Wasatch Swagger

2024-10-08T12:00:00.002-06:00

My first NHL Prediction...

Pacific Division

1. Edmonton Oilers
2. Vancouver Canucks
3. Los Angeles Kings
4. Vegas Golden Knights
5. Seattle Kraken
6. San Jose Sharks
7. Anaheim Ducks
8. Calgary Flames

Team most likely to surprise: San Jose
Team most likely to disappoint: Vegas

Central Division

1. Dallas Stars
2. Nashville Predators
3. Colorado Avalanche
4. Utah Hockey Club
5. Winnipeg Jets
6. Minnesota Wild
7. Chicago Blackhawks
8. St. Louis Blues

Team most likely to surprise: Utah
Team most likely to disappoint: Colorado

Atlantic Division

1. Boston Bruins
2. Florida Panthers
3. Toronto Maple Leafs
4. Tampa Bay Lightning
5. Montreal Canadiens
6. Buffalo Sabers
7. Detroit Red Wings
8. Ottawa Senators

Team most likely to surprise: Montreal
Team most likely to disappoint: Florida

Metropolitan Division

1. New York Rangers
2. Carolina Hurricanes
3. Washington Capitals
4. New York Islanders
5. Columbus Blue Jackets
6. New Jersey Devils
7. Philadelphia Flyers
8. Pittsburgh Penguins

Team most likely to surprise: Washington
Team most likely to disappoint: Islanders

US Cities by Number of Major Sports Teams

2024-05-07T20:47:00.002-06:00

Cities that have multiple franchises in at least one league (Except for Major League Soccer)

1. New York, New York
NFL Giants and Jets
NBA Knicks and Nets
NHL Rangers, Islanders and Devils
MLB Yankees and Mets
(Also home to MLS Red Bulls and NYFC)
CSA: 21.86 Million

2. Los Angeles, California
NFL Rams and Chargers
NBA Lakers and Clippers
NHL Kings and Ducks
MLB Dodgers and Angels
(Also home to MLS Galaxy and LAFC)
CSA: 18.32 Million

3. Washington, DC
NFL Commanders and (Baltimore) Ravens
MLB Nationals and (Baltimore) Orioles
NBA Wizards
NHL Capitals
(Also home to MLS DC United)
CSA 10.07 Million

4. Chicago, Illinois
NFL Bears
NBA Bulls
MLB Cubs and White Sox
NHL Blackhawks
(Also home to MLS Fire)
CSA: 9.74 Million

5. San Francisco, California
(Through 2024)
NFL 49ers
MLB Giants and Athletics
NBA Warriors
NHL Sharks
(Also home to MLS Earthquakes)
CSA: 9.0 Million

Cities with at one franchise in each of the four major sports

1. Dallas, Texas
NFL Cowboys
NBA Mavericks
NHL Stars
MLB Rangers
(Also home of MLS FC Dallas)
CSA: 8.65 Million

2. Boston, Massachusetts
NFL Patriots
NBA Celtics
NHL Bruins
MLB Red Sox
(Also home to MLS Revolution)
CSA: 8.35 Million

3. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
NFL Eagles
NBA 76ers
NHL Flyers
MLB Phillies
(Also home to MLS Philadelphia Union)
CSA: 7.39 Million

4. Miami, Florida
NFL Dolphins
NBA Heat
NHL Panthers
MLB Marlins
(Also home to MLS InterMiami CF)
CSA: 7.01 Million

5. Detroit, Michigan
NFL Lions
NBA Pistons
NHL RedWings
MLB Tigers
CSA: 5.36 Million

6. Minneapolis, Minnesota
NFL Vikings
NBA Timberwolves
NHL Wild
MLB Twins
(Also home to MLS Minnesota United FC)
CSA: 4.10 Million

7. Denver, Colorado
NFL Broncos
NBA Nuggets
MLB Rockies
NHL Avalanche
(Also home to MLS Rapids)
CSA: 3.69 Million

Cities with three of the four major sports

1. Houston, Texas
NFL Texans
NBA Rockets
MLB Astros
(Also home to MLS Dynamo)
CSA: 7.70 Million

2. Atlanta, Georgia
NFL Falcons
NBA Hawks
MLB Braves
(Also home to MLS Atlanta United)
CSA: 7.22 Million

3. Phoenix, Arizona
NFL Cardinals
NBA Suns
MLB Diamondbacks
CSA: 5.12 Million
Note: NHL Coyotes are inactive

4. Seattle, Washington
NFL Seahawks
NHL Kracken
MLB Mariners
(Also home to MLS Sounders)
CSA: 4.99 Million

5. Cleveland, Ohio
NFL Browns
NBA Caveliers
MLB Guardians
CSA: 3.73 Million

6. Tampa, Florida
NFL Buccaneers
NHL Lightning
MLB Rays
MSA: 3.17 Million

7. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
NFL Steelers
NHL Penguins
MLB Pirates
CSA: 2.73 Million

