UMKC to the WAC?

[UWMandSDSU]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

Tweet via: Jeff Goodman @GoodmanCBS
"Been told by sources UMKC coach Matt Brown likely to be let go at the end of the season. Louisville asst. Kareem Richardson will be in mix."

What type of hire are they going to get going into the "WAC"ky Conference?

[witness]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

Right now there is a bunch of chaos in college sports with realignment that will shape college sports forever. I believe there is still major changes to happen yet. I'm just waiting for the smoke to clear

[OldHare]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

Right now there is a bunch of chaos in college sports with realignment that will shape college sports forever. I believe there is still major changes to happen yet. I'm just waiting for the smoke to clear

The smoke must have been in UMKC's eyes as it appears they chose badly. If there was a big boost for the Jackrabbits, Justin Sell would have signed his letter to join too. It may be a bit optimistic to think that the Summit could keep a solid base for membership. However, the conference looks stronger than in 2007. It also looks like the change with SUU and ORU did not pull the plug on the ship and Denver has come in the room to fill the Roos chair. Until I see evidence that makes Douple and the members scramble for teams like the roos, Chicago St., Texas Pan am, or Grand Canyon, it is hard to think that I should be looking for a life preserver.

[LakeJack]

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.

You are being far too kind to the WAC. Next year the WAC is the Great West reincarnated with an auto bid.

[UWMandSDSU]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

http://bisonmedia.areavoices.com/201...-moving-again/

Nice video w/ Gene Taylor. He is as perplexed as all of us.

[jackmd]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

From where I view things this is a horrible and short-sighted decision by an institution that would have been better off trying to optimize the position they were in with the Summit than to jump ship at this time. They must, absolutely must, have some info suggesting Oakland is gone and that other programs (SDSU and NDSU?) are planning to leave as well. I see no other possible scenario that would allow this move to make any sense to anyone with any sense.

So, do we need to start speculating about the demise of the Summit again?

[da_coach]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

From where I view things this is a horrible and short-sighted decision by an institution that would have been better off trying to optimize the position they were in with the Summit than to jump ship at this time. They must, absolutely must, have some info suggesting Oakland is gone and that other programs (SDSU and NDSU?) are planning to leave as well. I see no other possible scenario that would allow this move to make any sense to anyone with any sense.

So, do we need to start speculating about the demise of the Summit again.

that was my thought last night too, doc.

No idea.

[jackrabit1]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

You are being far too kind to the WAC. Next year the WAC is the Great West reincarnated with an auto bid.

Isn't that what the Big East is now? LOL

[FargoBison]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

It is hard to say what will happen until the Catholic 7 make their move. Interesting times ahead that is for sure.

[zooropa]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

Isn't that what the Big East is now? LOL

No. The Big East is the old C-USA. But the Big East is the conference that destroyed the WAC.

The Big East raided both C-USA and the MWC to shore up its FBS pretensions, and both C-USA and the MWC responded by devouring the WAC.

Therefore it is, IMO, quite fitting that the Big East itself has blown up.

[TK22867]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

Justin Sell and Gene Taylor are not going to tip their hand to anyone. They are way too smart for that. Take what they say to the Argus and other newspapers with a grain of salt.

During the re-alignment the last few years, I think there was one AD who said "we are firmly committed to conference X". The very next day, his Board of Regents voted to approve a move to another conference.

I will also state that SDSU/NDSU are joined at the hip, and won't go anywhere without the other. We're in this together.

IMO, everything hinges on Creigton's decision. If the XDSU's get an invite to the Valley ----- "We gone", Summit league tourney in SF be damned.

[filbert]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

Tom Douple was just on KWSN a while ago, shooting down the whole UMKC story about other teams getting ready to leave the conference--he implied that the rumors were horse sh*t (he didn't actually use the phrase, but came damn close).

[FargoBison]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

Tom Douple was just on KWSN a while ago, shooting down the whole UMKC story about other teams getting ready to leave the conference--he implied that the rumors were horse sh*t (he didn't actually use the phrase, but came damn close).

Well the rumors are all relying on what a conference that hasn't even played a game yet might do.

[joeboo22]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

If the current members of the league are serious about staying, I'd propose a bit larger buyouts. Something like a 5 year, $1 million per year deal. $250,000 is not much considering the schedules are already out.

edit.... I guess the reason they only had to pay $250,000 was because they were grandfathered in.

[KUlawJack]

Re: UMKC to the WAC?

Tom Douple was just on KWSN a while ago, shooting down the whole UMKC story about other teams getting ready to leave the conference--he implied that the rumors were horse sh*t (he didn't actually use the phrase, but came damn close).

I'd agree that "getting ready to the leave the conference" is likely incorrect. But like you said yesterday, if the AD doesn't have the MVC at the front of the old rolodex and letters ready to go, I'd be awfully surprised.

EDIT: I paraphrased filbert's well-thought-out post from yesterday.