A (Somewhat) Radical Idea for the WCC and Air force

The West Coast Conference is the elite private school league of the western United States.  With the recent shifts in college athletics the league is slated to have 10 members:

Gonzaga
Portland
Santa Clara
Pacific
St Mary's
San Francisco
Loyola Marymount
Pepperdine
San Diego
Brigham Young

But what if this conference could add Air Force to its membership?

The Big East, despite my strong urging to stay with 13 football schools, seems to be determined to find a way to cement their deal with Boise St and San Diego St as well as try to find a third western team as a football affiliate.  Brigham Young and Air Force have to be their two favorites as they are both strong national brands and have good fan followings.  My guess is that BYU will continue to test independence until the Big 12 gives them an all sports invitation.  However, I think Air Force could put themselves in a great situation (well as great as one can be as a football affiliate to a house of cards) by joining their rival Navy in the Big East and taking the rest of their sports to the WCC.  The other two service academies, Army and Navy, have their Olympic sports in the Patriot League, a league of academic minded private schools while pursuing big time football for both exposure and tradition's sake.  It seems natural for Air Force to follow a similar plan and the WCC is the natural west coast equivalent.  Air Force would be with institutions with similar academic goals as their own and would not have to compete with the large athletic budgets of state schools.  Looking at their time in the MWC, which was founded in in 1999, Air Force has only claimed two conference titles, both in the 2003-2004 academic year, and they were in men's basketball and men's cross country.  The student athletes at the academy would be much more likely to compete for conference crowns in the WCC.

Were Air Force to decide to make this move to the Big East/WCC the WCC could add Denver as its 12th school and Air Force's travel partner.  The elite men's basketball programs might also have a chance to raise their RPI as a result of match ups against Big East schools as "compensation" for being Air Force's conference of convenience--similar to what Temple and the MAC did and the arrangement being worked out between the Big West and Big East as compensation for taking in Boise St and San Diego St.

As far as scheduling goes, the now 12 member WCC could choose not to align into divisions and instead use some sort of schedule rotation.  If they did opt for divisions, to avoid the 7 California schools/5 non-California schools issue they should put the 2 Pacific Northwest schools with the 4 Northern California schools and the 3 Southern California schools with BYU, Air Force, and Denver.  Travel would be very manageable in this model.

It is understandable that Air Force is hesitant to make the jump to the Big East.  That conference hasn't necessarily been the poster child for stability as a college athletic conference.  Let's way the pro's and con's"

Pro's for going to the Big East

Increase in television money.  The MWC's tv deals have been notoriously bad.  While the Big East certainly is not going to bring in Big Ten dollars the Big East will earn them considerably more than they are making now.

Increase in exposure.  MWC games are notoriously hard to find on television unless you subscribe to the mtn. which is only available out west.  The Big East, regardless of who they ink a tv contract with, will give Air Force exposure throughout the country.  Also, membership in this now nationwide conference would give Air Force away games all over the country thus allowing more former airmen and their families the opportunity to see their team live and in person.

Insuring that the Air Force-Navy is preserved.  Several months ago Navy was posturing, claiming that the OOC rivalry games that were most important for them to preserve once they went to the BE were Army and Notre Dame.  Air Force was the one glaring omission to that list.  If they were conference mates Air Force would be guaranteed a game with the Midshipmen on an annual basis.  

The WCC offers a very favorable home for Olympic sports.  Army and Navy park their other sports in an elite small private school league so why shouldn't Air Force?  Air Force would be more likely to compete for conference crowns in a lower profile conference.  They would also be reunited with an old friend: BYU.

Even if the Big East thing doesn't work out long term the MWC will definitely take you back.  I have no doubt the this conference would soon forgive its wayward upwardly mobile members from betraying the league because their return would raise the MWC profile and put money in its coffers.

If they don't go to the Big East with San Diego St and Boise St there is a good chance another MWC member (UNLV? Fresno St?) will go instead.

Con's for going to the Big East

They would be leaving a stable conference for an unstable conference.  The MWC, while not the sexiest in its newest configuration, is not going to collapse.  The Big East is comparable to a house of cards--remove the right school and the whole thing falls apart.  The conference also has a number of clear flight risks--Louisville, UConn, and Rutgers.

Increased travel expenditures.  Joining the Big East would mean probably mean 2 flights a year east of the Mississippi for conference games.  Add a third trip in there every other year when they play Army at West Point.

Another looming concern is whether or not Air Force be competitive in the Big East.  They do just fine in the MWC but the BE competition will be slightly harder.  The last thing Air Force wants to do is become a perrenial cellar dweller.

What does the Big East really offer them?  The BE was effectively stripped of its elite status during the playoff negotiations so as far as post season access is involved their position at best would only be modestly improves.

There will probably be financial implications if Air Force ever decides it wants to leave.

This conference is notorious for being a basketball first league and the 8 Catholic basketball schools in the Big East are never going to allow football to reign supreme.  In the MWC AFA has an equal stake in conference decision making; as a BE affiliate they would effectively be handing over control of football decisions to the likes of Notre Dame, Providence, and DePaul.


I say pull the trigger and do this.  In the worst case scenario, the Big East experiment fails and the MWC takes them back.  The WCC offers a stable and comfortable home for their other sports and Air Force gets national exposure with their football brand while still having a manageable travel itinerary for their Olympic sports.