Cities with two major sports franchises

1. Charlotte, North Carolina
NFL Panthers
NBA Hornets
(Also Home to MLS Charlotte FC)
CSA: 3.39 Million

2. St. Louis, Missouri
MLB Cardinals
NHL Blues
(Also home to MLS St. Louis City)
CSA: 2.9 Million

3. Salt Lake City, Utah
NBA Jazz
NHL (Yet to be named)
(Also home to MLS Real Salt Lake)
CSA: 2.80 Million

(Sacramento California)
NBA Kings
MLB Athletics (2025-2027)
CSA: 2.71 Million

4. Indianapolis, Indiana
NFL Colts
NBA Pacers
CSA Population: 2.65 Million

5. Kansas City, Missouri (and Kansas)
NFL Chiefs
MLB Royals
(Also home to MLS Sporting KC)
CSA: 2.56 Million

6. Las Vegas, Nevada
(Until 2028)
NHL Golden Knights
NFL Raiders
CSA: 2.39 Million

7. Nashville, Tennessee
NFL Titans
NHL Predators
(Also home to MLS Nashville SC)
CSA: 2.35 Million

8. Cincinnati, Ohio
NFL Bengals
MLB Reds
(Also home to MLS FC Cincinnati)
CSA: 2.31 Million

9. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
NBA Bucks
MLB Brewers
CSA: 2.04 Million

10. New Orleans, Louisiana
NFL Saints
NBA Pelicans
CSA: 1.34 Million

11. Buffalo, New York
NFL Bills
NHL Sabers
CSA: 1.23 Million

Note:
Baltimore, MD
MLB Orioles
NFL Ravens
Part of the Washington, DC CSA

Cities with one major sports team

1. Orlando, Florida
NBA Magic
(Also home to Orlando City SC)
CSA: 4.50 Million

2. San Diego, California
MLB Padres
(Also home to MLS San Diego SC)
MSA: 3.28 Million

3. San Antonio, Texas
NBA Spurs
CSA: 2.79 Million

4. Columbus, Ohio
NHL Blue Jackets
(Also home to MLS Crew)
CSA: 2.65 Million

5. Raleigh, North Carolina
NHL Hurricanes
CSA: 2.37 Million

6. Jacksonville, Florida
NFL Jaguars
CSA: 1.85 Million

7. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
NBA Thunder
CSA: 1.55 Million

8. Memphis, Tennessee
NBA Grizzlies
CSA: 1.55 Million

Cities with only a Major League Soccer Team

1. Austin, Texas
MSA: 2.47 Million

Jazz/NHL Area Plan is Fluid

2024-03-04T23:50:00.000-07:00

After reading this article form Building Salt Lake, who have talked to people familiar with the negotiations have come up with a description of the plan. Let me emphasize, this is fluid, and we are still early in the process. I would not expect things to begin to solidify until after the summer is over. There are a lot of stake holders in the area affected, but the main player are: Smith Entertainment Group who own the Utah Jazz and the current Delta Center, Salt Lake County, who owns the Salt Palace Convention Center, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City and Utah Symphony/Utah Opera.

At the site of the current Delta Center

A. Extension to the Salt Palace Convention Center
B. Possibly a location for a new Symphony Hall and/or opera house. About 300% larger than the footprint of the current hall.
C. Bridge over 300 W.

At the block east of the current Delta Center
D. New Multi-Story Convention Center Wing
E. Revitalized and enlarged Japanese Garden
F. Bridge over 200 W. (Largely unchanged)

At the next block east,

G. The site of the new sports arena. Likely, there will be some convention center facilities here to connect the south portion and the west portion.
H. 100 South between West Temple and 200 West restored.

I. A connection from the Salt Palace South Convention Center to the sports arena.
K. Promenade over West Temple from The City Creek Center. This is the view from the rendering shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Ryan Smith. In that X post, the building to the left of the promenade is the Marriott Hotel. The Building to the Right is Nordstom. (Or a new building to replace Nordstrom.) This could be built over the garage, ballroom and lobby area of the hotel. This could also be a redesign of the entire west portion of City Creek Center.
L. Site of Marriot Hotel downtown. One of 4 Marriott's in Salt Lake City. 3 are downtown, the other is in the University of Utah Research Park. This one is the oldest. Was built in the late '70s.

The block to the south

J. The exhibit halls at the South End of the Salt Palace remain.

You have been told that the project was to give Ryan Smith a shiny new home. That is only part of the truth. The purpose of the project is to revitalize the downtown area of Salt Lake City and keep it fresh. This concept is a little over 50 acres. Here are the problems that downtown is having at the moment that this project is meant to solve.

1. The Delta Center is a good basketball arena. It could host the Jazz for another 10 years or even longer. But it does not convert to hockey or other sports well. The acoustics are terrible. Musicians who perform there complain. Fans complain. Anyone who is there for a purpose other than basketball complains.

2. The Salt Palace is undersized compared to other cities.. It is less than half the size of Denver Convention Center and a fifth the size of the Las Vegas Convention Center. It is smaller than Phoenix, Portland and Seattle.

3. The City Creek Center and Gateway Plaza have become victims of the retail apocalypses. The gateway has seen more store closures than City Creek by far.

4. From the musicians perspective, Abravanel Hall is a little too dead. It is clearly built for the audience, with can make playing in an ensemble a little difficult. Here is an article on what the hall is like for a musician. Perhaps something better is in order. From the audience perspective, its a great place to catch a concert. As an audience member I see no reason to replace it. But I would love a place that could attract more world-class musicians. I'm not saying musicians hate it. I don't know of one that does. But I get the impression, they don't love it either. This could end up as the more controversial part of the plan.

Again, this situation is fluid. I feel that the Symphony will be cast as the victim. I can see that side of the story. They will need a temporary place to rehearse and play, while the Jazz and the NHL will get to remain in the Delta Center. I have played in a couple of community orchestras myself and understand the problem. I know what it is like to be shifted from one rehearsal hall to another. There are four theaters in the vicinity of Temple Square that can be used for concert halls. But can they practice there? You can use the Eccles Theater and Rose Wagner Theater as well, but not to interfere with other events at these locations. But they will need a permanent place to rehearse. From an arts perspective, it would be nice to have a dedicated Opera House. It would also be a great place for non-opera events.

