off one of the WAC boards..... the times they are a changin'

Travel costs might force Conference Realignment very soon.
The price of fuel is about to change the college football landscape for alot of schools. Check out this from the Scott Slant article about Hawaii's travel costs.

Hawaii athletic director Jim Donovan says the school’s charters to San Jose State and Idaho last season cost $85,000 and $125,000, respectively. The quote for a charter flight to the Fresno State game this year? How about $319,000? It’s going to be really interesting to check out the college sports landscape two years from now.

The rise in fuel costs is gonna hurt all of us smaller sized schools. Travel to Hawaii every other year is gonna be a killer for all of us. The price will be even higher next year.

I can see some conference realignments coming soon due to the price of travel. Maybe all of this MWC/WAC talk isn't such a bad idea after all?

If it costs $319,000 to travel from Hawaii, it must cost the same to travel there.

What about traveling to La Tech?

What do you guys think?

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Originally Posted by Zeebart21 off one of the WAC boards..... the times they are a changin' Travel costs might force Conference Realignment very soon. The price of fuel is about to change the college football landscape for alot of schools. Check out this from the Scott Slant article about Hawaii's travel costs. Hawaii athletic director Jim Donovan says the school’s charters to San Jose State and Idaho last season cost $85,000 and $125,000, respectively. The quote for a charter flight to the Fresno State game this year? How about $319,000? It’s going to be really interesting to check out the college sports landscape two years from now. The rise in fuel costs is gonna hurt all of us smaller sized schools. Travel to Hawaii every other year is gonna be a killer for all of us. The price will be even higher next year. I can see some conference realignments coming soon due to the price of travel. Maybe all of this MWC/WAC talk isn't such a bad idea after all? If it costs $319,000 to travel from Hawaii, it must cost the same to travel there. What about traveling to La Tech? What do you guys think?

Ooooooh! Trouble in paradise? What will they do, what WILL they do? Stay tuned to "As the WAC Turns"!

I couldn't imagine how much the trip to Neck cost. I heard the interview with June Jones last season and they have to leave Hawaii on wed. fly to Houston, stay Thurs. night, then fly to Monroe, then bus to Neck. I'm sure gas prices is a slightly welcome excuse not to go to Ruston anymore. I'm interested to see what happens with Hawaii due to the fact that they have a long flight for any road game.

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Originally Posted by Zeebart21 _ off one of the WAC boards..... the times they are a changin' Travel costs might force Conference Realignment very soon. The price of fuel is about to change the college football landscape for alot of schools. Check out this from the Scott Slant article about Hawaii's travel costs. Hawaii athletic director Jim Donovan says the school’s charters to San Jose State and Idaho last season cost $85,000 and $125,000, respectively. The quote for a charter flight to the Fresno State game this year? How about $319,000? It’s going to be really interesting to check out the college sports landscape two years from now. The rise in fuel costs is gonna hurt all of us smaller sized schools. Travel to Hawaii every other year is gonna be a killer for all of us. The price will be even higher next year. I can see some conference realignments coming soon due to the price of travel. Maybe all of this MWC/WAC talk isn't such a bad idea after all? If it costs $319,000 to travel from Hawaii, it must cost the same to travel there. What about traveling to La Tech? What do you guys think? _

It kind of goes along with what some of us have been saying and it is going to get worse. The difference in our travel expenses for 06-07 was $600,000 more for LaTex. So, what will their travel bill look like in 08-09, the current fiscal year in which costs are really sky rocketing?

All of this just makes me even happier we are in a southern regional conference. A conference with no place to go but up and anyone who is reading the summer write up's about the SBC can see respect for our football is growing by leaps and bounds.

PS What needs to be taken into consideration as well is the mental toll all the travel takes on the "student athletes". It's tiring, it's distracting, it upsets regular routines. It just ain't good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeebart21 _ off one of the WAC boards..... the times they are a changin' Travel costs might force Conference Realignment very soon. The price of fuel is about to change the college football landscape for alot of schools. Check out this from the Scott Slant article about Hawaii's travel costs. Hawaii athletic director Jim Donovan says the school’s charters to San Jose State and Idaho last season cost $85,000 and $125,000, respectively. The quote for a charter flight to the Fresno State game this year? How about $319,000? It’s going to be really interesting to check out the college sports landscape two years from now. The rise in fuel costs is gonna hurt all of us smaller sized schools. Travel to Hawaii every other year is gonna be a killer for all of us. The price will be even higher next year. I can see some conference realignments coming soon due to the price of travel. Maybe all of this MWC/WAC talk isn't such a bad idea after all? If it costs $319,000 to travel from Hawaii, it must cost the same to travel there. What about traveling to La Tech? What do you guys think? _

I think travel to LTU costs a lot more because whether you charter or fly commercial it is not a destination spot. Travel to Hawaii a super high destination spot costs less because there is demand creating full flights either way, and unlike LTU are direct from major hubs. Of course that is just a guess on my part.

