the same time, Boise State needs to come up big in stopping Quizz and make sophomore QB Ryan Katz one-dimensional. The problem with making Katz throw is Jacquizz’s brother James is as dangerous and explosive as little bro is. So pick your poison. Speaking of Katz, he has struggled completing passes, with a percentage of just over 47 (compare that to just over 63% for Kellen Moore). He has not, however, thrown an interception this year and has 4 touchdowns. The numbers aren’t that great thus far, but remember, the Beavers opened up against TCU, and that Horned Frog defense will slap you in the face, hard. As the Beavers are ranked 24th in the AP poll, this will be a stiff test for the Broncos. Their defense is in the lower 2/3 of all FBS schools, but is lead by a man-yeti known as Stephen Paea. He will clog up the middle and will be a huge obstacle for the Broncos running game to get through, or around, or over. The Beavers sure are getting ready, as they painted their practice field blue (the purpose of doing so is still unknown). This year’ Boise State team is good enough to win the Pac 10, and I think they could beat Oregon State at home or on the road. The Beavers will come into Bronco Stadium and will have so much to deal with and fight against; they won’t stand much of a chance. Broncos win big and keep their dreams alive for one more week.
Prediction: Broncos 41, Beavers 20
Alright, let me know what you think of my picks. I will have a re-cap of the weekend's action either Sunday or Monday, including how I did with my selections. Also, as mentioned, I will be at Bronco Stadium on Saturday to cheer on the Broncos. It is going to be a crazy scene and I will post pictures as soon as I can. Finally, check back in tomorrow for my Weekly PTW. It will be a lot of fun!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The WAC Takes it to Court
So I figured that I better chime in on what is going on in the Western Athletic Conference before it either becomes a non-story or blows up into a huge national headliner. Let me try and set the table first, in a nutshell; Back in July, the BYU Cougars hinted that they were looking to leave the Mountain West Conference, become independent in football, and join the WAC in all other sports (they did leave the MWC, but joined the West Coast Conference in most other sports). WAC commissioner Karl Benson really liked that idea, but only if the rest of his conference stayed in place (Boise State was already leaving long before all this went down). So he put in place a fee wherein any team wanting to leave would have to pay the conference 5 million dollars, but it only applies to the first team that bolts. Also, they have to let him know by July 1st in order to leave after the subsequent season. The moment BYU got serious about leaving, MWC commissioner Craig Thompson was on the phone inviting WAC schools Fresno State and Nevada to join BSU as WAC defectors. They agreed, but on July 18th, well beyond the deadline date to leave after the coming school year. This is exactly what Karl Benson was trying to prevent from happening when he instituted the fee; a mass exodus from his conference. Too bad for him. But now the controversy is whether both schools have to pay the 5 million dollars, or only one, can they share it, and when can they leave the WAC officially?
Here is the story from Yahoo! News about what the WAC and commissioner Karl Benson are doing to keep Nevada and Fresno State in the conference until after the 2011 season. The story says that the lawsuit doesn't mention the 5 million dollars owed, but it does say that the WAC is entitled to "compensation as the court sees fit." Whatever that means. Benson also says that the money is a separate issue, which I'm pretty sure it is not. I don't see how it can be a separate issue. Maybe that's why I'm not a lawyer and never dreamed of being one. As one would expect, the Wolfpack and the Bulldogs are not very happy about the legal proceedings and both feel it could have been discussed and settled outside of court. The word "unfortunate" is used by their university presidents to describe the situation. That's how you know it's serious. So someone is lying. Either they weren't returning Benson's phone calls, or Benson jumped the gun a little bit and is making it a bigger deal than it should be.
Here is my take on it; When the remaining WAC schools agreed on the exiting fee (after Boise State had said they were leaving but before Nevada and Fresno), the agreement said that only the first school would have to pay up, not multiple schools if there happened to be more than one. So which of the two schools announced their intentions first? That is the 5 million dollar question. The WAC is trying to get the fee from both schools, which is redonculous. If they left simultaneously, then they should split it, right? The Mountain West has offered to help them pay the fee, but we first need to know what the fee is going to be and who has to pay it. What a mess. I think that they should just split the fee, get it over with, and Karl Benson needs to not be so butt hurt about his conference going down the toilet (pun intended). You and the WAC will survive. You have before when the creation of the Mountain West literally reduced your conference into almost nothing. Get over it and look to the future, you have a lot of work to do, and probably quite a few sleepless nights. As ridiculous as it may sound, that is only half of the story and apparently not the issue in the lawsuit.