Overall benefits of this plan:

1. Traffic flow downtown will improve with 100 South being open all the way through
2. A larger convention center with the ability to host multiple conventions
3. More events downtown. Every single Friday and Saturday night should have something happening, even during the summer.
4. A more balanced symphonic experience. One where both the musicians and the audience have a pleasant event.

The Rendering is In...and I wasn't that far off

2024-02-27T20:52:00.000-07:00

The rendering is in, and this is it...

But we are left to guess what the plan will be. This is my guess, and this looks like a Billion Dollar project.

Below is my guess on what the plan is...

Phase 1: September 2024 to September 2027

-Close the parking lot, begin construction on the arena.
-Take steps to protect Japan-town, the Japanese garden and the Japanese Church of Christ
-Close and demolish the Radisson Hotel
-Close and demolish the Fidelity field office
-Close and demolish the west wing of the Salt Palace (West of 200 W.) while preserving the rest of the facility
-Begin construction on the south plaza and the pedestrian bridge

Phase 2: Late 2034-and beyond

-Close and demolish the original Delta Center
-Build a tunnel under or bridge over 300 West
-Build a

The Plan for an NHL Hockey Arena in Utah

2024-02-26T23:07:00.001-07:00

The day has come, the Jazz days in the Delta Center are numbered, We'll see the Jazz at 100 South John Stockton drive for a few more years. But those days will end. Probably soon. The desire to keep the Jazz downtown instead of moving them to Draper have come to a head. Ryan Smith floated something about building a NHL arena at the old prison site, rumors floated that the Jazz would go with them. Mayor Erin Mendenhall said, "we ain't gonna have none of that." And suddenly, the state will allocate 1 billion taxpayer dollars to build a new arena downtown.

What is wrong with the Delta Center? Well, two things. First, its old. It is the 3rd oldest in use in the NBA behind Madison Square Garden and the Target Center in Minneapolis. The second reason is that the Delta Center is a basketball first arena that doesn't convert well to other events. For Hockey, the sightlines are not good, especially in the upper bowl. With the current configuration, about 4,000 seats are lost when converting from basketball to hockey. For concerts, the acoustics are terrible. Some acts, like the Eagles, figure it out, others do not.

The NHL appears destined to have a Salt Lake City franchise sooner or later. Sooner, if the Arizona Coyotes can't work out their arena issues. Later if they do. It will happen, but they could play in Draper as Ryan Smith could build a new arena at the old prison site without state help. The bill working its way through the legislature is not really about keeping the Jazz in Utah or attracting an NHL team to the Wasatch front. It's about keeping the Jazz downtown. Many in the state feel that this is where they belong.

One might ask, how does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints feel about the issue. As you now, right now the Salt Lake Temple and Temple square are in year 5 of a 7-year refurbishment. They have said publicly on many occasions, that it is important to them that the area around the temple is clean and presentable. Sure, Temple Square should be a shelter from the outside world, but the world near the temple should be, for lack of a better term, worthy. They spent a lot of money to turn Crossroads Mall and the ZCMI center into the City Creek Center. They would probably support a move to refurbish other areas downtown. That parking lot kitty-corner to the current arena, they own that. They would likely sell it to improve the area.

Should you have NBA Basketball and NHL Hockey in the same venue? If you have basketball and hockey in the same arena, it needs to be done right. If you build the arena to favor one sport, it tends to lessen the experience for the other. There are some arenas, however, that do both right. Madison Square Garden in New York, the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and The American Airlines Center in Dallas are the only ones that appear in rankings near the top half for basketball and hockey. The TD Garden in Boston and the Scotia Bank arena in Toronto are considered good basketball arenas, but so-so hockey venues. Little Caesar's Arena in Detroit and Washington's Capital One arena are good Hockey venues that don't do basketball well. While Denver's Ball Arena doesn't do either well.

Not every city that has both NBA Basketball and NHL Hockey play in the same arena. Having two arenas can be a good, albeit more expensive option. I can't find, however, where the two arenas are within blocks of each other. Usually, they are miles apart. The Timberwolves play in downtown Minneapolis, the Wild play in downtown St. Paul. There are none that are even in the same city. You could keep the Jazz downtown and allow Hockey to build in Draper. I would support it as long as Ryan Smith does not ask for help with both. We will only build one venue for you, man.

About the tax question. They plan to increase the sales tax in Salt Lake City by .5%. If you pay $10 for you hamburger, it will cost you an extra nickel to see the Jazz stay downtown. It that too high of a price to pay? Well, for some, any price is too high a price to pay. It will likely be signed by the Governor and passed by the Salt Lake City council. However, there are questions about what it could mean for neighborhoods like Poplar Grove. Which would also be my concern. (I will not address that in this blog post, but it is coming.)

What happens to the current Delta Center? It will likely remain in tact until after the 2034 Olympics, should Salt Lake be chosen. What happens afterwards depends on what option for the new arena is chosen. There is one options where what we know right now could go sooner, but I will discuss that below. That does not mean it will meet the wrecking ball, per se, but it appears that come 2035, that portion of the Salt Lake Skyline will be gone.

Here are some options that are being considered for the multi-billion dollar project. This my ranking from worst to best.

Option 3: Wreck the west wing of the Salt Palace Convention center for the new arena. This could be take some architectural gymnastics as you need to leave Japanstreet in tact. Out of the 10 acre block, you would only have 7 acres or so to work with. It could be done, I think the current arena has a footprint of only 7 acres, while the other three acres are used for statues and other things.

