WE HAVE A CONFERENCE NOW...

[dcut03]

I think we quickly formed a new plan...
We were probably half a day away from committing to the Pac 12. Giving our administration entirely too much credit, but they decided to push pause, and go "what will best suit UNLV in the next 5 years to join a P4"...
Then we called Gloria and said we were willing to stay but we needed a higher percentage payout than the other schools and we wanted a higher signing bonus to be distributed. That plan gave us the best competitive advantage to win the conference year in and year out building the brand in Las Vegas.
now you could argue that plan sucks, wed rather play Boise and WSU every year, but we arent, but we are going to have a real financial advantage over our conference peers and that hasnt been the case.

I was speaking of the MW when I said "we".
I agree our plan was more strategic. It is risky, and unfortunately will likely bite us in the ass down the road. But it does leave a very important door open.
Who knows if the Big 12 plan fails, we could join the PAC in 7 years. Who knows?

 

[dcut03]

There was a master plan in place. The plan by the PAC2 was to raid and blow up the MWC, instead of a reverse merger. They failed! The MWC is still intact. Also, the PAC was clearly outmaneuvered and who else is available? Sac State or Tx State?

ugggh...
They did raid and blow up the MWC. That didn't change.

We are still a conference, and I don't think that was their primary goal in fully causing the MW to collapse. I'm sure that would have liked to do that, it could have waived fees, but I doubt they really thought that would work.

They still have our 4 best markets. The PAC teams will make more per year than they would have with a merger. Did they have to spend too much up front to do so? Likely yes, but those fees are far from finalized. And then eventually they will break even, whether that takes a few years or a few decades.

 

[Meister_Rebel]

Speaking of our conference I just saw this at themw.com welcoming Hawaii as a full member:

 

[RebelScrub]

Utep is such a shitty add..

Could be adding GCU and probably the Pac 10 adds it..

So f’n dumb

 

[1Tripoda]

ugggh...
They did raid and blow up the MWC. That didn't change.

We are still a conference, and I don't think that was their primary goal in fully causing the MW to collapse. I'm sure that would have liked to do that, it could have waived fees, but I doubt they really thought that would work.

They still have our 4 best markets. The PAC teams will make more per year than they would have with a merger. Did they have to spend too much up front to do so? Likely yes, but those fees are far from finalized. And then eventually they will break even, whether that takes a few years or a few decades.

You better believe it that was the plan. They, PAC, almost successful too if UNLV and AFA said yes. The MWC would have never recover.
If the MWC blew up there would be no exit fee or poaching fees to pay from the PAC and the Traitor Fours. This whole process was lead by BSU. That game against BSU is vitally important. No mercy.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

Utep is such a shitty add..

Could be adding GCU and probably the Pac 10 adds it..

So f’n dumb

It's a metro area population of nearly 1 million people. No UTEP isn't great but who else are you going to grab. AAC schools are off the table. Sun Belt are mostly East and without travel partners aren't an option.

It was a necessary add.

I 100% would circle back to Texas State again and look at Sam Houston as potential targets.

 

[dcut03]

You better believe it that was the plan. They, PAC, almost successful too if UNLV and AFA said yes. The MWC would have never recover.
If the MWC blew up there would be no exit fee or poaching fees to pay from the PAC and the Traitor Fours. This whole process was lead by BSU. That game against BSU is vitally important. No mercy.

That was a hopefully result of their moves.
If UNLV and AFA said yes. It wouldn't have changed much. The MW would have more fees coming their way and they add NMSU or some other team to get their 8.
The PAC teams know better than anyone what you can do with a bag full of cash after being ransacked. They are the blue print.
You honestly don't think they thought the MW and Gloria who has been stubborn and playing hardball with them with merger and scheduling agreement talks would just give up, do you?

 

[TimothyC3]

One other point. I don’t get the interest in GCU. New Mexico State dominated them in hoops until they moved to CUSA from the WAC with a 14-5 conference record. In the series NMSU was 9-0 at home and 6-5 at GCU. I would take NMSU any day over GCU.

 

[1Tripoda]

That was a hopefully result of their moves.
If UNLV and AFA said yes. It wouldn't have changed much. The MW would have more fees coming their way and they add NMSU or some other team to get their 8.
The PAC teams know better than anyone what you can do with a bag full of cash after being ransacked. They are the blue print.
You honestly don't think they thought the MW and Gloria who has been stubborn and playing hardball with them with merger and scheduling agreement talks would just give up, do you?

Do you think it was Gloria who hold up the merger? From what I have heard it was OSU and WSU who did not want to merge. BSU saw the opportunity and pull SDSU along.

Edit: there were a lot of assets and equipments that the old PAC12 left behind and the PAC2 did not to share. And the PAC2 did. not want some of the MWC to come along. Gloria want the whole conference to merge.

