New WAC - ho-li-SMOKES!

Ho-li-SMOKES! The new Western Athletic Conference makes UTEP's Conference USA look like the Big 12 now.

Because of conference realignments, the WAC is trying to re-make its face with teams from real big cities, but teams that ... are more strangers than house-hold names in their own town.

This is certainly not blaming WAC leadership. Having lost traditional sports schools such as Boise State, Fresno State, Nevada and Hawaii was a result of other bigger conferences losing some of their teams to even bigger conferences — and then swiping from the best of the WAC

We all know about that; it's been blog stuff for some years now. Speculations and then happenings — Utah of the Mountain West, nee the WAC, going to the Pac-10. BYU of the Mountain West, nee the WAC, going independent in football and playing basketball and other sports in the West Coast Conference.

Here's the WAC now:

Football/basketball schools

New Mexico State
Louisiana Tech
Idaho
San Jose State
Utah State
Texas State (new member)
 UT San Antonio (new member)

Basketball only schools

Denver (new member)
Seattle (new member)

The average UTEP teams would be the king-piece in both football and basketball in this WAC lineup.

I'm not buying the WAC's spin on the new members giving the league good exposure in the big metropolitan cities of San Antonio, Denver and now Seattle.

Two points here:

I recall when New Mexico State left the little-town Missouri Valley Conference for the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (as it was called then). The spin was the Aggies would get good coverage in Southern California - a recruiting hotbed.

I recall the eve a basketball game at Long Beach State, and a Long Beach official telling us that a survey showed that Long Beach basketball was listed as the No. 14 thing to do in the area during that part of the year. Surfing was well ahead of Long Beach basketball.

I recall when UTEP left the little city WAC for the bigger city C-USA. The word was  El Paso's and the UTEP Miners would get good play in the Dallas and Houston markets.

What's usually not said is the LA, Dallas, Houston, et al big markets, don't love their littler schools. Dallas isn't SMU, it's Texas and Texas A&M, as one example.

When UTEP plays basketball at SMU in Dallas, or Houston or Rice in basketball, there are often as many Miner fans (expatriates) in the stands. It's because fans in the big cities don't embrace their college team as does El Paso with the Miners.

But the bottom line here is ... let's look at the orginial WAC of not too, too many years ago:

UTEP
New Mexico
BYU
Utah
Wyoming
Colorado State
Arizona
Arizona State

And later, as teams left:

San Diego State
Air Force
Hawaii
UNLV ...

Ho-li-SMOKES!

Comments

[Buck]

Just goes to show you what a brilliant move AD Bob Stull made in this chess game that is called College Athletics. UTEP is developing good rivalries with Houston and Tulsa. And the Aggie (NMSU) faithfull thought our departure from the WAC was because we were afraid to play them (we still do)...PLEASE!!!!

[Gabriel]

Good read. One error though. We didn't leave the WAC. The WAC booted us out. This has been stated by Bob Stull during conversations on the radio.

[a fan]

I doubt that the WAC booted UTEP anywhere; the Miners left on their own accord. Before UTEP joined, CUSA had a pretty good rep; it was the best conference outside of the BCS conferences. Then some pretty decent schools left, Cinci being one, right before UTEP joined.

A funny thing happened after the Miners went to CUSA, Boise, Nevada, Fresno and Hawaii of the WAC got better, especially Boise. Those teams brought the WAC up in football to a point where the WAC was a better football conference than CUSA. So much so, that when the MWC lost three elite teams last year, the MWC went after teams from the WAC to replace their losses. Not one team from CUSA was considered by the MWC. That includes UTEP, which was also left off the invite list when the MWC was created more than a decade ago. UTEP basketball was probably very appealing. Football, with five winning seasons since 1970, not so much.

At the end of the day, it's a good thing that the Miners are part of CUSA, given the changes in the WAC. Things would have been different had Boise stuck with the WAC. Nevada and Fresno would have as well, and BYU would have joined in basketball. Had Boise stayed in place, the WAC would have been a more powerful football conference than both the MWC and CUSA. The WAC would have gotten better in basketball with BYU, but probably still not as good as CUSA.

Just my observation.

[Lorenzo]

The WAC now rivals the Sun Belt for weakest football conference in Division 1. Louisiana Tech has been trying really hard to leave the WAC for C-USA I've heard. That would give Tulane an in-state rival but I can't see C-USA expanding to 13 or 14 any time soon.

[Rob]

To 'a fan': While UTEP did leave the WAC on its own accord, it was because most of the WAC schools at that time jilted UTEP with some behind-the-scenes dirty dealings and headed for the MWC.

I'll not say this politely or tactfully as I usually try to do. Screw the MWC and screw those schools (BYU, San Diego St., Utah, New Mexico, etc.) that screwed UTEP.

UTEP and Bob Stull have done the right thing by joining, and staying, in Conference USA.

[a fan]

To Rob,

The WAC teams that jilted UTEP became the Mountain West. UTEP was left behind in what was left of the WAC. UTEP CHOSE to leave the WAC well after the formation of the MWC. The rest of the WAC teams, including UTEP, all had been jilted.

Why do you think UTEP was screwed? The simple truth of it is UTEP was not then, and still is not, a good enough football school to be included in the MWC. At the time of the formation of the MWC, the Miners had, I seem to recall, only three winning football seasons in 30 years. Why would a conference, where football is the driving force, want a school with such an abysmal record? If the newly-formed MWC wanted bad teams, why not add NMSU too?

I don't think UTEP was screwed, it just wasn't chosen because it didn't meet some standard of excellence. Big deal. UTEP went to CUSA and, while not doing great in football, it is doing about as well as it had been in the old WAC.

[PJ]

The argument that Utep's football record keeps them out is not a good enough argument.2010 Utep was 6-6.The MWC had Colorodo St at 3-9,New Mexico at 1-11,Wyoming at3-9,and UNLV at 2-11.Correct me if I am wrong.When the MWC was looking at expanding back around January did they look at UTEP, and UTEP said they were committed to the Texas schools in the C-USA.UTEP beats alot of these schools in attendance,and have a good basketball program men, and womens.The conference shakeups are not over and I will not be surprised with a MWC merger with at least the Western part of C-USA or the C-USA Texas schools.

[Willard Shmekel]

UTEP should join the WAC. Sure the WAC is weak, but so is UTEP. At least the football team would win at least a few more games and the basketball team would make it into the NCAA tournament as WAC champs.

[Uggs Clearance]

I have always felt that blogging has been an art where people express their experiences in the best manner.This is something that is very informational.

[DC]

While the newWAC is weak, it has started to position itself well for good potential growth with large enrollment schools in major metro areas.

If the WAC can add a couple more football schools (its stated goal) it will have 12 schools (9 FB) and two travel friendly divisions. It could prove to be much more stable than CUSA and enjoy some solid growth from many of its schools.

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