Teddy Feinberg on the state of the WAC

Teddy Feinberg writes about where WAC football and basketball are now -- definitely weaker but offering opportunity.

A pair of connected late Wednesday items

Here's Andy Katz with the latest on the WAC reaminees and departures.

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Dan Hinxman reports that Karl Benson will be holding a teleconference on Thursday morning.

You don't have to be Sherlock to piece the two items together -- that is unless the Commish is instead preparing to announce on Thursday that the WAC will be transporting PTW to any games of our choosing via the conference private jet. Guess we will have to change out of our ratty bathrobe, attempt to get the Cheetos stain off our hands and be prepared to talk to someone prior to noon.

On second thought, PTW is going to hold out -- we will also insist that Mary Louise-Parker be on that plane, reading the WAC by-laws to us as we jet about. That's our line in the sand.

Sign a NLOI or a scholarship agreement?

Prepsters and junior college transfers -- if talented enough, meaning they have multiple excellent options -- just might want to consider NOT signing a national letter of intent. Or at least insert a statement into it along the lines that "this document is null and void if such-and-such takes place..." -- if that doesn't completely invalidate the document by doing so. Kids sign because of coaches and coaching staffs and the freedom to transfer should be an automatic one if a coach moves on for whatever reason(s).

National letter of intent not always a two-way agreement
Ramona Shelburne
Los Angeles Daily News
2/02/2009

What's in a name?

In the case of national signing day, everything.

In recent years, the first Wednesday in February has become something of a national holiday, with football recruits across the country finally announcing where they will play in college and making those commitments official by signing a national letter of intent.

But did you know that actually signing a letter of intent is completely voluntary?

In other words, the actual signing going on during signing day isn't required.

Kind of ruins the name, doesn't it?

A growing chorus of athletes' advocates and lawyers believe something else is going on...

Go here for the remainder.

Just found a couple of interesting links.

The first one is an article in which an NCAA offical is quoted as saying a NLOI cannot be modified in any manner.

The second is a Seth Davis article on letters of intent.

Travel costs to force the WAC into changes?

In personal terms, high prices tend to modify our various behaviors when sometimes nothing else can and the WAC appears to be edging into similar circumstances:

WAC being squeezed by high travel costs
Commissioner Karl Benson says the league will discuss possible solutions at its fall meetings. He says that ‘anything is on the table.’
Chadd Cripe
Idaho Statesman
8/13/08

Saturday matines for basketball?

A 10th member of the WAC?

More regional matchups in college football?

Another round of conference realignments?

All are possible results of escalating travel costs, which will eat an extra $268,000 out of Boise State’s athletics budget this school year.

“At our fall meetings in September, this whole issue will be on the agenda,” WAC commissioner Karl Benson said last month at the football media preview. “My message as they come to that meeting is, ‘Anything’s on the table.’ … It may cause us to do some drastic measure that might have been unheard of or even unthought of two or three years ago....”

Go here for the remainder.