Gonzaga to the MWC went from done deal to off quickly

I heard that the Gonzaga deal to the MWC went from a done deal to on hold pretty quickly. Mark Few was even telling people that it was a done deal during the NCAA tournament, but then some things quickly fell apart. The WCC made concessions and the MWC refused to make certain concessions. This is what Dick Harmon had to say:

The MWC-Gonzaga deal blew up primarily because the WCC made special exceptions for the Zags. The MWC appears in no mood to repeat what it did to recruit Boise State's football team. Since that deal, MWC schools hate the "special exemption" payouts to the Broncos. That should signal where any talk of BYU returning to the MWC stand. The MWC's TV deal as constituted is horrible. Just saying, independence is tough in football, but it is better than going back to the MWC. I'd prefer a P5 but if that's impossible, I'd say stay the course or look for a super conference comprised of G5 over MWC.

I take great pleasure in the payback of the MWC blowing up BYU's move to the WAC by having the WCC blowing up Gonzaga's move to the MWC. The MWC has now lost BYU and Gonzaga to the WCC. Final score: WCC 2 MWC 0

ABYUFAN wrote:

I take great pleasure in the payback of the MWC blowing up BYU's move to the WAC by having the WCC blowing up Gonzaga's move to the MWC. The MWC has now lost BYU and Gonzaga to the WCC. Final score: WCC 2 MWC 0

Before you enjoy the win too much, from what I've heard the move could still happen, just not this year, maybe in up-coming years. I think there are still people in power at Gonzaga who want to see this move happen, but it will take the ADs in the MWC to give up a little bit more than they had initially thought they'd have to give up to get them.

hawkwing wrote:

I take great pleasure in the payback of the MWC blowing up BYU's move to the WAC by having the WCC blowing up Gonzaga's move to the MWC. The MWC has now lost BYU and Gonzaga to the WCC. Final score: WCC 2 MWC 0

Before you enjoy the win too much, from what I've heard the move could still happen, just not this year, maybe in up-coming years. I think there are still people in power at Gonzaga who want to see this move happen, but it will take the ADs in the MWC to give up a little bit more than they had initially thought they'd have to give up to get them.

Yes. Thant is my understanding as well. My hope is that BYU is ready to move on at the same time that Gonzaga is (and by "move on" I mean "not to the MWC") I have loved the WCC (except the not winning it yet part) I don't look forward to it ending just yet.

Does the MWC going after GU signal that the conference is putting more weight into basketball? They aren't going to be a P5 conference. There's little to no chance any MWC team makes the playoffs, let alone a NY6 bowl. Basically, football stagnant,.with little upside.



Basketball, on the other hand is a different story. The conference can still compete nationally. There's money it can go after. Why else add GU?



BTW, I don't think it's set in stone yet the GU will stay in the WCC. I suspect GU will see how the scheduling changes play out.

hawkwing wrote:

I take great pleasure in the payback of the MWC blowing up BYU's move to the WAC by having the WCC blowing up Gonzaga's move to the MWC. The MWC has now lost BYU and Gonzaga to the WCC. Final score: WCC 2 MWC 0

Before you enjoy the win too much, from what I've heard the move could still happen, just not this year, maybe in up-coming years. I think there are still people in power at Gonzaga who want to see this move happen, but it will take the ADs in the MWC to give up a little bit more than they had initially thought they'd have to give up to get them.

IMHO, why would Gonzaga now ever move to the MWC? Clear and simple Gonzaga use the MWC to leverage the WCC to give them what they wanted: stronger conference scheduling requirements, less bottom feeder WCC game (also in the tournament with the #1 & #2 straight the semi game) and more keep what you earn (both NCAA money & TV money). Even using the MWC as leverage there was still WCC schools that voted against the changes. MWC Presidents made it clear they would not make special (Boise St like) deals for Gonzaga, so what would Gonzaga truly gain? Being in a little stronger conference for basketball, but it's not like the WCC has held Gonzaga back on getting good seeding in the NCAA's.

MWC vs WCC

TV: CBSSports (MWC owns all TV rights) vs ESPN (WCC school their own rights, less ESPN's)

Travel: all over the West vs California, Portland, and Provo

Conference: Football 1st vs Basketball 1st

Schools: Public vs Private/Faith Base

Then there is other little things like: Weather & locations during the winter... What would happen to Gonzaga's rowing team (MWC does sponsor rowing)?



So as long as the Big East does not come calling and the new changes stay in place I don't see Gonzaga ever leaving.

FWIW, I really like the new changes. When BYU enter the WCC, the tournament had a similar setup with the top teams getting byes and BYU actually got an at large NCAA bid with 25-8 record. If the new change of 2 less conference games, St Mary's going into the WCC tournament: RPI 40 would have dropped to 35 and SOS 169 would have dropped to 142 that may have given them enough of a bump to make the NCAA tournament. And if they would replace those 250+ RPI conference games with average teams 150 RPI or better there would have been a larger jump. St Mary's actually has a pretty good OOC schedule this year and will be playing in a couple tournaments (I think LA & Vegas).

http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_conf_Men.html



This year WCC 9is the 9th rank. MWC is 16th. Smart move to not move. Maybe we should add Nevada.

scott715 wrote:

http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_conf_Men.html



This year WCC 9is the 9th rank. MWC is 16th. Smart move to not move. Maybe we should add Nevada.

