Great West Expansion

[Haldersham]

Re: Great West Expansion

A thought on why Sac State might want to leave the BSC for the Great West. Sac State might want to join the Big West which is primarily California schools including Cal Poly and UC Davis for other sports than football. If Sac State were to do that, then they would need the Great West since the Big West does not include football.

[NightHawk78]

Re: Great West Expansion

If Sac State (and Portland State?) chose to leave for the BS Conference for the Big West, it would likely open up a whole range of scenarios.
*Perhaps this is the delusional fantasy that UND (and USD) fans have so they're able to quickly gain a conference invite.
*Maybe the Big West/Great West becomes more attractive for Sac and Portland State if some West Coast schools (San Diego w/schollies? Maybe the NCAA gives the D-2 schools in Washington a waiver so they can play I-AA football w/o going D-1?) join the conference and SDSU and NDSU end up in the Gateway.
*One air trip to the Dakotas per year might be acceptable for Sac and Portland Sts. The time difference and travel for non-FB sports is likely what eliminated support from these schools for SDSU and NDSU when they sough to join the BS Conference.
*Maybe Montana is going I-A; this is the 800 lb. gorilla that the BS Conference has to face.......

[89rabbit]

Re: Great West Expansion

Honestly I have to ask how did this thread turn into a Big Sky expansion thread? What we know (what has been reported) is that the Gateway is interested in NDSU and SDSU. We also know that the Great West is interested in expansion. Finally we also know that even if the Big Sky is talking expansion (which they are not doing publicly at this time) you really can't trust what they say.

I personally think the Big Sky did us a favor by turning us away. The Mid-Con/Gateway or Mid-Con/GWFC with an auto bid is a better fit for SDSU in my opinion. Who cares what the BSC might or might not being doing in the future.


Go State!

[1bunnies]

Re: Great West Expansion

Honestly I have to ask how did this thread turn into a Big Sky expansion thread?  What we know (what has been reported) is that the Gateway is interested in NDSU and SDSU.  We also know that the Great West is interested in expansion.  Finally we also know that even if the Big Sky is talking expansion (which they are not doing publicly at this time) you really can't trust what they say.

I personally think the Big Sky did us a favor by turning us away.  The Mid-Con/Gateway or Mid-Con/GWFC with an auto bid is a better fit for SDSU in my opinion.  Who cares what the BSC might or might not being doing in the future.


Go State!  

I agree. I think I'll just cheer against the BSC no matter who they play. GATEWAY here we come.

[Haldersham]

Re: Great West Expansion

Honestly I have to ask how did this thread turn into a Big Sky expansion thread?  What we know (what has been reported) is that the Gateway is interested in NDSU and SDSU.  We also know that the Great West is interested in expansion.  Finally we also know that even if the Big Sky is talking expansion (which they are not doing publicly at this time) you really can't trust what they say.

I personally think the Big Sky did us a favor by turning us away.  The Mid-Con/Gateway or Mid-Con/GWFC with an auto bid is a better fit for SDSU in my opinion.  Who cares what the BSC might or might not being doing in the future.


Go State!  

89:
Maybe the reason this turned into a BSC expansion discussion was based on the content of the article which you posted to start this thread.

Here is what got my mind going in that direction an excerpt from your yahoo link:

Though Grom would not specify what schools the Great West has contacted, one possibility is the University of San Diego, a private school that fits well in the non-football West Coast Conference but is an unusual component of the Pioneer Football League. In its 14th year, the Pioneer consists of San Diego, Drake, Davidson, Jacksonville, Butler, Morehead State, Dayton and Valparaiso.

San Diego, however, would have to become a program with scholarships to join the Great West. San Diego head coach Jim Harbaugh has said in the past that he would like the 15th-ranked Toreros (9-0) to gain scholarships.

A phone message left Tuesday for San Diego executive director of athletics Ky Snyder was not returned.

