Here we are, seemingly at the end of all things, and WSU has a potentially once in a lifetime coach on their payroll in a major men's sport. Kyle Smith is our version of Mark Few. We can't keep up with the power schools in football, but with a commitment to men's (and women's) basketball, we can be fixtures in elite West coast basketball. We have a campus vibe and an alumni base who will readily jump on the bandwagon if we become consistently good.
WSU had better be thinking about the future, and for the first time in my Coug fan lifetime, our future doesn't revolve around football. Sure, we'll always prioritize football, but it makes sense on so many levels to shift some money around and completely go all-in with basketball. Take a fat chunk of the settlement money and tell Kyle Smith to write his own number on the check. Build him the best house on the Palouse, get serious about a new basketball arena, and make a seismic shift in athletic focus. A sport where we can actually compete at a high level by participating regionally.
Instead of chasing football fairytales in a reshuffled ACC or Big12 conference, realize what you have in Kyle Smith and what 10 years of this would do for our campus. If he leaves because he wants to, that's his choice, but don't roll over here. Instead of trying to punch above our weight class vs. Oregon and UW in an unwinnable football spending war, settle into the G5 in football and focus hard on developing the top-5 "other programs" on campus. Men's and women's basketball, volleyball, soccer, and baseball. Youth and collegiate football on the West coast is dying. Recognize that and adapt.
WSU had better be thinking about the future, and for the first time in my Coug fan lifetime, our future doesn't revolve around football. Sure, we'll always prioritize football, but it makes sense on so many levels to shift some money around and completely go all-in with basketball. Take a fat chunk of the settlement money and tell Kyle Smith to write his own number on the check. Build him the best house on the Palouse, get serious about a new basketball arena, and make a seismic shift in athletic focus. A sport where we can actually compete at a high level by participating regionally.
Instead of chasing football fairytales in a reshuffled ACC or Big12 conference, realize what you have in Kyle Smith and what 10 years of this would do for our campus. If he leaves because he wants to, that's his choice, but don't roll over here. Instead of trying to punch above our weight class vs. Oregon and UW in an unwinnable football spending war, settle into the G5 in football and focus hard on developing the top-5 "other programs" on campus. Men's and women's basketball, volleyball, soccer, and baseball. Youth and collegiate football on the West coast is dying. Recognize that and adapt.
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