July 1 - Moving Day 2023

[SW_Mustang]

I was reading an article last night. I wish I had it saved, but there are colleges closing at a rate of one a week. I feel like an "in memoriam" could be its own thread.

I think I know which one you're talking about. I read one with a headline like that.

It's getting hard to track. Eastern Gateway Community College is going to close in October - I can't remember if they've been shared in the thread or not. I believe they were a member of the NJCAA at one point.

Really scary once they community schools start falling.

[UCObluejay]

I was reading an article last night. I wish I had it saved, but there are colleges closing at a rate of one a week. I feel like an "in memoriam" could be its own thread.

[crixus]

The College of Saint Rose (D2 sports) in Albany, NY is closing on June 21.

[SW_Mustang]

The one in SoCal that had sports closed as did many others across the country (it's a chain of art schools). I think the one in San Francisco is still open. They still have a website up.

Yeah, the one in SF is still functioning as far as I'm aware.

[crixus]

Yeah, now that you mention it I do remember there's a DII art college in San Fransisco that has sports. Academy of Art University - one of their pitchers was drafted by the Twins in 2014 and it was a pretty big story at the time.

I understood UArts to be one of the better art schools in the US, so it's abrupt closure is interesting.

The one in SoCal had sports and it closed down as did many others across the country (it's a chain of art schools). I think the one in San Francisco is still open. They still have a website up.

[SW_Mustang]

I just looked at the UArts Philadelphia website and didn't see sports listed. But there was an Arts college that closed down in SoCal this year that had sports.

Yeah, now that you mention it I do remember there's a DII art college in San Fransisco that has sports. Academy of Art University - one of their pitchers was drafted by the Twins in 2014 and it was a pretty big story at the time.

I understood UArts to be one of the better art schools in the US, so it's abrupt closure is interesting.

[crixus]

UArts in Philadelphia is closing unexpectedly. Not sure if they have sports or not, probably not being an art school.

University of the Arts announces sudden closure (insidehighered.com)

I just looked at the UArts Philadelphia website and didn't see sports listed. But there was an Arts college that closed down in SoCal that had sports.

[SW_Mustang]

UArts in Philadelphia is closing unexpectedly. Not sure if they have sports or not, probably not being an art school.

University of the Arts announces sudden closure (insidehighered.com)

[crixus]

I think the phrase is "lack of leadership". No one I have talked to from any WAC school likes BT, they all hate him to be honest. I wish they would get someone else and I have no clue what the remaining presidents are waiting for, they need to can his butt ASAP. But BT has little to do with why the schools left. GCU/Seattle got a WCC invite and that was their ultimate goal. RGV was a perrenial doormat in almost every sport and a travel nightmare. No one was sad to see them go. SFA also went for competitive reasons because they were in the middle or basement in most sports as well this year save for womens basketball. After they hired McBroom as their AD you saw it coming. He does not want to be in the WAC where his programs can not win championships so he moved them back to the Southland because all the teams there are D1 in name only and are not competitive in most sports other than maybe Baseball. McBroom just wants the easiest path to make himself look good, he does not want to elevate the school because he is scared they will not compete and he will lose his job.

I figured it was a leadership problem because of the mass exodus and from reading your post I was right. I'm not happy about it because I've been a WAC fan since the early 1970's. Save the WAC!

[SPOLOVILO4EVER]

Is there more to the story? Are the exiting programs not happy with WAC Commissioner Brian Thornton's leadership? He took over in 2021. I can't help but wonder.

I think the phrase is "lack of leadership". No one I have talked to from any WAC school likes BT, they all hate him to be honest. I wish they would get someone else and I have no clue what the remaining presidents are waiting for, they need to can his butt ASAP. But BT has little to do with why the schools left. GCU/Seattle got a WCC invite and that was their ultimate goal. RGV was a perrenial doormat in almost every sport and a travel nightmare. No one was sad to see them go. SFA also went for competitive reasons because they were in the middle or basement in most sports as well this year save for womens basketball. After they hired McBroom as their AD you saw it coming. He does not want to be in the WAC where his programs can not win championships so he moved them back to the Southland because all the teams there are D1 in name only and are not competitive in most sports other than maybe Baseball. McBroom just wants the easiest path to make himself look good, he does not want to elevate the school because he is scared they will not compete and he will lose his job.

[crixus]

Simpson to Join Frontier as Associate Member in Football - Victory Sports Network

My favorite NAIA football team is Southern Oregon which is in the Frontier Conference. They've been growing like gangbusters lately. I hope it all runs smoothly.

[laker]

Simpson to Join Frontier as Associate Member in Football - Victory Sports Network

[crixus]

You can't kill the WAC. You can dismember it, but you can't kill it. The WAC will survive.

[UCObluejay]

I wrote to UCO officials years ago when MSU-Mankato was playing softball there and I could see the football stadium in the back. Looks like you have great facilities- is there much interest in going D1 or are the politics too involved to do so?

There have been rumors of that for the past 15 years if not more. I have been wrong before, but I don't know if anyone has a plan one way or the other. If they were to jump, now would be the time, as the WAC is a small Utah-Texas conference. That being said, if I had to guess, I would say no.

[laker]

And this is why athletic programs are running deficits annually. If SLC basketball is terrible, then an NCAA autobid would look incredibly appealing.

Your comment will age like milk.

I wrote to UCO officials years ago when MSU-Mankato was playing softball there and I could see the football stadium in the back. Looks like you have great facilities- is there much interest in going D1 or are the politics too involved to do so?