If WSU was the WSU of the 60's, 70's, or if WSU had joined either G5, MIDMAJOR, or Big Sky, back in 1967, etc, then you guys would be completely right about going 4-8, 5-7, 6-6, in G5, MWC, etc.
WSU is NOT the POOR OLE LITTLE OLE AW SHUCKS LOVABLE LOSERS, ETC, WSU of 1960 to 1980.
If WSU wins 2 more games, then that's 8, EIGHT STRAIGHT BOWL GAMES. And WSU now is a bigger brand, name, and the GAMEDAY DARLING.
If Nebraska with it's SMALL OMAHA, decided to go to MWC, and SPENT LESS ON ATHLETICS, would they only go 3-9, 4-8, 5-7, etc?
Heck no. Why? Because of their name, brand, tradition.
Recruits, coaches want to go places that are WINNERS.
And right now WSU is a WINNER PROGRAM.
A WINNER PROGRAM that joins the MWC, Spends less on athletics, is STILL going to get good ENOUGH coaches, players, recruits, etc, because a WINNER PROGRAM like WSU still has effective things a GOOD SALESMAN COACH, AD, CAN SELL ABOUT PULLMAN, WSU, TO COACHES, RECRUITS.
As long as WSU goes 6-6 and goes to another bowl game, then if WSU goes to MWC, WSU would be 5-7, 6-6 AT WORST, 1 out of 5 to 7 to 9 years, and 7-5 at below average to average. 8-4 at average to above average. 9-3 at above average to good, 10-2 at good to semi great, 11-1 at great to AWESOME.
In a 30 year, season period, WSU can, would easily go Year 1: 6-6. Year 2: 7-5, year 3: 8-4, Year 5:9-3, year 6: 10-2, year 7: 11-1, year 8: 10-2, year 9: 9-3, year 10: 8-4, year 11: 7-5, year 12: 6-6, year 13; 5-7, year 14: 6-6, year 15: 7-5, year 16: 8-4, year 17: 9-3, year 18: 10-2, year 19: 11-1, year 20: 12-0, year 21: 11-1, year 22: 10-2, year 23: 9-3, year 24: 8-4, year 25: 7-5, Year 26; 6-6, Year 27; 5-7, year 28: 6-6, year 29: 7-5, year 30: 8-4.
Now to do that WSU would have to have good WSU Presidents, AD's, coaches, and those coaches getting Good ENOUGH 3, THREE STAR recruits, and would have to CONTINUE using the Transfer Portal Well to get good ENOUGH players from FCS(South Dakotah State, NDSU, etc) MAAC, SUN BELT, C-USA, weaker MWC, AAC ranks(not BSU, SDSU, Fresno St, etc types, but from Wyoming, New Mexico, Hawaii type), JC ranks, and then develop, coach up those players, and then lose those players to NIL, TRANSFER PORTAL, and then Replace them again with Good ENOUGH players again from the same sources as before.
Also the WSU cougar COLLECTIVE NIL program fund, is growing(There are now O Lineman now getting 7k to 150k, 50k trucks, etc,) and President Schultz, and Chun, and Dickert, and WSU radio announcers, and WSU marketing, etc, is asking, telling WSU fans to increase their donations to WSU's NIL Collective.
Of course all this is the worst case scenario, if WSU has to join the MWC conference, and spend less.
It's more likely that WSU, OSU either wins their court case, or settles, gets control of PAC 2, and PAC 2 75 Mil to 150 mil to 300 mil money, does a schedule alliance for 12-18 month, rebuild PAC with either a reverse merger of MWC joining PAC 14, or taking the BEST G5's from MWC, AAC.