Jones: C-USA should say, "Let’s Go to Wichita"
Wichita State should be a highly coveted member of any non P5 football conference. With a 31,500 seat stadium in place, the 65th largest television market according to Nielson, and a very successful basketball program; the Shockers seem ready-made for Conference USA, Mountain West, or the American.
When Creighton left the Missouri Valley Conference in 2013, it put Wichita State on even more of an island. With their main rival gone, the Shockers have watched their league become a one-bid or a two-bid league since they put four teams in the NCAA tournament in 2006.
Missouri State joined the league in 1990 and that rivalry is not enough to keep Wichita State from leaving. The Shockers can’t be interested in becoming a Gonzaga-like program that dominates their league, but has little competition from year to year.
Where would WSU go? The Mountain West seems like a logical destination, with Colorado State, Air Force, Wyoming, and New Mexico all somewhat all a reasonable distance away. The MWC won’t take them without football according to CBS Sports, but WSU officials have reached out.
Wichita State never was a world-beater in football before dropping the sport in 1986. However, Kansas State has made a living off of junior college recruiting over the years. With the Jayhawk Conference sharing the same state, WSU has a built in network from which to build. According to the Rivals.com database, 76 players from the Jayhawk Conference were committed to FBS schools at some point last season.
It makes sense that with football, Wichita State could join and become the 12th full time member (Hawaii is football only) of the MWC. UTEP is another logical candidate for the MWC if they decided to add two schools. What happens if the MWC says no?
The AAC could lose a west division team like Houston or Memphis to the Big 12. Wichita State would be a great candidate to replace them and become a travel partner for Tulsa. The likely candidates for the Big 12 are BYU, Cincinnati, and UCONN. Would WSU still be a candidate for the AAC if they are replacing one or two eastern teams? That is doubtful, but crazier things have happened.
The minute Creighton departed the MVC in 2013, Conference USA should have been on a plane to Wichita. Britton Banoswky could have put on the "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes on full blast:
“And that ain't what you want to hear But that's what I'll do And the feeling coming from my bones says, 'Find a home.' I'm going to Wichita Far from this opera for evermore”
Even without football, Wichita State makes sense for Conference USA. The league is losing revenue.
A similar argument could have been made for George Mason, located in Fairfax, VA. Located in what was at one time the 2nd richest county in the country.
George Mason has an enrollment of 33,000 students in the Washington D.C. market. George Mason joined the Atlantic-10 in 2013. Conference USA was willing to help cultivate Old Dominion’s move from FCS to FBS and also to help grow Charlotte’s brand new program. The league would have likely taken the same approach with George Mason had they added football. It’s too late for that now that George Mason has moved to the A-10, but it’s not too late for Wichita State.
CUSA should invite Wichita State now, regardless of football. The league needs the higher level of competition in basketball and it can help WSU figure out the football thing over time. Once Wichita State adds football, it will be too late for CUSA. The MWC or AAC will find a way to bring them on board.
It's time to go to Wichita Conference USA.