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With all the renewed chatter regarding realignment, and likely invitations and acceptance by some MW schools, where does that leave the conference and more importantly Wyoming. I could see scenarios where enough teams are lured from the conference it has no choice but to fold. I was hopeful we would see our commish be more active on some integration or luring Pac12 schools, but sure haven’t heard much.

What do you say?…….

Something happened the other day makes me wonder on the grand scope of future realignment.

Ohio State cancelled a two-game home and home football series with Washington to start in, I believe, 2024. This makes me think Washington and Oregon are hi-tailing it for the Big Ten with invitations coming in either a few weeks or a few months. I DO know the Big XII have publicly said they are going to actively go after schools in the PAC-12 which means both Arizona schools, Utah, and Colorado are probably going to get invitations in a few weeks.

That would leave Oregon State, Wazzu, and the two Bay area schools. So who knows on that.

I have heard that San Diego State is a possibility for either the PAC-12 or the Big XII. I could see SDSU leaving for the PAC-12 and then a few weeks later....PAC-12 goes belly up. Similar to what happened to the Big East football after both Boise State and SDSU got invited and then...POOF...no more Big East football.

The politics of Conference realignment is very interesting and entertaining for me.

I heard the PAC was after SDSU and SMU for some reason

laxwyo wrote: ↑Sat Feb 18, 2023 4:02 pm I heard the PAC was after SDSU and SMU for some reason

I heard the same rumors.

Forgot to say in my earlier post that the networks that were trying to do new contracts, after the L. A. schools leave, with the PAC-12 broke off negotiations.

Something tells me the PAC-12/10/whatever isn't long for this world.

I found this little snippet.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/247sports. ... 40876/Amp/

Before we get to the point where there is no more music and no more chairs to sit in how about Burman gets up off his ass and does something bold like making application in getting the Pokes into the B12?

If that 247 article turns out to be correct the MW would add Oregon State, Washington State, Stanford, and Cal. Thoughts on that?

ZapPoke wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 12:06 am If that 247 article turns out to be correct the MW would add Oregon State, Washington State, Stanford, and Cal. Thoughts on that?

Further reading it was originally CBS Sports article, if that were to ever ring true in any form, the Mountain West Merges with the PAC12 and we retain the PAC12 naming and the PAC 12 remains with 5th strongest conference in all of football.

I'm still going with my post from July...


flyfishwyo wrote: ↑Tue Jul 05, 2022 5:12 pm

I don't think UW needs to worry right now. I think we'll end up in a pretty good spot.

The B1G and the SEC are going to be the new P2. They'll take their time and bring in every big money TV market they can. Probably Notre Dame, Stanford, Oregon, and Washington go to the B1G. Clemson, Florida St, Miami, and North Carolina, to the SEC. There are a few teams like Cal, Duke, OKState, or Virginia who are alternates, but everyone else will get left out. Remember, it's about TV revenue. And I suspect they'll make their own league and have a playoff. They may play other schools, but maybe not. It'll be up to them to decide. They'll get so much money from ESPN and/or Fox that they won't care about who's left out. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't try to kick a few schools out. Vanderbilt?

The Big 12 and ACC will divide up the rest of those they want. Maybe the ACC gets UCF, UConn, Memphis, or South Florida. The Big 12 will take Arizona, ASU, Utah, and Colorado. The Arizona schools have big budgets, and Utah and Colorado represent rivalries and decent TV markets. So, the PAC will be left with Oregon St and Washington State. The Big 12 won't want them because their athletics budgets are small, and they're the second team in both markets. The PAC is dead.

If you take away the media money WSU and Oregon State get from the current media deal that expires soon, they are below average MWC budget teams. In line with San Jose St and Fresno. I bet we add them to the MWC. In a worst case scenario, the PAC tries to add almost everyone from the MWC, and Wyoming's budget keep us in the conversation. We have better revenue than Boise, UNM, SJSU, Fresno, USU, and Nevada. And we are as valuable to the Denver TV market as CSU.

In the long run the B1G and SEC get a ton of money and everyone else has to figure it out. I wouldn't be surprised if there ended up being 4 second-tier conferences. The ACC, the Big 12, the MWC with a couple of PAC leftovers, and some version of the AAC. And maybe a playoff within those conferences. The ACC and Big 12 will see their TV money dry up, and we may even close the gap some. This could be a good thing for Wyoming.

Despite the optimistic takes, Wyoming will be with the leftovers. None of this is good for Wyoming.

OrediggerPoke wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 1:12 pm Despite the optimistic takes, Wyoming will be with the leftovers. None of this is good for Wyoming.

This is my fear as well. As much as we all love the storied history of UW, it’s all about eyeballs and access to a TV market.

PokesArePeopleToo wrote: ↑Sat Feb 18, 2023 11:23 pm Before we get to the point where there is no more music and no more chairs to sit in how about Burman gets up off his ass and does something bold like making application in getting the Pokes into the B12?

Didn't realize it was Burman's inaction that was keeping us from a P5 invite.

