Boise has been looking to leave the MWC, including approaching the WCC for

[HillZag]

basketball and other sports.

https://www.idahopress.com/blueturfs...04031bbf5.html

[LongIslandZagFan]

basketball and other sports.

https://www.idahopress.com/blueturfs...04031bbf5.html

I thought WCC had a rule about being a faith-based institution.

[HillZag]

According to the article, it sounds like they were given at least a tacit response from the WCC that what you said--private, faith based institutions--continues to be the focus.

Although it is worth mentioning that into the 1970's, several public schools such as UNLV with Tark as coach were part of the WCC.

[SorenTodd45]

Only 426 miles between the two schools, so the geography works out. And they are no threat to us, basketball-wise. But they do play football, so that issue has to be worked out.

[MDABE80]

I thought WCC had a rule about being a faith-based institution.

Maybe they want to convert?

[CDC84]

Plus if you add them, you are forced to add a bad team to keep a round robin league schedule. No thanks. I want as much room for quality non-league competition as possible. Moreover, I think the world of Leon Rice as a coach, and if he cannot change BSU into a consistent winner, no one can.

[hondo]

"Maybe they want to convert?"

Good one Abe.

[DZ]

Plus if you add them, you are forced to add a bad team to keep a round robin league schedule. No thanks. I want as much room for quality non-league competition as possible. Moreover, I think the world of Leon Rice as a coach, and if he cannot change BSU into a consistent winner, no one can.

I believe the same was said back when Idaho used to consistently beat BSU, up till about 20 yrs ago it was a wasteland in football. Perhaps the league change would boost their recruiting ability.

I don't want them bc I like the faith based thing bc it "works" for us. But just BB wise, they'd maybe be okay and that's a growing market.

[Martin Centre Mad Man]

I thought WCC had a rule about being a faith-based institution.

The Big East was all private schools, mostly Catholic schools, until UCONN asked to come home. I wouldn’t rule out the addition of a public school to the WCC at some point. I wouldn’t necessarily bet that Boise State will be the one.

[TexasZagFan]

I believe the same was said back when Idaho used to consistently beat BSU, up till about 20 yrs ago it was a wasteland in football. Perhaps the league change would boost their recruiting ability.

I don't want them bc I like the faith based thing bc it "works" for us. But just BB wise, they'd maybe be okay and that's a growing market.

For the foreseeable future, part of the recruiting pitch would be "you're on national tv at least twice a year, when we play Gonzaga."

ETA: Once the fallout over Covid has been contained, I suspect there will be a great upheaval in college football and basketball, with significant conference realignments. It's likely a number of programs will fold for financial reasons. Declines in student enrollment will be catastrophic to colleges and universities.

[HillZag]

For the foreseeable future, part of the recruiting pitch would be "you're on national tv at least twice a year, when we play Gonzaga."

ETA: Once the fallout over Covid has been contained, I suspect there will be a great upheaval in college football and basketball, with significant conference realignments. It's likely a number of programs will fold for financial reasons. Declines in student enrollment will be catastrophic to colleges and universities.

I very much agree. And Boise is struggling already. They permanently eliminated their baseball program this Summer to save money.

https://www.idahostatesman.com/sport...243954857.html

[TexasZagFan]

I very much agree. And Boise is struggling already. They permanently eliminated their baseball program this Summer to save money.

https://www.idahostatesman.com/sport...243954857.html

Schools dropping football will hurt women's athletics, too. Title IX will no longer be a factor.

[TexasZagFan]

Plus if you add them, you are forced to add a bad team to keep a round robin league schedule. No thanks. I want as much room for quality non-league competition as possible. Moreover, I think the world of Leon Rice as a coach, and if he cannot change BSU into a consistent winner, no one can.

Only worthwhile pairing I could see is Boise and New Mexico. The Pit is a mere 640 miles from my house.

[SorenTodd45]

For the foreseeable future, part of the recruiting pitch would be "you're on national tv at least twice a year, when we play Gonzaga."
ETA: Once the fallout over Covid has been contained, I suspect there will be a great upheaval in college football and basketball, with significant conference realignments. It's likely a number of programs will fold for financial reasons. Declines in student enrollment will be catastrophic to colleges and universities.

I believe BSU would be on national TV more than twice, as the WCC has a cushy contract with ESPN. Anyways, I never knew that Leon Rice was a Zags assistant at one time. I support this move (if it ever happens) as the WCC seems to get better quality players than the Mountain West Conference.

[Kong-Kool-Aid]

Add Boise and San Diego State.

I mean then Boise, BYU, and San Diego State football could even play each other 2x per year home and away.

Then round out their schedules.

[MDABE80]

More will be known at the end of the present season especially if our guys go the distance with the title.

[willandi]

Of what benefit is it to the WCC to bring Boise and/or SDSt in?

[TexasZagFan]

Of what benefit is it to the WCC to bring Boise and/or SDSt in?

Hard to say. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure they would want to join the WCC, when you consider the financial considerations given to the Zags to keep them in the WCC. It reduced the pie for the other schools, two more teams would reduce it further.

[webspinnre]

The funny part is that just a couple of years ago, there was talk of Gonzaga joining the MWC, which I'm pretty sure was mainly about getting leverage to get concessions from the WCC. If we hadn't added Pacific, I'd have been more open to exploring other schools, but if we add another school, then we risk adding another Pacific to balance it out.

[Kiddwell]

Wish, I wish the WCC could somehow add (for basketball, at least) BSU, SDSU, Nevada, and UNLV. If not official "adds" to the conference, then at least yearly opponents--while GU selectively (and yearly) still double-played the likes of BYU, SMC, USF, and Pepperdine. Would likely require further cutting down the number of games in conference, but could promote some really good TV games (like Power-5 conference-vs.-conference rivalry games).


Idle, wishful thinking in the season of COVID.




:]

[HillZag]

Wish, I wish the WCC could somehow add (for basketball, at least) BSU, SDSU, Nevada, and UNLV. If not official "adds" to the conference, then at least yearly opponents--while GU selectively (and yearly) still double-played the likes of BYU, SMC, USF, and Pepperdine. Would likely require further cutting down the number of games in conference, but could promote some really good TV games (like Power-5 conference-vs.-conference rivalry games).


Idle, wishful thinking in the season of COVID.




:]

I do like the idea of cherry picking the best of the MWC. But Boise...they have been a Top 100 team several times recently but have never won an NCAA Tournament game. Not much different than adding a Pacific, except that Boise has literally zero post-season success, lol.

[ZagaZags]

Boise State did beat BYU today, so they have that going for them.

[GoZags]

so they have that going for them.

Which is nice.

[ZagaZags]

Which is nice.

[DZ]

I do like the idea of cherry picking the best of the MWC. But Boise...they have been a Top 100 team several times recently but have never won an NCAA Tournament game. Not much different than adding a Pacific, except that Boise has literally zero post-season success, lol.

The thing about Boise State is it is a growing (really growing) market and if they increased their exposure with us it would make recruiting easier and it's just a place and a school that could explode if a spark was lit.

They're not jerks, they've kept Leon even though he's not taken them deep into a tourney, not even been to the tourney that much, but they realize that Leon is doing as good a job as anyone could in that they're never in the bottom of their conference and besides that everyone likes Leon which I think actually plays a role on keeping a coach through thick and thin.