But I think that this block, instead, could be used a a junction between the Convention part of the Salt Place and the entertainment part. Perhaps a smaller, around 8,000 seat theater could be put here for smaller concerts, graduations, devotionals, etc. Rather than just one hotel on this block, perhaps two or three. I'm thinking of something similar to McCormick Place in Chicago would work here. I don't think this is a viable option to build an arena here.

Option 2: Rebuild the Delta Center on the same site.

I thought this wouldn't be an option if the Coyotes are moved here, but using the Maverick Center in West Valley would be needed whether or not Arizona comes here. When I say rebuild, I think of something like the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. This would leave the outside pretty much as it is, but to redo the configuration on the inside. This would probably lead to a lot of dust, but the end result could be awesome.

In order for this to happen, the Jazz would need to move to temporary quarters for 2-3 years. Of course, the Huntsman Center would be the obvious choice, but it may not be viable. The Maverick Center could also work, but it is about half the size. Other options would be a little way out of the city. Like Ogden or Orem. These are not really good options. This option is possible, but not as realistic.

Option 1: Build the new arena in the parking lot kitty-corner to the current.

This is the better option. You have 10 acres to deal with. While the Delta Center was good for the early 90s, but this time, they would need to make better use of the lot. Perhaps one corner could have a hotel, bar, restaurant, etc that is always open. There seems to be one corner of the current arena lot that isn't used, even during games.

I have confirmed that the land the parking lot is on is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was part of the Triad Center deal. Outside of arena events and General conference, it isn't use a lot. Even less since the COVID-19 pandemic. There are plenty of other parking lots within the UTA Free Fare Zone Plus, a ticket on Trax is usually less than parking. This lot could be sacrificed.

After the 2034 Winter Games, the current Delta Center could then become Church property for the expansion of Ensign College, or whatever is needed at the time. It could also be sold to Salt Lake City to be a Salt Palace expansion, or serve as a hotel/convention extension similar to what the Hyatt Regency does at the other end.

Finally, I think that the NBA and NHL should share an arena. The NBA only plays 41 home games a year. Yes, there are concerts, Disney on Ice and other events there, but that might add another 20 nights of events in the City. The NHL would bring downtown another 41 home games. You can run a bar or restaurant when you have big crowds for only 60 nights a year. That is only 16 percent of the time. You have to have business on other nights as well. If the NHL and the Jazz share the arena, you push a busy downtown to over 100 nights per year. Plus, some of the big concert tours passing up SLC may come here. Now you are talking business. It makes sense to do it this way.

You also have to not have an arena by itself, you need to build hotels, provide spaces for restaurants, bars and other things that fans of the game will want to do before and after the game. It all needs to be within walking distance, or staggering distance if you have had one too many. Although I am not normally one to use taxpayer funds to finance a billionaires dream, this could help keep downtown vital. If not done, Draper will get the fun.

Arenas that host both the NBA and NHL:

Considered good for both sports:
1. Madison Square Garden: New York Knicks and New York Rangers
2. Crypto.com Arena: Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers (Until 2024-'25) season and Los Angeles Kings
3. American Airlines Center: Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Star

Considered good basketball arenas but not good hockey arenas:

1. United Center: Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks
2. TD Garden: Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins
3. Scotia Bank Arena: Toronto Raptors and Toronto Maple Leafs

Considered good hockey arenas but lesser for basketball:

1. Capitol One Arena: Washington Wizards and Washington Capitols
2. Little Caesar's Arena: Detroit Pistons and Detroit Red Wings

Multi-purpose arenas that are not considered good for either basketball or hockey

1. Ball Arena: Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche
2. Wells Fargo Center: Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers
(Note: Replacement in the planning stages.)

Cities that have both an NBA and NHL franchise, but they do not share a venue

1. Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota (Timberwolves play at Target Center in Minneapolis, Wild play at the XCel Energy Center in St. Paul)
2. Phoenix, Arizona (Suns play at the Talking Stick Arena in Phoenix, Coyotes play at the Mullet Arena in Tempe)
3. Miami, Florida (Heat play at Kaseya Center in Miami, Panthers play at Amarant Bank arena in Fort Lauderdale.)
4. Long Island, New York (Brooklyn Nets play at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, New York Islanders play at the UBS Arena in Elmont)
5. San Francisco/San Jose, California (Golden State Warriors play at the Chase Center in San Francisco, San Jose Sharks play at the SAP Center in San Jose)

Potential NBA Expansion Cities and their plans

Likely Expansion cities
1. The New Seattle Supersonics plan to share Climate Pledge Arena with the Kraken
2. The not yet named Las Vegas Expansion team will build their own arena but may share T-Mobile arena with the Golden Knights or the Thomas and Mack Center with UNLV to start out with

Potential NHL Expansion Cities and their plans

1. Salt Lake City: Will share the Delta Center with the Jazz temporarily. Will likely share a new, permanent arena in the future.
2. Houston: Plan to share the Toyota Center with the Rockets
3. Atlanta: Plan to build a new arena in Suburban Atlanta and will not share State Farm Arena with the Hawks
4. Quebec City: Does not have an NBA franchise

Others:

1. 2nd Toronto Franchise: Unsure about plans
2. Portland: Would likely share the Moda Center with the Trail Blazers.
3. Cincinnati: Would need a new arena.
4. Omaha: Would need a new arena.

We want the A's in Utah, but I have conditions

2024-02-07T23:39:00.002-07:00

These billboards have appeared all over the Salt Lake Valley, and everywhere between Nephi and Tremonton. (And between Coalville and Grantsville). I want to clarify my feelings on this. These opinions are my own.

