Some History...(more to come soon) From Arkstfan Nov 2005 Well Idaho, NMSU, and USU who needed to be in a regional league have paid $750,000 and watched their attendance fall from where it was in the Sun Belt. One of the most knowledgeable La.Tech posters has broken down La.Tech's financial situation and said with no reservation that in two more years La.Tech will no longer be able to afford membership in the WAC. The costs have become so bad that last year they had to pass the hat on the website to get enough money to send the tennis team to a tournament in El Paso. That was while the WAC money was good because UTEP, SMU, Rice, and Tulsa weren't taking a share and while Tech had conference trips to Tulsa, Dallas, and Houston. Bitch and moan about the Sun Belt being unworthy of your greatness and aspirations but your administration needed only to look at the public documents regarding Tech's financial health to make the decision that WAC membership would be potentially fatal to the entire athletic program. UNT has spent more on the athletic complex alone than Tech has spent on all facilities combined while in the WAC. They lost their bowl game in San Jose because it never drew enough fans to be remotely viable. The NCAA nearly pulled their charter three years in a row because they couldn't post the letter of credit by the deadline, the NCAA finally gave up and pulled the plug and there are rumors that not every creditor got paid fully. Scoff at the New Orleans Bowl but it is financially viable and local ticket sales in Lafayette are ahead of the same time in New Orleans. The New Orleans Bowl made it despite ACTIVE work by the Sugar Bowl to discourage local business support of the game. Now WAC teams are left with a trip to Hawaii if Hawaii isn't eligible or a trip to warm and sunny Boise. The Sun Belt will match the WAC in bowl berths probably in 2007 but no later than 2008.