Since Davis committed, I went over to UC’s board on another network where they had a thread on him and while I was there I started reading some other threads. It just reminded me of how lucky we are to be where we are and have had Clements and Luck leading WVU at the time. I can remember how bad the uncertainty was for us in 2011 and how big of an impact our Big 12 entrance has had for our entire university. Now I don’t for a second think we are lucky because we don’t belong, but as we’ve seen with Missouri, Rutgers, Maryland, et. al., athletic success brand popularity is usually low on the list of the evaluation criteria for conference entrance.
I do feel somewhat bad because I see UC and their fans wait for any possible expansion article and are constantly fighting to keep their program relevant. I understand that UC’s entrance to a Power Conference might not be best for WVU and I want what’s best for WVU, but I can see their argument when lesser programs like Wake Forest, Northwestern, Washington State, Vanderbilt, and even Iowa State are given access to major college football due only to their century long conference affiliations when college athletics were vastly different. It’s odd because programs like UC, UCF, and even Memphis lately are clearly a step above the rest of the Group of 5 in all aspects, but may not be at the Power 5 level. It just makes me appreciate our inclusion in the Power 5 landscape because it has and will continue to make an enormous difference with our exposure, facilities, perception, and ability to retain coaches.
I do feel somewhat bad because I see UC and their fans wait for any possible expansion article and are constantly fighting to keep their program relevant. I understand that UC’s entrance to a Power Conference might not be best for WVU and I want what’s best for WVU, but I can see their argument when lesser programs like Wake Forest, Northwestern, Washington State, Vanderbilt, and even Iowa State are given access to major college football due only to their century long conference affiliations when college athletics were vastly different. It’s odd because programs like UC, UCF, and even Memphis lately are clearly a step above the rest of the Group of 5 in all aspects, but may not be at the Power 5 level. It just makes me appreciate our inclusion in the Power 5 landscape because it has and will continue to make an enormous difference with our exposure, facilities, perception, and ability to retain coaches.