If the A's stop in Salt Lake for 3 seasons while waiting for a permanent home in Las Vegas as a tryout to see if we can support a permanent team. I am supportive of that. For the last 10 years, I have been an advocate for the homeless. I would be a hypocrite if I said otherwise. But what I am not supportive of is a John Fisher team making Utah a permanent home should the efforts to move to Las Vegas fail.

We have a group here in Utah that knows something about how to run a Major League Franchise, the Miller Family. They had the Utah Jazz for 36 years. This team missed the playoff 8 times. That is 78% of the time, they were in the post-season. They made the NBA finals twice. The team kept two future Hall of Fame players, two Olympians, on the team for most, if not all of their careers. Until sometime in the first decade of the 21st Century, the Utah Jazz played in the smallest media market in all of North American Sports outside of Green Bay. Sometime between the dot com crash, the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and the Housing Crash, Utah began to pass the other small markets, and is now approaching 3 million. There are many reason why the National Hockey league is considering Salt Lake City for expansion.

But there is one warning for John Fisher if the A's end up here on a permanent basis. You have to try to win. If you aren't going to do that, then sell. You will here the same refrain in Utah that you heard in Oakland, and are beginning to hear in Las Vegas. Try harder to win.

Comprehensive List of Suggested Nicknames for the Utah NHL team

2024-02-01T07:31:00.003-07:00

The National Hockey League may come to Utah as soon as the 2024-25 season. But it will be soon. I have perused the internet and social media and found what other people said should be names for the Salt Lake hockey team. I will update this as I find others. Here is the list.

Former/current Hockey Team Names in Utah:

Salt Lake Golden Eagles
Salt Lake/Utah Grizzlies

Native American Words:

Utah Kwana (Ute word for Eagle)
Utah Quchu (Shoshoni word for Bison)

Animals:

Salt Lake Scorpions (There are scorpions in Northern Utah. This is my choice.)
Salt Lake Bison
Salt Lake Sidewinders
Utah Hawks
Utah Bighorn
Utah Yellow Jackets
Utah Hornets
Utah Mustangs (Either the horse or the airplane)
Salt Lake Sockeye (Alliteration, but sockeyes don’t make it to Utah. Rainbow Trout are Steelheads that never make it to saltwater. Steelheads are taken by a hockey team in Boise)
Utah Cutthroat (Type of Trout, perhaps a little too violent, even for hockey.)
Utah Caribou (Not native to Utah, but works.)
Utah Elk
Salt Lake Stingers

People:

Utah Pioneers
Utah Copperheads (Copper miners, but could also be the snake)

Military:

Salt Lake Thunderbirds (After the Air Force Thunderbirds)
Utah Leathernecks (Nickname for Marines)
Utah Vipers (For the F-16, there are no reptile vipers in Utah. This is the one the wife likes.)
Utah Warthogs (A-10 Warthogs)
Utah Talons (T-39, the main training aircraft)

Other Myths:

Utah Yeti
Salt Lake Sasquatch

Dinosaurs:

Utah Raptors (There is a dino called the Utah Raptor)

Weather:

Utah Blizzard

If the school needs a new head coach...2024 Edition

2023-11-30T09:22:00.003-07:00

I have not written in the blog this year as frequently as I have in the past. I've had other priorities. My career took a tumble in 2019. I am almost back to the point where I was then. But this is one post I do every year. If each head coach were to be replaced, who would be the short list candidates. Well, this is my take.

Updated February, 2024.

BYU
Current Head Coach: Kalani Sitake
Why he might leave: BYU has had their second losing season under Kalani. He will be gone after a third. Why take the chance?

Short list of potential replacements:
NC State Offensive Coordinator: Robert Anae
San Jose State Head Coach: Ken Niumatalolo
Defensive Coordinator: Jay Hill
Offensive Coordinator: Aaron Roderick
Southern Utah Head Coach (Former SVU Head Coach): DeLane Fitzgerald
Utah Tech Head Coach: Lance Anderson
Snow College Football Caoch: Zac Erekson

Utah
Current Head Coach: Kyle Whittingham
Why he might leave: Time to Retire, head coach in waiting may not wait longer.

Short list of potential replacements
Defensive Coordinator: Morgan Scalley
(And that is the list)
JK
If Scalley isn't the guy...there are others
BYU Defensive Coordinator: Jay Hill
Utah State Head Coach: Blake Anderson
Utah Tech Head Coach: Lance Anderson
Montana State Head Coach: Brent Vigen
Weber State Head Coach: Mickey Mental
Montana Head Coach: Bobby Hauck

Utah State
Current Head Coach: Blake Anderson
Why he might leave: There are other jobs that pay more, a lot more

Short list of potential replacements

Montana Head Coach: Bobby Hauck
Montana State Head Coach: Brent Vigen
Southern Utah Head Coach (Former SVU Head Coach): DeLane Fitzgerald
Former Interim Head Coach (Now at Washington State): Frank Maile
Utah Tech Head Coach: Lance Anderson

As Weber State and Southern Utah both had first-year head coaches and Utah Tech is looking for a replacement for Paul Peterson, I will not include them on this year's list

Utah Valley
If they start football, who would be their first coach

New Mexico Head Coach: Bronco Mendenhall
Former Utah State Head Coach: Gary Anderson
NC State Offensive Coordinator: Robert Anae

Week 5 of College Football

2023-10-01T12:35:00.004-06:00

Every year, my son and I attempt to attend a home game for every Division 1 school in Utah. We made it to Provo on Friday and our next game will likely be in Logan.