 

[1Tripoda]

One other point. I don’t get the interest in GCU. New Mexico State dominated them in hoops until they moved to CUSA from the WAC with a 14-5 conference record. In the series NMSU was 9-0 at home and 6-5 at GCU. I would take NMSU any day over GCU.

Regional proximity to UTEP and UNM. GCU is a young school with unlimited resources.

 

[dcut03]

One other point. I don’t get the interest in GCU. New Mexico State dominated them in hoops until they moved to CUSA from the WAC with a 14-5 conference record. In the series NMSU was 9-0 at home and 6-5 at GCU. I would take NMSU any day over GCU.

GCU has been getting steadily better over the past few years. They have developed a unique home court advantage and atmosphere.
They did win a game in the tourney last year as well. They are in a fantastic market and have tons of money and potential.
NMSU shares the extended market of UTEP. We have UNM already and they add little in terms of extra eyeballs in their relatively small state.
GCU would be a bball only member with a reduced share in media rights. Nmsu would hsve to be a full member

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

One other point. I don’t get the interest in GCU. New Mexico State dominated them in hoops until they moved to CUSA from the WAC with a 14-5 conference record. In the series NMSU was 9-0 at home and 6-5 at GCU. I would take NMSU any day over GCU.

There was a master plan in place. The plan by the PAC2 was to raid and blow up the MWC, instead of a reverse merger. They failed! The MWC is still intact. Also, the PAC was clearly outmaneuvered and who else is available? Sac State or Tx State?

I think the initial 10-15 million media package deal the PAC floated was tiered.

15 million - Original 6 plus Memphis/Tulane/USF/UTSA

That was dream scenario.

There were likely a few others until they got to doomsday scenario which was UNLV and USU.

that was the 10 million.

When UNLV said no, everything got derailed.

If they knew they had 10 million or more in a media deal regardless of who the 8th/9th/10th teams were they could have easily added UTEP or NMSU or Texas State and been done with it.

But they are probably staring at a media deal around 8 million with current configuration which would only be a slight bump from what Boise State is getting now and significantly less than WSU and OSU were getting in old PAC deal.

They had plans in place but definitely never thought it would get to this point.

Adding Gonzaga as full member means one more mouth to feed.

So even if they get Memphis and the package was 100 million you are splitting it 9 ways instead of 8.

As for adding NMSU. There's really no point in adding them now after landing UTEP. Las Cruces is a small market and only 50 miles from El Paso. It's not technically the same market but it may as well be.

Not saying UTEP was a better add but 700k potential viewers vs 100k is massive.

I think there are plenty of better options than NMSU at this point. I'm not bashing NMSU just saying with UNM and UTEP they become redundant. I think you'd rather add timezones.

Say MWC adds Toledo and NIU..I sure as crap would be also contacting WKU, Liberty Sam Houston and Texas State (again). WKU/Toledo and NIU would give Liberty travel partners for football. I'd even consider Liberty as Football only as well. WKU has been pretty solid in football and Sam Houston is playing well after moving up from FCS.

Doesn't do much for basketball but it increases footprint for football and adds Liberty who has some name value the last few years.

 

[RebelSoldat]

It's funny how the MWC was formed partly as a reaction to the wide geographical nature of the old WAC and now we are kinda back at square one again....

 

[Boston Rebel 2]

One other point. I don’t get the interest in GCU. New Mexico State dominated them in hoops until they moved to CUSA from the WAC with a 14-5 conference record. In the series NMSU was 9-0 at home and 6-5 at GCU. I would take NMSU any day over GCU.

NMSU brings nothing to the table in terms of population and they are two teams headed in opposite directions. NMSU has made the tourney once in the last five years and they have been putrid the last two years. GCU on the other hand has made the tourney 3 of the last 5 years (3 of 4) with a win last season.

 

[WarthogRebel]

I think the initial 10-15 million media package deal the PAC floated was tiered.

15 million - Original 6 plus Memphis/Tulane/USF/UTSA

That was dream scenario.

There were likely a few others until they got to doomsday scenario which was UNLV and USU.

that was the 10 million.

When UNLV said no, everything got derailed.

If they knew they had 10 million or more in a media deal regardless of who the 8th/9th/10th teams were they could have easily added UTEP or NMSU or Texas State and been done with it.

But they are probably staring at a media deal around 8 million with current configuration which would only be a slight bump from what Boise State is getting now and significantly less than WSU and OSU were getting in old PAC deal.

They had plans in place but definitely never thought it would get to this point.

Adding Gonzaga as full member means one more mouth to feed.

So even if they get Memphis and the package was 100 million you are splitting it 9 ways instead of 8.

