WAC conference revises football schedules due to Lamar and UIW withdrawing; Repeat games = OOC games

NT80 · July 18, 2022

Lamar opted to depart the WAC a year earlier than originally planned, while UIW spurned the WAC to remain in the Southland Conference. As a result of those changes, three WAC teams have added non-conference opponents to their 2022 schedules.

Football-playing members in 2022 will include Abilene Christian, Sam Houston, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, and Utah Tech.

https://fbschedules.com/three-wac-teams-add-non-conference-opponents-for-2022/

https://fbschedules.com/wac-releases-revised-2022-football-schedule/

untbowler · July 18, 2022

I see SFA and Tarleton St going to the Southland and would not be surprised if UCA also comes back. Travel costs are to much for the WAC and ASUN currently with little benefit. Sam Houston and Jacksonville St screwed their respective conferences to join Judy and her declining conference

NT80 · July 18, 2022

12 minutes ago, untbowler said:

I see SFA and Tarleton St going to the Southland and would not be surprised if UCA also comes back. Travel costs are to much for the WAC and ASUN currently with little benefit. Sam Houston and Jacksonville St screwed their respective conferences to join Judy and her declining conference

Agree. The late defections by Lamar and UIW back to the Southland really messed up the WAC schedules for this year. SFA had no choice but to schedule an NAIA team and play ACU a second time, as an OOC game.

outoftown · July 18, 2022

Its funny/sad. Just when the WAC had gotten its bearing, actually had a few good years on the administrative side and was actually looking like it was gonna move slightly up in the world again; get in better membership and bring football back with even a plan to go FBS in conference... Judy (of all people) goes and deals what will likely turn out to be the final blow to the WAC as a football conference. People forget that it was not just SHU, but also NMSU who were going to be there as football members. And there is a chance that she will have done it for little gain to boot, if NMSU and UTEP get invites to a watered down MWC.

Edited July 18, 2022 by outoftown

wardly · July 18, 2022

I follow New Mexico State to some extent and they would not play football in the WAC unless it was D1A and they had no other choice. They have a very limited budget which is why they play so many money games. They ran the numbers and discovered , at least for them, that they would lose a lot more money at D1AA even in a conference like the Big Sky than being a D1A independent. Their reasoning is that fewer D1A programs would schedule them if they dropped down to D1AA and they can't afford the loss in revenue. I also think that if the PAC poached SDSU and Boise that they would try to work out an arrangement with the AAC rather than add the Aggies or Miners. Just an old man's opinion.

El Paso Eagle · July 18, 2022

3 hours ago, NT80 said:

Agree. The late defections by Lamar and UIW back to the Southland really messed up the WAC schedules for this year. SFA had no choice but to schedule an NAIA team and play ACU a second time, as an OOC game.

This is pure bush-league by these schools, epically UIW

untbowler · July 19, 2022

23 hours ago, El Paso Eagle said:

This is pure bush-league by these schools, epically UIW

pure money, these schools did not have the $$$ once Sam Houston and others jumped ship. WAC is to far flung for the minor sports to survive.

edcollopy · July 19, 2022

WAC is too far flung for football to survive, not just the Olympic sports.

El Paso Eagle · July 19, 2022

I think the three remaining Texas schools most likely end up back in the Southland sooner, rather than later.

NT80 · July 20, 2022

2 hours ago, El Paso Eagle said:

I think the three remaining Texas schools most likely end up back in the Southland sooner, rather than later.

UTA is also back in the WAC now as of July 1. They were a founding member of the Southland in 1963 until 2012. Then they joined the WAC for one year until joining the SunBelt in 2013 - 2022. Last year they were told to find another conference since they did not sponsor football. They applied to the Missouri Valley but were not accepted. They also could end up back in the Southland if the WAC tanks after this season.

untbowler · July 20, 2022

16 hours ago, NT80 said:

UTA is also back in the WAC now as of July 1. They were a founding member of the Southland in 1963 until 2012. Then they joined the WAC for one year until joining the SunBelt in 2013 - 2022. Last year they were told to find another conference since they did not sponsor football. They applied to the Missouri Valley but were not accepted. They also could end up back in the Southland if the WAC tanks after this season.

UTA needs to put their ego aside and come back to the Southland along with ACU, Tarleton, and SFA. Add in UCA, potentially coming back and you have a nice regional FCS conference

Edited July 20, 2022 by untbowler

El Paso Eagle · July 20, 2022

19 minutes ago, untbowler said:

UTA needs to put their ego aside and come back to the Southland along with ACU, Tarleton, and SFA. Add in UCA, potentially coming back and you have a nice regional FCS conference

I think these latest moves were more in survival mode than ego. Not too long ago most thought the Southland was gone and were trying to find a home.

untbowler · July 20, 2022

1 hour ago, El Paso Eagle said:

I think these latest moves were more in survival mode than ego. Not too long ago most thought the Southland was gone and were trying to find a home.

I understand the appeal of the teams looking at the WAC, but once Sam Houston jumped ship, IMO a mistake going FBS, they were left in a no man's land and UIW and Lamar had smart enough leaders to see the move was not being fiscally responsible