DU to WAC

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5789078
If there was ever hope they would go WCC, now we have this.

I think this is just an interim decision. it's relatively easy to join or leave the WAC.

Other stories I have seen also mention possibly Seattle going there. I don't think that is their ultimate plan, either.

Geezaldinho wrote:it's relatively easy to join or leave the WAC.

LOL, true.

It seems the WAC is in danger of collapsing. LINK Denver and Seattle may both be back on the table, in terms on needing a conference.

Two more schools for Zag fans to gripe about if they would ever join the WCC.

I think that both Seattle and Denver have the potential to be good. They both play in major cities. Seattle plays in Key Arena and Denver is known for Lacrosse and Hockey (neither of which relate to the WCC but the point is that they are supported).

RipCityPilot wrote:Seattle plays in Key Arena

Which is great, other than the fact that their students have to truck 3 miles each way just to get there....

Well, and that it is about 4 times larger than it needs to be...

DaTruRochin wrote:

RipCityPilot wrote:Seattle plays in Key Arena

Which is great, other than the fact that their students have to truck 3 miles each way just to get there....

Three whole miles? I remember when the Pilots played games at Lewis and Clark, which is 13 miles from campus.

And you had to walk uphill both ways?
But back then you didn't have to dodge hipsters on brakeless fixed gear bikes...

DaTruRochin wrote:And you had to walk uphill both ways?
But back then you didn't have to dodge hipsters on brakeless fixed gear bikes...

Because it was in the snow.

I think the WAC is toast.

Denver would still love to be in the WCC.

Here's what we bring to the table
-Top ranked non-football athletic dept in America for the last 4 years (NACDA points)
-DU has offered travel expense incentives in the past to the WCC
-$25 million athletic budget/yr
-All facilities under 12 years old and very high level
-28 NCAA Titles (7 hockey, 21 Skiing)
-22 wins in men's hoops last year, including SMC
-Men's hoop RPI in top 100, averaged 5,000 fans last year
-Women's hoops solid - Victories over Oregon, Minnesota last year
-Women's soccer usually NCAA tourney participant, usually lose to Portland
-US News top 100 National University (#82)
-5,500 undergrad, 6,000 grad students
-Private, Methodist afilliated, founded 1864
-90% graduation rate
-Average athletic Dept GPA 3.2/3.3)
- Top 25 market (Denver)
-Already have TV relationship with Root Sports (formerly FSN Rocky Mountain)
-Easy access, large airport with non-stop flights to most WCC cities
-Additional exposure through top tier ice hockey, lacrosse and ski programs

I think Denver would be a great choice. It would give us a great team to root for in Ice Hockey and Lacrosse, where they excel.

Maybe the WCC presidents have softened, considering the BYU experiment seems to be working.

up7587 wrote:

DaTruRochin wrote:

RipCityPilot wrote:Seattle plays in Key Arena

Which is great, other than the fact that their students have to truck 3 miles each way just to get there....

Three whole miles? I remember when the Pilots played games at Lewis and Clark, which is 13 miles from campus.

Yeah, seriously. The Key Arena is still a very good college venue, and I think that being able to add that kind of a venue with a city like Seattle at some point should be a desireable thing. I´d love to see more WCC games there, and I think it would be good for recruiting as well.

PurpleGeezer wrote:Maybe the WCC presidents have softened, considering the BYU experiment seems to be working.

Just a guess, but with the addition of Pacific making the WCC a ten school conference, the leadership would probably only consider Denver plus one other, unless of course BYU were to move on in a few years as many expect.

As a fan of collegiate sports (and not a politician or bean counter), I would encourage the WCC to seriously consider both Seattle U and U of Denver.

The Key Arena is still a very good college venue,

Not at the game I went to, that place felt like a great chasm of emptiness. And the student section made ours look like the Cameron Crazies....

DaTruRochin wrote:

The Key Arena is still a very good college venue,

Not at the game I went to, that place felt like a great chasm of emptiness. And the student section made ours look like the Cameron Crazies....

Wow, really. All of us who are so disheartened by the UP student section should be bused to Key Arena some night for a “Seattle U therapy session” so we could come back to the Chiles Center feeling really, really good about the student’s support for OUR team.

It would be great if the “Chiles Children” grew into something more than disinterested youngsters making inane comments to the opposition, but that may be too much to ask, especially if there is a BIG dance downtown after the game. (Sorry, the more I wrote, the more raw the nerve became).

I guess no one noted this here... Denver went from the WAC to the Summit League last year.

As far as future potential WCC expansion is concerned (or replacement if BYU ever gets its coveted Big 12 invite), the options are extremely limited -- IF the conference wants to maintain its profile of private universities.

I believe I am correct that there are currently only 5 private, D-I hoops schools in the Pacific and Mountain time zones that are not already members of the WCC. 2 of those are in the Pac12, so that leaves only Denver, Seattle U, and now Grand Canyon.

The next closest batch of private schools is in the Central time zone: Tulsa, Oral Roberts, Creighton, and a few in Texas.

Is Denver a Choice? As I understand it, they were already turned down even when they volunteered to pay travel. Seattle can't get past Gonzaga not wanting TV competition in the Seattle area.

And in the next tier, the most logical choice Creighton has already made feelers to no effect. ( well, they are an auxiliary member)

Yeah, basically there are not any good options out there. If BYU were to ever leave, I'd like to see the WCC snatch up Seattle U and stick to 10 members. SU is not up to par with the rest of the conference now, but it would be a solid move for the future.

As long as BYU stays put, I hope the WCC sticks with its current 10 members. I think we've built a solid conference identity and niche that makes it highly unlikely any of the true West Coast schools would leave for any other conference. And that includes Gonzaga.