The Bulldogs and the Wolfpack want to leave for the Mountain West after this current season, meaning they would compete in MWC play next year at this time. But the WAC says July 1st was the deadline to announce intentions and both universities missed it, so they must stay until after the 2011 season. Benson says something about it that makes a lot of sense; "The damages the WAC could incur if Fresno State and Nevada left early are very, very significant, That's what has driven this: to protect the assets of the WAC as a corporate entity." What he is saying is that if he loses Boise State, Fresno State, and Nevada all at the same time, he is left with San Jose State, New Mexico State, Louisiana Tech, Idaho, Hawai'i, and Utah State. That is bad enough to put Benson on suicide watch. That's not an athletic conference, that is a list of the cellar dwellers of a conference that isn't that great to begin with! At the same time, I expect Louisiana Tech to join the MAC or Conference USA sometime soon so as to play games closer to home. Also, Hawai'i will go independent within the next couple of years.
Think about it, who is there to replace these defecting schools? UC Davis? Portland State? Sacramento State? Montana? The WAC is in a world of hurt. Also, financially, the WAC would not survive without its three cash cow schools. So Nevada and Fresno State should stay put until 2012, they at least owe that to the conference that has been so good to them since joining. The future of the WAC is in doubt and Benson is trying to hold on to what he can for as long as he can. What else is there to do? You would do the same thing.
Here is the story from Yahoo! News about what the WAC and commissioner Karl Benson are doing to keep Nevada and Fresno State in the conference until after the 2011 season. The story says that the lawsuit doesn't mention the 5 million dollars owed, but it does say that the WAC is entitled to "compensation as the court sees fit." Whatever that means. Benson also says that the money is a separate issue, which I'm pretty sure it is not. I don't see how it can be a separate issue. Maybe that's why I'm not a lawyer and never dreamed of being one. As one would expect, the Wolfpack and the Bulldogs are not very happy about the legal proceedings and both feel it could have been discussed and settled outside of court. The word "unfortunate" is used by their university presidents to describe the situation. That's how you know it's serious. So someone is lying. Either they weren't returning Benson's phone calls, or Benson jumped the gun a little bit and is making it a bigger deal than it should be.
Here is my take on it; When the remaining WAC schools agreed on the exiting fee (after Boise State had said they were leaving but before Nevada and Fresno), the agreement said that only the first school would have to pay up, not multiple schools if there happened to be more than one. So which of the two schools announced their intentions first? That is the 5 million dollar question. The WAC is trying to get the fee from both schools, which is redonculous. If they left simultaneously, then they should split it, right? The Mountain West has offered to help them pay the fee, but we first need to know what the fee is going to be and who has to pay it. What a mess. I think that they should just split the fee, get it over with, and Karl Benson needs to not be so butt hurt about his conference going down the toilet (pun intended). You and the WAC will survive. You have before when the creation of the Mountain West literally reduced your conference into almost nothing. Get over it and look to the future, you have a lot of work to do, and probably quite a few sleepless nights. As ridiculous as it may sound, that is only half of the story and apparently not the issue in the lawsuit.
The Bulldogs and the Wolfpack want to leave for the Mountain West after this current season, meaning they would compete in MWC play next year at this time. But the WAC says July 1st was the deadline to announce intentions and both universities missed it, so they must stay until after the 2011 season. Benson says something about it that makes a lot of sense; "The damages the WAC could incur if Fresno State and Nevada left early are very, very significant, That's what has driven this: to protect the assets of the WAC as a corporate entity." What he is saying is that if he loses Boise State, Fresno State, and Nevada all at the same time, he is left with San Jose State, New Mexico State, Louisiana Tech, Idaho, Hawai'i, and Utah State. That is bad enough to put Benson on suicide watch. That's not an athletic conference, that is a list of the cellar dwellers of a conference that isn't that great to begin with! At the same time, I expect Louisiana Tech to join the MAC or Conference USA sometime soon so as to play games closer to home. Also, Hawai'i will go independent within the next couple of years.
Think about it, who is there to replace these defecting schools? UC Davis? Portland State? Sacramento State? Montana? The WAC is in a world of hurt. Also, financially, the WAC would not survive without its three cash cow schools. So Nevada and Fresno State should stay put until 2012, they at least owe that to the conference that has been so good to them since joining. The future of the WAC is in doubt and Benson is trying to hold on to what he can for as long as he can. What else is there to do? You would do the same thing.
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