Seattle U Update

Found this report on the SMC board:

http://www.king5.com/sports/stories/NW_051008SPB_seattle_univeristy_athletics_KS.ea3faad2.html

Not really the best write-up in the world... watch the video for more details. I think it's just another clear sign that Seattle U is angling for entrance into the WCC. They will be playing basketball in the Key Arena and they are adding baseball, golf, and tennis... all WCC sports. They've already got soccer, cross country, and volleyball.

I think if they add those sports and prove their commitment to being competitive at D1, it would make a lot of sense to add them in. Sure they probably would struggle in some sports at the outset and hurt the conference's RPI scores, but I think the positives in terms of expanding to the Seattle market, easing scheduling difficulties for coaches, and just simply growing the conference will outweigh the concerns of RPI hits and taking a smaller slice of the March Madness $$$ pie.

Of course, I think they would need to come in with another team to balance it out... don't think 9 members would really work. Pacific has long been rumored as the most likely school to move, and it's a natural fit: former member, small private school, in the big untapped market of Sacremento/Stockton.

Definitely something to keep an eye on as time progresses.

In Key Arena? Nice to see something going on in there next year, but what is their attendance like for basketball? It's nice to say you play in a big arena, but I wouldn't want a place that's too big to fill like when PSU was playing in the Coliseum/Rose Garden a few years back.

On the other hand, I think adding some more members will be good for the WCC, and it seems like the conference is being careful about who it admits.