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I still think the lesser Western conferences should agree to more OOC games to add stability to scheduling. Particularly WCC, Big West, Big Sky. More desirable to me than buyout games at the big boys or semi big boys (talking to you Pac/MW). I'd prefer this over the destination/tv tournaments as well if it was either or.
Besides that, the Big West would only be in danger if schools drop athletics all together. Sure there are some perceived candidates for this in Bake and UCR, but at this point the NCAA hasn't mandated a minimum spend, because it would be a blood bath. The truth is each program has to make their own decisions on spending and if they overextend, they all are in jeopardy.
I don't believe that without football we are better off, but I'm content it's so far from our radar and better for us until the NCAA/Congress gets college athletics under control. If we had kept football, and somehow gotten a stadium (or got the city,LBCC, or some pro team to help build one), it could have been a beacon for the university and area, truly built the giving/community, and we probably would be in the Pac or MW right now. That ship has sailed, unless I win the lottery, and convince 5 other people to create a $300 million dollar foundation to transform athletics to include football. But the scary thing is, even $300 million earning market return is not enough to be P4, which is why it all might burn itself down anyways.
Our weakness has been and continues to be building the sustained giving to our university. Dismantling the Alumni Association, moving graduation, eliminating homecoming festivities, as well as getting rid of booster groups gutted the core believers in the university and athletics. Adding a few hybrid doctoral degrees does little for the university in my opinion, so great job Jane.
I don't see the NCAA tournament keeping D1 together a decade from now, and maybe that is okay. There are plenty of non football schools that we can compare ourselves to, and compete against if a split happens. The NCAA tournament money does little to actually benefit athletics at our level anyways, and the regional sports money is gone as well. 
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I am glad they raised the exit fee. That's why Hawaii, UCD, UCSD, and UCSB were in a rush to exit. The exit fee increase may keep UCI in the conference.
I prefer to watch the conference games, so at 10 schools, that's only 9 conference home games, and our nonconference home games have been fairly weak over the years. The MW Conference is not much better than the BW going forward. Their positive is that they have football. Previous Message
Ex post facto for UCSD and UCSB? I think the new exit fee wall went up right after all the defections. Its a message to current members especially ones like Cal Baptist who seem to have their sights set higher.
A 10 person Big West is fine by me, allows for a few more non conference games. I could also see someday the entire west coast and mountain west conferences aligning into something more powerful. I don't think there are any high level programs left in a western/mountain west conference, right?
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We will drop to 10 schools when UCSB and UCSD leave in 2027
From the BW Website: "The Hornets(Sac State) will officially join The Big West on July 1, 2026, joining a lineup that includes California Baptist, Cal Poly, Cal State Bakersfield, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, CSUN, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and Utah Valley. "
The article that BB linked says the new conference exit fee will be 5 million dollars. The Hawaii exit fee was 750K, but the MW Conference paid the fee for Hawaii. Will UCSD and UCSB have to pay the 5 million fee next year when they leave??? Previous Message
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on 5/1/2026, 11:56 am, in reply to "