We are all fighting the wrong war - PAC, MoWest, AAC - all of us. We are tearing each other, tradition, and history apart over crumbs with the mistaken thought that someday, some way, somehow, we will find relevancy nationally. We won't. We are all also rans and never-will-be-agains. The die is cast - the SEC and BIG have consolidated the real power and money and are about to bolt for their own future WITHOUT ANY OF US. In fact, they may even drop teams that are not additive (Vandy, Northwestern). They will add some of the upper tier ACC and Big 12 teams and then split. What will be left is a heap of nobodies that tried to play a rigged game and bankrupted themselves, their cultures, and their institutional integrity to reach for the brass ring that was never within our grasps. No, the real war is for leadership and relevance in the world that exists after the dust settles from the formal departure of the big boys - to organize all the nobodies into a new brand that represents the best of what college athletics were and build a moat around ourselves with federal legislation empowering the organizing body to limit transfers (especially transfers to the SEC/BIG schools) and put a bridle on NIL with some form of antitrust exemption. In that world, we may not get the best kids out of the gate, but we would at least have a fighting chance to salvage something resembling that has been pretty cool for over 120 years with rivalries, tradition, and quasi-amateurism that the market just might pay for, if for no other reason than nostalgia after the semi-pro thing that the BIG and SEC are birthing hits the streets.
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P12 - MWC
- Thread starter PorkerPoke
- Start date
This is very well put.
UW should be laser focused on positioning themselves well for the "post-split" world of college athletics and forget everything else.
It's sad to watch all these schools, who are ultimately going to end up in the same boat, claw each other to death for the mere opportunity to get a scrap from the "big boys". I don't know if any of these smaller schools realize their fate and are just too scared to be the first to admit it or if they truly believe they are going to end up in the promised land. Either way, it's a sad state of affairs.
Exactly right. The teams leaving for greener pastures in the pac will indeed bankrupt themselves as some of the teams fighting for relevance in current power conferences are experiencing now. If there is a split in the future, I’ll be curious to see how fan bases respond. A semipro league will not be the same as traditional college football. IMHO, it will fail eventually. Maybe then some regional conferences will return, let the big boys figure out what semipro is like, and go from there. I personally think that CBS will continue to carry the MWC, probably the same conditions as it has been, and we’ll stay afloat. It’s sad how money and greed has taken over one of the coolest things on fall Saturdays. To think that if the NCAA would have just let players make their own money YEARS ago, this could have been avoided. How nobody could have seen this coming is beyond me. Had to be the shortsightedness of making money for themselves instead of looking out for the entity as a whole.
I think part of the issue is that no school wants to be the first to "give up". There are fans in every fanbase that will kick and scream bloody murder if their school admits they can't compete at the highest level anymore because of the shift in college sports with NIL and revenue sharing. They will accuse the school of "quitting".
In my opinion, these smaller schools are just wasting resources that they could instead be using to better position themselves for the inevitable split that is coming whether they like it or not. I do think more and more fans are starting to see the reality of what this new NIL era means for their school and are starting to come to terms with the fact that they can't have success at the highest level of college sports anymore. I understand it's a hard pill to swallow...but it is the reality a lot of schools are facing. The sooner they face that reality, the better.
ragtimejoe1
Well-known member
The other thing to keep in mind is the ad budgets of those leaving is around 68 mill average for 3 of them. Yeah, they'll get more tv money bur relative to our 54-55 mill budget, I don't think them gaining a little more will matter in the overall picture. We were pretty close to usu and fresno, so they'll probably surpass us by 3 mill +/-. Not the end of the world.
Honestly, even with a reduced budget, I like WYO's chances of building sustained success in the new MWC vs going to the pac or with a merged pac. Once the split does happen, we'll be as well positioned for postseason in the MWC as we would be in any other conference.
