JimmyDimes said:
What is your idea of no vision? I see improvements to about every athletic facility in the past 10 year. I see that we hired a coach who won 3 consecutive titles in the FCS. Too me, that says we aren't content....but building program not only takes time, but it takes the right hire.
I'm sorry, but to me, CSU is only building an on campus stadium and sending brochures. They are catching up, not taking off. If CSU does get an invite, it will be because of Denver....and nothing else. We don't have a Denver...so that is why were aren't being considered.
On the playing field, the only thing CSU has done is beat us in football while we are going through a rebuild. They haven't touched us in basketball and our athletic infrastructure blows their away. But by all means continue to think CSU is all that and a bag of chips. I certainly won't.
There is so much to respond to on this, and I clearly see your points. My response (long as hell- but still in part):
"Improvements to about every athletic facility" - What has been put on the books since Mr. Vision took the helm. Let me see. First, there was the AA upgrade (although that was a Moon wish-list item, one that Barta shelved). And although some really think that renovation was great, I think it was half-assed. The reseating alone, was a travesty to the program(s). I am sitting here trying to think what else Burman put on the books and went after, and other than a new coat of paint here or there, or a fence banner, and I cannot think of any. The War? Nothing. The Fieldhouse? Nothing. Corbett? Nothing. Madrid? Nothing. Cowboy Field? Nothing. MPG? Nothing - well, maybe other than renaming it. North 40? Nothing. IPF? - Nothing. Now we have the new HATC - which I will plant credit on Burman, as credit is due. And I will give him credit for the new video board & sound system in the south end zone. Although both look good on paper...that doesn't mean much right now. So, what am I missing...what other improvements were completed the last 10 years (on Burman), that are of the caliber, particularly, that would put WYOMING in the re-alignment conversation...IE P5 caliber changes?
Building a new (on-campus) stadium for CSewe - is a game changer. Whether we like it or not. Football drives the bus, and is the largest chair on the front porch. And somebody (Jack Graham) had the vision to get it done. That isn't catching up, that is kicking our ass. Oh, and they spent just as much as we did on the AA, with Moby upgrades - in fact more. And although I hate that facility, they did take action.
I disagree that we don't share the Denver market. I think we do, and we have a large following there...and an untapped following as well. I am not sure most have thought about it, but Denver is largely a California transplant area these days...like Vegas...and with that, you have very limited local-sport-team-loyalty (see the decrease at CU as an example). Being a Professional market as well, that makes things different. But Denver is wide open, with a ton of UW alums.
I have another thread topic I am working on comparing CSewe to Wyoming...and will post it later. But looking at vision, and striving to position UW favorably over the last 10 years, we are not even in the same universe with those pukes down south.