As for adding NMSU. There's really no point in adding them now after landing UTEP. Las Cruces is a small market and only 50 miles from El Paso. It's not technically the same market but it may as well be.

Not saying UTEP was a better add but 700k potential viewers vs 100k is massive.

I think there are plenty of better options than NMSU at this point. I'm not bashing NMSU just saying with UNM and UTEP they become redundant. I think you'd rather add timezones.

Say MWC adds Toledo and NIU..I sure as crap would be also contacting WKU, Liberty Sam Houston and Texas State (again). WKU/Toledo and NIU would give Liberty travel partners for football. I'd even consider Liberty as Football only as well. WKU has been pretty solid in football and Sam Houston is playing well after moving up from FCS.

Doesn't do much for basketball but it increases footprint for football and adds Liberty who has some name value the last few years.

UTEP viewership 3,000,000 when you add Juarez.

 

[Rebel1986]

One other point. I don’t get the interest in GCU. New Mexico State dominated them in hoops until they moved to CUSA from the WAC with a 14-5 conference record. In the series NMSU was 9-0 at home and 6-5 at GCU. I would take NMSU any day over GCU.

The interest over Grand Canyon is over the last couple of years when they have really boosted up their entire athletic department as well as the fact that they have over 200,000 alumni, over 25,000 students on campus with another 100,000 internet students. They also have a total of 19 athletic teams.

The baseball team was 36-25 with wins over USC, Ohio State, BYU, Nebraska, Arizona State and Arizona. In the NCAA regionals they had wins over #15 Arizona and #25 Dallas Baptist. The MWC champion was Fresno State who went 33-29 and went 0-2 in the NCAA tournament.

The basketball team went 30-5 with wins over #25 SDSU during the regular season and a 75-66 win in the NCAA tournament against #15 ranked Saint Mary's. Boise State, CSU, New Mexico, and unr all went out either in the first four or the round of 64. Only SDSU, Utah State and Saint Mary's got out of the round of 64. Utah State lost by 39 in the round of 32, GCU lost by 12 to 4th seed Alabama. The only team to go forward to the round of 16 was the same SDSU that GCU easily beat during the regular season. While GCU is no Gonzaga in basketball, they would be in the top tier of the current MWC.

While fixing football is the most important part of the MWC rebuild, it is also important to bring in programs that can allow for other sports to thrive.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

UTEP viewership 3,000,000 when you add Juarez.

They start tapping into that Cartel NIL money watch out..

 

[Meister_Rebel]

They start tapping into that Cartel NIL money watch out..

Don't give those cartels any ideas into laundering money through NIL.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

NMSU brings nothing to the table in terms of population and they are two teams headed in opposite directions. NMSU has made the tourney once in the last five years and they have been putrid the last two years. GCU on the other hand has made the tourney 3 of the last 5 years (3 of 4) with a win last season.

I honestly feel bad for NMSU fans. They kinda see the writing on the wall and being stuck in CUSA. If this was just about performance and region, NMSU would be a no brainer over UTEP. But it boils down to media rights/viewership potential and El Paso at least triple the population of Las Cruces.

I'm actually excited at the possibility of Toledo and NIU joining FB only. I'd still kick tires on Sam Houston and Texas State (again).

Curious what the addition of Toledo and NIU would do for media deal.

 

[Rebel1986]

I honestly feel bad for NMSU fans. They kinda see the writing on the wall and being stuck in CUSA. If this was just about performance and region, NMSU would be a no brainer over UTEP. But it boils down to media rights/viewership potential and El Paso at least triple the population of Las Cruces.

I'm actually excited at the possibility of Toledo and NIU joining FB only. I'd still kick tires on Sam Houston and Texas State (again).

Curious what the addition of Toledo and NIU would do for media deal.

I there any news, or any real chance that they end up in the MWC for football only?

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

I there any news, or any real chance that they end up in the MWC for football only?

Toledo and NIU?

Yeah Brett McMurphy reported MWC and Toledo are in talks as football only members. MAC media rights deal is 2.5 million per. So half of current MWC deal (And based on early reports next MWC deal could approach that.)

II think a lot will depend on a few things.

1- Do those schools have somewhere to put their other sports.

2- Is doubling media deal enough to move. I'm not sure it is unless they get a full share. Even then I don't know if it's enough with exit fees for them.

3- How much would Toledo and NIU add to current media deal?

4- Is this a move setting up something else? Hear me out here. If you add those two, could you then entice somebody like Liberty since they would now have 2 travel partners for football? AAC probably makes more sense for Liberty and they may want to see what happens with Memphis and Tulane. But I'd seriously take a look at them. Mentioned them before but I'd kick tires on Western KY as another travel partner...

If Gloria misses out there then Look at Sam Houston and Texas State (again).

Getting Hawaii done helps because MWC is a full conference and can present more accurate media package deals.