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Wichita State to add football and/or join MWC?

Buffnik

Buffnik

Real name isn't Nik
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http://mweb.cbssports.com/ncaaf/wri...joining-mountain-west-may-bring-back-football

Individuals representing Wichita State’s athletic interests have approached the Mountain West Conference about membership, multiple sources told CBS Sports.

Led by president John Bardo, Wichita State has been exploring its conference options in both basketball and football. Last year, Bardo commissioned an ongoing feasibility study to bring football back to the athletic program. The school dropped the sport in 1986.
 
Remember seeing an Okie Lite-Shocker game in Stillwater back in 1980 when we lived in Oklahoma. First "big time" college game I ever saw live.
 
The first CU game I ever remember seeing was against Wichita St sometime around 1974.
 
if they've done their homework and believe the ROI is there, I'd say go for it. Their basketball following is intense (sold out pretty much every home game last 3+ years in a 10k+ arena).
 
I mean, Kansas has enough Jucos to supplement more NCAA programs on the plains, right?
 
My son was on a little league team that played a game in the WSU stadium (I was an asst coach).

There were weather worn wooden plank benches still in place on both sidelines. The place looked in okay shape but seemed unused. It didn't hit me until sometime during the game and I remembered hearing about the loss of the WSU football team.

It made everything - the game, being on the field - very surreal.
 
There is a vocal minority that wants to bring back football to WSU, but the cost estimate has been at least $50 million to do so. Plus that doesn't even begin to address the upgrades for Cessna Stadium that would be needed. Also having 4 big xii schools within a 2.5 hour drive really drives down your attendance numbers. I just don't think it is at all feasible.
 
I think WSU has done an excellent job of straddling the ever widening gap between the big schools/conferences and the small schools/conferences. They have a great tradition in baseball and this helps them. Bridging that gap in hoops is easier than in other sports because of the smaller scholarship numbers. The report is likely to paint an interesting picture. One where the investment to bring back football is even more significant than the numbers that were put out in the article and where the return on that investment takes significant time. That being said, straddling the gap, like WSU is currently doing, is going to become more and more difficult moving forward. They may be facing the choice of a large high risk investment or a long term guarantee of being marginalized athletically. After all, will a big conference really accept WSU without them guaranteeing they will bring football back? Such a marginalization athletically would put a strain on the school academically and WSU, more than most, is in a position to be acutely aware of the impact a successful athletic department has on the academic side of a university (Unlike so many in Boulder who still don't recognize the full value of a thriving successful athletic department). I suspect the final decision WSU makes will have an impact on what other universities try to do moving forward as well.
 
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