Quote Originally Posted by gokat89 View Post
It is interesting that Utah Valley and UT-Rio Grand Valley dont have football programs now. Both schools have 25,000 plus students and Utah Valley is second largest university in Utah. If these two programs would crank up football, there would be the additional programs the WAC is seeking.

The problem I read about UIW is that their basketball program is one of the worst in the country in Div I. It is true that UIW has some major money players involved with that school and its true that Eric Morris has done a great job building that program, but they would need some serious improvement to move into the conference.
I think the WAC needs to really reconsider this move. This would be a Southland Conference move in my opinion.
I have been under the impression that Utah Valley (and UT-Arlington) both have been making the decision to stay the course without football with the goal of being like a VCU or Wichita State.

The UIW issue with low performing basketball isn't really an issue. My understanding is that the WAC has three criteria for expansion teams: (1) Be in the geographic footprint to consolidate travel and make for a logical conference, (2) have football and basketball, and (3) be able to compete at or above the median level of the conference for at least one of the two required sports.

UIW may not be good at basketball but that isn't an issue. They check all the boxes. Basketball may (or may not) be improved by the change in conference and the impact on recruiting but that isn't significant. Every lower mid-major conference has weak teams in some sports and that doesn't harm a conference. What separates the single bid basketball conferences isn't the teams at the bottom but the strength by the teams at the top of the conference. The top four teams are really a better judge of the conference and how it is judged nationally.

So the WAC adding a team that could be better than the median in either sport, while at the same time cutting down on the median travel for the conference, it is a big benefit.

Along with many others, I expect UTRGV to add football soon.