In seriousness though, even if we had Boise state level competitive success the last 15 years.... We still aren't a slam dunk for an invite. If you add small markets... The existing pie gets smaller.... Not bigger. The only way it works to add small markets is if it would come with playoff invitations.

I think there will be contraction not addition. Why do the big money conferences want to add mouths to feed? We will be with peers like Nevada, colorado state, New Mexico, Boise, and Utah state. Wherever that is I don’t care what it is called.

OrediggerPoke wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 1:12 pm Despite the optimistic takes, Wyoming will be with the leftovers. None of this is good for Wyoming.

Yep.

Hopefully we have 9 +/- left so MWC doesn't dissolve. I think this is most likely. The big question will be if the leftovers will be satisfied with holding at 9 or if everyone starts jumping ship to whatever conference will take them. It'd be kind of funny if the WAC came back into play.

ragtimejoe1 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 7:31 am

OrediggerPoke wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 1:12 pm Despite the optimistic takes, Wyoming will be with the leftovers. None of this is good for Wyoming.

Yep.

Hopefully we have 9 +/- left so MWC doesn't dissolve. I think this is most likely. The big question will be if the leftovers will be satisfied with holding at 9 or if everyone starts jumping ship to whatever conference will take them. It'd be kind of funny if the WAC came back into play.

This article just came out:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/pac-12-expan ... 53449.html

This would reduce the conference to about 8 and could result in some sort of poaching of the WAC/CUSA I suppose. Wyoming might end up in a conference with the likes of the Sam Houston States of the world unfortunately.

OrediggerPoke wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 11:51 am

ragtimejoe1 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 7:31 am

Yep.

Hopefully we have 9 +/- left so MWC doesn't dissolve. I think this is most likely. The big question will be if the leftovers will be satisfied with holding at 9 or if everyone starts jumping ship to whatever conference will take them. It'd be kind of funny if the WAC came back into play.

This article just came out:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/pac-12-expan ... 53449.html

This would reduce the conference to about 8 and could result in some sort of poaching of the WAC/CUSA I suppose. Wyoming might end up in a conference with the likes of the Sam Houston States of the world unfortunately.

Yeah, this isn't going to end well for us. Honestly, depending on how this goes, I'd almost prefer 8 or 9 regional teams and call it good. Is it time to start discussions with the Montana schools? Would they be interested?
WYO
AF
UNM
NMSU
UTEP
UM
MSU
usu, nv, or??

OrediggerPoke wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 1:12 pm Despite the optimistic takes, Wyoming will be with the leftovers. None of this is good for Wyoming.

We're already one of the leftovers. When the Big 12 and B1G get done raiding the PAC, we're going to have more company.

OrediggerPoke wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 11:51 am

ragtimejoe1 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 7:31 am

Yep.

Hopefully we have 9 +/- left so MWC doesn't dissolve. I think this is most likely. The big question will be if the leftovers will be satisfied with holding at 9 or if everyone starts jumping ship to whatever conference will take them. It'd be kind of funny if the WAC came back into play.

This article just came out:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/pac-12-expan ... 53449.html

This would reduce the conference to about 8 and could result in some sort of poaching of the WAC/CUSA I suppose. Wyoming might end up in a conference with the likes of the Sam Houston States of the world unfortunately.

It would reduce the size and quality of the MWC to a conference that would be basically equivalent to the new PAC. I'm not sure all of those schools would leave to join the PAC if the money was the same as the MWC.

flyfishwyo wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 1:09 pm

OrediggerPoke wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 11:51 am

This article just came out:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/pac-12-expan ... 53449.html

This would reduce the conference to about 8 and could result in some sort of poaching of the WAC/CUSA I suppose. Wyoming might end up in a conference with the likes of the Sam Houston States of the world unfortunately.

It would reduce the size and quality of the MWC to a conference that would be basically equivalent to the new PAC. I'm not sure all of those schools would leave to join the PAC if the money was the same as the MWC.

Cal
Stanford
SDSU
WSU
OR State
csu
bsu
unlv
Fresno

Would be quite a bit better than

WYO
UNM
AF
usu
NV
SJSU
HI
??

ragtimejoe1 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 12:33 pm

OrediggerPoke wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 11:51 am

This article just came out:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/pac-12-expan ... 53449.html

This would reduce the conference to about 8 and could result in some sort of poaching of the WAC/CUSA I suppose. Wyoming might end up in a conference with the likes of the Sam Houston States of the world unfortunately.

Yeah, this isn't going to end well for us. Honestly, depending on how this goes, I'd almost prefer 8 or 9 regional teams and call it good. Is it time to start discussions with the Montana schools? Would they be interested?
WYO
AF
UNM
NMSU
UTEP
UM
MSU
usu, nv, or??

I agree with you and think this is where we are eventually headed when it all shakes out over the next 5-7 years. I don't think the Montana schools are interested in changing their situations. I think we will more likely see some hybrid of the left behinds and the WAC schools trying to move up to FBS.

https://www.deseret.com/2022/12/9/23501 ... y-join-fbs

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