Big Sky/WAC Merger

[dmksioux]

Ummm....this is interesting. Work with me here...

Ok, a friend of mine in GF swears he saw WAC Commissioner Jeff Hurd on campus this week.

And don't ask me how he knows what Jeff Hurd looks like. All I know is that Hurd is a Minot native and my "older" friend happens to be from Minot originally.

Let the speculation begin...

EDIT: What a post for #800

It was reported that the BSC and the WAC had begun talking again last weekend. The talks didn't break off until a couple of days ago, so Hurd could have been on campus prior to the talks being broken off. At this point, it really is hard to know what to believe. Common sense would say that western schools would like to see the WAC survive, if for nothing else, it keeps an BB autobid in play. Another reason to think Western Shools would like to see it survive would be because it would be the "easiest" route for a school to go "FBS." Lose the WAC and the only Western FBS conferences are the PAC-1X and The MWC. Not alot of open spots in those two conferences. Although I don't believe the WAC will survive, there are viable reasons as to why it could/should. Until the four remaining WAC schools have signed on with another conference, anything is possible I guess.

[UNDvince97-01]

The current WAC -

Denver: Faison worked with them to form the NCHC and knows them from the WCHA.

Idaho: GF Herald story today has Faison saying their AD Rob Spear is an old friend.

New Mexico State: Faison was the AD there before coming here.

Seattle: No know Faison connection.

That the end of today's "Six Degrees of Brian Faison".

Then again, Hurd could be on campus because he's a Minot guy, he was the WAC's media coordinator (a position Sean Johnson just left at UND) for a long time before being named WAC interim commissioner, and he may be out of a job soon (if the WAC folds).

That would make sense.

[NYSioux]

Okay, I don't want to be a conspiracy theorist, but does anyone find it odd that the University of Idaho AD tweeted that the vote was only "to only EXPLORE independent football and Big Sky membership...nothing official."

The capitalized letters courtesy of Rob Spear, not myself. Why would the AD feel the need to put that out there and then on top of that place emphasis on the word EXPLORE. Maybe, I'm just grasping at straws, who knows. Perhaps this last breath of speculation on my part will be put to rest when the next statement is released.

Either way, I am absolutely happy that UND is part of the Big Sky, but intrigued about what the possibilities of a WAC/Big Sky merger could offer.

[The Sicatoka]

I noticed Spear's emphasis on "EXPLORE" also in his tweet.

Is suspect that was spin control because you know there has to be lots of turmoil and dissention in his fan base right now.

[The Sicatoka]

Thursday will be three weeks.

Cratter for the win here. Yesterday (Thursday, three weeks) is when the Idaho AD tweets out that they're going to EXPLORE the option of the Big Sky.

[GeauxSioux]

http://mbd.scout.com...=3864&t=9239644

Idaho SBOE on conference call. Idaho fans listening to call and commenting on their board.

[Teeder11]

Brian Murphy says Idaho wants flexibility to negotiate move to Big Sky in football, if need be.

I never thought play-by-play of a State Board meeting could be so riveting!

[NYSioux]

Brian Murphy ‏@murphsturph

Idaho State Board approves Idaho's motion, 5-1. Idaho can go to Big Sky in football without coming back to the Board.

[Cratter]

What a perfect time for the NCAA to enforce their FBS rule. Why would any conference want Idaho knowing any day the NCAA could kick them out.

Here is hoping people are paying attention to what's happening at Idaho and making sure these things never happen to UND. If ya ask me UND/Grand Forks need to start now with a plan to upgrade and expand the Alerus.

Informative stuff on the Vandals message board.

Is the WAC dead yet? Does the MWC add NMSU now that Idaho is out of the way?

[gfhockey]

Ummm....this is interesting. Work with me here...

Ok, a friend of mine in GF swears he saw WAC Commissioner Jeff Hurd on campus this week.

And don't ask me how he knows what Jeff Hurd looks like. All I know is that Hurd is a Minot native and my "older" friend happens to be from Minot originally.

Let the speculation begin...

EDIT: What a post for #800

That guy i'm prretty sure was with faison thursday night at a chamber of commerce event "Business after hours" at the alerus center

[darell1976]

What a perfect time for the NCAA to enforce their FBS rule. Why would any conference want Idaho knowing any day the NCAA could kick them out.

Here is hoping people are paying attention to what's happening at Idaho and making sure these things never happen to UND. If ya ask me UND/Grand Forks need to start now with a plan to upgrade and expand the Alerus.

Informative stuff on the Vandals message board.

Is the WAC dead yet? Does the MWC add NMSU now that Idaho is out of the way?

They won't because half the MAC would be in the FCS.

[The Sicatoka]

Seems the WAC is all but done as a football conference.

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_21355122/wac-drop-football-after-2012-season

Additionally, if that was Hurd around Grand Forks with Faison last week it would lead me to believe Hurd was looking for a job (probably replacing Sean Johnson).

[GeauxSioux]

Seems the WAC is all but done as a football conference.

http://www.denverpos...ter-2012-season

Additionally, if that was Hurd around Grand Forks with Faison last week it would lead me to believe Hurd was looking for a job (probably replacing Sean Johnson).

or maybe the WAC isn't done and they are messing with all of us...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0X0ZYbnHxA

[The Sicatoka]

or maybe the WAC isn't done and they are messing with all of us...