We saw BYU's line get blown up on both sides of the football, yet come away with a win because they took care of the ball and Cincy did not. BYU won by 8, scoring 14 points on turnovers. The week before that, they gave up 21 points and lost by 11 at Kansas. That is the theme of the week.

Weber State won in Greeley against the former BYU Special Teams Coordinator Ed Lamb and the Northern Colorado Bears with a pick 6 in the final minutes.

In Corvallis, both Utah and Oregon State threw an INT. However, the Beavers capitalized on Utah's mistake, where the Utes did not.

Only the USU Aggies overcame their mistakes in getting the win in Connecticut.

Take care of the ball. Doing so usually results in wins. Not doing so usually results in losses.

Also of note: BYU's 4-1 feels different that Utah's 4-1

Projected Wins

BYU
Current Record: 4-1
Worst Case Scenario: 6-6
Best Case Scenario: 9-3
Most Likely: 8-4
Projected Wins: Iowa State, Oklahoma State
Projected Losses: West Virginia, Texas, Oklahoma
Toss Up: TCU, Texas Tech
Toughest Remaining game: At Texas
Trap game: Iowa State
Projected Bowl: Guaranteed Rate (Chase Field, Phoenix) vs. Purdue

Note: Take care of the football and they will pick up one or more of those unexpected wins.

Utah

Current Record: 4-1
Worst Case Scenario: 6-6
Best Case Scenario: 11-1
Most Likely: 8-4
Projected Wins: California, Arizona State
Projected Losses: Washington, USC, Oregon
Toss Up: Arizona, Colorado
Toughest Remaining Game: At Washington
Trap Game: Arizona State
Projected Bowl: LA Bowl (SoFi Field, LA) vs. Air Force

Note: With Cam Rising back, Utah could win out.

Utah State
Current Record: 2-3
Worst Case Scenario: 4-8
Best Case Scenario: 6-6
Most Likely Scenario: 5-7
Projected Wins: Nevada, New Mexico
Projected Losses: Fresno State, San Jose State
Toss Up: Colorado State, San Diego State, Boise State
Toughest Remaining Game: Fresno State
Trap Game: Colorado State
Projected Bowl: None

Note: The Aggies may not finish above .500 this year but the future looks good through 2026 provided Cooper Legas stays healthy, does not transfer and does not leave for the NFL early.

Weber State
Current Record: 3-2
Worst Case Scenario: 6-5
Best Case Scenario: 9-2
Most Like Scenario: 8-3
Projected Wins: Idaho State, Cal Poly, Northern Arizona
Projected Loss: Idaho
Toss Up: Eastern Washington

Notes: They are fortunate to have their bye week before playing at home against Idaho. I don't think they make the post season with the blowout loss to Montana State unless they win out.

Southern Utah
Current Record: 1-4
Worst Case Scenario: 3-8
Best Case Scenario: 6-5
Most Likely Scenario: 3-8
Projected Wins: Abilene Christian, Lincoln
Projected Losses: Stephen F. Austin
Toss Up: Tarleton State, Austin Peay, Utah Tech

Notes: SUU can still have a winning season if they shake off recent losses and be the team that played so well against Arizona State and BYU.

Utah Tech
Current Record: 1-4
Worst Case Scenario: 1-10
Best Case Scenario: 3-8
Most Likely Scenario: 2-9
Projected Wins: North Alabama
Projected Losses: Stephen F. Austin, Abilene Christian, Austin Peay
Toss Up: Eastern Kentucky, Southern Utah

Note: Rome wasn't built in a day. It will be a few years yet before UT is competitive. In the meantime, hit the transfer portal hard.

Controversial note on realignment. Weber State and Utah Valley, if the Wolverines add football, are better options for FBS football than Southern Utah and Utah Tech.

College Football '23 Big 12 Cliché Reactions

2023-09-04T12:49:00.000-06:00

I decided a new take on my college football blog this season, an overdramatic, overreaction post.

Big 12:

We played well. I'm proud of my boys!
West Virginia

OMG, how can you lose to a team like Texas State/Colorado/Wyoming? How does Dave Aranda/Sonny Dykes/Joey McGuire still have a freaking job?
Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech

A win is a win
BYU, Houston

Yea, we beat an FCS School! (slow clapping)
Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State

Wow! We are going to win the conference championship and go to the playoff.
Central Florida, Cincinnati, Oklahoma, Texas

The Real Prospects for the Remaining PAC-4 members

2023-08-10T07:33:00.000-06:00

California:

Strengths, academics, history and market size. There are nine schools that have won a National Championship in both football and basketball. (Princeton is another and they are now FCS, if that counts for anything.) It has been years since Cal has been feared in any sport.

In Basketball, the Bears won it all in 1959, but have only 19 Big Dance appearances. 1959 was also the last time Cal was in the Rose Bowl. Their first Rose Bowl, on New Years Day in 1920, capped an undefeated season and their first of 3 National Championships. Their potential fourth after the 1937 season is disputed, the NCAA officially recognized Pittsburgh as the National Champion that year. They were recognized as the national champion in 1920, 1921, 1922. Six times their bowl appearances were attendance records. The last time they set an attendance record was when Marshawn Lynch ran all over BYU in the 2007 Las Vegas Bowl. In Football they have been anything but terrible. Overall, they have 19 bowl appearances. California has the most impressive sports resume of the PAC-4 However, sports is not the top priority in Berkeley and never has been. It's always been about academics in Berkeley.

