New Teams In The Mountain West And How That Affects Baseball
Here we stand around the water cooler. Is the MWC going to get poorer when a bunch of teams jump ship? Not likely. Are teams from other conferences falling all over themselves to get in the Mountain West?
Not likely. Uh, wait a minute. Apparently a few teams are at least showing interest. Gonzaga and BYU are those few teams. Most I’ve heard involves basketball and I’ve heard very little concerning, wait for it, baseball.
Both schools are in the WCC which is all private schools mostly Jesuit. BYU is the exception in two ways; not Jesuit and they play football. But let’s talk baseball. If this does happen it would be devastating to the WCC.
Gonzaga has a national recognition factor for the conference and which team would Saint Mary’s have to hate if they leave? BYU is in the WCC for all sports but football where it plays as an independent. Independence in football is a tough road in this day and age.
How does this affect baseball if they come in? I hear if it happens, both would come in. BYU’s football? I have no idea. I think they could do worse than the Mountain West. Don, don’t stray from baseball. Gonzaga is pretty good so would be a solid member and would be in the hunt for the title each year. Boise is fielding a team in 2020 so that might be a natural rival and would also open recruiting in the Northwest for the other members. Gonzaga is not doing that well this year but the tradition is good. BYU is having an average year at this early date but they were the WCC champs last season and got the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they went 1-2. So, another decent to good team.
Let’s assume these two teams come in for next season. I think it would be a good addition and then Boise the year after. That would be a ten team conference for baseball. That’s too large so a two division conference would be more manageable. At this point it’s all talk and conjecture and we all know it’s all about money and not natural and traditional rivalries. Think Oklahoma and Nebraska. That move by Nebraska was wrong and still is. I could go on forever.
