Conference Realignment

Discussion in 'College & Amateur Soccer' started by Len, Sep 20, 2011.

  1. headerdunce

    headerdunce Member

    Dec 19, 2005

    Good point about USC. Although I'm glad they don't compete for players with other California schools:cool:, it is perplexing that they haven't added mens soccer. Perhaps even the mighty Trojans have some fiscal constraints?


    Another Pac 12 school that should have men's soccer is Oregon. Lots of athletic department dollars and, if that well ever runs dry, Nike dollars could pay for a lot of crazy green kits.
     
  2. Hararea

    Hararea Member+

    Jan 21, 2005
    Money at USC? Surely not a problem.

    With men's soccer and softball, I tend to think it's more that they wouldn't enjoy getting trounced by the Bruins.
     
  3. Sandon Mibut

    Sandon Mibut Member+

    Feb 13, 2001
    I think SC recruiting against UCLA would be difficult simply because with most of the players on partials, the tuition the player and/or his parents have to pay is so much higher at SC, particularly for in-state kids, than UCLA... or any UC or Cal State.
     
  4. Hararea

    Hararea Member+

    Jan 21, 2005
    Not buying it. There's always been plenty of talent available for the other SC (Santa Clara), and even St Mary's can field a strong team.
     
  5. Gaucho Bandsman

    Sep 19, 2010
    The tuition might be higher for in-state kids at USC than the public unis, but I'd be willing to wager that USC also has a lot more money available for need based and academic scholarships as well. Also, those aforementioned scholarships aren't capped by the NCAA. I think it would be a wash financially for recruits, and USC could field a competitive men's soccer program pretty quickly if they decided to.

    Spending money on a men's sport that isn't football strikes me as a bigger issue. If USC were interested in doing that, they'd have a better basketball team. Starting a men's team from scratch just isn't going to happen unless somebody ponies up a pile of cash to do it.
     
  6. Xfactor

    Xfactor Member

    May 20, 2011
    Club:
    Paris Saint Germain FC
    USC could field a team and be competitive within 3 years. SoCal kids want to be there. The women's soccer facility is very poor and they don't have a lot of excess land.
     
  7. LeftyLeftyOutside

    Aug 25, 2010
    Johnson City, TN
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I can think of quite a few conferences that would be interested in bringing in a school like West Virginia; the problem is, most of those conferences aren't really all that great.
     
  8. Gaucho Bandsman

    Sep 19, 2010
    This article was posted in the Gyasi Zardes thread, but is very relevant here, as the primary thrust is the future of the MPSF.

    http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer/college-soccer-latest-news/nid-23881

    Big news that I took away from it is that CSU Bakersfield is being voted on to join the Pac-5+1 to replace San Diego State. That could be a huge boost for the Roadrunners, which are on the upswing right now as it is.

    The MPSF sounds pretty much dead at this point, though we will see. Apparently they will be down to 4 teams, with no one to add to bring it up to 6 with the MWC/CUSA merger. Details are still being hammered out there though, so it isn't a done deal. Again, I wouldn't be surprised if the remains of the MPSF merge with the 5 Pac 12 schools. I just don't see it being in anybody's interest out west to leave 4 teams out in the cold - there are few enough "local" opponents to begin with.
     
  9. soccerall

    soccerall Member

    Mar 16, 2005
    If Houston Baptist is out how does the Atlantic Soccer Conference stay a conference with 3 schools?
     
  10. Emile

    Emile Member

    Oct 24, 2001
    dead in a ditch
    For the next few years file, apparently the Mwcusa is already thinking expansion, and Charlotte and Appalachian State are apparently on the list, as soon as their football programs a) exist or b) are ready to jump to 1A. Charlotte would certainly be nice soccer catch for the league.

    I'm still betting on WVU joining the MAC, but have not seen anything.
     
  11. bisbee

    bisbee Member

    Sep 9, 2010
    I hope you are correct about WVU
     
  12. Hararea

    Hararea Member+

    Jan 21, 2005
  13. Gaucho Bandsman

    Sep 19, 2010
  14. Sandon Mibut

    Sandon Mibut Member+

    Feb 13, 2001
    I think it's done as a soccer conference.

    Sac State - gone to the Big West.
    Bakersfield - to the Pac 6.
    UNLV, New Mexico and Air Force - to the merger with Conference USA.

    That leaves what, San Jose State, Seattle and Denver? I know Houston Baptist is supposedly joining but you think they're still gonna come to a three-team league?

    Plus, none of those games are bus trips. Everyone of them requires a flight - one of the major expenses for non-revenue teams - and there aren't any nearby travel partners to allow for two games for the flight. (In theory, non conference games could be arranged nearby but that's not a lock, especially in Colorado and Houston, where there aren't any other teams close by.)

    And then there's the fact that they'd still be two teams, with no viable alternatives, short of the necessary number to qualify for an automatic bid.

    At this point, you have to figure Gary St. Clair, Pete Fewing and Bobby (No Fuss No) Muss are working the phones and e-mails trying to find a viable landing spot for their programs.
     
