Gonzaga to MWC?

[Green Monstah]

Well, I didn't get a chance to talk to either, although a mild amount of hilarity ensued, which I'll share in the Speasy.

[Pelado]

https://twitter.com/edgraney/status/980195504779821057

Just asked a MW HC at the Final Four about Gonzaga coming to the league this year from the WCC: "Not happening. Maybe in the future, but not now." Believes WCC changing it scheduling format convinced Zags (specifically Mark Few) to give it a try for at least 1 season.#RJnow

[Dwight Schr-ute]

Gonzaga to MWC?

https://twitter.com/edgraney/status/980195504779821057

Can I ask what scheduling changes were just made?


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[Pelado]

Can I ask what scheduling changes were just made?

You may, since it probably wasn't very clear in the opening post:

If there is already a thread for this, please merge.

The San Diego Union Tribune wrote a story a few weeks ago about Gonzaga having contacted the MWC about possible membership. That article had several mentions of BYU:





http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...228-story.html

Of course, that led to Holmoe saying BYU was aware that Gonzaga had talked with the MWC, that BYU had not spoken with the MWC, and that he was surprised Craig Thompson couldn't keep his mouth shut.

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/...iscuss-it.html

Dave Rose was quoted as saying the following of Gonzaga's desires:



https://www.deseretnews.com/article/...o-be-made.html

Those scheduling issues were somewhat illuminated by former Zag and current Zag radio analyst, Adam Morrison when the team came to Boise for the first weekend of the NCAA tournament:



http://www.idahostatesman.com/sports...205173999.html

At least in part in response to Gonzaga's MWC overtures, the WCC released the following scheduling changes that will affect both the regular season and the conference tournament:

...beginning with the 2018-19 season, the West Coast Conference men’s basketball season will consist of 16 regular season games (eight home, eight away). Every institution will play seven WCC institutions twice, while playing one member at home and another away – based on approved criteria. Additionally, starting with the 2019-20 season, WCC men’s basketball programs will be required to compete in a multi-team event (MTE) each season, annually play more home games than away games, and schedule and play no more than two non-Division I opponents per season. In addition, the Conference must approve all “guarantee” games in which a WCC member is paid by an opponent to play at the opponent’s venue.

Also beginning next season, the men’s and women’s championship format will change, whereby seeds 7-10 will compete in the opening round, seeds 5-6 will first participate in the second round, seeds 3-4 will first participate in the third round, and the top two seeds will play their first game in the semifinal round.

The approved changes also modify the revenue distribution models within the conference:



http://www.wccsports.com/sports/m-ba...032618aaa.html

Will the changes be enough to placate Gonzaga? Thompson seemed to indicate that there was a lot that would have to happen that hasn't happened yet in order for Gonzaga to switch conferences in time for next season:



https://www.cbssports.com/college-ba...ext-two-weeks/

But the latest San Diego Union Tribune article indicates that discussions are moving along:



http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...326-story.html

So what's going to happen with Gonzaga?

[Donuthole]

Gonzaga to MWC?

Can I ask what scheduling changes were just made.

Fewer conference games during the reg season. BYU, Gonzaga, and SMC will all still play each other home and home, but some matchups with other schools will only be either a home or road game. Also BYEs into the semi finals for high seeds in the conf. tournament, so as to avoid hurting RPIs with wins against scrub teams.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

Fewer conference games during the reg season. BYU, Gonzaga, and SMC will all still play each other home and home, but some matchups with other schools will only be either a home or road game. Also BYEs into the semi finals for high seeds in the conf. tournament, so as to avoid hurting RPIs with wins against scrub teams.

Any discussion of changing the tournament so it doesn’t straddle Sunday, or do people like that?


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[Donuthole]

Any discussion of changing the tournament so it doesn’t straddle Sunday, or do people like that?

That was the first thing I thought of when I saw that they were making changes. But I didn’t see mention of it. However, assuming semis and finals stay on Mon-Tues, the top two seeds won’t straddle the weekend at all. The 3-4 seeds would still have their first game on Sat, though.

[BlueK]

Any discussion of changing the tournament so it doesn’t straddle Sunday, or do people like that?


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The tournament ending on Tuesday of championship week pre-dates BYU being in the league. The only thing that changed when BYU joined was taking a day off during the tournament that Sunday. One benefit is that ESPN gives the league a prime slot for the championship game, as well as better coverage for the semis and quarterfinals than it probably otherwise would. The championship game would get buried at Midnight ET or later if it ended Saturday that week.

[Donuthole]

The tournament ending on Tuesday of championship week pre-dates BYU being in the league.

This is false. The tournament ended on Monday before BYU joined. In fact, it continued to end on Monday after BYU joined. It was more recently that they switched it to end on Tuesday.

[Pelado]

Surprising nobody, Craig Thompson spoke out before knowing for sure what Gonzaga wanted to do:

“For next season, it doesn’t look promising,” Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson told the San Diego Union-Tribune from the Final Four in San Antonio. “I’d put it like this: Today is today, none of us can predict tomorrow.

“We’re going to continue to grow our league. We’ll keep improving ourselves and see what happens.”

Gonzaga officials were caught a little off guard by Thompson’s comments. They didn’t dispute that negotiations in the past week were pointing the Zags in the direction of staying in the WCC, but they were under the impression talks were ongoing.

“We collectively have not made a final commitment,” Gonzaga athletic director Mike Roth said Saturday. “We have not told the WCC we’ve made a final decision. I have not talked to Craig Thompson.”

Roth expects Gonzaga to make a final decision by next week.

A meeting had been scheduled for early next week in Spokane with Gonzaga, Mountain West representatives and Mountain West consultant Jeff Schemmel. It’s likely that meeting will not take place.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/201...pson-says-gon/

[Art Vandelay]

This is false. The tournament ended on Monday before BYU joined. In fact, it continued to end on Monday after BYU joined. It was more recently that they switched it to end on Tuesday.

Correct. pre-Y it was Friday-Monday with the semis on Sunday. The first few (3?) years it was Thursday- Monday with a break for the sabbath.

[old_gregg]

Surprising nobody, Craig Thompson spoke out before knowing for sure what Gonzaga wanted to do:



http://www.spokesman.com/stories/201...pson-says-gon/

dumbass

[Pelado]

dumbass

Is that directed at me, at Craig Thompson, or both? If both, then I wonder why you didn't use the plural?

Anyway, Mike Roth, Gonzaga's AD, made it official today:

“Our decision is to remain in the WCC, where we’ve had a great relationship for 39 years going on 40,” Roth said. “We appreciate the Mountain West pursuing us. However, for a number of reasons, maintaining our status in the WCC is the right thing for Gonzaga University.”

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/201...-zags-stay/#/0

[BlueK]

Using this as a WCC conference expansion thread, I think it's about time the WCC pull the trigger on pulling in Grand Canyon. It's a private school that has a good fanbase, located in an attractive TV market. The school is putting money into facilities and in strengthening athletics. They'd step right into the upper third to half of the WCC right now, so it would strengthen the league, as they are already top 100 nationally in four or five sports last time I checked. Going to 11 might be a little awkward, but not so much anymore that basketball shortened the league schedule.

[Pelado]

Using this as a WCC conference realignment thread, I think it's about time the WCC pull the trigger on pulling in Grand Canyon. It's a private school that has a good fanbase, located in an attractive TV market. The school is putting money into facilities and in strengthening athletics. They'd step right into the upper third to half of the WCC right now, so it would strengthen the league. Going to 11 might be a little awkward, but not so much anymore that basketball shortened the league schedule.

I wasn't at all aware of Grand Canyon until seeing stuff about them on the MWC board this past season.