They still have hope at either an ACC or Big 10 invite. The ACC seems most likely. If that fails, the AAC or the MWC will likely invite them. If the ACC invites Cal only for football, the likely landing spot for the rest of their sports in the Big West Conference, where they would be a perfect fit.

Odds:
Big 10: 0%
ACC: 50% (Most Likely Destination)
Note: Also a possibility is ACC for football only, with the other sports in the Big West
Mountain West/American: 30%
Independent Football/Big West:15%
Drop Football/Big West: 5%
FCS: 0%

Men's NCAA appearances: 19
Deepest Run: NCAA Champion 1959
Bowl Games: 19
Bowl Record 15.14.1
New Year's Day Bowl Record: 2-5-1: Rose 1921-W, 1922-T, 1929-L, 1938-W, 1949-L, 1950-L, 1951-L, 1959-L
Best Football Season: 1920: 8-0, Conference Champion, Rose Bowl Champion, National Champion.
Best Basketball Season: 1959 15-4, NCAA Champion.

Stanford:

Strengths: Academics, market and tradition. Stanford won it all in 1942 where much of the competition was fighting a war. They made the final four in 1988. They have 17 tournament appearances. Their last being in 2014. They last played in the Rose Bowl in defeating Iowa. They have 30 total bowl game appearances. They haven't been bowling since 2018.

They are more likely than any other to remain in a Power-5 conference. Like Cal, they still hold hope for a Big 10 or ACC invite. Out of the PAC-4, they are most likely to succeed as an independent. I do not know if they will chose that route considering they only have one year to put together a schedule. They would be a strong competitor in the Mountain West. If the ACC invite is for football only, the most likely destination for their other sports is the West Coast Conference, as WCC is all private schools, like Stanford. The Big West is all public and all in California.

Big 10: <1%
ACC: 50% (Most Likely Destination)
Also a possibility is the ACC for Football Only with other sports in the WCC.
Mountain West/American:25%
Independent/WCC: 15%
Drop Football/WCC: 5%
FCS: 4%

Men's NCAA appearances: 17
Deepest Run: Final four 1988
Bowl Games: 30
Bowl Record 12-11-1
New Year's Day Bowl Record: 9-7-1: Rose 1902-L, Rose 1925-L, Rose 1927-T, Rose 1928-W, Rose 1935-L, Rose 1936-W, Rose 1941-W, Rose 1952-L, Rose 1971-W, Rose 1972-W, Rose 2000-L, Orange 2011-W, Fiesta 2012-L, Rose 2013-W, Rose 2014-L, Rose 2016-W
Best Football Season: 2010: 12-1, Orange Bowl Champion
Heisman Trophy Winner: Jim Plunket, QB, 1970

Oregon State:

Strengths: The only real strength is their proximity to Portland and the location in the Willamette Valley. They have been the little brother to Oregon for a long time. They had 19 NCAA appearances, but 3 have been vacated. But they made the Elite 8 in 2021 before bowing out to Houston. They were in the Final Four in 1963. They have appeared in 19 Bowl games, with their last Rose Bowl appearance in 1965. Last season was impressive, where they went 9-3 in the regular season before crushing Florida in the Las Vegas Bowl 30-3.

Because they don't have an impressive post-season history, they may have to settle for the Mountain West and prove themselves to Power-5 to get back. If they go independent, their other sports will likely park themselves in the Big Sky Conference or WAC. If the ACC invites OSU for football only, the likely landing spot for the other sports would be either the Big Sky Conference or the WAC.

Big 10/ACC/Big 12: 20%
Mountain West: 70% (Most Likely Destination)
Independent/Big Sky or WAC for non-football: 10%

Men's NCAA appearances: 19
Deepest Run: Final Four, 1963
Bowl Games: 19
Bowl Record 12-11-1
New Year's Day Bowl Record: 2-2: Rose 1942-W, Rose 1957-L, Rose 1965-L, Fiesta 2001-W
Best Football Season: 2000: 12-1, Conference Co-Champion, Fiesta Bowl Champion

Washington State

Out of the PAC-4, Washington state has the weakest resume, athletically. They don't have many real strengths. They don't have the academic prowess the other schools have. Men's basketball has appeared in the NCAA tournament six times. Their football resume is more impressive, last appearing in the Rose Bowl in 2003, losing to Oklahoma in the BCS semis. They have 18 bowl appearances, which is the fewest of the four. The bigger issue with Washington State is their market. Pullman is a city of about 35,000. The only economic driver in their community is the university. They are 75 miles from a city of any size (Spokane) and really can't claim they are part of any large metro, but they try to. Although their airport has direct flights. Which means that travel isn't all that difficult. They would be the smallest city in any conference they were to join, unless they drop down to the NAIA. Their alumni are everywhere, especially in the west and their fans are passionate. But that will not be enough to keep them in the Power 5 or even in the FBS. If the ACC extends an invite for football only, I can't imagine their other sports going anywhere but the Big Sky Conference. Idaho, Eastern Washington, Portland State and Montana are all relatively close.

Big 10/ACC/Big 12: <1%
Mountain West: 50% (Most Likely Destination)
Independence/Big Sky or WAC for non-football 25%
Big Sky for all sports: 24%

Men's NCAA appearances: 6
Deepest Run: Lost in the 1941 championship game
Bowl Games: 19
Bowl Record: 9-10
New Year's Day Bowl Record: 1-3: Rose W: 1916, L: 1931, L: 1998, L:2003
Best Football Season: 2003: 10-3, Rose Bowl (BCS Semi-Final) Loss.