What has happened to college football is a tragedy. What has happened to the MWC isn't that terrible. Outside of the csu in-conference rivalry, I really don't care that we're not playing bsu, suds, usu, or fresno. Might be fortuitous that we didn't end up in that egocentric mess when the split does happen.
Honestly, even with a reduced budget, I like WYO's chances of building sustained success in the new MWC vs going to the pac or with a merged pac. Once the split does happen, we'll be as well positioned for postseason in the MWC as we would be in any other conference.
What has happened to college football is a tragedy. What has happened to the MWC isn't that terrible. Outside of the csu in-conference rivalry, I really don't care that we're not playing bsu, suds, usu, or fresno. Might be fortuitous that we didn't end up in that egocentric mess when the split does happen.
LanderPoke
Well-known member
I am with you. I just want to win. We have sucked ass my whole life with the exception of a year here or there. Call it a loser mentality, whatever, I don’t care anymore. I just want to win and feel proud of my Alma mater and state. Tired of sucking. I’m looking forward to the whole thing. Maybe if we can stack some championship seasons it will change the trajectory of things. Winning cures all
PorkerPoke
Well-known member
LanderPoke - I just want to win as well.
I am fortunate to have lived through the great 60’s where I would look at the paper every Monday afternoon for the latest AP/UPI top 20 rankings excited to see my Cowboys listed like they belonged.
The 70’s were generally rough for basketball until Charles Bradley showed up in a uniform. Football wasn’t much, but Akers had come and gone proving you could recruit to Wyoming football again after the 60’s issues.
The 80’s was the best feel of a return to the days of glory in football and especially basketball.
The 90’s were pretty good overall as well and then the 2000’s brought the descent into the abyss of losing. Football has only benefited from the bowl expansion and win 6 games while Basketball died when Bailey went down in 2003 and never really returned. A few little teases but no real expectations of continued dominating success. A basketball conference tournament championship in a down year for SDSU with Nance and a football championship appearance with a loss to SDSU with Allen have been the only challenges to a conference champions title.
I am with you and am looking forward to the whole thing. Maybe Wyoming can contend going forward if we have the right leaders. I have been a big critic of Sawvel but I like he finally pulled #17 and went to Anderson. I don’t know if his additional QB recruits are ready to play but I do like Sawvel emphasizing the importance of the QB position. Not even being tempted to think we are on a conference championship run this year, but this year should give us a confirmation if Sawvel can get the job done or if he really is unable to lead the football program. Starting the 2025-26 season at the end of August in Akron is something I am looking forward to attending. Maybe the CS-ewe game.
Don’t let the losing pull you down. You don’t want to become a grumpy old man about it. I find it hasn’t helped me one bit to lose hope of feeling euphoric once more with “power” when the teams win. Maybe I will get to go online and look for my team to get votes for the top 25 sooner than later. That is the first step.
PorkerPoke
Well-known member
Mediation rumor update 6-25-25:
Apparently the mediator has not been readily available along with the pee2, the traitors and the MWC at the same time. I have to think the pee12 and traitor legal teams have been really busy lately and that is the primary cause for the inaction.
Supposedly it has started to come together lately and should move forward quicker now.
The current stay is good until July 15, 2025 and no further court filings have occurred other than the 2 attorney changes for the MWC on June 13.
My speculation is that the Texas State addition is announced no later than Monday 6-30 since TSU notified the Sun Belt it anticipates an invite offer and mediation news is announced within the next 2 weeks with a settlement or another stay extension filing.
Apparently the mediator has not been readily available along with the pee2, the traitors and the MWC at the same time. I have to think the pee12 and traitor legal teams have been really busy lately and that is the primary cause for the inaction.
Supposedly it has started to come together lately and should move forward quicker now.
The current stay is good until July 15, 2025 and no further court filings have occurred other than the 2 attorney changes for the MWC on June 13.
My speculation is that the Texas State addition is announced no later than Monday 6-30 since TSU notified the Sun Belt it anticipates an invite offer and mediation news is announced within the next 2 weeks with a settlement or another stay extension filing.
