Re: OT: Gonzaga in Talks to Join the MWC
Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2018 3:18 pm
kayako wrote:Xudash wrote:Gonzaga needs to do something. Their big fish in a crap conference strategy isn't sustainable.
What is their NCAA tournament streak, approaching 20 straight? Gonzaga's beef is with the WCC sharing the tournament credit evenly with every school. It makes sense, since they earn like 90% of it. Potentially working out a better TV deal by the MWC is bonus. On the opposite end of the spectrum, VCU and Dayton are probably very cozy in A10, since they have a 75-25 split of tournament credits.
This is really the issue. Gonzaga has gone to the tournament 19 years in a row under 2 different coaches. This year will make it 20. They have made a big time financial commitment to the program, investing in facilities, paying to keep a great coach and his staff, and flying charter to all road games. Attendance and community support are both strong.
How frustrating must it be for them to bring all of this tournament into the conference, only to see it dissipated among the other teams in the league who are not making the same commitment? Occasionally St Mary’s or BYU have gotten a bid, but for most of those 20 years it’s been a 1-bid league. Financially they’d be better off as an independent.
They really want to be in a multi-bid league where other programs are contributing to the pool of money being shared. As they should.