The WCC wants only private schools.

I wouldn't mind to consider Grand Canyon in Phoenix.



Phoenix is a good location for a BYU basketball road game and GCU gets good attendance and is on a nice trajectory. They've averaged over 5K attendance the last 5 years and almost 7K attendance the last 2 years. That attendance beats out everyone in the WCC except BYU (including Zags, who has a 6K arena).



GCU is currently on top of the WAC standings (top-2/3 in the WAC the last 5 years) and #103 in the NET rankings (that's ahead of BYU and most everyone in the WCC except Zags, SMC, and San Francisco).

I agree and they are committed to their sports program. WCC would be a big help to them. If they got an invite with a two year future date they could improve their recruiting in preparation to the move.



Also they should be a positive for TV contract.

Nevada is never coming to the WCC, guys



Questions about what to do with their football team aside, they are lacking the religious-affiliation that undergirds every school in the WCC.

scott715 wrote:

http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_conf_Men.html



This year WCC 9is the 9th rank. MWC is 16th. Smart move to not move. Maybe we should add Nevada.

A west coast team with good basketball that doesn't really play football!?

YNot wrote:

I wouldn't mind to consider Grand Canyon in Phoenix.



Phoenix is a good location for a BYU basketball road game and GCU gets good attendance and is on a nice trajectory. They've averaged over 5K attendance the last 5 years and almost 7K attendance the last 2 years. That attendance beats out everyone in the WCC except BYU (including Zags, who has a 6K arena).



GCU is currently on top of the WAC standings (top-2/3 in the WAC the last 5 years) and #103 in the NET rankings (that's ahead of BYU and most everyone in the WCC except Zags, SMC, and San Francisco).

Agreed. This would be a smart one to consider for the WCC given these things you just mentioned. But then the WCC would have an awkward number of teams at 11. Maybe it doesn't matter with the unbalanced schedule they have now. The Big 10 operated with 11 teams for a long time.

snoscythe wrote:

Nevada is never coming to the WCC, guys



Questions about what to do with their football team aside, they are lacking the religious-affiliation that undergirds every school in the WCC.

I don't think anyone here was serious about adding Nevada. I think that was presented more or less as a joke. At least that was my interpretation. The WCC wouldn't take a state school anyway as you say. But Grand Canyon might make some sense for the WCC. Ranked #74 on Kenpom, averages 7k in attendance, a and is a private Christian school from Phoenix. The WCC would give them an increase in revenue to continue to build their program and it would likely push the other WCC schools to improve to compete.

I am all for it. I think it would strengthen the WCC.

BlueK wrote:

I wouldn't mind to consider Grand Canyon in Phoenix.



Phoenix is a good location for a BYU basketball road game and GCU gets good attendance and is on a nice trajectory. They've averaged over 5K attendance the last 5 years and almost 7K attendance the last 2 years. That attendance beats out everyone in the WCC except BYU (including Zags, who has a 6K arena).



GCU is currently on top of the WAC standings (top-2/3 in the WAC the last 5 years) and #103 in the NET rankings (that's ahead of BYU and most everyone in the WCC except Zags, SMC, and San Francisco).

Agreed. This would be a smart one to consider for the WCC given these things you just mentioned. But then the WCC would have an awkward number of teams at 11. Maybe it doesn't matter with the unbalanced schedule they have now. The Big 10 operated with 11 teams for a long time.

With GCU and 11 teams, you could perhaps increase the WCC season back to 18 games, but still incorporate the imbalanced scheduling. Based on the last 5 years, GCU would be a top-half WCC team most years and usually worthy of a home-road series for the top-half of the conference.



OR, you stay at 16 conference games, but strengthen the top teams' conference schedules even more with the top teams only playing the FOUR lower teams only once.



And, I doubt it would be a bad thing to increase the conference's game inventory and to add the Phoenix market to the conference.



Plus, GCU's fan support and proximity to Las Vegas would only help the WCC tournament.

We might need a bigger arena!

YNot wrote:



OR, you stay at 16 conference games, but strengthen the top teams' conference schedules even more with the top teams only playing the FOUR lower teams only once.

I was going to say that it's really not worth doing unless the WCC can dump some of the perennial losers, but this approach effectively does that. So maybe not a bad idea...

https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=11834



GCU has cancelled Ben Shapiro coming to their campus because they are afraid he will offend some of their students. Weak. Gonzaga also canceled Shapiro back in November. I'm not necesarily a big Shapiro fan (I haven't listened to him speak once) but I am all for freedom of speech and that universities should be open to all thoughts both liberal and conservative. And you'd think (or at least I would) that a Christian school would lean conservative and have no qualms about inviting a guy like Shapiro.



On a related note, would BYU allow Shapiro to speak on their campus? My impression is that BYU does not like any politcal speak on their campus period. My brother tried to get some political group going and was told that he could not even hand out flyers...Sorry, but not sorry to involve politics into this thread, lol.