Posted by Mr.Prell on 9/15/2007, 12:31 pm, in reply to "Re: Boise looking to move on" --Previous Message--
76.212.2.247
We all know how these things ebb and flow..... their days on top are numbered!
: I think the travel concern is legitimate.
: Although trading FSU for SDSU, and NMSU and
: UNM, are probably pretty much a wash,
: trading La. Tech and Hawaii for locales in
: Provo (BYU) and Salt Lake City (Utah) is
: pretty much a no-brainer. Sprinkle in Fort
: Collins (CSU), Colorado Springs (AFA) and
: Laramie (WYO) and this makes even more
: sense. The only "loss" in terms
: of proximity is USU, which I'm thinking
: wouldn't disappoint all tha many Bronco
: fans.
:
: I'm sure their president is not only looking
: at the MWC as a "step-up" (however
: slight that may be), but also as a means to
: save in terms of travel for non-revenue
: sports and fans alike.
:
: --Previous Message--
: hat tip to SpanaBaller @ the WAC BBS board
:
:
: http://www.ncaabbs.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=376
:
: BSU president's long-term goal is a spot in
: the Mountain West, but it won't happen soon
:
: Chadd Cripe
: Idaho Statesman
: 9/15/07
:
: Boise State president Bob Kustra's interest
: in joining the Mountain West Conference has
: not wavered. That's still his long-term
: vision for the Broncos.
:
: The Mountain West, however, isn't providing
: much reason for optimism.
:
: The league's board of directors has not
: discussed expansion since adding TCU in
: January 2004, Mountain West spokesman Javan
: Hedlund said. Kustra had lobbied for that
: spot.
:
: Kustra sent letters to each of the nine
: Mountain West presidents last season and
: only one the BYU president responded.
:
: The other Mountain West members are Wyoming,
: Utah, Colorado State, Air Force, San Diego
: State, UNLV and New Mexico.
:
: "Let's see how this season goes,"
: Kustra said this week, "and it may be
: time to raise it again."
:
: The Mountain West and WAC are fierce rivals
: with the Mountain West owning a slightly
: better national image and a stronger bottom
: half of the league.
:
: The WAC was 7-5 against the Mountain West
: last year, but the Mountain West leads this
: year's series 3-0.
:
: The WAC gets more national TV exposure
: through its deal with ESPN, but the Mountain
: West gets more money through its deal with
: CSTV.
:
: Today's game at Bronco Stadium featuring
: Wyoming of the Mountain West and Boise State
: of the WAC is the latest interconference
: duel. BSU is 11-0 against Mountain West
: members since joining Division I-A in 1996.
:
: "I'll straight up tell you I think our
: league isbetter than theirs top to
: bottom," Wyoming coach Joe Glenn said,
: "and we have a chance to prove
: it."
:
: The WAC's biggest weakness might be its lack
: of stability. Membership has changed three
: times since eight teams left the WAC to form
: the Mountain West in 1999. The last changes
: came in 2005, when four left and three
: joined.
:
: And Boise State is not the only WAC school
: with Mountain West dreams.
:
: "My job is to create enough value in
: the WAC that, if given an opportunity by any
: of our schools to change conferences, they
: would conclude the WAC is just as valuable
: if not more valuable than the other
: conference," WAC commissioner Karl
: Benson said.
:
: Here's what Kustra said about the Mountain
: West and the WAC in an interview this week
: with the Statesman:
: Q: You have been outspoken in the past about
: wanting to join the Mountain West. Where do
: you stand today?
:
: A: "Frankly, in the last six months or
: so, it's been quiet.
I think the Mountain
: West has been in this holding pattern at
: nine since they picked up TCU, and they
: always said they'd be willing to talk about
: going to 10 or 12, but I've heard
: nothing."
:
: Q: Is that still where you want to be long
: term?
:
: A: "Yeah. I think intermountain
: competition among the schools that are not
: only like us, but are easy to travel to and
: from, makes a lot of sense. Certainly I
: would entertain an offer or a discussion of
: that. As I've said many times since I've
: been talking about this in my four years
: here, the WAC is a good conference for Boise
: State. Its only drawback as far as I'm
: concerned is travel and the difficulty of
: reaching across the nation to play your
: competitors. And if we could hook up with
: the Mountain West, which has excellent
: competition, which has considerable academic
: quality, it would be a good match for
: us."
:
: Q: You said in 2004 you would keep the
: Mountain West updated on Boise State's
: progress. Have you done that?
:
: A: "Sometime earlier this year or late
: last year I sent a letter to each of the
: presidents as an update, telling them about
: the stadium expansion, how our teams were
: doing, about our academic progress. I
: received one letter back, from the president
: of Brigham Young University. I certainly
: took that to mean this was not the No. 1
: issue that Mountain West presidents were
: addressing.
:
: "We will keep them apprised of our
: efforts. ... We're good enough and we're
: proud enough of who we are that I don't
: think we ever should look to anyone viewing
: us from afar that we're down on bended knee.
: Boise State doesn't have to do that. If we
: go to the Mountain West, I want to go
: because I got a phone call or two from
: prominent presidents, not because I'm
: groveling to get in."
:
: Q: What was the BYU response?
:
: A: "He was very cordial and welcoming.
: Dr. Cecil Samuelson and I have corresponded
: more than once over the years. He's a great
: guy.
His letter said, Hey, we're always
: interested in exploring this.' But it was
: pretty clear he was not representing the
: conference."
:
: Q: Are you surprised, with what Boise State
: has accomplished, you have not been invited?
:
: A: "They simply have not really sat
: down to make the decision it's time for us
: to move to a larger number. Once they do
: that, I would be shocked if we didn't get
: one of the first calls, if not the first
: call, to join. ... They told me they'd be
: good and ready after they gave the TCU
: experiment a couple years. That's why I sent
: the letter out."
:
: Q: Are the struggles by the lower part of
: the WAC a concern?
:
: A: "Definitely.
How WAC teams have
: performed in preseason play (this year) is
: something that concerns me. We have to be
: cognizant of it and work hard both in and
: out of the conference to improve ourselves.
: Some of us clearly have a lot more heavy
: lifting to do than others, but I think they
: can get there. The schools we're talking
: about certainly have made some investments,
: which I think will pay off."
:
: Q: Would losing the relationship with ESPN
: if you moved to the Mountain West concern
: you?
:
: A: "It sure would. ESPN has really
: carried the WAC into living rooms across the
: nation. I'd hate to think of losing that.
: That's the one advantage we have over the
: Mountain West, because I don't think their
: TV deal worked out for them very well."
:
:
:
:
:
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