The WAC may not be in the news directly, but their destiny will be impacted by the decisions of others. How nervous should the conference be?
By all accounts, the Western Athletic Conference had their best season since the restructuring from several years. The standard bearers New Mexico State once again had an outstanding year, representing the league in the NCAA Tournament.
In most of the other years, it was a cakewalk for the Aggies. But not this season, with both the University of Seattle and Utah Valley both knocking off the heavy favorites in the regular season, while each getting 20 total wins themselves. And Grand Canyon’s profile automatically makes them a key figure.
But even with the success, that doesn’t mean that the league is in a stable position. For the most part, schools in the Mountain West/Pacific time zones aren’t able to move, because realignment hasn’t been happening.
That’s changed with the possibility of Gonzaga leaving the WCC to the Mountain West. If that were to happen, a chain reaction would occur, with the WAC being most likely to get poached.
Let’s say hypothetically the Bulldogs go. The WCC needs another team or even a few. Seattle would be the first option as they fit the geography and religious affiliation of the conference. Utah Valley would be BYU’s perfect travel partner. Grand Canyon has the resources and New Mexico State’s recent success has to get consideration.
The WAC knows that in some ways they’re hanging by a thread, with the overall geography the constant elephant in the room. If teams were polled privately, most of them would leave for more stable situations.
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For those in favor of the WAC, Gonzaga staying put is the absolute best scenario, as it eliminates other options of movement out west. But if they do go, contingency plans need to be in place, because the WCC and others will be looking to poach this league.