watchmaker49 Posted September 17, 2012 Posted September 17, 2012 UND doesn't charter for all sports. I'm pretty sure that even basketball doesn't fly charter. The distance makes the biggest difference for the non-revenue sports. Track, golf, baseball, softball, soccer, etc. all have to travel but they aren't going to fly charter and would drive any place they possible could. Unfortunately, there are a limited number of smaller Division I programs so they all have to travel long distances. NMSU has been in the WAC for a while so they are used to traveling. The Big Sky would not be a problem for them as far as travel is concerned. The 2 main questions are would NMSU be willing to take what they would consider a step down to the Big Sky, and would the Big Sky be interested in another school that is somewhat outside the conference footprint. 82SG aren't all these teams a lot smaller than the football and hockey teams? Second thought scrap that thought since some of these teams would be as big as the hockey team. Somebody has to know how everyone travels around. Baseball and golf both go south in the winter to play. Golf team small enough to fit on an RJ-200 but the baseball team must go on a long bus ride though. The rest maybe flies sometimes but they do have a real sweet bus or two to travel in. I remember the hockey team having issues flying to Mich Tech on the Saab-340s. Couldn't hold the team and stuff at the same time. Quote
darell1976 Posted September 17, 2012 Posted September 17, 2012 distance between conference schools doesn't mean much anymore for schools like und that charter to most sporting events...i'm assuming that nmsu would be the same in terms of having enough money to fly to whatever conference ends up taking them? ask most athletes would you rather fly a few hours west to missoula, mt (und) or bus 4-6 hours to fort wayne, in (ndac, sdsu, usd, omaha, uni) I would rather drive to Missoula instead of Ft. Wayne.....much better scenery. Quote
watchmaker49 Posted September 18, 2012 Posted September 18, 2012 I would rather drive to Missoula instead of Ft. Wayne.....much better scenery. I would rather drive to Missoula instead of Ft. Wayne.....much better scenery. Second that one. Mapquest, for what it's worth, has GF to Fort Wayne taking 14:30 hours and GF to Missoula 15 hours. It is a little further to Missoula than Ft. Wayne. I think with having to deal with the drive between Madison and Ft. Wayne around Chicago would suck. It took me 16 hours to drive from Idaho Falls to GF in January and it would take at least an hour less to Missoula than that run did. I also thnk it would or could take at least another 2 hours to get to Ft. Wayne because of traffic. Nice casual kicked back drive to Missoula and pain in the butt drive all the way from St. Cloud to Ft. Wayne. Quote
Hayduke Posted September 18, 2012 Posted September 18, 2012 I was checking the box score for their first game against Sac State. 12,100 attendance. Now, if that it typical, it would seem that they would probably fit FCS better than as an FBS independent. It wouldn't surprise me if they (NMSU) would want to drop to FCS and into the Big Sky Conference. http://www.nmstatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=583&DB_OEM_ID=1900&ATCLID=205672041 Now, their next home game is against U of New Mexico. That isn't going to be a normal attendance figure. Quote
bincitysioux Posted September 18, 2012 Posted September 18, 2012 82SG aren't all these teams a lot smaller than the football and hockey teams? Second thought scrap that thought since some of these teams would be as big as the hockey team. Somebody has to know how everyone travels around. Baseball and golf both go south in the winter to play. Golf team small enough to fit on an RJ-200 but the baseball team must go on a long bus ride though. The rest maybe flies sometimes but they do have a real sweet bus or two to travel in. I remember the hockey team having issues flying to Mich Tech on the Saab-340s. Couldn't hold the team and stuff at the same time. All the teams will fly to Big Sky venues. The football team charters for every game. The rest fly commercial. I believe UND has policy that if it is more than 500 miles they have to fly, whether it is golf or football. I don't know what the hockey team does, as far as charter vs. commercial when they fly. I know they hate going to Michigan Tech, because they ride a bus to somewhere like Duluth and then hope that they can find a plane willing to land in Houghton........... Quote
