Zags & the WCC

[GonzagasaurusFlex]

Changing a formula that works unbelievably well just to get apoval of Power 5 confrence fans and the national media is insane. WCC isn't as good this year so what? Zags best team in the country, #1 seeds galore in rankings as well as Tounament seeds last few years. Recruiting is unbelievable on track to land the #1 recrut in country as well as another top 10 guard. These are things we couldn't even dream about as little as 5 years ago. Lets give the WCC thing a rest! Clearly this formula works.

Exactly. The only argument for leaving the WCC that might convince me is the “WCC foes don’t allow Zags to improve enough during the season to compete well vs NCAA tourney teams” but that argument has been blown out of the water by Zags’ tournament performances the past 5+ seasons:

2015 Elite Eight
2016 Sweet 16
2017 Championship game
2018 Sweet 16
2019 Elite Eight
2020 ? Covid cancelled tourney

Their gaudy regular season records earned primarily vs WCC foes allows Zags to get favorable seeding which in turn makes path to Sweet 16 easier, but as long as the goal is to win the natty than would be foolish to leave WCC. It’s working for Zags. Only some bizarre kind of inferiority complex would lead one to conclude Zags need a Power 5 conference membership to somehow validate the program.

[Zagceo]

What do Zag fans think about cancelling WCC tourney in Vegas?

[SorenTodd45]

What do Zag fans think about cancelling WCC tourney in Vegas?

I'm totally against it. I could care less if there are no fans. I like how we play on Monday and Tuesday and we get good ESPN crews. Please don't cancel.

[strikenowhere]

What do Zag fans think about cancelling WCC tourney in Vegas?

Is this a thing being floated somewhere?

[Zagceo]

Is this a thing being floated somewhere?

Watching the season unfold with WCC teams postponing games.......... is flying commercial into Vegas staying in hotels exposing teams to the chance of exposure right before NCAA tourney the best idea for WCC?

is WCC tourney money worth the risk of losing Zags to exposure and chance of deep run in NCAA tourney?

I'm just asking the question

found this article....

It’s extremely important that the tournament is played, in terms of revenue generated, exposure, and helping catapult teams into the Big Dance — as long as it can be done safely. “The tournament is definitely the crown jewel of our conference operations and events. It is a sold-out event every year. Last year, it was amazing,” Nevarez said. “It’s been sold-out every year since we began in Vegas (in 2009). It’s been amazing. That’s the biggest feel-good about the student-athlete experience.
“Secondly, our ESPN exposure during that event is amazing on both the men’s and women’s side. We’re very fortunate. Leagues our size don’t have that kind of tournament exposure. Typically, we send multiple teams to the NCAA Tournament. Our WCC event has definitely been a platform to doing that in a lot of years.”

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/...nament-working

[GoZags]

Is this a thing being floated somewhere?

I will be VERY surprised if there is a WCC tourney this season. VERY surprised.

[Malastein]

I will be VERY surprised if there is a WCC tourney this season. VERY surprised.

There’s too many variables(players, coaches, other staff) that would essentially be exposed to each other in such a setting. I could see the top 4 teams holding a tourney, but anything more seems risky. Also, hoping that NCAA players can somehow get vaccinated in advance of the Big Dance to ensure that it happens smoothly. Even delaying it a couple weeks would be entirely worth it.

[Larryzag]

Get into the Indy bubble as soon as possible and skip the WCC tourney.

[GoZags]

Get into the Indy bubble as soon as possible and skip the WCC tourney.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/scoreboard

7 of 11 scheduled games today involving Top 25 teams today have been postponed. It is ALL about getting to Indianapolis.

Oh. And hi Larry. Hope all is well with you and yours. I look forward to once again blocking your view when Mrs GoZags and I stand up after a great Zag play.

[Larryzag]

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/scoreboard

7 of 11 scheduled games today involving Top 25 teams today have been postponed. It is ALL about getting to Indianapolis.

Oh. And hi Larry. Hope all is well with you and yours. I look forward to once again blocking your view when Mrs GoZags and I stand up after a great Zag play.

I don't mind Mrs GoZags blocking my view but you.................!

[GonzaGAW]

- if the wcc tournament can be done 'safely', yes 100% play the games.
- our last conference game is 2-27 and with no tournament we'd have a full 3 weeks with no basketball games.
- i think those conferences that can pull off a conference tournament 'safely' will have a competitive edge over those teams that have not played a game for 3 weeks.

- on point of 'safety', did you read uconn coach geno's statement that every coach and player that has put a team on 'pause' due to covid has not come from contact between competitor's. it has all been from family, friends or who know's how.
- i cannot vouch for coach geno's accuracy but i suspect if not completely true, it still underscores how 'safe' the players are while actually playing basketball. the travel, hotel, planes and such are another thing.

[CDC84]

I do not mean for this to come off as wrong, because I have been a fan of the WCC for ages, but when Gonzaga generated more revenue with it's men's basketball team last year than any Pac 12 team besides Arizona (which is one of the most profitable programs in nation), including Oregon - who pursued Mark Few 2x - it is just the plain truth that GU has transcended its league. It doesn't mean that WCC teams will not beat Gonzaga at times or that GU does not take league play seriously. You can look up all of the men's basketball financial numbers at this great website:

https://ope.ed.gov/athletics/#/

Gonzaga men's basketball total expenses - $10,496,251
Gonzaga men's basketball total revenues - $16,147,924
Oregon men's basketball total expenses - $10,348,633
Oregon men's basketball total revenues - $10,918, 131
St. Mary's men's basketball total expenses - $4,401,818
St. Mary's men's basketball total revenues - $4,401,818

This site definitively shows that just because you have football, it doesn't mean you have an advantage in basketball. An insane amount of power programs refuse to use their football bucks to enhance their basketball teams. The next time you see SMC in the WCC title game or in the NCAA tourney, just think that their team is gathering about 12 million less bucks in revenue than Gonzaga. Can you remind me why a BCS program hasn't offered to pay Randy Bennett 4 mil a year? Is winning the press conference REALLY that crucial?

[WallaWallaZag]

just because the zags have transcended the wcc doesn't mean that the zags need to leave the wcc...why try to fix something that's not broken?

[TexasZagFan]

just because the zags have transcended the wcc doesn't mean that the zags need to leave the wcc...why try to fix something that's not broken?

Considering the concessions given to the Zags by conference members 2-3 years ago, I think it would be exceedingly bad form to even suggest the Zags are looking for greener pastures...again.

Personally, I don't think the WCC will survive during the next round of conference consolidations. The last year has been financially devastating to many colleges and universities, and sports programs have been on the chopping block. Just wait until schools drop their football programs for financial reasons, which will also mean cutting men's and women's nonrevenue sports.

Seriously, how much support is actually out there for LMU, USD, Pepperdine, and Portland, for example? Once each year, they can count on fans in the stands, when Gonzaga comes to town. BYU, St. Mary's, are the only currently recognizable teams in the WCC besides the Zags.

[ZagsGoZags]

Jan 18,
BYU is ranked #9 in the Net Rankings

[SorenTodd45]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-ba...d-this-season/

This article mentions the Zags, have to scroll down a bit.