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Originally Posted by DestinCajun _ It kind of goes along with what some of us have been saying and it is going to get worse. The difference in our travel expenses for 06-07 was $600,000 more for LaTex. So, what will their travel bill look like in 08-09, the current fiscal year in which costs are really sky rocketing? All of this just makes me even happier we are in a southern regional conference. A conference with no place to go but up and anyone who is reading the summer write up's about the SBC can see respect for our football is growing by leaps and bounds. PS What needs to be taken into consideration as well is the mental toll all the travel takes on the "student athletes". It's tiring, it's distracting, it upsets regular routines. It just ain't good. _

All that is fine and dandy, but Denver needs to leave the Sun Belt. They have been an unwelcome member for too long. IMO W Waters and the presidents are keeping them for academic reasons. I would rather spend the travel money on my kids.

Another difference between Denver in the Sun Belt and La Tech in the WAC is that Denver does not particiapate in all of the Sun Belt sports so we are not obligated to play them in Football, Baseball, etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DestinCajun _ It kind of goes along with what some of us have been saying and it is going to get worse. The difference in our travel expenses for 06-07 was $600,000 more for LaTex. So, what will their travel bill look like in 08-09, the current fiscal year in which costs are really sky rocketing? All of this just makes me even happier we are in a southern regional conference. A conference with no place to go but up and anyone who is reading the summer write up's about the SBC can see respect for our football is growing by leaps and bounds. PS What needs to be taken into consideration as well is the mental toll all the travel takes on the "student athletes". It's tiring, it's distracting, it upsets regular routines. It just ain't good. _

don't good cajun fans think it oxymoronical to say there's a "mental toll" on a neckster?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeebart21 off one of the WAC boards..... the times they are a changin' Travel costs might force Conference Realignment very soon. The price of fuel is about to change the college football landscape for alot of schools. Check out this from the Scott Slant article about Hawaii's travel costs. Hawaii athletic director Jim Donovan says the school’s charters to San Jose State and Idaho last season cost $85,000 and $125,000, respectively. The quote for a charter flight to the Fresno State game this year? How about $319,000? It’s going to be really interesting to check out the college sports landscape two years from now. The rise in fuel costs is gonna hurt all of us smaller sized schools. Travel to Hawaii every other year is gonna be a killer for all of us. The price will be even higher next year. I can see some conference realignments coming soon due to the price of travel. Maybe all of this MWC/WAC talk isn't such a bad idea after all? If it costs $319,000 to travel from Hawaii, it must cost the same to travel there. What about traveling to La Tech? What do you guys think?

There are things I haven't been able to post here without compromising some sources... but I've been posting these things about LTU (e.g., ULM Reaganizing them) because I got some eye-opening scoop on what's going on up there.

Their finances were tighter than a drumhead before the increases in gas prices. Maybe they can-- somehow-- afford to keep keeping up with the Jones's.

But that's not the question

The question is, How much do the Jones's want to keep LTU in the neighborhood? The WAC can save a lot of money by dropping a member that is 800 miles from the nearest member (NMSU) 1500 miles from most members (the CA schools), and 3,000 miles from the farthest member (Hawai'i).

I think Tech is in deep doo-doo.

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Originally Posted by Bankruptcyman _ Another difference between Denver in the Sun Belt and La Tech in the WAC is that Denver does not particiapate in all of the Sun Belt sports so we are not obligated to play them in Football, Baseball, etc. _

The Sun Belt passed new initiatives that stated that member schools must play a certain amount of sports that the league sponsors in order to remain in the conference. Schools were given a five year period (that's Denver and UNO) to comply.

It's being called the "Denver rule" which was put in to force their hand.

They'll be announcing their new conference affiliation within the next three years and they'll be out no later than 2013.

I agree that they just aren't a good fit, geographically and otherwise, but I sure will miss my annual trip up there.