As it is, Idaho and New Mexico State are the only two teams left for football, and Denver, Boise State and Seattle U. for all other sports. WAC will not be eligible after this season for a bowl game or an FBS conference if they do not fill in who they lost by 2013. There seems to be some good news on the way for the WAC to help them keep football at the FBS level. There is a report of a possible rule of a 10 year ban of upgrades to the FBS level in the future. This spur movement among the FBS and FCS schools on what schools to move up and not. Now, as I see this, we will have a east/west beast like the Big East, but this will be a most more stable conference. The FBS conferences could be involved in getting a help start for the FCS schools that they are interested in. There is a report that more than 6 FCS schools are working together to join as one to be part of the WAC for the future. The schools mentioned that are the leaders to bringing this to fruition are Liberty, Appalachian State, Jacksonville State, Georgia Southern, Delaware and James Madison. The other schools not mentioned is not that hard to figure out who want to be FBS. Lets take a look at the other schools that could be part of the future WAC conferences.
Fordham: This schools is in the number 1 market and have been mentioned as a future MAC member. As it is, they do not bring a very good athletics like NC-Charlotte. It seems that the football wants big markets, and the New York City market would be primed for someone to invite them to the FBS.
Stony Brook: Have been also mentioned to be a future MAC school, but in a smaller, but big New York market, they could bring their strong football program up to FBS. They have talked about going FBS in the past.
Alabama State: Yes, I know they are a HBCU. But, they were reported on being in talks with the Sun Belt Conference. They have a 26,000 seat stadium, a strong football market, a big Montgomery, Alabama TV market, but have a bad reputation in academics. Maybe changing conference might help them out with the academics.
North Alabama: Yes, they are D-2, but they could play an eastern basketball conference while upgrading their stadium at the FCS level. Florence, Alabama and their strong athletics are a big plus for them.
Grand Canyon University does not have football, but are thinking about adding the sport in the future. This would bring fourth a school in Arizona up to D-1. They could play football at The Phoenix University Stadium.
Cal, State-Bakersfield could bring in another basketball school who needs a western conference for all sports. WAC would be a fit for them.
Florida A&M already have the facilities to be at the FBS. Their Tallahassee market would be another large tv viewership.
West Florida is a D-2 school from the same conference as North Alabama. They are expanding and have plans to build better facilities, and add a football field that could be much better than some of the Sun Belt schools. They could be good for an eastern basketball addition. Plus their Pensacola tv Market.
Indiana State wants in the FBS, but have been turned down. They could work in the WAC, and build better to be in a better conference like the MAC.
McNeese State is another school being mentioned to replace the lost of La. Tech.
Jackson State could bring the Jackson, Mississippi market, and strong football, but the same as with Alabama State about their academics.
Missouri State can bring in their Springfield TV market, and not much of anything else. They have played Arkansas U. tough in the past which I could see them thrive in the future in either a Sun Belt or C-USA where they can play more schools in their area than in MVFC.
Montana and Montana State both have turned down invites from the WAC before, but with many powerhouse FCS schools joining in on joining the WAC? The competition would be better than playing schools like Idaho State and Northern Colorado.
North Dakota State, last year's FCS powerhouse football champs could help make Montana and Montana State to join the WAC if Eastern Washington also gets an invite as well. That includes Villanova who could use the WAC as a stepping stone to join the Big East in the future. If you count these three, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Youngstown State? You would have a history of FCS schools who have won the FCS championships since the 1980's.
Oklahoma City University is another school that mentioned that they want to rejoin D-1. I am not sure if they sent their paperwork in before the rules that no NAIA schools can join the D-1 before going through 8 years of D-2.
Portland State only thing they got for them is their Tv market.
South Dakota State can be the traveling partner for NDS.
Tenn.-Chattanooga is in a big tv market that should not be counted out.
Lamar, Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin are schools that mentioned about upgrading to FBS. Lamar has an Oklahoma connection because Barry Switzer and Billy Tubbs helped bring football back to the school.
West Texas A&M could go the same route as North Alabama in having all sports in the WAC, and football in the FCS while upgrading. They are favor because of their Amarillo TV market. Plus, they were a former conference mates with New Mexico State in both the Border and MVC.
Texas-Pan America does not have a football team, but they need a new home which the WAC could be the place. Their name changed to UTRGV. They are talking about adding football and join the FBS ranks. They got Mack Brown to help spearhead the feasibility study.
Utah Valley does not have football, but they are thinking of adding the sport in the future. Their traveling partner could be a strong Weber State school who does have football.
