Great West Football Conference

[jimdahl]

Not much talk here about the Great West, the conference most likely to first accept UND after it's move to D-I. Do people think it's just such a slam dunk that there's nothing to talk about? An outlook on their current membership situation: Great West -- Already at the crossroads

Northern Colorado exits for the Big Sky this year, leaving the football-only Great West with just five participants. With only four conference games, league members were forced to find seven non-conference opponents, and every team in the conference was left with more road games than home dates and at least one road stretch of three straight games or more. With expansion leading to more league games in the Big Sky and the Southland, scheduling non-conference opponents is only going to get tougher for Great West teams.

There could be some good news on the horizon for the Great West. North Dakota expects to move up to Division I in 2008 and would be a candidate for the sixth spot in the league, and a handful of other members from the Division II North Central Conference are at least potential candidates to move up to Division I.

[bincitysioux]

Yeah I think it is a slam dunk. Cal-Poly and UC Davis have wanted the GWFC to be permanent and stable thing from the beginning, they would love to see it grow and will probably jump at the chance to have a quality program like UND join. With NDSU and SDSU joining the Mid-Con, that means their near-term future also lies in the GWFC. They may have Gateway aspirations, but that is many many years down the road, if at all. SUU, to my knowledge, has trouble getting quality programs to come play at their place. Plus, SUU has the Big Sky on speed-dial, so the other four members will need to guard against losing them, however unlikely it may be. I think UND will likely get a unanimous invitation when the time comes. The only hang-up is, I think alot of Sioux fans are expecting us to be in the GWFC in our first year in 2008. I think it is pretty likely it won't be until 2009. In 2008, we will still count to opponents as a DII. In that same year all five members of the GWFC will be eligible for the playoffs (only Poly and SUU are now). With no autobid, none of these schools are going to want to hurt their chances of getting an at-large bid by playing against a "non-counter". I think 2008 is going to be a really ugly year scheduling wise. I shouldn't say I think.....I know it will. Think of NDSU's schedules in 2004-05.

[star2city]

Surprising, Steve Hallstrom doesn't think too highly of the Great West in his latest blog:

The Great West has 3 great programs, one good one and one also-ran (SUU). But the conference as a whole, because of it's size, is a bit of a joke.

Hallstrom also believes the Big Sky is the place to be:

A couple stray Midcon thoughts: First, as great as this news is for most of the coaches, the Big Sky is still the best league out there for NDSU as a whole, because of football. I've said it many times, basketball gets you the notoriety, football gets you the money. And in teh Big Sky there are automatic bids.

[bincitysioux]

Also from the blog:

I bet they're secretly hoping this Midcon alignment will one day lead to an invite to the Gateway. Add the dakota schools to get to 10? Just look at how the affiliations and friendships with Douple led to the Midcon thing--could happen in football when all these guys get to know each other.

I'm sure that NDSU probably will make overtures to get into the Gateway, it is a wonderful football conference. But related to this is what Hallstrom said on the radio the day of the Mid-Con announcement. His comments that day showed what a great sports mind he truly is .

To paraphrase he said the GWFC was not a long term answer because of few numbers and no autobid, but most of the schools in the Mid-Con that have football played in the Gateway so he figured that down the road Taylor and Chapman would work that angle.

Western Illinois is in fact the only Mid-Con member that plays football in the Gateway. With the SU's now in, there are three Mid-Con schools in the GWFC. The Mid-Con controls, governs, and administrates the GWFC. It is essentially their football conference. I would think that Tom Douple and the Mid-Con will be more active in pursuing other members to join their football conference (the Great West), rather than brokering deals or doing favors to help schools get out of their football conference (the Great West), and into a different one.

IMO, the future of the GWFC is in far better condition this week than it was a week ago.

[dakotadan]

South Dakota State lost to D-III Wisconsin-LaCrosse tonite 17-3.

[supersioux]

IMO- that the powers that be need to use the GWFC as a string to get an formal invitation to the Mid Con. If the commish is serious about tying the GWFC to the Mid Con I believe that it would be a mistake to just get football in as soon as possible. I believe that this is really the only card that we hold to attempt to get a conference invite.

[Hammersmith]

I'm sorry, but you hold no cards when it comes to conference membership. That was the hardest and most humbling lesson we Bison fans learned during our reclassification. A sucessful reclassification is dependant on lots of hard work and a fair amount of luck. Even if you do all the hard work perfectly, it's not a guarantee of sucess. That is the biggest pitfall I believe you face. If anyone involved in the process at UND, from president to students to donors, starts to think that "just because NDSU suceeded, so can we", you will slacken your efforts and almost surely fail. Do your best, keep your eye on the ball, use NDSU as a model, pray for luck; that's the best thing you can do. Well, that and give lots of money to the FSC, of course.

[Gothmog]

Also from the blog:

I'm sure that NDSU probably will make overtures to get into the Gateway, it is a wonderful football conference. But related to this is what Hallstrom said on the radio the day of the Mid-Con announcement. His comments that day showed what a great sports mind he truly is .

To paraphrase he said the GWFC was not a long term answer because of few numbers and no autobid, but most of the schools in the Mid-Con that have football played in the Gateway so he figured that down the road Taylor and Chapman would work that angle.

Western Illinois is in fact the only Mid-Con member that plays football in the Gateway. With the SU's now in, there are three Mid-Con schools in the GWFC. The Mid-Con controls, governs, and administrates the GWFC. It is essentially their football conference. I would think that Tom Douple and the Mid-Con will be more active in pursuing other members to join their football conference (the Great West), rather than brokering deals or doing favors to help schools get out of their football conference (the Great West), and into a different one.

IMO, the future of the GWFC is in far better condition this week than it was a week ago.

NDSU is a founding member of the Great West Football Conference - it is their conference as much as it is anyone's. The GWFC is little more than a scheduling convenience to its members. There really isn't one member that wouldn't leave in a flash if an opportunity presented itself.

[bincitysioux]

NDSU is a founding member of the Great West Football Conference - it is their conference as much as it is anyone's. The GWFC is little more than a scheduling convenience to its members. There really isn't one member that wouldn't leave in a flash if an opportunity presented itself.

Cal-Poly and UC-Davis are two members that want nothing more than to see the GWFC endure for many many years. They have an ideal situation in the Big West, and currently aren't looking for another opportunity to present itself.

[Hammersmith]

NDSU is a founding member of the Great West Football Conference - it is their conference as much as it is anyone's. The GWFC is little more than a scheduling convenience to its members. There really isn't one member that wouldn't leave in a flash if an opportunity presented itself.

You're right, but in a funny sort of way the GWFC is the Mid-Con's conference (beyond the administering of it). While Taylor, Oien and others were driving forces to create the conference, it's my understanding that it was Douple as SUU's AD who initiated and pushed the talks. Now that he's the Mid-Con's commish, I think that some of that, rightfully, transfers over.

[johnnyroyale]

The first 2 or 3 years, UND will find all about how difficult the DI process really is. SCHEDULING. UND, if invited, will most assuredly accept a GWFC invite on the spot. That in and of itself does not take care of the rest of their sports. Deja Vu ala NDSU. The transition was a beeyotch but NDSU has made it. So can UND, if they keep their ego in check and remain realistic. The Great West, although low on members, is one hell of a football conference. That much has already been proven. If you disagree, then go out to Cal-Poly or go to Fargo and do not be surprised to see your team get schooled by 35 points, give or take 10. Oh, and don't forget about UC Davis, another very capable team. I am not a prognosticator but with the recent expansion of the Mid-Con and the Big Sky's nose in the air, the future conference affiliation for UND does not bode well. Of course, things can change but UND needs a severe does of reality and, in the next couple of years, I believe they will get just that. Welcome to DI, sioux fans. This is how things work up here. Best of luck.

[Gothmog]

Cal-Poly and UC-Davis are two members that want nothing more than to see the GWFC endure for many many years. They have an ideal situation in the Big West, and currently aren't looking for another opportunity to present itself.

You get the point. The Great West is a conference of convenience not of choice, none of its members would choose to be members if any real alternative existed. It is very likely that the GWFC will not exist in 10 years, perhaps not even in 5 years.

[tony]

I wouldn't be surprised if UC Davis ends up playing DI-A football before UND finishes its transition.

UC Davis was saying in the '90s that if they moved up, they'd be going DI-A. They haven't said much about it lately, but I kinda think that building a stadium expandable up to 30,000+ is a clue as to their intentions. My only hope is that the rule changes that allow more DI-A v DI-AA games will make DI-A less attractive.

[MplsBison]

Davis very well could go I-A. Same with Sac State. Poly will probably stay I-AA for a bit longer, though.

[bincitysioux]

Just out of curiosity, in which conference do you think that UC Davis would play IA football in? I don't see the Pac-10 or the Mountain West extending them an invitation ever. And I'd think that riding a bus up and down the California coast for Big West games is alot more appealing than flying from Hawaii to Louisiana for WAC games. If the GWFC can grow to and maintain 6-8 members, UC Davis and Cal-Poly would have ideal situations with Big West/GWFC affiliations.

[star2city]

Just out of curiosity, in which conference do you think that UC Davis would play IA football in? I don't see the Pac-10 or the Mountain West extending them an invitation ever. And I'd think that riding a bus up and down the California coast for Big West games is alot more appealing than flying from Hawaii to Louisiana for WAC games. If the GWFC can grow to and maintain 6-8 members, UC Davis and Cal-Poly would have ideal situations with Big West/GWFC affiliations.

The WAC will almost certainly take either Sac St or Davis once they get their facilities in order as a replacement for Louisiana Tech, which will say goodbye to the WAC sometime within this decade.

[MplsBison]

Not only will they get rid of Tech (CUSA or Sun Belt), but I think Hawaii will leave the WAC.

You would also be looking at a MWC raid of Boise, Nevada, and Fresno.

But assuming the WAC loses Tech and Hawaii and adds Sac State and UC Davis, here would be the new WAC:

Fresno State

San Jose State

Sac State

UC Davis

Boise State

Idaho

Utah State

New Mexico State

Nevada

Definately worth the extra travel.

[dakotadan]

I haven't noticed this posted elsewhere. But maybe I missed it with all of the excitement from the big win. It was in the forum last friday.

League Needs Work

The first words from Bob Biggs on the first-ever Great West Football Conference weekly teleconference was about two schools far away from his California Davis campus. He wondered about the Division II status of the University of North Dakota and the University of South Dakota.

It was purely in an informal, run-of-the-day comment, but the point was a good one. Like a small business trying to stay afloat, the Great West needs a shot of venture capital.

[Hansel]

Strollo said that the Gateway Conference is looking very seriously into expansion in the near future, but it will be very selective.

Finding the right institution will be the key.

"It would be nice [to expand] and it certainly would help out our scheduling problems," Strollo said.

http://www.vindy.com/content/sports/local_...35646653240.php

[bincitysioux]

Unfortunately, from a UND fan's perspective, the Gateway is a viable option for NDSU. However, I don't think that the Gateway will expand until about three years after WKU leaves (which they may or may not do). In my view, it is possible that the GWFC could have an autobid before the Gateway seriously considers expansion.

[MplsBison]

Not only possible, but plausible with the caveat that an already established DI-AA program joins the Great West. Then you're looking at 2010 as being the year when the GW can be considered for an autobid.

If NDSU were to go to the Gateway, that would probably ruin the possibility.

But I don't see why the Gateway would expand if only WKU left.

If YSU and Mo State also leave, well then you got problems.