  15. WesternWillie

    WesternWillie Member

    Nov 11, 2009
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Could San Jose State join the WCC? One of the problems with WCC scheduling has been the odd number (3) of Bay area teams. Adding a fourth might help that out. Of course, San Jose State doesn't really fit the model of the WCC private schools.
     
  16. bisbee

    bisbee Member

    Sep 9, 2010
    Perhaps Seattle U?
     
  17. Sandon Mibut

    Sandon Mibut Member+

    Feb 13, 2001
    You'd think it would be an obvious fit, being both a West Coast school and a Jesuit one.

    Back in the 70s, Seattle was actually part of the WCC before they dropped out of D-I.

    I'd heard they wanted back in the WCC but were denied, but that before all the conference realignment went nuts. Maybe the WCC would reconsider now, at least for soccer.

    What conference is Seattle in for its other sports?
     
  18. bisbee

    bisbee Member

    Sep 9, 2010
    I know they were an Independant in basketball but will join the WAC next season.
     
  19. WesternWillie

    WesternWillie Member

    Nov 11, 2009
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The problem with Seattle is that it makes a third northwest team with none of the three that close to the other two geographically(Gonzaga and Portland). Makes sense though from the private/Catholic angle.
     
  20. CBSoccer

    CBSoccer Member

    Sep 17, 2010
    Club:
    Nottingham Forest FC
    If the WCC takes any new schools, Seattle Univ and Univ of Denver make the most sense (to me)...

    I think the WCC is arranged right now as one of the best conferences in the nation, with their home/away schedule - it mirrors how the rest of the world plays the game, and gives the best result as a "league"...the problem with adding two more teams to the WCC is that it would likely eliminate their home/away matchup schedule, due to the NCAA's limit on games played...there simply would not be enough out of conference games to allow any of the WCC teams to get an at large bid...which is already the case right now...
     
  21. espola

    espola Member+

    Feb 12, 2006
    Big West, with Sacramento State added this year, is going into a modified home-away schedule. The Conference is divided into north and south halves. Within each half, teams play home and away (6 games) and play once each the teams in the other half (4 more games). Teams travel with a partner (UC Davis/Sacramento State, UCSB/Cal Poly, Irvine/Fullerton. Northridge/Riverside) and play two teams each trip. That cuts intraconference travel down to one long trip and three bus trips a year (although some of the bus trips (eg Davis - Santa Barbara) might also involve overnight stays).
     
  22. Gaucho Bandsman

    Sep 19, 2010
    I like the divisional home/away schedule this year, especially for the north. 2 sets of rivals in Davis/Sac and SB/SLO, meaning there are going to be a lot of rivalry games. The south isn't as compelling rivalry-wise, but it still works well geographically. The north especially is going to be a very, very tough division - even down teams get up for rivals. It will be fun to watch.

    I am interested to see what they do with the addition of SDSU. I was actually hoping the Big West would take CSUB for soccer and put them in the north division, but that's not going to happen now, unless the Big West offers for all sports (Bakersfield is in no man's land right now, and the Big West is the best option for them for a number of reasons). Unfortunately for CSUB, the BW isn't going to do that unless they get a better basketball program in a real hurry - which is an unlikely proposition at best. Dropping Sac State to go back to 8 is doubtful - Davis wants (or should want) them in. I hope they don't go to a 1 game against everyone else format, but that seems the easiest solution. Add San Jose State? Meh - I don't see how it improves the conference, though it would make it easier for Bay Area alums to see games.
     
  23. perspixx

    perspixx Member

    Oct 20, 2005
    Temecula, Calif.
    Dropping Sac State is exactly what will happen. The Hornets' associate membership will last for three seasons: 2012, 2013, 2014. San Diego State is set to join in 2015, so odds are that after the 2014 season, Sac State's associate membership will not be renewed, and Northridge will replace them in the North Division with SDSU in the South.

    San Jose State, Seattle and Denver are in trouble, as it pertains to men's soccer conference membership. Sacramento State will be in trouble too, if things don't shift by 2015. Would the Pac-12 be interested in adding two of them to get to 8 teams?
     
  24. CBSoccer

    CBSoccer Member

    Sep 17, 2010
    Club:
    Nottingham Forest FC
    If what perspixx says is true (and I'm not questioning that) I could see Sac State and SJ State going into the PAC-X for soccer, and Denver and Seattle going into the WCC...I don't know how that would fly with other sports...
     
  25. beautifulsport

    beautifulsport New Member

    Mar 23, 2012
    San jose state this last season actually beat CSU Bakersfield 1-0, beat Loyola, tied St. Mary's. lost to New Mexico 0-1, beat Sac State 4-2, tied Santa Clara, beat UC Riverside. Hopefully, the CSU's and UC's would take SJSU to add to the "bus travel" schedule. There are several forums discussing the football merger for SJSU, and the possibility of its "other sports" going to the "big West." Hopefully all programs will be protected as most college interest seems to be so focused on American College Football and the money it generates.
     

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