The argument you will hear is they took the best teams and therfore weakened your brand, which arguably they did. But that logic doesn't account for what you just spelled out and the fact that you're banking on the bottom half- CSU, OSU, USU, SDSU and possibly Fresno improve beyond mediocre to the point that they're able to challenge Boise. WSU just entered a death spiral that'll likely lead to mediocrity over challenging Boise. That's the perception you're fighting, especially if you enter into the new conference (2026 season) and 4 of the teams you're taking all finish sub .500 again next year, along with WSU taking a nose dive...
This is true, but now apply it to the MWC.
The teams they took have won every conference title since 2016 except the Covid year of 2020. (SJSU). Boise, Fresno, USU and SDSU.
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