Seattle U plans for a return to Division I

[star2city]

This has been rumored to be happening:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/cbasketball/...seattleu21.html

Seattle University next week will unveil preliminary plans to restore its once-storied basketball program and the rest of its athletic teams to NCAA Division I status, something the school gave up 26 years ago to the dismay of its followers.

In 1980, Seattle U. dropped its Division I athletic standing in favor of Division II, citing increasing costs, declining attendance and lack of student interest, a move largely orchestrated by Father William Sullivan, then president and now a less-involved chancellor of the Jesuit school located in the heart of the city.

Finding a conference could be the biggest obstacle, though Pepperdine has hinted at times of leaving the eight-team WCC, which could provide the necessary opening. Seattle U.'s inclusion would make it an all-Catholic league, the only one of its kind in the country, and provide a natural state rivalry with Gonzaga.

The WAC is rumored to be interested in Pepperdine as a tenth non-football school to get into the Los Angeles market. If Pepperdine does go to the WAC, Denver U will have no western option but the Big Sky.

[bincitysioux]

Seattle U. would be just the type of school that the WCC would be looking for if they wanted to expand.

[MplsBison]

No other western options?

Uh..how about the WCC?

I can see both Seattle U and Denver U going to the WCC. That would give the WCC a massive increase in TV households in their home market. Big time increase in TV money for them.

Pretty sure Denver would rather be in the WCC than the Big Sky.

[The Sicatoka]

Does the WCC want to leave the Pacific time zone and cross the Rockies? Travel, right?

[nodakvindy]

Denver and Seattle to the WCC makes a lot of sense. Moves the conference to 10 for basketball and allows it to join the MVC to SuperMidMajor status. Don't know why travel would be a problem, as Denver is as easy to get to as Spokane. And for Denver, as hockey grows on the West Coast, the additional exposure for the school certainly doesn't hurt in landing recruits.

[star2city]

I can see both Seattle U and Denver U going to the WCC. That would give the WCC a massive increase in TV households in their home market. Big time increase in TV money for them.

Pretty sure Denver would rather be in the WCC than the Big Sky.

We've been over this before.

The WCC is a Catholic/Jesuit based conference. They would prefer new members be similar. Seattle U fits the WCC profile perfectly. Pacific (which has wanted in for years), Denver U, and UBC, all of which would seemingly strengthen the WCC, do not fit the strict Catholic/West Coast profile. Pepperdine, the sole WCC with a non-Catholic profile (Church of Christ affiliation), is the most likely to leave and has supposedly has stated interest in the WAC. With the WCC already having another LA-based school (Loyola Marymount), the loss of Pepperdine and a gain of Seattle U would be a net gain for the WCC.

[MplsBison]

Denver would also be a huge net gain for them as far as TV money goes.

They do have an affiliation with the United Methodist Church, so it's not like they're completely godless.

If the WCC can look past the religious thing, it's an obvious, huge expansion of their home TV coverage area where as Pacific is not as you cited they already have Pepperdine and Loyola in that market.

UBC isn't a private school and probably wouldn't be considered.

[Hammerhead]

PSU hasn't fared too well so far because they take a back seat to the PAC-10 schools even though the nearest one is an hour from Portland. I can't see Seattle U. taking much of the limelight from U. W. which is practically in Downtown Seattle or the Sonics.

[star2city]

Denver and Seattle to the WCC makes a lot of sense. Moves the conference to 10 for basketball and allows it to join the MVC to SuperMidMajor status. Don't know why travel would be a problem, as Denver is as easy to get to as Spokane. And for Denver, as hockey grows on the West Coast, the additional exposure for the school certainly doesn't hurt in landing recruits.

If the WCC moves to ten, it would most likely be with Pacific and Seattle. Pacific is already a basketball power in the Big West and the WCC doesn't have a school in the Central Valley. IMHO, Denver U is still the school left out.

[MplsBison]

I can't see Pacific going to the WCC. They have things very good in the Big West. Why mess that up?

But why am I even typing this? We all know you'll go to any absurd means necessary to pigeonhole Denver into the Big Sky because somehow you feel that will help UND get into the Big Sky. Not even considering the fact that a Mid Con/Gateway combo could be a better move financially for UND.

[star2city]

I can't see Pacific going to the WCC. They have things very good in the Big West. Why mess that up?

You need to ask the AD and President of Pacific, who have been lobbying to get in the WCC for a number of years.

But why am I even typing this? We all know you'll go to any absurd means necessary to pigeonhole Denver into the Big Sky because somehow you feel that will help UND get into the Big Sky. Not even considering the fact that a Mid Con/Gateway combo could be a better move financially for UND.

Seems you go to absurd means to pigeonhole UND in the MidCon. One day you'll see the logic of UND going to the BSC - it does take time for it to sink in, especially some people.

[MplsBison]

You need to ask the AD and President of Pacific, who have been lobbying to get in the WCC for a number of years.

A recent newspaper article saying as much would help your cause.

Otherwise, it's nothing more than message board talk.

[star2city]

Former powerhouse Seattle U looks at return to Division I

"This move for us to go Division I has been a clear, cold, calculated dream of mine," Callero said.

The next step came last summer, when Bill Hogan left his athletic director position at the University of San Francisco to take the same post at SU. Hogan brought extensive knowledge of the logistics behind running a Division I program and a relationship with the WCC.

And the WCC, which is made up of similar schools, would appear to provide the best fit.

"If there weren't a West Coast Conference, we wouldn't be having these discussion," Eshelman said.

A potential attraction for the WCC would be entry into the Seattle market to go along with its schools in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland, Ore..

Looks like Seattle U did not make the deadline for declaring next year it's exploratory one. Was it ever officially announced that UND sent in its paperwork for for a 2007-8 exploratory year before the end of 2006?