Aside from Cal Poly, UC Davis and San Diego, the only other I-AA football program in California is Sacramento State, which is currently one of nine teams in the mighty Big Sky Conference.

Grom said he could not name the schools the Great West has contacted because they are in good standing with their respective leagues.

"We're doing what we can to expand the league and make it viable," Grom said.

After about five or more years of message board reading its been no secret that Sac St is not a strong member of the BSC and Portland State has had their problems too and they could be leaving. If that was to imply BSC expansion, then that was not the intend of my comments. What kind of discussion would you expect when you post this kind of article that seems to know something about the behind the scenes but has nothing to go on and is based on one conversation with the Great  West Commissioner who cant disclose what he is doing. I think an article of this nature does only one thing and that is to create speculation.
When someone actually knows what is going on maybe the speculation will stop. I personally think the Great West Commissioner should have never open his mouth especially to this Yahoo sports guy.

[89rabbit]

Re: Great West Expansion

If you want to talk about the Big Sky be my guest.  You highlighted a lot of lines but really the Big Sky is mentioned only in passing in one sentence in the whole article  .  .  .  

"Aside from Cal Poly, UC Davis and San Diego, the only other I-AA football program in California is Sacramento State, which is currently one of nine teams in the mighty Big Sky Conference."

I'll stand by my previous post.

Honestly I have to ask how did this thread turn into a Big Sky expansion thread? What we know (what has been reported) is that the Gateway is interested in NDSU and SDSU. We also know that the Great West is interested in expansion. Finally we also know that even if the Big Sky is talking expansion (which they are not doing publicly at this time) you really can't trust what they say.

I personally think the Big Sky did us a favor by turning us away. The Mid-Con/Gateway or Mid-Con/GWFC with an auto bid is a better fit for SDSU in my opinion. Who cares what the BSC might or might not being doing in the future.


Go State!

Go State!  

[Charger13]

Re: Great West Expansion

The Big West currently consist of 8 members all of which are from California. UC Davis will join next year and be the ninth team. They probably would be all for adding a tenth California member. I'm not sure how Sac State would feel about the move however. I think it makes more sense for them, but apparently their leadership feels differently to this point. I do not think that Portland State has a chance however. They would be 600 miles away from the closest member and with over half the league in the LA area it would be nearly 1000 miles for all of those teams.
5 Reasons why Sac State should move to the Big West:
1)They would bring the conference to 10 members
2)They would spend considerably less on travel
3)They would have more natural rivals within their conference
4)They would gain more exposure in California

[BearsCountry]

Re: Great West Expansion

I heard that Cal State-Bakersfield is moving up to D1 and the Big West fits them very well. But they are not a football school.

[Jacks#1Fan]

Re: Great West Expansion

Actually, the move by Ed Grom, who is the GWC commish, but works for Tom Douple at the Mid-Con, is likely because Commissioner Douple doesn't want to see the Great West Conference dismantled (as he helped start it when he was at Southern Utah.)

Secondly, and unfortunately in my mind, it means the pressure will be building on SDSU and NDSU to stay the course in the Great West and not move to the Gateway (an invitation there is as close to certain as you can get). Considering Commissioner Douple made the move to strengthen the Mid-Con and was of great help at getting SDSU and NDSU into the league, the screws are going to tighten.

I say unfortunately, because I firmly believe the GATEway is THE way to go! We would have the same advantages we have now in playing east instead of west, and the football territory would be much more similar to the Mid-Con territory for the rest of our sports.

I hope Gateway, but realize the administration will be under some pretty strong pressure to stay the course.

[SloStang]

Re: Great West Expansion

Portland State and Eastern Washington could be in the mix. There have been rumors in the past that both were interested in joining the West Coast Conference (better basketball conference than the Big Sky). If they did they would need a home for football and the GWFC would be a great fit. I would love to see the GWFC raid the Big Sky. If they did, how bad do you think they would regret passing on SDSU and NDSU?