MBB: Northwest Conference

[nwhoops1903]

What's with that anyway?  It's been 200 years since Texas was "West" and Wisconsin?  Is it time to make a Midwest grouping?

We will see a D4 and then re-alignment.  Huge number of East Coast schools make it necessary for the West to be so broad.  It's a balancing act.

[LogShow]

Aside from the NWC, SCIAC, UC Santa Cruz, Chapman, and Colorada College (and provisional member La Serria)  there really any teams from here to Wisconsin/Texas.

[bbaddict]

So, NWhoops, do you think any of the NWC teams would go D4?  Or is it an East coast thing?

[LogShow]

I heard that it was more the SCIAC that was interested.  I couldn't imagine that WW or UPS would want to drop down when they have been very competitive in the current arrangement.  It would seem like it would have to be all or nothing for the NWC if only a few members changed then the NWC would fall apart, and fail to qualify as a conference for an AQ.  Also for the schools that dropped down, they would have to find a new conference provide new travel expense concerns to a already limited budget.

[nwhoops1903]

So, NWhoops, do you think any of the NWC teams would go D4?  Or is it an East coast thing?

I have no real clue about D4 other than it is inevitable.  I think that it would appeal to schools that support put downplay athletics from an institutional arrangement.  It could be for smaller schools,  no one knows right now.   It might bring in some schools as well as the schools that are currently forming.  Athletics is part of the college experience and colleges and universities know that and want to provide their undergraduates that experience.  As for NWC, I think it is a good conference and could use one more member, not less.

[nwhoops1903]

I heard that it was more the SCIAC that was interested.  I couldn't imagine that WW or UPS would want to drop down when they have been very competitive in the current arrangement.  It would seem like it would have to be all or nothing for the NWC if only a few members changed then the NWC would fall apart, and fail to qualify as a conference for an AQ.  Also for the schools that dropped down, they would have to find a new conference provide new travel expense concerns to a already limited budget.

D4 would seem a natural for Cal Tech and Claremont, but not Oxy or Cal Lu.  Just an uninformed opinion.

[wildcat11]

So, NWhoops, do you think any of the NWC teams would go D4?  Or is it an East coast thing?

I hope the conference stuck together when they sent in the information survey about D4 and said "No Thanks". 

I believe if there is a divide in the conference it might be between schools that depend on athletics to help drive tuition numbers (Linfield, PLU, Pacific, GFU, Whitworth) vs the schools that have the endowment where athletics is not as big of component to bring in more students (Willamette, L&C, Whitman, UPS).

The last thing we need out in the FAR west is for athletics to be fragmented even more.

[LogShow]

So, NWhoops, do you think any of the NWC teams would go D4?  Or is it an East coast thing?

I hope the conference stuck together when they sent in the information survey about D4 and said "No Thanks". 

I believe if there is a divide in the conference it might be between schools that depend on athletics to help drive tuition numbers (Linfield, PLU, Pacific, GFU, Whitworth) vs the schools that have the endowment where athletics is not as big of component to bring in more students (Willamette, L&C, Whitman, UPS).

The last thing we need out in the FAR west is for athletics to be fragmented even more.

That is something we can all agree on.  I would think that the NWC would say thanks, but no thanks.

[bbaddict]

True story about NWC and D-4 -- we need all of our teams.  In fact, does anyone understand why Menlo College is only a FB affiliate?  Why don't they just join our conference?   Or maybe we should recruit one of the independents around here --- preferably someone with a football team!

[nwhoops1903]

HOOPS MY DEAR FRIENDS, TALK HOOPS!!!  WE ARE HOSTING A GAME IN SPOKANE!!

[wildcat11]

bbaddict,

I'll give you the down and dirty so the board can focus at the task at hand (hoops)

-Menlo has duel affiliation between the NAIA/DIII in the athletic department and is fine with their local conference membership with all other sports (sans football).  The NWC isn't crazy about their admission practices but we needed the 7th football member.

-EOU was a D3 football indy but the NWC said no to their requests to join the NWC due to their status as a non-private and they went back to the NAIA in football.

-College of Idaho "might" be a D3 athletic member down the road (3-5 years) and could be the NWC's 10th member one day.  They have looked into football but I doubt they'll bring it back.

-Pacific is trying to raise the funds for football and will know if they can move forward next year.  The Boxers still have close to 1M to raise before they could really get the football possibility in motion.  GFU was rumored to be looking at football but they decided to put their $ in other areas.

-I doubt the NWC membership will want to go D4 since the membership usually sides on less restrictions (redshirts, spring ball, etc) than wanting to limit athletics.  However, who knows what the Whitmans and L&C’s will pull for.

[bbaddict]

Thanks Wildcat for that educational response.  I also have heard rumors about that other ball (not bb) at GFU and Pacific, have even seen them working out at Fox.

Whitman was one of the schools I thought might go for the D4 tag.  Don't count on LC leaving the NWC just yet.

So, NWhoops -- the SCIAC contingency hasn't changed the plan yet?  I heard rumors that they were all going to pull strings and change the location of the game because they're upset about it.  Oh wait, we've been there, done that and things rarely change.

[bbaddict]

However, who knows what the Whitmans and L&C's will pull for.

Lewis & Clark will pull for keeping their storied rivalry with Oxy going.

OxyBob

Is that the one where Oxy clobbers LC every year?  Or is there something else?

[Pio20]

However, who knows what the Whitmans and L&C's will pull for.

Lewis & Clark will pull for keeping their storied rivalry with Oxy going.

OxyBob

Is that the one where Oxy clobbers LC every year?  Or is there something else?

That happens every year? I must have missed something...

[bbaddict]

Pio --that's because they don't play each other in basketball!  Think about it.