OrediggerPoke
Well-known member
Speculation that the PAC adds North Dakota State as its 9th football playing member. If true, missed opportunity for the MWC because NDSU does bring a real brand.
ragtimejoe1
Well-known member
Yep. Should have locked up ND and considered a SD school. Biggest gap in US without FBS schools.
Sac State is another interesting one. They seem pretty committed.
PorkerPoke
Well-known member
Not sure if a FCS program not already transitioning to the FBS would meet the 8th member criteria for 2026 when the pee12 has to have 8 full time members.
Sac State has nothing right now. It was all a show. The “big money” talk was based on something like $2.5 million in pledges and a $300,000 architect’s rendering of a new stadium of which there has been no activity.
As ripe an area that Sacramento may seem to be being something like a top 20 DMA, the last D1 level football program in the area Pacific University dropped football long ago.
Even the CUSA didn’t fall for the ruse and until Sac State can actually start scraping up the funds to build a new football stadium and make a serious commitment to a FBS move all they have accomplished is a move to independent status in the FCS after leaving the Big Sky.
OrediggerPoke
Well-known member
Smoke and mirrors. If Sac State had value, the PAC would absolutely bring them in because they are perfect for their footprint.
I presume an NDSU add is football only with NDSU leaving its Olympics in the Summit.
OrediggerPoke
Well-known member
Texas State meets the 8th member criteria. North Dakota State gives them 9 football playing members to have a full schedule.
PorkerPoke
Well-known member
I have to conclude that Sac St doesn’t have the value since the MWC took UC-Davis as a non-football member for scheduling reasons.
I have seen nothing serious about NDSU joining for football other than rhetoric from a bunch of talking head speculators.
ragtimejoe1
Well-known member
Sac State would need to show a balance sheet, stadium plans that are started, and other firm metrics before taken serious.
ndsu should have came with niu.
ndsu should have came with niu.
rocket city poke
Well-known member
Sac State went to the Big West for all sports besides football. The transition from FCS and FBS is becoming to cost and time prohibitive. You won't see NDSU do anything for this reason also. The PAC12 exodus really helped the Big West which is becoming very viable as they also added UVU.
Wouldn’t NDSU need to remodel the Fargo Dome to meet D1 requirements? I believe this is already the hurdle as to why they haven’t moved up as it is. The money it would cost isn’t worth it and they need that dome for more sports than just football. If they’re smart, they’ll stay put until they know for sure what they can afford. Maybe the defectors will learn from them. 
OrediggerPoke
Well-known member
Wait for Texas State announcement first.
No. NCAA FBS 'requirement' (not really enforced) requires a 15,000 home game average attendance. The Fargo Dome seats 18,700 and is routinely full with the team averaging around 18,000 per game at the FCS level.Wouldn’t NDSU need to remodel the Fargo Dome to meet D1 requirements? I believe this is already the hurdle as to why they haven’t moved up as it is. The money it would cost isn’t worth it and they need that dome for more sports than just football. If they’re smart, they’ll stay put until they know for sure what they can afford. Maybe the defectors will learn from them.
For comparison, NDSU had a higher 2024 home football game average than MWC teams Hawaii, New Mexico, San Jose State, Utah State and Nevada...(i.e. most of the remaining MWC)
OrediggerPoke
Well-known member
I am not following. North Dakota State already has its football program in the Missouri Valley and its olympic sports in the Summit (wrestling in the Big 12). There is no need for NDSU to move any sports but football. There is a new $5 million fee to move to the FBS from FCS so maybe this is what you are referencing.
ragtimejoe1
Well-known member
I'm not a huge fan of ndsu but I'm not sure why anyone would look down on them relative to the new MWC. They would have added an interesting storyline and been instantly competitive. Honestly, when this all started, I thought they were a no-brainer if they had the will to jump.
