What’s next? (For those whose season is over)

[SPWOU]

I'm not that connected and I heard the flights have been expensive, but I heard nothing about program elimination until reading this thread. I was surprised, to be honest, especially after the season we had. If there is an issue, I would hope the WOU admin would have the foresight to contact people for support instead of doing the cowardly Azusa elimination.

I’m definitely not trying to make something of nothing. It’s just that it’s a financial decision. I guess there’s two ways an org could go about it, publicly ask for funds and advise the alternative if they don’t get the money or just pull the plug and surprise everyone.

The below article along with Azusa and Humbolt dropping their programs are recent examples that had me thinking it could happen anywhere at the D2 level. MN has 7 D2 today, makes for nice low travel budgets and they cut their programs pre-pandemic.

https://www.minnpost.com/sports/2019...esota-schools/

[Purple Mav Man]

I’m definitely not trying to make something of nothing. It’s just that it’s a financial decision. I guess there’s two ways an org could go about it, publicly ask for funds and advise the alternative if they don’t get the money or just pull the plug and surprise everyone.

The below article along with Azusa and Humbolt dropping their programs are recent examples that had me thinking it could happen anywhere at the D2 level. MN has 7 D2 today, makes for nice low travel budgets and they cut their programs pre-pandemic.

https://www.minnpost.com/sports/2019...esota-schools/

For a little context:
St Cloud State is a mess overall. They are maybe at 12k students now, from just over 20k about 10 years ago. Their athletic department ignored Title IX for years, and they got themselves in trouble. Money was severely mismanaged.

Crookston isn’t really competitive in any sport, and football was the most expensive. Not sure what all went into there, but they were a perennial 0-11 / 1-10 team.

[tsull]

I’m definitely not trying to make something of nothing. It’s just that it’s a financial decision. I guess there’s two ways an org could go about it, publicly ask for funds and advise the alternative if they don’t get the money or just pull the plug and surprise everyone.

The below article along with Azusa and Humbolt dropping their programs are recent examples that had me thinking it could happen anywhere at the D2 level. MN has 7 D2 today, makes for nice low travel budgets and they cut their programs pre-pandemic.

https://www.minnpost.com/sports/2019...esota-schools/

But who is talking about it at WOU other than you on this message board? It's not a topic right now but you keep insinuating they are dropping the sport. I'm not sure why you keep doing this. Is it to put your son in the portal? I'm just confused.

Historically, WOU's move to D2 wasn't smooth. We were doing fine in NAIA but the private schools pulled out and went D3 and wouldn't play us again. I've enjoyed some D2 successes -- final 4 in hoops, two national class distance runners who made the Olympic trials, a current MLB player, two NFL guys. That's been great. I'm not sure the returns have been good overall when baseball for years was playing with a quarter of a scholarship and most sports far under the D2 scholarship amounts. We're still in a lot of those situations and we're 20 years into D2.

What coach Ferguson has done has been excellent in football. I'd like to see us keep funding football and playing in the LSC until there's a better option.

[SPWOU]

But who is talking about it at WOU other than you on this message board? It's not a topic right now but you keep insinuating they are dropping the sport. I'm not sure why you keep doing this. Is it to put your son in the portal? I'm just confused.

Historically, WOU's move to D2 wasn't smooth. We were doing fine in NAIA but the private schools pulled out and went D3 and wouldn't play us again. I've enjoyed some D2 successes -- final 4 in hoops, two national class distance runners who made the Olympic trials, a current MLB player, two NFL guys. That's been great. I'm not sure the returns have been good overall when baseball for years was playing with a quarter of a scholarship and most sports far under the D2 scholarship amounts. We're still in a lot of those situations and we're 20 years into D2.

What coach Ferguson has done has been excellent in football. I'd like to see us keep funding football and playing in the LSC until there's a better option.

Sorry, I didn’t mean to insinuate once much less to do so multiple times that the program is being dropped. I just threw out the fact that the financials don’t look good on the preliminary budget and wanted to get other’s input.

I am pleased with the program and looking forward to next season.

Moving on now.

Cheers!

[Runnin' Cat]

CWU made it to the playoffs I think twice as an independent.

Central Washington has never made the DII playoffs as an Independent. They have made it 5 times out of the GNAC and once out of the now defunct NCC.

Playing as an Independent DII member would almost guarantee no playoffs. You would need to play 8 DII games and ten total games to even qualify for consideration. What 8 DII games could you get w/o travel?

[IronOre]

Central Washington has never made the DII playoffs as an Independent. They have made it 5 times out of the GNAC and once out of the now defunct NCC.

Playing as an Independent DII member would almost guarantee no playoffs. You would need to play 8 DII games and ten total games to even qualify for consideration. What 8 DII games could you get w/o travel?

Technically last year CWU was an independent in the eyes of the NCAA, I think.

[Runnin' Cat]

Technically last year CWU was an independent in the eyes of the NCAA, I think.

As far as football, teams do not have conference affiliations. So technically every team is independent.

But reality is a harsh mistress...

[tsull]

I guess I'm not explaining myself very well, wouldn't be the first time. Again, with feeling: I would rather have football in any form than drop the sport, period. I'm not married to D2 or the LSC. I would rather just play the sport as an indy than not have the sport. I know others think D2 is the end all; it isn't to me. If dropping football because flights to Texas is too expensive, that's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. If one can't make playoffs, tough f-n sh-t. Again, I will repeat: WOU has made 3 post-season national playoffs and one minor D2 bowl game in 50+ years. Basing our entire football existence on playoffs we never make is nearly (but not as) crazy as dropping football because you can't fly to Texas.

Humboldt could've gone NAIA or D2 indy, instead now they just suck in all D2 sports and no longer have that great home football game atmosphere. But hey, they stood their ground. Because missing some obscure playoffs where they will go one-and-done, they should just drop the whole sport. Really? I'd rather keep it. I've never met one person that protested on campus with signs or demanded from the admin that they go D2 and stay D2. Actually, I know numerous alums who don't even know what division they're in and what D2 is. Perhaps it's different in Texas and Kittitas County, I'm not sure. I won't speak for them. I'll just speak for myself. Again: I would rather keep football in any form than have it dropped.

[crixus]

I'm going to enjoy the vibes of a winning football season at Western New Mexico (both conference and overall) for as long as I can. :D

[tsull]

An example of what I'm talking about: Just received an e-mail from a college friend who lives in Indiana. He was a very good baseball player at Western Oregon way back in the day. He said he just found out WOU is playing in the Lone Star Conference. He couldn't understand why and that it was incredibly stupid. He wanted to know why they aren't playing Willamette, EOU, SOU, Linfield, Lewis & Clark, etc. I had to explain to him about the private schools going their own way, then I had to explain to him about all the West Coast schools cutting football. He still thinks it's crazy. I sort of do, too, though I'm thankful the LSC gave us a lifeline.

Most WOU alums live in the Willamette Valley and are as close to OSU and UO as they are to the alma mater. Guess which games they go to and follow? WOU doesn't get the excellent newspaper coverage that CWU does, no way. It's a unique situation and 20 years into D2 they need to figure out a way to crank up football, get more scholarships and find a regional conference, if possible. The LSC will do for now and I love the competition. But it would be great to have more regional foes.