I'm counting seven for the potentially resuscitated MPSF: the three MWC schools plus Denver, Seattle, San Jose State and Houston Baptist
I did not see the release for HBU joining the MPSF, but now I do. thanks for the correction. Maybe they could go after Oral Roberts and form two divisions again.
Of course the Pac-12 is a better conference for CSUB soccer, because the Pac-12 wanted them and the Big West didn't.
yes and no. the Big West does want them for soccer. but not for anything else. same with the Pac-12 but unlike that league, we all know there is no way Bakersfield joins it for all sports. whereas the Big West is still the most natural fit for CSUB. now with Pacific leaving the Big West maybe Bakersfield gets another look as a whole. but as long as their soccer team is somewhere else, i just can't see it happening...
Pacific AD Leland was quoted today saying their school would ADD Men's Soccer in 2015. They announced they are leaving the Big West, in all sports and joining the WCC. Great to see a University add Men's Soccer. Now if we could get a school to add soccer that also has big time American Football. Link http://www.pacifictigers.com/landing/index about minute 22:20 on WCC announcement video
No, that is incorrect. It is a better conference for them because the Pac12 is higher profile than the Big West. It is a better conference for them because it will help them with recruiting and differentiates them from the other soccer schools in CA. It is a better conference for them because of the Pac12 Network, and it is a better conference for them because the UCSB soccer program is so high profile CSUB wouldn't be able to make a lot of noise, where they will in the Pac12. You have some obvious dislike for CSUB that prevents you from being objective about this.
It wouldn't hurt Davis or Northridge to be travel partners. It would hurt the other schools that would not benefit because they are too far apart to be a single travel destination. Under the old travel plan, Davis flew to Northridge on game day, stayed the night, flew back the next day.
Seems pretty simple. One team flies into SMF Tuesday night, plays at UC Davis Wednesday, flies back home Thursday morning, then takes a bus to Northridge on Saturday. The other team takes a bus to Northridge on Wednesday, then flies up to SMF Friday night, plays UC Davis Saturday and flies or buses home Sunday morning.
And instead of being a relatively cheap bus trip, you're now looking at 20 or so airplane tickets. It would work, but what the Big West has going for it that every other western conference doesn't is that every conference road trip is a bus trip - it keeps costs down, meaning that money can be spent elsewhere (OOC road trips, facilities, scholly money, coaches, other sports, you name it). On another note: the timing of UoP adding soccer is interesting to me. Leave a great soccer conference and add soccer while doing so? Was it a condition of switching conferences? Also, how will it affect their other sports in terms of Title IX implications? If they had made the decision a couple years ago, Sac State wouldn't have gotten a sniff at the BW associate member spot they begin next year.
I don't think we are doscussing the same thing about travel. Consider the UC Davis view of things, since last year they were the most isolated geographically from the others. Last year they made these in-conference road trips - 10/5-Cal Poly (bus) 10/15-Northridge (air) 10/19-Irvine (air) 10/26-UCSB (bus) 11/5-Riverside (air) This year they will make a short day trip to Sac State, a weekend bus trip to Cal Poly and UCSB, and one air trip weekend to either Irvine and Fullerton or Northridge and Riverside.
Another program becomes conference-orphaned as Georgia State moves to the Sun Belt in 2013. Normally, I would say their afterthought of a men's soccer program would be dropped, but they finally got good recently in the challenging CAA, and you'd think they'd want to keep the momentum, at least for a while. CUSA seems the most sensible destination (the A-Sun is probably the most geographically sensible, but they already have a lot of teams), depending on what happens with this proposed merger.
What is the most compact existing conference geographically? I have been speculating on what conferences would look like if they were formed on the basis of travel distance. For example, from a San Diego perspective, SDSU, USD, UC Riverside, UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge, Loyola-Marymount, and UCLA would be an all-bus league.
GA State just announced they are moving to the Sun Belt which does not have men's soccer. GA State W will obviously compete in Sun Belt now, but what options will the M have? Stay in CAA? Move to A-Sun?
In looking through the conferences, I see that Belmont is moving to the OVC, another no M Soccer conference, which I don't think was confirmed in this thread. Northern Kentucky is joining the ASUN as they leave, so they will retain 10 teams. I believe Kennesaw State is the only ASUN team without M Soccer, so they will be at 9, and adding Georgia State would make a nice neat 10. However, the ASUN has no affiliate members in any sports. And if the CUSA-MWC merger fails, CUSA will only have 6 teams left, so they be motivated to grab the Panthers. And then what happens to Belmont's program? EDIT I now see Belmont made this move last year, so sorry for the old news.
WVU will join the MAC for for men's soccer. http://www.hartwickhawks.com/news/2012/4/3/MSOC_0403121840.aspx
Maybe this involves soccer, maybe not - looks like the Western Athletic Conference could be no more. Utah State and San Jose State are poised to leave for the Mountain West, with UT-San Antonio and maybe Louisiana Tech going to Conference USA. And lest we forget, Texas State and UT-Arlington could be joining the Sun Belt. so is it bye bye, WAC? http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/54013176-77/state-utah-conference-west.html.csp http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...4/texas-state-utarlington-to-sun-belt-in-2013 I don't know what this means for Cal Poly or UC Davis's dream of going to FBS play (and maybe having to relocate their soccer teams elsewhere), nor is it clear what happens with Bakersfield because they need to find a home. But I thought this was worth mentioning.
now there is word that Charlotte, Old Dominion, and FIU are going to join Conference USA (as full members?). FIU is already in the conference for men's soccer. Old Dominion and Charlotte would solidify it and give it 8 members. does this stuff ever stop? http://content.usatoday.com/communi...ence-usa-expansion-six-schools/1#.T6CDIVLy2ZE
Butler is joining the A-10. http://www.slamonline.com/online/college-hs/college/2012/05/butler-joins-atlantic-10-conference/
sadly, I think Cal State Bakersfield will ultimately join the Big West when all is said and done. They need a home that makes sense to them geographically. the WAC is disintegrating so while they could get the call I cannot see it as a viable option for them (besides, do you really see Seattle staying?) the Big Sky only has Sac State as any sort of close member. No other conference is a better fit.
That is, if the Detroit Titans will let them join; but I would really want to see this in all sports: http://www.foxsportsdetroit.com/05/...ding_oaklandu.html?blockID=722610&feedID=3624 The article talks about an unfulfilled basketball contract. As I remember in some past year, one team had a player sitting out a year (transfer, I think) and was eligible to play in mid-December. Of course, the opponent wanted to play before that date, while his team wanted to play after that date. The game got cancelled, and it created a bit of bad blood between the two, and I don't think they played each other in basketball ever after that. Of course, us fans who want to see the two local mid's play each other, are the ones who really lose out.