Submitted by Fox First at Ten on December 12th
Could Gonzaga really leave the WCC? Surely, stranger things have happened, but, ESPN's Andy Katz wrote Wednesday "the Zags would love to part with the West Coast Conference".
Katz attributed his information only to "sources", which could have been anyone from Mark Few to Oliver Pierce to his grandmother.
The thinking is the Big East is down to seven non-FBS basketball schools. Those schools are pondering what course to take as conference realignment ebbs and flows around college football. With San Diego State and Boise State – for now – in the Big East for football, the Zags could just as well play in a Big East-type conference in basketball.
Or could they? Imagine the travel costs involved. And then remember we're talking about basketball, not football where the big bucks are made.
Katz believes Gonzaga would like to be "positioned with fellow national Catholic-based schools instead of regional ones in the WCC". Those schools include the likes of St. John's, Seton Hall, Villanova and others.
In any case, Gonzaga would do well to at least consider the changing landscape of collegiate athletics. It is better to act than to be acted upon, and so it is better to be the one to make the first bold move before there are not any moves to be made.
Here are a few thoughts about the Zags and the WCC from our friends at Slipper Still Fits. They go as far as to identify potential road swings. I don't know if I would go that far just yet, but....