VCU or Richmond could bring in the Richmond, Virginia market. VCU does not have football, but there seems to be talk that they will buy the city stadium which would seat more than Richmond's. VCU could add onto the city stadium as they go into the future.
Gonzaga could bring their strong basketball program to the WAC to take on other strong basketball teams.
Georgetown, DC could upgrade their stadium while playing at the Red skins' stadium, and in the future, they could join the Big east in the future.
Wis. Milwaukee be another basketball school, but they are also looking into adding football.
Cal.-Davis, Cal. Poly and Sacramento State would be perfect. As like Portland State, eastern Washington (Spokane Market), both Montana schools and both Dakota schools, they all could be future MWC expansion.
New Jersey Tech as a non-football school on the east. This would kill off one of the independent D-1 basketball schools.
Other schools not mentioned, but heard about that could make the leap.
Furman, Western Carolina, New Orleans U., Illinois State, Southern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Northern Arizona and Cal.San Diego as possible candidates.
If this plan does work out, we will hear the news by or on the 1st of June.
East west would look like this.
East
Jacksonville State
Appalachian State (updated, they got SBC invite)
Georgia Southern (updated, they got SBC invite)
Delaware
Liberty
James Madison
Stony Brook/Fordham
Youngstown State
Villanova****
Chicago State*
NJ Tech*
VCU**
West Florida**
South Carolina Upstate*
West
Idaho
New Mexico State
North Dakota State
Lamar
Sam Houston State
Stephen F. Austin
Central Arkansas
Eastern Washington
Denver*
Seattle U.*
Utah Valley**
Cal. State Bakersfield*
Grand Canyon U.**
Texas-Pan America*
Boise State***
*=no football
**=talking about adding football
***=football in another conference if they do not get into the Big West Conference for all other sports, their wrestling program is an associate school in the PAC 12.
Place to help upgrade their football to go into the Big East where their other sports are at.
Now, a few years down the road when Georgia Southern and Appalachian State go to the Sun Belt Conference, and Delaware and James Madison to the MAC. 4 more eastern schools need to replace them.
Future East football schools
Delaware State
Jackson State
McNeese State
Alabama State
Furman
Western Carolina
VCU
West Alabama
Georgetown, DC
Illinois State
Southern Illinois
Indiana State
North Alabama
West
Cal.-Davis
Cal.-Poly
South Dakota State
Weber State
Sacramento State
Cal.-San Diego
Missouri State
Portland State
Montana
Montana State
West Texas A&M
Updated 1/25/2017:
There are more rumors of candidates to be invited to the WAC or schools rumored to want to move up to D1 from D2. We take out the eastern schools and move in central, midwestern and western schools.
Alaska
Alaska-Anchorage
Arkansas Tech
UAFS
Harding
Henderson State
Simon Fraser
Azusa Pacific
Cal. Poly-Pomona
Cal Poly
East Bay State
Cal. State-LA former D1
Cal. State-San Bernardino
Cal.-San Diego
Humboldt State
San Francisco State
Sonoma State
Colorado Mesa
Colorado Mines
Colorado State-Pueblo
Colorado-Colorado Springs
Metro State
Northwest Nazarene
Illinois-Springfield
Illinois State
Southern Illinois
Southern Illinois-Edwardsville
Indiana State
Indianapolis
Southern Indiana
Northern Iowa
Emporia State
Fort Hays State
Washburn
Wichita State
McNeese State
New Orleans
Davenport (would be eligible to upgrade in 8 years.)
Mankato State
Minn.-Duluth
St. Cloud State
Drury (was a former D1 school)
Lindenwood
Missouri Southern
Missouri State
Missouri Western
UMSL
Rockhurst
Jackson State
Montana State-Billings
Chadron State
Wayne State
Eastern New Mexico (was considered a D1 school at 1 time)
Cedarville
Youngstown State
Cameron
Central Oklahoma (plays D1 men's club hockey with Oklahoma)
Oklahoma Baptist
Rogers State
SW. Oklahoma State
Western Oregon
Black Hills State
Sioux Falls
South Dakota Mines
Northern State
Christian Brothers (Memphis area)
Angelo State
Dallas Baptist
Lamar
Midwestern State
Sam Houston State
SFAU
Tarleton State
Texas A&M-Commerce
Texas A&M-Corpus Christie
Texas A&M-Kingsville
West Texas A&M
Dixie State
Central Washington
Western Washington
Milwaukee
Wis.-Parkside
These could be possible targets for the WAC. Been a rumor a couple of years ago that MVFC wanted to merge with the WAC for football FBS only deal.