If you're right it'll be the greatest rope-a-dope since Ali left the ring.

[dmksioux]

name='The Sicatoka' timestamp='1345493962' post='571418']

Seems the WAC is all but done as a football conference.

http://www.denverpos...ter-2012-season[

Additionally, if that was Hurd around Grand Forks with Faison last week it would lead me to believe Hurd was looking for a job (probably replacing Sean Johnson).

According to Brian Murphy, the WAC isn't done yet. Here's a few of his tweets from a couple of hours ago:

Brian Murphy ‏@murphsturph

Hurd: "We didn't make any announcement that we were quitting football." Admits it will be difficult to keep football going

and...

Brian Murphy ‏@murphsturph

WAC commish Hurd tells me football is out for 2013, trying to keep league alive in '13-14, then worry about football for 14 and beyond

Here's a link to his twitter account... http://twitter.com/murphsturph

[andtheHomeoftheSIOUX!!]

What does it mean???

[The Sicatoka]

What does it mean???

That's easy. Either ...

(a) the world's greatest conference rope-a-dope is being played out masterfully by Hurd and the WAC, or

(b) there's no one at the helm of the WACtanic and it's iceberg dead ahead.

[GeauxSioux]

There are still rumblings here and there about some kind of deal between the WAC and Big Sky. I read some of Sica's take on the WAC board, in regards to Denver and Idaho taking control of the situation and modeling the WAC how they want it and I think that is part of the problem.

The 4 schools who will left in the WAC after the 2012-2013 need to make a commitment to hold it together. They can't make this work and/or expect anyone to join if they already have a foot out the door or are waiting for phone to ring from the MWC.

In this age where loyalty is fleeting the 4 need to make a pact with each other for a concrete time frame to stay and hold it together. Why would Montana, Portland or anyone else want to join if NMSU leaves in 2014? Or Idaho in 2015? The WAC and Big Sky presidents need to work together to save the WAC or that BB autobid is lost and a hole will be left in the west for FBS football. None of the schools that have aspirations of one day wanting to move up to FBS will have that opportunity.

Once they have a foundation, (committed schools) Hurd can start building, but they need the foundation first. If you build it, they will come.

[IrishSiouxFan]

If you're Idaho being in a conference with academic institutions like UND, UM, MSU, and UC Davis is not so bad, but do you also want to be affiliated with UNC, EWU, PSU, NAU and Weber State? This isn't just a drop for them athletically but socially as well. Likewise, UND, UM, MSU, and UC Davis should be thinking about their piers in the long run. I know some on here think that Denver has little to offer a conference in terms of athletics outside of hockey, but they have tremendous academic value and could have a lot of regional potential if they could find a way to fund a football team. I agree that the WAC is not stable and no one will or should touch it, but what about the ideal of creating a stable mid-west conference composed of flag ship institutions? I wouldn't be at all surprised if something like that isn't already in the works.

[The Sicatoka]

... but what about the ideal of creating a stable mid-west conference composed of flag ship institutions?

The vessel to do that already exists, and it's called the WAC.

If Idaho and Denver put their foot down and said, "We will rebuild" to NMSU and Seattle something might start to happen. As long as they (any of the WAC4) are shopping the WAC is unviable.

[IrishSiouxFan]

The Dakotas as well as the Montana schools are plagued with a "dream small" mentality. They will always find a reason why they shouldn't make the jump. Look how long it has taken UND to get to the FCS level and now that we're here we lack the facilities to take advantage of the WAC FBS option. I wonder what UND athletics would look like today if Ralph Engelstad played football instead of hockey?

[UNDColorado]

The Dakotas as well as the Montana schools are plagued with a "dream small" mentality. They will always find a reason why they shouldn't make the jump. Look how long it has taken UND to get to the FCS level and now that we're here we lack the facilities to take advantage of the WAC FBS option. I wonder what UND athletics would look like today if Ralph Engelstad played football instead of hockey?

We should have been playing FCS 25 years ago...

[The Sicatoka]

Well, some of this is playing out officially:

Boise State goes from WAC to Big West -- http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2012/08/24/ccripe/boise_state_joins_big_west_most_sports_agrees_25_million_entry_f

WAC officially down to four (Idaho, Denver, NMSU, Seattle).

[darell1976]

Well, some of this is playing out officially:

Boise State goes from WAC to Big West -- http://voices.idahos...million_entry_f

WAC officially down to four (Idaho, Denver, NMSU, Seattle).

Big Sky football still has open arms. Independent is no place to go.

[Herd]

Why would NMSU stick around for a WAC without FBS football or discussions with the Big Sky? If the Big Sky was going to "allocate" schools to the WAC in a joint venture to keep a western BB bid, there still won't be FBS football. So basically NMSU is gone for all practical purposes, trying to find a crack in the door somewhere else to keep football at the top level.

It's too bad that there are not another 6 FCS schools in the west or central region willing to jump to the WAC for FBS football. If there were still 3 or 4 others schools beside NMSU and Idaho in WAC playing football, it would be more intriguing to consider.

With Montana saying no to FBS football in the WAC, this thing is likely dead. Montana might have been able to pull 3 or 4 schools with them if they had bought in to the move.