POLL: Future of CWU Football/Athletics?

[IronOre]

When the GNAC had Mines, Dixie, Humboldt, and Azuzsa; the NAIA's wouldn't join then. I believe they had 7 teams at that point. I don't see the NAIA joining the D-2 ranks. Central may be better off going Frontier???

Doubt they're going to drop to NAIA. Don't know if they could do that for football only. I doubt it.

[Brandon]

It would be prudent to keep an eye out on NAIA schools. Some may also drop football and some schools may close altogether. That could change the dynamic.

[tsull]

I just did some sleuthing and found out that a school can indeed have dual membership in NCAA and NAIA. I know the latter is sometimes a four letter word for schools that used to be in that division and now are in the NCAA and trying to brag about that.

Bottom line is I would like to have college football on Saturdays in the fall at my alma mater. If they did by chance do dual membership they could play Frontier League football and then maybe talk to the conference about moving up to NCAA division 2. I just read where there are 290 schools left in and NAIA when they're used to be over 600.

Knowing that you could have dual membership, I'm a little surprised at Azusa Pacific's decision as I think there is an NAIA league in Southern California. It is certainly one option though I think a lot of people think it would be a bad thing to do. People need to remember that the College of Idaho and Carrol College each have 24 scholarships and are excellent football programs. A couple of years ago Carrol College went on the road to play a very good Linfield program and pounded them.

[CoachDave]

Knowing that you could have dual membership, I'm a little surprised at Azusa Pacific's decision

Ultimately, it's tough to be the only D2/NAIA football program in California. The travel killed them, every away game is a flight. Now there are 0 NAIA or D2 football programs in CA, and the GNAC is down to 3 teams... so either they organize a serious raid on the Frontier (which won't work if any of those guys have half a brain), or they go NAIA for football (SO not going to happen).

So that leaves CWU and WOU (and Simon Frasier? they're screwed too) joining the RMAC, the Lone Star (sheesh...) or dropping football. There's no point to being independent in football (which is what you are if there are 3 teams in your league), and there's no national conference for misfits like there is in D1 or D3.

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

https://www.dailyrecordnews.com/spor...8a367535e.html

New article from Ellensburg Daily Record. Looks like GNAC will keep relying on alliance with LSC for next few years, but no long term answers yet. CWU AD Francois pointed out that lots of FCS programs are struggling, so a move right now to D1 may not be best option, either.

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

Doubt they're going to drop to NAIA. Don't know if they could do that for football only. I doubt it.

From the Daily Record in Ellensburg:

[UFOILERFAN]

Hey, CWU fans, there's an article in The Athletic about the REAL last tie in college football. Some guy named Kitna and a team from NW OHIO. I read the first part but too cheap to subscribe to read the rest. ANYWAY, if you're interested.

Hope you keep football, wouldn't be the same without you.

[tsull]

Ultimately, it's tough to be the only D2/NAIA football program in California. The travel killed them, every away game is a flight. Now there are 0 NAIA or D2 football programs in CA, and the GNAC is down to 3 teams... so either they organize a serious raid on the Frontier (which won't work if any of those guys have half a brain), or they go NAIA for football (SO not going to happen).

So that leaves CWU and WOU (and Simon Frasier? they're screwed too) joining the RMAC, the Lone Star (sheesh...) or dropping football. There's no point to being independent in football (which is what you are if there are 3 teams in your league), and there's no national conference for misfits like there is in D1 or D3.

What's the big deal about NAIA/NCAA membership. Francois and other A.D.'s would be amazed how many people don't know what division CWU or WOU or others are in, and it doesn't affect whether they will enroll at the school? Maybe for some athletes. I went with a friend to a WOU hoop game a couple years ago, he's a Pac-12 school alum. He said, "This is D2, right?" He lives in Portland.

Small college athletics is intent on killing itself. SOU and EOU and WOU don't play each other in anything. How crazy is that? And why not? So it's better to play Texas schools, drain money, join a Colorado league, all to fill some crazy playoff metric that won't even reward you for BEATING an FCS team?! They need to quit the alphabet soup and play each other. WOU should go independent and play SOU and EOU every year, as well as College of Idaho, CWU and SFU, maybe UBC, too. People need to get over themselves, this isn't the SEC.

I'm only speaking for CWU, if CWU wants to chase NCAA D2 playoffs and all that, I'm not going to speak for them.

Athletic directors would rather cut football than play NAIA ... so caught up in image instead of reality.

[Pounder]

[tsull]

Linfield is not near close to closing their doors I'm not sure where that myth started they've had some administrative problems there of late but they're not even near closing the school. I believe they're enrollment is up, also.