UMKC to the WAC?

[zooropa]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

http://www.midmajormadness.com/2013/...ce-realignment

Presumably, they're also adding Maharisihi University, NJIT, and that school that used to advertise on matchbooks:

[FargoBison]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

Sorry, I had your response confused with someone who figured that Belmont wouldn't want to join the MVC.

I still find the Creighton to "Catholic Conference" a bit of a stretch, in no small part because I find the idea that the Catholic conference wants 12 members to be a bit of a stretch. And even if they wanted 12, they can get their more efficiently by inviting SLU instead of Creighton (SLU, Xavier, Dayton, Butler, VCU).

Well from what I understand Fox wants 12 teams so they can have more inventory, media rights are playing a huge role in all these upper level conference realignments.

[filbert]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

SBNation = Not particularly credible

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

SBNation = Not particularly credible

Eh, they are getting there. Rob Neyer writes for SBNation's MLB page and he is probably the best MLB writer in the business. No idea how they are with college sports, though.

[zooropa]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

Well from what I understand Fox wants 12 teams so they can have more inventory

That would make sense.

[filbert]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

Summit League = Nate Wolters; Travis Bader
WAC = ???; ???

[joeboo22]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

Summit League = Nate Wolters; Travis Bader
WAC = ???; ???

Well when Utah went to the finals they were members so that has to mean something right?

[YanktonJack7]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

Okay so reading through this thread I have come up with a few theories as to why UMKC, who has been a SL member since 1994, decided to leave the Summit for the WAC:

1. The UMKC Athletic Department and Administration are stupid and have no idea what they're doing. Evidence of this: Hiring and extension of Coach Brown.

2. UMKC sucks so they decided to go to an easier conference. I would buy that but it's not like they will be bad forever. They were decent back in the Mid-Con days. Ha.

3. UMKC truly believes that the WAC is a better "fit" and a better conference to be in than the Summit.

"We are excited about this new era in UMKC Athletics," Director of Athletics Tim Hall said. "We look forward to competing alongside the institutions in the WAC and providing a great experience for our student-athletes."

"We accepted the invitation to join the Western Athletic Conference because of the strong potential alignment it offers with our strategic objectives related to community engagement and financial strength," said UMKC Chancellor Leo E. Morton.

The WAC will consist of Cal State-Bakersfield, Chicago State, Grand Canyon (Ariz.), Idaho, New Mexico State, Seattle, Texas-Pan American and Utah Valley. How incurring huge travel costs to all those different universities achieves their goal of "financial strength"
doesn't make sense to me. I know they may make more of the shared money, but still. It doesn't seem worth it, IMO. Seems like horrible vision on the account of their admin's part.

4. UMKC was hearing rumors of a pending SL breakup, with the XDSU's going to the MVC and Oakland and/or IUPUI to the Horizon and didn't want to be left out. The KC Star's Blair Kerkoff also wrote that "Other potential WAC candidates are Omaha of the Summit and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville." This is all just speculation, but is something to think about. Kerkhoff and the ESPN Radio guy whose name I forget both mentioned the possible breakup of TSL. Terry V said tonight that Sell said he heard rumors of this last week, but had no idea it would be announced today.

5. The WAC pursued UMKC because they play in Kansas City and in a big market. If this is true, then the WAC is mistaken. UMKC is buried in their market. I've been to KC a lot and nobody ever mentions UMKC. All I hear is Kansas, Mizzou, Kstate, and even NEBRASKA! Maybe the WAC thought they could gain more ground after getting Chicago St in the same day.

These are all I can think of based on reading this thread from all of you. If you have any more feel free to add them.

Oh, and as for why Creighton would go to the Catholic Seven .... let's see here: Money, money, money. It's a step up, it's like a mini Big East. Creighton would probably want to get away from mid-major status. They would be on TV a lot and make money from that deal. Kerkoff writes that the Catholic Seven "is expected to grow to 12 teams with Xavier, Butler, Dayton, Saint Louis and Creighton as possible targets." So, stay tuned. Who knows what's going to happen.

y

[JimmyJack]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

This is all completely baffling and I have no idea what's going on. From a selfish perspective, though, we are moving to Wichita, so the Jacks in the MVC sounds great to me!

[LakeJack]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

SBNation = Not particularly credible

True dat. Just sharing as we all dig around to try and make sense of this thing better. I have always thought there might be someone's mom's basement involved with SB

[LakeJack]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

Well when Utah went to the finals they were members so that has to mean something right?

Yea if UMKC has invented a time machine. WAC of old does not = WAC of the future.

[22jack]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

Interesting comment buy Just Sell in the Argus.

Jackrabbits athletic director Justin Sell said that he first heard talks of a move last week, but was surprised to find out the news Thursday upon returning from a work trip to Pierre. A chunk of his staffers were discussing, figuring he’d have some insight.
He didn’t, although he confirmed the WAC called SDSU at some point this fall to gauge interest in joining.




http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...=2013302080037

[da_coach]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

Prediction: Creighton will join the Catholic Schools conference at some point.

Other than that... I can't begin to make a guess.

However, changes are coming...whether that means the Jacks leave the Summit League for the MVC, or that means the Summit lose conference members to the Horizon league (who lose members to the A10) and look to add UNC and UND? Who knows...

But to think we're going to just replace UMKC with Denver and stand pat for the long term is just silly.

Agree with the poster who said "Where there is smoke there is fire".

It wasn't long a go...just a couple months...that the Big East was going to add San Diego State and Boise State...and then we heard a rumor the Catholic schools may want to pull out...

Big time changes are coming. Might as well face it.

[jackrabit1]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

To be honest, I don't get this move by Kansas City.

You have a relatively stable conference, with a good chunk of your member schools just a bus ride away on I-29. The conference is gaining a foothold in respectability and national recognition and it's working to shed its image as "Father Flannigan's home for wayward Division-I Schools."

Now you're going to a conference that can only be described as the "Big East" west of the Mississippi. This conference has less stability, more spread out members (more travel costs) and the only recognition that it's recently received has been the number of members leaving and a former "for-profit" school becoming a new member.

As for the idea that the Summit is going to see mass-defections, I don't buy it. The Summit League basketball tournament is locked in to Sioux Falls for the immediate future. Both xDSU's have good working relationships with the conference, and all the talk about MVC losing Creighton, Oakland going to the Horizon and the xDSU's moving into the MVC is, for all intents and purposes, speculation and nothing more.

Frankly, I think UMKC employed the "Chicken Little" approach in making their decision. And may come back to bite them in the butt.

[KUlawJack]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

To be honest, I don't get this move by Kansas City.

You have a relatively stable conference, with a good chunk of your member schools just a bus ride away on I-29. The conference is gaining a foothold in respectability and national recognition and it's working to shed its image as "Father Flannigan's home for wayward Division-I Schools."

Now you're going to a conference that can only be described as the "Big East" west of the Mississippi. This conference has less stability, more spread out members (more travel costs) and the only recognition that it's recently received has been the number of members leaving and a former "for-profit" school becoming a new member.

As for the idea that the Summit is going to see mass-defections, I don't buy it. The Summit League basketball tournament is locked in to Sioux Falls for the immediate future. Both xDSU's have good working relationships with the conference, and all the talk about MVC losing Creighton, Oakland going to the Horizon and the xDSU's moving into the MVC is, for all intents and purposes, speculation and nothing more.

Frankly, I think UMKC employed the "Chicken Little" approach in making their decision. And may come back to bite them in the butt.

I buy it. Well, some of it. Maybe. Or maybe not. Not sure anymore. Realignment at its finest.

I am 63% sure change is coming soon.