82SiouxGuy Posted September 18, 2012 Posted September 18, 2012 All the teams will fly to Big Sky venues. The football team charters for every game. The rest fly commercial. I believe UND has policy that if it is more than 500 miles they have to fly, whether it is golf or football. I don't know what the hockey team does, as far as charter vs. commercial when they fly. I know they hate going to Michigan Tech, because they ride a bus to somewhere like Duluth and then hope that they can find a plane willing to land in Houghton........... I thought that the hockey team drove all the way to Houghton. They drive to Duluth, spend the night, then drive the rest of the way the next day. Quote
bincitysioux Posted September 18, 2012 Posted September 18, 2012 I think the writing is on the wall that Idaho is headed to the Big Sky for ALL sports in the near future. Given that, I think that the Big Sky will be done with pre-emptive expansion. Geographically or instituitionally, I don't think NMSU is a bad fit for the Big Sky. Just think there won't be room for them. Fullerton doesn't want to go beyond 14 full members, because if you do, you basically have two conferences: See WAC circa late 1990's................. Quote
bincitysioux Posted September 18, 2012 Posted September 18, 2012 I thought that the hockey team drove all the way to Houghton. They drive to Duluth, spend the night, then drive the rest of the way the next day. You may be right. All I know is it is hard to get to Houghton.................... Quote
82SiouxGuy Posted September 18, 2012 Posted September 18, 2012 You're right, there is no easy way to get to Houghton. I think the hockey team drives to all WCHA games except Alaska and the 2 Colorado schools. The Big Sky will involve a lot of air miles. But so did the Great West and that wasn't nearly as much fun. Quote
bincitysioux Posted September 18, 2012 Posted September 18, 2012 You're right, there is no easy way to get to Houghton. I think the hockey team drives to all WCHA games except Alaska and the 2 Colorado schools. The Big Sky will involve a lot of air miles. But so did the Great West and that wasn't nearly as much fun. FWIW, I'd rather have our football team on a two hour plane ride en route to Greeley, CO than on a 7 hour bus ride to Cedar Falls, IA. Big Sky detractors always point to the travel involved with Big Sky membership. In reality, it may cost the University more, but I bet the players enjoy and benefit alot more from short plane rides versus long bus rides.................... Quote
UNDvince97-01 Posted September 18, 2012 Posted September 18, 2012 FWIW, I'd rather have our football team on a two hour plane ride en route to Greeley, CO than on a 7 hour bus ride to Cedar Falls, IA. Big Sky detractors always point to the travel involved with Big Sky membership. In reality, it may cost the University more, but I bet the players enjoy and benefit alot more from short plane rides versus long bus rides.................... This should be used as a HUGE recruiting tool, and I'm sure it already is......it better be. Would you rather bus to Iowa, South Dakota, Illinois, and probably fly to Indiana, Missouri etc?.... OR... Fly everywhere out west and see the countryside and warm weather in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Idaho, Arizona and Montana? Honest question, Mr. High School Football Recruit... Quote
watchmaker49 Posted September 18, 2012 Posted September 18, 2012 All the teams will fly to Big Sky venues. The football team charters for every game. The rest fly commercial. I believe UND has policy that if it is more than 500 miles they have to fly, whether it is golf or football. I don't know what the hockey team does, as far as charter vs. commercial when they fly. I know they hate going to Michigan Tech, because they ride a bus to somewhere like Duluth and then hope that they can find a plane willing to land in Houghton........... I feel sorry for the BB team having to fly on an RJ200. At only 5'9" it sucks for me. Think of how bad it would suck at 6'5". I wonder if the baseball team doesn't fly to Texas or Florida and then charter a bus when they get there to go from campus to campus, which would make sense. Someone call the athletic department and find out please. Quote
bincitysioux Posted October 5, 2012 Posted October 5, 2012 Tom Miller just tweeted this: The Provo Herald is reporting Utah Valley to the WAC. It'll be interesting to see reaction. Quote
UNDColorado Posted October 5, 2012 Posted October 5, 2012 The Provo Herald is reporting that Utah Valley will be joining the WAC...How does this impact the Big Sky (if at all)? Quote
UNDColorado Posted October 5, 2012 Posted October 5, 2012 Tom Miller just tweeted this: Ha quicker on the trigger! Quote
The Sicatoka Posted October 5, 2012 Posted October 5, 2012 http://www.heraldextra.com/sports/college/uvu/source-uvu-gets-wac-invite/article_e9f3b48e-0f1e-11e2-99ec-001a4bcf887a.html The article says CSU-Bakersfield and UVU both. I have no idea how the academic sides of the house at Idaho and DU will put up with that. Quote
The Sicatoka Posted October 5, 2012 Posted October 5, 2012 How does this impact the Big Sky (if at all)? The WAC going after UVU and CSU-Bakersfield tells me that nobody else on the WAC's "wish list" wanted in. The WAC "wish list", knowing Idaho and Denver, was probably the top four or five academic schools from the Big Sky. It also signals that the WAC is becoming an Olympic sports conference (UVU and CSU-Bake don't sponsor football). Quote
UND92,96 Posted October 5, 2012 Posted October 5, 2012 I wonder if the WAC will also add UT Pan American and Houston Baptist soon? Quote
The Sicatoka Posted October 5, 2012 Posted October 5, 2012 I wonder if the WAC will also add UT Pan American and Houston Baptist soon? I would not bet against at least one of those two. The WAC needs a seventh member (and that assumes Idaho stays in the WAC and doesn't join the Big Sky). Quote
SIOUXFAN97 Posted October 5, 2012 Posted October 5, 2012 I wonder if the WAC will also add UT Pan American and Houston Baptist soon? houston baptist got into the southland conference and is adding fb this year or next so they will be happy there not so sure where ut-pa will end up but by looking at their name they would be perfect for the ncc2.1 as a travel partner to unipui? and if they do would they try to fool everyone by being only refered to as the university of texas? Quote
dakotadan Posted October 5, 2012 Posted October 5, 2012 The president at NMSU went on a leave last week and then put in her resignation earlier this week. It appears that she was highly encouraged to resign (read forced out) but so far not a lot of information coming out of NMSU. She was the acting President of the WAC Board of Directors. http://www.abqjourna...perboy=loggedin Quote
darell1976 Posted October 5, 2012 Posted October 5, 2012 Is it safe to say the Great West Conference is dead or is it still alive with NJIT and Chicago State. Quote
UND92,96 Posted October 5, 2012 Posted October 5, 2012 http://www.heraldext...1a4bcf887a.html The article says CSU-Bakersfield and UVU both. I have no idea how the academic sides of the house at Idaho and DU will put up with that. According to tweets from at least one person supposedly "in the know", Idaho is now leaning towards staying in the WAC rather than moving to the Big Sky, believe it or not: https://twitter.com/TheMattPetersen Quote
fgoSioux Posted October 8, 2012 Posted October 8, 2012 This should be used as a HUGE recruiting tool, and I'm sure it already is......it better be. Would you rather bus to Iowa, South Dakota, Illinois, and probably fly to Indiana, Missouri etc?.... OR... Fly everywhere out west and see the countryside and warm weather in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Idaho, Arizona and Montana? Honest question, Mr. High School Football Recruit... You are forgetting one thing. The family of the recruit. Playing teams in the Midwest allows families to drive to the games. Flying to every away game is very expensive. I would call this a disadvantage. Quote
homer Posted October 8, 2012 Posted October 8, 2012 You are forgetting one thing. The family of the recruit. Playing teams in the Midwest allows families to drive to the games. Flying to every away game is very expensive. I would call this a disadvantage. With the internet and being able to watch every road game on TV this is becoming less and less important. I think you are over estimating the number of families amongst the team that go to every single road game. There are some that do so and those that do have the option to fly with the team on the charter for a couple hundred dollars. Quote
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