[clh741]

Former powerhouse Seattle U looks at return to Division I

Looks like Seattle U did not make the deadline for declaring next year it's exploratory one. Was it ever officially announced that UND sent in its paperwork for for a 2007-8 exploratory year before the end of 2006?

20.5.2 Requesting Reclassification

20.5.2.1 Deadline for Submission of Petition. When petitioning for change of division member-

ship, a member shall notify the Division I Management Council Membership Subcommittee on an

application approved by the subcommittee. The application shall be received in the national office

(by mail or wired transmission)not later than June 1 prior to the academic year that the institu-

tion begins its one-year exploratory period in the reclassification process. Any application received

after that date shall be postmarked not later than May 25. Afee of $15,000 shall accompany the

application. If the applicant fails to qualify for active membership, the application fee shall be

refunded, less any expenditure for educational costs related to the membership process. (Revised:

4/25/02 effective 8/1/02, 4/24/03 effective 8/1/03, 3/10/04, 4/28/05, 10/27/05)

[star2city]

Perhaps my memory is fading, but hasn't the deadline been changed twice: first from Sept 1st to June 1st, and then more recently, from June 1st to Jan 1st. Perhaps the second deadline date change hasn't been made effective yet, or that I've confused this deadline with another (like withrawal from the NCC).

[Hammersmith]

Perhaps my memory is fading, but hasn't the deadline been changed twice: first from Sept 1st to June 1st, and then more recently, from June 1st to Jan 1st. Perhaps the second deadline date change hasn't been made effective yet, or that I've confused this deadline with another (like withrawal from the NCC).

Actually, it's a combination of everything you said. The NCAA deadline was changed twice, but it was from Dec15? to Sep 1 to Jun 1. The Jan 1 date comes from the NCC. That was changed after the 2003 exodus.

[MplsBison]

Seattle and Denver to the WCC. Pretty much slam dunk.

[star2city]

Seattle and Denver to the WCC. Pretty much slam dunk.

Denver's basketball performance this year is practically killing off any chance it had for the WCC (and certainly the WAC). It's Sagarin rating is next to last in all DI: they are even worse than SDSU. A basketball league like the WCC would certainly hesitate to take two basketball bottom-dwellers: a move-up Seattle and Denver. A Seattle/Pacific combo is much more likely, IMHO, as Pacific is historically a top-100 program (though Pacific's program is also down this year).

HOME ADVANTAGE= 4.41 RATING W L SCHEDL(RANK) VS top 25 |

125 North Dakota State = 75.26 6 5 73.90( 122) 0 0

214 Pacific = 69.67 3 9 78.21( 22) 0 3

321 South Dakota State = 59.46 4 11 68.35( 320) 0 0

335 Denver = 52.26 1 13 69.33( 301) 0 0

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/bkt0607.htm

[MplsBison]

The reason conferences expand is to increase their market coverage.

Pacific does nothing for them here.

Adding the Seattle and Denver markets makes a big improvement.

[Bigdog42]

Wait until Pacific plays a few more games, they will finish pretty close to SDSU in the ratings.

[star2city]

Seattle Times: Seattle U. approves bid for Division I

Seattle University's Board of Trustees gave its approval Thursday to apply to the NCAA for a return to Division I athletics, a source in the athletic department said.

A formal announcement could come as early as today, though more likely next week.

The decision could lead to Seattle U. playing Division I sports for the first time in almost 30 years. If the move is approved by the NCAA, the Redhawks could transition to a mixed Division I and II schedule in 2008-09 and could be Division I in all sports as early as 2009-10.

If not the WCC, Seattle U's other short term options would seem to be the Big West (but it is all-California with only one private), the Big Sky (as a non-football member), and, much further down the road, the WAC (non-football member). An SU / UBC partnership would seemingly make travel sense in some cases.

If Seattle U. moves up, it might not be in the West Coast Conference, where it was a member from 1971 to 1980. Presidents from the WCC, an eight-member league that includes Gonzaga, decided in March not to expand in the foreseeable future. Many believe Seattle U., a Jesuit university of about 7,200 students on First Hill, fits best in the WCC, where all but one of the members are also Catholic schools.

The Redhawks could play as an independent or join another conference, but the Seattle U. source said the WCC still may be an option

[MplsBison]

I could see the WCC taking them and Denver as a package.

[star2city]

Seattle Times: Seattle U. seeking return to glory days

The Jesuit university used to be known for its jump shots. Elgin Baylor played there. So did the O'Brien brothers, Rod Derline and Clint Richardson. There was even one season when the NBA had more players from Seattle University than any other single school, according to Callero.

"That kind of information is shocking; people don't realize how prominent our history was," he said.

When SU's President asked about conferences:

Sundborg said the door to eventually joining the WCC is not completely closed. Hogan was asked which conferences might be a consideration for the school, and he mentioned the Western Athletic Conference, the Big Sky and the Pac-10.

That's the first time Seattle has been associated with the Big Sky by an official source. The Pac-10 reference is almost certainly related to Olympic sports, as the Pac-10 has affiliates in them. Seattle U probably wouldn't receive objections from any Big Sky school. If the WCC truly rejected SU, the Big Sky now has academically appealing options to expand in the west that coud also appeal to Denver U (Utah Valley State and S. Utah are not academically appealing options.)

Tacoma News-Tribune: Seattle U decides Division I or bust

This report confirms that SU had no intentions of considering any other conference but the WCC. SU reconsidered, so the Big Sky / SU match has to be a possibility. This change further reduces the possiblity of the Sky ever moving east.

Though that bid was denied by the WCC in March, the university

[MplsBison]

Looks like UND's reality for the time being is the Summit.

[star2city]

Seattle U. is full-speed ahead toward a revival of Division I status

Seattle U's Challenges: