Teresa Gould addresses the realignment rumor...

[CougSinceBirth]

Scuttlebutt is that your "last" option has almost (if not already) sailed.

We aren't going to beg our way into any P4 conference. We may not even be able to beg our way into the MW. Why can't you people get your arms around that?

Outside of remaining part of the P4 (before its eventual split to P2: B1G/$EC), if WSU choses a pseudo-P12, joining the MWC, or worse (for argument's sake) path forward, do you think people/alumns are going to continue to donate the same amount or watch the same or more games? The answer is no. And that will impact the university as a whole. Good luck hanging your hat on just being an expensive R1 institution, with academics that have dropped due to (current) leadership, and now a worse athletics setup.

WSU has to stay afloat as long as possible and buy themselves time. There's still a seat at the table, even if just scraps, is better than the alternative. Conceding now means throwing in the towel, with no competent leadership to guide it.

 

[Loyal Coug1]

Outside of remaining part of the P4 (before its eventual split to P2: B1G/$EC), if WSU choses a pseudo-P12, joining the MWC, or worse (for argument's sake) path forward, do you think people/alumns are going to continue to donate the same amount or watch the same or more games? The answer is no. And that will impact the university as a whole. Good luck hanging your hat on just being an expensive R1 institution, with academics that have dropped due to (current) leadership, and now a worse athletics setup.

WSU has to stay afloat as long as possible and buy themselves time. There's still a seat at the table, even if just scraps, is better than the alternative. Conceding now means throwing in the towel, with no competent leadership to guide it.

There is no seat at the P4 table. Get your head around that. Unless you have some insider knowledge that the rest of the FB world does not. And even if there was (there isn't), we would be tossed out with the trash when and if the Super conference notion becomes reality.

 

[95coug]

Outside of remaining part of the P4 (before its eventual split to P2: B1G/$EC), if WSU choses a pseudo-P12, joining the MWC, or worse (for argument's sake) path forward, do you think people/alumns are going to continue to donate the same amount or watch the same or more games? The answer is no. And that will impact the university as a whole. Good luck hanging your hat on just being an expensive R1 institution, with academics that have dropped due to (current) leadership, and now a worse athletics setup.

WSU has to stay afloat as long as possible and buy themselves time. There's still a seat at the table, even if just scraps, is better than the alternative. Conceding now means throwing in the towel, with no competent leadership to guide it.

This is an easy answer. No, they won’t, because they never have. People show up for games not because of the Cougs, but because of who the Cougs are playing. They show up for UW and oregon, sometimes USC. That’s why the ticket office charged higher rates for those games. They showed up for Wisconsin, and they’ll show up for Texas tech. They don’t - and never have - show up for Cal, Fresno state, and northern Colorado. If we’re playing a full slate of MWC games, we won’t even need 25,000 seats.

 

[Loyal Coug1]

This is an easy answer. No, they won’t, because they never have. People show up for games not because of the Cougs, but because of who the Cougs are playing. They show up for UW and oregon, sometimes USC. That’s why the ticket office charged higher rates for those games. They showed up for Wisconsin, and they’ll show up for Texas tech. They don’t - and never have - show up for Cal, Fresno state, and northern Colorado. If we’re playing a full slate of MWC games, we won’t even need 25,000 seats.

Well, ya know, if we could or would have embraced the MW last fall/winter, and embarked on a "new normal" campaign to embrace our new foes - most in WSU-sized stadiums BTW, we could have drummed up some budding interest, albeit a work in progress. Now we are homeless and hapless. WSU could not have F-ed this up any worse. As the Mighty, All-Seeing and All-Knowing Loyal One has preached since the getgo.

 

[CougSinceBirth]

This is an easy answer. No, they won’t, because they never have. People show up for games not because of the Cougs, but because of who the Cougs are playing. They show up for UW and oregon, sometimes USC. That’s why the ticket office charged higher rates for those games. They showed up for Wisconsin, and they’ll show up for Texas tech. They don’t - and never have - show up for Cal, Fresno state, and northern Colorado. If we’re playing a full slate of MWC games, we won’t even need 25,000 seats.

And whatever remaining donating will eventually be wiped out.

 

[CougSinceBirth]

Well, ya know, if we could or would have embraced the MW last fall/winter, and embarked on a "new normal" campaign to embrace our new foes - most in WSU-sized stadiums BTW, we could have drummed up some budding interest, albeit a work in progress. Now we are homeless and hapless. WSU could not have F-ed this up any worse. As the Mighty, All-Seeing and All-Knowing Loyal One has preached since the getgo.

If the reality is the MWC (after fighting to stay in a P4), then that's the reality. The only "new normal" will be the influx of fans/alumns who quit watching, donating, visiting, or caring about WSU/Pullman.

 

[Observer11]

Hah hah. South of Washtucna is Kahlotus. Which is where we are headed.

You guys just don't get it. WSU is on a shit train to oblivion. At North Texas in 2025? Are you F-ing kidding me? Teresa Gould is a disaster, 3rd one in a row. OSU seems oblivious, as if their Baseball success somehow makes them royalty. Anne McCoy, nice as she is, is a joke. Schulz? Please quit tomorrow, and take your lame as shit bloated upper administrators with you.

We don’t agree on much - but this much is true. WSU and probably OSU aren’t going back to P4/P5 status anytime soon.

It’s like losing a $200k per year job and the only thing available in a tanking economy is a $100k job. If you like to eat, you better downsize expenses, sell the McMansion and take it.

Homelessness is just one step away from being egotistical.

 

[95coug]

And whatever remaining donating will eventually be wiped out.

That part I'm less sure of. At least in the short term, some of the people who stop coming to games may up their donations to compensate. But in the long term, you're probably right - a short-term spike will be followed by a long-term decline.

 

[PeteTheChop]

We don’t agree on much - but this much is true. WSU and probably OSU aren’t going back to P4/P5 status anytime soon.

Aren't WSU and OSU a package deal wherever they end up conference-wise?

Jon Wilner from the San Jose paper has implied that two administrations are working side by side and hand in hand to join the ACC or Big 12 like the Cal-Stanford or Arizona-Arizona State pairings.

Great chance for those conferences to land travel partners with proven fan bases and tap into the Seattle-Portland-Spokane-Salem media markets

 

[CougPatrol]

While I absolutely think that WSU needs to do everything they can to either beg their way into a P4 conference or reform a "Pac-West" conference with a collection of the top remaining P5 castaways and top G5 programs to ensure a path to the NCAA Playoff for the championship, I don't think our fan attendance and support is going to dry up.

I've been a fan, season ticket holder, and WSU booster since the 80s. What I've learned over those 40 years is that WSU has a base of diehards that make the trek to Pullman for most (not all) home games. That's not going to change with the new conference affiliation.

Next season we have home games lined up with Idaho, Boise State, Fresno State, UW, and San Diego State, and Oregon State. With homecoming, parents (Dads) weekend, and Apple Cup, there are going to be at least 3 games that sellout.

There will be some major stinker games like the Friday night game vs. San Jose and the late November game vs. Wyoming this year, but we've always had those. We sold 23K tickets for a September homecoming game vs. Cal a few years ago. When the dust settles and we move into our new league, we'll have 3 well attended games, 1-2 moderately attended games, and a couple of loser home games. Not much different than we've had for half a century.

 

[PeteTheChop]

That part I'm less sure of. At least in the short term, some of the people who stop coming to games may up their donations to compensate. But in the long term, you're probably right - a short-term spike will be followed by a long-term decline.

If fans are focused enough on the big picture to make a statement by boycotting the WSU-UW game at Seahawks Stadium, won't they also be the ones to step up their financial commitment to keep the program successful?

Would not same people ripping the administration for taking the check from First-And-Goal would logically be the ones to make up for any shortfalls from not playing the game?

 

[Loyal Coug1]

While I absolutely think that WSU needs to do everything they can to either beg their way into a P4 conference or reform a "Pac-West" conference with a collection of the top remaining P5 castaways and top G5 programs to ensure a path to the NCAA Playoff for the championship, I don't think our fan attendance and support is going to dry up.

I've been a fan, season ticket holder, and WSU booster since the 80s. What I've learned over those 40 years is that WSU has a base of diehards that make the trek to Pullman for most (not all) home games. That's not going to change with the new conference affiliation.

Next season we have home games lined up with Idaho, Boise State, Fresno State, UW, and San Diego State, and Oregon State. With homecoming, parents (Dads) weekend, and Apple Cup, there are going to be at least 3 games that sellout.

There will be some major stinker games like the Friday night game vs. San Jose and the late November game vs. Wyoming this year, but we've always had those. We sold 23K tickets for a September homecoming game vs. Cal a few years ago. When the dust settles and we move into our new league, we'll have 3 well attended games, 1-2 moderately attended games, and a couple of loser home games. Not much different than we've had for half a century.

Spot on Patrol.

Look - when the SW Conference dissolved, the left-out teams survived. When Idaho finally faced reality and went back to the Big Sky, they survived. WSU will survive. but we need a home. A stable home. The MW offers that. It's pretty simple.

 

[95coug]

While I absolutely think that WSU needs to do everything they can to either beg their way into a P4 conference or reform a "Pac-West" conference with a collection of the top remaining P5 castaways and top G5 programs to ensure a path to the NCAA Playoff for the championship, I don't think our fan attendance and support is going to dry up.

I've been a fan, season ticket holder, and WSU booster since the 80s. What I've learned over those 40 years is that WSU has a base of diehards that make the trek to Pullman for most (not all) home games. That's not going to change with the new conference affiliation.

Next season we have home games lined up with Idaho, Boise State, Fresno State, UW, and San Diego State, and Oregon State. With homecoming, parents (Dads) weekend, and Apple Cup, there are going to be at least 3 games that sellout.

There will be some major stinker games like the Friday night game vs. San Jose and the late November game vs. Wyoming this year, but we've always had those. We sold 23K tickets for a September homecoming game vs. Cal a few years ago. When the dust settles and we move into our new league, we'll have 3 well attended games, 1-2 moderately attended games, and a couple of loser home games. Not much different than we've had for half a century.

I think you're viewing this through crimson-colored glasses.

The base has been slowly eroding for several years as some of the old die hards age out or die. The younger generation isn't picking up that mantle.

You're also neglecting the impact of the larger changes in the CFP world, specifically NIL and the portal. Those things have changed the general perception of CFB for a lot of people. I've been right there with you as a season ticket holder for close to 30 years. I didn't buy them this year. It's not because of the conference, it's because CFP isn't fun anymore. We're not going to see players develop over 4 years, we're going to see kids emerge as players at WSU and then go somewhere else the next season. We used to have seasons where we could see our team be competitive and lose close games, but know that the next season we were going to be good. We can't do that anymore, because we don't even know who's going to be on the team the next season.

I think you're wildly optimistic about next season's attendance. Idaho might sell out, but I think that's 50/50 at best. Boise State might because BSU will bring a crowd. Fresno won't, SDSU won't. UW very well may not - we've had more ACs recently that did not sell out than ones that did. Oregon state probably will - unless they put it on the Saturday before/after Thanksgiving. And, we're going to move more games to Thursday and Friday nights now, because we're even more desperate for the TV money.

We'll have some games that sell well, but going forward I think our measure of good attendance is going to be 5K lower. Games that sell 30K are going to be wild successes. 22-25K is going to be normal.

 

[CougSinceBirth]

That part I'm less sure of. At least in the short term, some of the people who stop coming to games may up their donations to compensate. But in the long term, you're probably right - a short-term spike will be followed by a long-term decline.

I think people are donating right now because there's a glimmer of any hope on remaining P4. If the day comes when that pathway is officially shut, donations will nosedive and will be peanuts to whatever little bit is going on now.

 

[CougPatrol]

I think you're viewing this through crimson-colored glasses.

The base has been slowly eroding for several years as some of the old die hards age out or die. The younger generation isn't picking up that mantle.

I don't disagree with you, but the viewpoint isn't exclusively seen through crimson-colored glasses. Youth football, high school and collegiate, has been slowly eroding on the West coast for decades outside of a few hotspots. Oregon and UW have the largest bases from San Francisco North, but they're both on a football island. Virtually all of their recruiting has to be done thousands of miles away.

What WSU needs to focus on moving forward is enrollment. One of my sons (I have twins) just started up in Pullman this week. We toured all of the schools in the Northwest, and WSU has the best campus setting of any of them. UW is a better academic school, of course, but apart from them, WSU is next best option. With better leadership at the top, we should have no problem with enrollment. The younger generation isn't picking up that mantle for sure, but WSU's student body is far more connected to their University than any of the schools we visited. They're going to continue to fill up the student section at Martin Stadium, even if they do leave at halftime.

 

[95coug]

I think people are donating right now because there's a glimmer of any hope on remaining P4. If the day comes when that pathway is officially shut, donations will nosedive and will be peanuts to whatever little bit is going on now.

People who see a glimmer of hope of remaining P4 have crimson colored glasses. Because there isn't any. Every one of the remaining conferences has had an opportunity to pick us up, and has chosen not to. Not even at a reduced share.

The P4 has passively showed exactly how much interest they have in us:

We don't even exist to the Big 10 and SEC.

The ACC got Stanford and Cal for 1/3 shares - roughly $13M. They didn't even make us that offer. They took SMU for free - they get nothing for 9 years. We couldn't have accepted that scenario, but that's OK, because nobody asked us.

The Big 12 gave the Pac-12 defectors full shares, but their G5 promotees are getting 60% shares for another year. They didn't even offer us what they're giving the G5 teams.

Anybody who thinks that any of the P4 are going to re-evaluate and suddenly bring us into the fold is fooling themselves.

 

[CougSinceBirth]

People who see a glimmer of hope of remaining P4 have crimson colored glasses. Because there isn't any. Every one of the remaining conferences has had an opportunity to pick us up, and has chosen not to. Not even at a reduced share.

The P4 has passively showed exactly how much interest they have in us:

We don't even exist to the Big 10 and SEC.

The ACC got Stanford and Cal for 1/3 shares - roughly $13M. They didn't even make us that offer. They took SMU for free - they get nothing for 9 years. We couldn't have accepted that scenario, but that's OK, because nobody asked us.

The Big 12 gave the Pac-12 defectors full shares, but their G5 promotees are getting 60% shares for another year. They didn't even offer us what they're giving the G5 teams.

Anybody who thinks that any of the P4 are going to re-evaluate and suddenly bring us into the fold is fooling themselves.

All fair points. We'll have to see if it's not P4 if WSU can get creative and schedule P4 teams on a consistent basis, but I don't they can afford a full independent route.

Really would have been interesting to see what would have happened if the P12 broke up a year or so earlier and the BXII didn't pick up UCF, BYU, Cincy, and Houston when they did in the same time. That would have been likely the pathway for WSU/OSU.

I now live in a big college football city and frankly, I'll pay more attention to that team on a regular basis than WSU since it's surrounds me 24/7. Even then, it's pretty hard to care about college athletics anymore.

 

[Loyal Coug1]

I went to the Apple Cup ticket site (see if link below works). LOTS of tickets available, even on the mutt side. This $4M dollar number that was thrown around assumes (I assume anyway) that the game would sell out. Lots of time left, and lots of tickets in all price ranges available, but it is not looking good right now.

https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0F0060C41D563C39

I also went to the WSU ticket site. PSU seats are half empty. TT is better, but lots of empties at this point.

 

[95coug]

I went to the Apple Cup ticket site (see if link below works). LOTS of tickets available, even on the mutt side. This $4M dollar number that was thrown around assumes (I assume anyway) that the game would sell out. Lots of time left, and lots of tickets in all price ranges available, but it is not looking good right now.

https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0F0060C41D563C39

I also went to the WSU ticket site. PSU seats are half empty. TT is better, but lots of empties at this point.

PSU is Labor Day weekend. We’d see low 20K for that even without realignment.

I expect TT attendance to be ok because of novelty and the Leach connection/HOF induction. After that…it depends a little on results, but I don’t see anyone coming that’s going to excite the masses. Wyoming on Saturday after Thanksgiving might be embarrassing.

 

[Loyal Coug1]

PSU is Labor Day weekend. We’d see low 20K for that even without realignment.

I expect TT attendance to be ok because of novelty and the Leach connection/HOF induction. After that…it depends a little on results, but I don’t see anyone coming that’s going to excite the masses. Wyoming on Saturday after Thanksgiving might be embarrassing.

I concur.

Oh and I also saw this silly "Stripe the Stadium" thing on the Athletics site. OK, for which game? All of them? And how many fans are going to flock to the ticket site to get their instructions on what color to wear? Just dumb.

Washington State University Cougars

Online Ticket Office

wsucougars.evenue.net

 

[Stretch 74]

I concur.

Oh and I also saw this silly "Stripe the Stadium" thing on the Athletics site. OK, for which game? All of them? And how many fans are going to flock to the ticket site to get their instructions on what color to wear? Just dumb.

Washington State University Cougars

Online Ticket Office

wsucougars.evenue.net

As I sit in Section 7, do they REALLY think I will be wearing white to that game? Oh Hell no!!! The Washington State University school colors are Crimson and gray, and I will be wearing one of those colors, not white. WTH is wrong with those people anyway?

And please, please, please stop wearing all white uniforms, too. Wear crimson, wear gray/anthracite in whatever combo you wish, but not white. Especially on helmets.

 

[95coug]

As I sit in Section 7, do they REALLY think I will be wearing white to that game? Oh Hell no!!! The Washington State University school colors are Crimson and gray, and I will be wearing one of those colors, not white. WTH is wrong with those people anyway?

And please, please, please stop wearing all white uniforms, too. Wear crimson, wear gray/anthracite in whatever combo you wish, but not white. Especially on helmets.

I participated in the “grey out” game in 2019. I went and bought a grey WSU shirt just for that game. In return, the Cougs went out and scored 63 points against ucla…and lost.

That shirt has bad juju. From now on, it’s always crimson.

 

[OrangeGravy]

Outside of remaining part of the P4 (before its eventual split to P2: B1G/$EC), if WSU choses a pseudo-P12, joining the MWC, or worse (for argument's sake) path forward, do you think people/alumns are going to continue to donate the same amount or watch the same or more games? The answer is no. And that will impact the university as a whole. Good luck hanging your hat on just being an expensive R1 institution, with academics that have dropped due to (current) leadership, and now a worse athletics setup.

WSU has to stay afloat as long as possible and buy themselves time. There's still a seat at the table, even if just scraps, is better than the alternative. Conceding now means throwing in the towel, with no competent leadership to guide it.

There's no appreciable difference, in my mind between joining the MWC and cutting athletics completely.

 

[OrangeGravy]

Well, ya know, if we could or would have embraced the MW last fall/winter, and embarked on a "new normal" campaign to embrace our new foes - most in WSU-sized stadiums BTW, we could have drummed up some budding interest, albeit a work in progress. Now we are homeless and hapless. WSU could not have F-ed this up any worse. As the Mighty, All-Seeing and All-Knowing Loyal One has preached since the getgo.t

There is zero chance if drumming up any interest in that schedule. You can't trick people into a new shittier normal. A road game at UNLV or Hawaii would draw more Coug fans than any home game in that scenario. Without P4 status, athletics is a colossal pair of concrete slippers for WSU. You either find a P4 home, drop way down to a level that requires minimal spending, or drop athletics. Anything in between is a massive money suck with zero benefit

 

[Loyal Coug1]

There is zero chance if drumming up any interest in that schedule. You can't trick people into a new shittier normal. A road game at UNLV or Hawaii would draw more Coug fans than any home game in that scenario. Without P4 status, athletics is a colossal pair of concrete slippers for WSU. You either find a P4 home, drop way down to a level that requires minimal spending, or drop athletics. Anything in between is a massive money suck with zero benefit

Well aren't you Mr. positive. look around. The MW schools are doing just fine. Most are turning a profit in Athletics. Several get more FB fans at games than us. They had what - 6 teams in March Madness?

 

[Meister_Rebel]

There are some articles behind paywalls that I can't get to but, it looks like the P12 and MWC are not signing the scheduling agreement extension for the 2nd year that had a deadline for today. I'm not sure what they are doing next.

 

[Loyal Coug1]

There are some articles behind paywalls that I can't get to but, it looks like the P12 and MWC are not signing the scheduling agreement extension for the 2nd year that had a deadline for today. I'm not sure what they are doing next.

I thought the deadline was Tuesday. Either way, stupid f-ing Pac-2. We are such stupid idiots.

here we go...

Pac-12, Mountain West likely to let deadline pass without extending agreement for 2025

The scheduling partnership provides six games in 2024 for both WSU and OSU

www.sandiegouniontribune.com

 

[mikalalas]

There are some articles behind paywalls that I can't get to but, it looks like the P12 and MWC are not signing the scheduling agreement extension for the 2nd year that had a deadline for today. I'm not sure what they are doing next.

If PAC 12 are not doing the 2nd year, of the scheduling agreement, it probably means that PAC 12/2, WSU, OSU, are going to make good on what Scott Barnes, Canzano, Wilner, Jim Williams, Greg Swaime, MHver3, Locked On Network, unnamed sources, insiders, Twitter, etc, all combined together have been saying that PAC 12/2, WSU, OSU, probably go to PAC 8, by paying 65 mil out of 250 mil PAC money, that be paid back in small handful of years by 7 mil per team per year, PAC media deal(Current CW deal), and 3 to 5 to 7 to 9 mil per year CFP money, bowl money, future PAC 8 money, to get BSU, SDSU, Fresno St, UNLV, Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, USF, as candidates, to make the insanely tough PAC 8 consisting of WSU, OSU, BSU, SDSU, UNLV, Memphis, Tulane, Fresno St, etc.

That's better then reverse merger top 9 MWC, into PAC, which better then Reverse Merging whole entire MWC into PAC, which better then joining the MWC.

Loyal doesn't know what he is talking about.

Loyal forgets it was Twitter, You Tube, Wilner, Canzano, Dodd, etc, that said the PAC was going to fall apart. Me, others, did what Loyal is doing now, and didn't believe it, etc, and Loyal is not learning from that example, like me, others have learned from that past experience.

 

[Meister_Rebel]

If PAC 12 are not doing the 2nd year, of the scheduling agreement, it probably means that PAC 12/2, WSU, OSU, are going to make good on what Scott Barnes, Canzano, Wilner, Jim Williams, Greg Swaime, MHver3, Locked On Network, unnamed sources, insiders, Twitter, etc, all combined together have been saying that PAC 12/2, WSU, OSU, probably go to PAC 8, by paying 65 mil out of 250 mil PAC money, that be paid back in small handful of years by 7 mil per team per year, PAC media deal(Current CW deal), and 3 to 5 to 7 to 9 mil per year CFP money, bowl money, future PAC 8 money, to get BSU, SDSU, Fresno St, UNLV, Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, USF, as candidates, to make the insanely tough PAC 8 consisting of WSU, OSU, BSU, SDSU, UNLV, Memphis, Tulane, Fresno St, etc.

That's better then reverse merger top 9 MWC, into PAC, which better then Reverse Merging whole entire MWC into PAC, which better then joining the MWC.

Loyal doesn't know what he is talking about.

Loyal forgets it was Twitter, You Tube, Wilner, Canzano, Dodd, etc, that said the PAC was going to fall apart. Me, others, did what Loyal is doing now, and didn't believe it, etc, and Loyal is not learning from that example, like me, others have learned from that past experience.

The main problem I see is that to join the rebuild of a Pac12 at this point of the calendar for the 2025 season we would have to give less than one year notice. It would cost us 35 to 40 million each in exit fees to leave. That's not going to happen unless the P12 pays for it.

 

[Loyal Coug1]

If PAC 12 are not doing the 2nd year, of the scheduling agreement, it probably means that PAC 12/2, WSU, OSU, are going to make good on what Scott Barnes, Canzano, Wilner, Jim Williams, Greg Swaime, MHver3, Locked On Network, unnamed sources, insiders, Twitter, etc, all combined together have been saying that PAC 12/2, WSU, OSU, probably go to PAC 8, by paying 65 mil out of 250 mil PAC money, that be paid back in small handful of years by 7 mil per team per year, PAC media deal(Current CW deal), and 3 to 5 to 7 to 9 mil per year CFP money, bowl money, future PAC 8 money, to get BSU, SDSU, Fresno St, UNLV, Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, USF, as candidates, to make the insanely tough PAC 8 consisting of WSU, OSU, BSU, SDSU, UNLV, Memphis, Tulane, Fresno St, etc.

That's better then reverse merger top 9 MWC, into PAC, which better then Reverse Merging whole entire MWC into PAC, which better then joining the MWC.

Loyal doesn't know what he is talking about.

Loyal forgets it was Twitter, You Tube, Wilner, Canzano, Dodd, etc, that said the PAC was going to fall apart. Me, others, did what Loyal is doing now, and didn't believe it, etc, and Loyal is not learning from that example, like me, others have learned from that past experience.

Gawd you are an idiot

 

[CougSinceBirth]

I thought the deadline was Tuesday. Either way, stupid f-ing Pac-2. We are such stupid idiots.

here we go...

Pac-12, Mountain West likely to let deadline pass without extending agreement for 2025

The scheduling partnership provides six games in 2024 for both WSU and OSU

www.sandiegouniontribune.com

Not at all. Joining the MWC conference is a death warrant to WSU (and OSU).

It's the reality. Join and you can kiss it all goodbye. It's not arrogance, it's survival. Joining the MWC doesn't ensure any survival. You're just another team among the G5.

 

[mikalalas]

The main problem I see is that to join the rebuild of a Pac12 at this point of the calendar for the 2025 season we would have to give less than one year notice. It would cost us 35 to 40 million each in exit fees to leave. That's not going to happen unless the P12 pays for it.

The PAC doesn't have to do it for the 2025 season. They can do it for the 2026 season, give sufficient notice, and only have to pay 65 mil total, instead of 35 to 40 mil each.

BSU, SDSU, Fresno St, UNLV leaving the MWC to join PAC, is the best thing they can, should do, if they want to be in a P4, P5 esque, insanely tough conference, and if they want a better media deal(about a 16,17,18,19,20 mil per team per year media deal that way better then MWC, AAC media deal, and if want 4 to 6 to 8 to 10 to 12 mil per year from CFP, and if they want a guaranteed spot in CFP, instead of a 12-0, 11-1, AAC champ getting into CFP over a 12-0, 11-1, 10-2 MWC champ, and if they want better bowls then the Idaho famous potato head bowl, and LA BOWL, etc.

But hey they should be happy with a 7, 8,9,10,11 mil per team, per year deal(PAC 12 CW media deal already currently pays out 7 mil per team per year.). They should be happy when AAC champ, MAAC champ gets into CFP over MWC champ. They should be happy with the Idaho Potato Head bowl, and LA BOWL. They should be happy with only 1.8 mil from CFP.

But hey they should let Hawai, New Mexico, etc, DRAG THEM DOWN, etc.

 

[OrangeGravy]

Well aren't you Mr. positive. look around. The MW schools are doing just fine. Most are turning a profit in Athletics. Several get more FB fans at games than us. They had what - 6 teams in March Madness?

How many of those schools got demoted from a power conference and are located in Pullman?

 

[Meister_Rebel]

The PAC doesn't have to do it for the 2025 season. They can do it for the 2026 season, give sufficient notice, and only have to pay 65 mil total, instead of 35 to 40 mil each.

BSU, SDSU, Fresno St, UNLV leaving the MWC to join PAC, is the best thing they can, should do, if they want to be in a P4, P5 esque, insanely tough conference, and if they want a better media deal(about a 16,17,18,19,20 mil per team per year media deal that way better then MWC, AAC media deal, and if want 4 to 6 to 8 to 10 to 12 mil per year from CFP, and if they want a guaranteed spot in CFP, instead of a 12-0, 11-1, AAC champ getting into CFP over a 12-0, 11-1, 10-2 MWC champ, and if they want better bowls then the Idaho famous potato head bowl, and LA BOWL, etc.

But hey they should be happy with a 7, 8,9,10,11 mil per team, per year deal(PAC 12 CW media deal already currently pays out 7 mil per team per year.). They should be happy when AAC champ, MAAC champ gets into CFP over MWC champ. They should be happy with the Idaho Potato Head bowl, and LA BOWL. They should be happy with only 1.8 mil from CFP.

But hey they should let Hawai, New Mexico, etc, DRAG THEM DOWN, etc.

I'm okay with waiting for the 2026 season. But I'm more anxious to see where our new media contract negotiations take us next year. I don't believe CW will be in play for us. We may see TNT jump into the picture along with CBS Sports and FS1/FS2. Our 2026 media contract may look a lot better than what we have now. I won't speculate on the amount but, it more than likely will be larger than what we have now. I hope we can stay with CBS Sports. This last MWC Basketball tournament 2nd round games were all featured on CBS Sports. Eight teams, four games, shown back to back for 11 hours straight on CBS Sports was awesome. We dominated 11 hours straight on their network which is some serious exposure. Fortunately we had some good basketball this past season.

 

[Loyal Coug1]

Not at all. Joining the MWC conference is a death warrant to WSU (and OSU).

It's the reality. Join and you can kiss it all goodbye. It's not arrogance, it's survival. Joining the MWC doesn't ensure any survival. You're just another team among the G5.

We are already a G5 team. Quit your whining. The Pac-12 is gone for good. So is our P4 status.

 

[UberCougars]

Well aren't you Mr. positive. look around. The MW schools are doing just fine. Most are turning a profit in Athletics. Several get more FB fans at games than us. They had what - 6 teams in March Madness?

My mistake. All this time I thought you were an “accountant”

In reality you were just a-count in’

Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[95coug]

We are already a G5 team. Quit your whining. The Pac-12 is gone for good. So is our P4 status.

Seriously.

It just floors me that people continue to buy into these idiotic rumors about us getting invited into the Big 12, or the supposed “west coast pod” of the ACC. Yormark has openly said that they’re not considering further expansion to the west. Last week news came out that they’re talking to UConn about moving east….yet somehow when some jack wagon on twitter says OSU & WSU might get an invite (same tired post that the same guy has put up every couple weeks for a year) people believe it.

The ACC BS may even be worse. There really haven’t been any rumors of this, people are just keeping it alive from pure speculation. The ACC didn’t even want Stanford and Cal - the only took them at 1/3 shares, a point where they’re actually losing money compared to the old Pac-12 deal. We don’t have the market those teams do, so we won’t even get 1/3. Besides, the ACC is focused on holding its membership together. If (when) FSU and Clemson (and UNC and Miami) make their escape, maybe the ACC will look into westward expansion in a desperate attempt at survival. But there are two serious issues with that: first, 4 teams on the opposite side of the country doesn’t make a pod. ACC will need to grab two more teams at least to make it functional. The second, and bigger, problem is that without FSU, Clemson, Miami, and UNC….what is the ACC worth? If those 4 teams leave, the ACC is a G5 conference too - at least for football.

If any paths to the Big 12 and ACC exist - which right now is some combination of unlikely and unfavorable - WSU and OSU have zero control over them. Odds are that we’d have to buy our way in with significantly reduced shares, which compounds the disadvantages that already exist. And, that path is most likely temporary - until the next phase of realignment leaves us behind again. Counting on a lifeline from the ACC is especially dumb, since it’s pretty clear that conference is a dead man walking.

We have two viable courses - find a way to cobble together a conference with current G5 teams, or find a way to make things work as independents. Neither are great choices. The second would at least allow us some flexibility when the next round comes, but probably leaves us short in the interim. But the simple truth is that the P4 has said they don’t want us. They’ve proved it repeatedly. The longer we deny the facts, the worse our situation will get.

 

[Loyal Coug1]

Seriously.

It just floors me that people continue to buy into these idiotic rumors about us getting invited into the Big 12, or the supposed “west coast pod” of the ACC. Yormark has openly said that they’re not considering further expansion to the west. Last week news came out that they’re talking to UConn about moving east….yet somehow when some jack wagon on twitter says OSU & WSU might get an invite (same tired post that the same guy has put up every couple weeks for a year) people believe it.

The ACC BS may even be worse. There really haven’t been any rumors of this, people are just keeping it alive from pure speculation. The ACC didn’t even want Stanford and Cal - the only took them at 1/3 shares, a point where they’re actually losing money compared to the old Pac-12 deal. We don’t have the market those teams do, so we won’t even get 1/3. Besides, the ACC is focused on holding its membership together. If (when) FSU and Clemson (and UNC and Miami) make their escape, maybe the ACC will look into westward expansion in a desperate attempt at survival. But there are two serious issues with that: first, 4 teams on the opposite side of the country doesn’t make a pod. ACC will need to grab two more teams at least to make it functional. The second, and bigger, problem is that without FSU, Clemson, Miami, and UNC….what is the ACC worth? If those 4 teams leave, the ACC is a G5 conference too - at least for football.

If any paths to the Big 12 and ACC exist - which right now is some combination of unlikely and unfavorable - WSU and OSU have zero control over them. Odds are that we’d have to buy our way in with significantly reduced shares, which compounds the disadvantages that already exist. And, that path is most likely temporary - until the next phase of realignment leaves us behind again. Counting on a lifeline from the ACC is especially dumb, since it’s pretty clear that conference is a dead man walking.

We have two viable courses - find a way to cobble together a conference with current G5 teams, or find a way to make things work as independents. Neither are great choices. The second would at least allow us some flexibility when the next round comes, but probably leaves us short in the interim. But the simple truth is that the P4 has said they don’t want us. They’ve proved it repeatedly. The longer we deny the facts, the worse our situation will get.

We must be twins separated at birth. Everything you say is spot on. Teresa and the Pac-2 are incompetent fools.

 

[CougSinceBirth]

We are already a G5 team. Quit your whining. The Pac-12 is gone for good. So is our P4 status.

I'm not whining. I recognize the likelihood is slim-to-none. Waving the white flag right now will plummet whatever brand strength that currently still exists. If the administration quits publicly fighting, what does that say to fans and alumni? Why should they continue to care or donate or attend? It is still possible to work in the background to strike deals.

Good luck keeping the small crowd engaged with the university and athletics moving forward. With the current leadership at hand at WSU, it's only going to become worse, and people will devote their time, money, and energy elsewhere.

 

[95coug]

I'm not whining. I recognize the likelihood is slim-to-none. Waving the white flag right now will plummet whatever brand strength that currently still exists. If the administration quits publicly fighting, what does that say to fans and alumni? Why should they continue to care or donate or attend? It is still possible to work in the background to strike deals.

Good luck keeping the small crowd engaged with the university and athletics moving forward. With the current leadership at hand at WSU, it's only going to become worse, and people will devote their time, money, and energy elsewhere.

Did you see the stands on Saturday? It’s already happened.

By the way, for someone who was there - one of the stadium shots showed the practice field and it didn’t look like they had much set up over there. There were tents that looked like the pre-game broadcast and maybe the alumni tent, but no beer/BBQ and no bounce houses. Is that correct?