In conclusion, it is not a slam dunk that all four schools will join the Mountain West. The concerns about Stanford and Cal joining the ACC are likely over travel. They have history and a large media market on their side. There are legitimate concerns about adding Washington State to any FBS conference, even the Mountain West. Oregon State to the Mountain West seems most likely to happen.

Proposed MW-PAC merger. The PAC-16

2023-08-06T16:52:00.003-06:00

Here are the market sizes of the Remaining PAC-12/Mountain West schools. This is according to the US Census Bureau. Numbers are 2023 Census estimates.

1-3. California/Stanford/San Jose State--San Francisco Bay CSA. 9,714,000
4. San Diego State--San Diego/Chula Vista/Carlsbad MSA. 3,298,000
5. Oregon State--Portland/Vancouver/Salem CSA 3,280,000
6. UNLV--Las Vegas/Henderson CSA. 2,317,000
7. Fresno State--Fresno/Madera/Hanford CSA. 1,317,000
8. New Mexico--Albuquerque/Santa Fe/Las Vegas CSA. 1,162,000
9. Hawaii--Urban Honolulu MSA 1,016,000
10. Boise State--Boise/Mountain Home/Ontario CSA 850,000
11. Air Force--Colorado Springs MSA 755,000
12. Nevada--Reno/Carson City/Fernley CSA 657,000
13. Colorado State--Fort Collins/Loveland MSA 366,000
14. Utah State--Logan/Preston MSA 147,000
15. Wyoming--Laramie, Albany County 39,000
16. Washington State--Pullman 34,500

According to the Census Bureau:

Pullman is not part of the Spokane Metro.
Fort Collins and Colorado Springs are not part of the Denver Metro
Laramie is not part of the Cheyenne Metro.
Logan is not part of the Salt Lake City Metro.
But Corvallis is part of the Portland Metro.

PAC-12 Bowls

NY6-Bowl (Rose Bowl)
Sun Bowl
Alamo Bowl
Holiday Bowl
Las Vegas Bowl
Independence Bowl
LA Bowl

MWC Bowls

LA Bowl
New Mexico Bowl
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Hawaii Bowl (Hawaii if bowl eligible)
Arizona Bowl

Update: Bowl tie-ins are year-to-year negotiable. Consider the old PAC-12 bowl structure gone after the 2023-24 season.

No, Virginia, the PAC-12 (PAC-X) is not dead.

2023-07-31T06:59:00.003-06:00

A couple of months ago when it appeared that the four-corners schools were considering dumping the PAC-12, it was believed that if only Colorado left, the conference would survive. I see no reason to doubt that. I think that the conference will survive. It is not as strong as the Big 12 or the other four power conferences, but it is not as weak as the Mountain West or American Conferences. Washington, Oregon, Utah and Arizona State will be the leaders of the conference going forward. That is not a bad place to be even if they lose Arizona. The other four schools are the ones they need to keep.

One must remember that doom and gloom of any sort are what sell papers, or in the 2023 vernacular, drive people to your website. I can be a little more level headed as I do not rely on this blog for my living or even for my side hustle. I am going to try and give an honest answer about going forward.

As I have mentioned in a prior blog, you don't replace the 2nd largest media market. Losing USC and UCLA hurts bad. But Colorado is replaceable. There is no need for panic in PAC-land.

That being said; dragging their feet on a media deal, and trying to push for money that isn't there is the biggest issue for the conference and its schools. If the PAC-12 is indecisive, fan bases and supporters will grow impatient and that will cause schools to leave. That is the biggest issue the PAC-12, or now -9, faces. They have been too greedy. I'm not suggesting the conference settle for less than they deserve. But trying to get close to what they would have gotten had USC and UCLA remained could leave them with nothing.

As far as expansion goes, there is now a new top school. Colorado State. Adding the Rams will keep a presence on the Front Range, with access to Front Range money and the Front Range recruiting base. But going to 16 and having a pseudo-merge with the Mountain West could water-down the brand too much. San Diego State is a good add. SMU is a good add. But don't go crazy. Be you, get what you can get, and learn to be happy with it. Win games, then the conference will survive and thrive and get the money for their schools that they deserve.

Four Schools who Could Add Football and Join the Mountain West Conference

2023-06-17T12:04:00.002-06:00

Unless the PAC-12 completely collapses, which does not seem imminent, it appears that the Mountain West will have a decision on who to add. Unless they add Sacramento State, UC Davis and Portland State, there will be some smaller markets to choose from. Here are some schools that do not have football but if added would make good additions. Two have played football and two have not. I am not advocating for any specific school, nor am I predicting success. If these schools add football, there would likely be some lean years before they find success. Full disclosure, I am an UN Omaha alum.

1. Long Beach State.

Metro: Los Angeles CSA
Population: ~13 Million
Undergraduate Students: ~34,000
Last Played Football: 1991
Why they stopped playing football: Financial shortfalls, California budget crisis, lack of success on the field and the death of coach George Allen.
Does their stadium still stand? Yes, they used to play near campus at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Long Beach, but that is now too small for FBS football. But seats could be added to the north, south and east to make the stadium large enough. The team could also play at Dignity Health Sports Park (home of the LA Galaxy) or at SoFi Stadium (unlikely), at least temporarily. At one time, LB State played at Anaheim Stadium (home of the Angels), both Dignity Health and SoFi Stadiums are closer to the LB State campus.

Biggest Rival in the MWC: San Jose State (Assuming Fresno State and SDSU leave.)

Even though they are in the same metro as UCLA and USC, there is plenty of room for 49er football to come back as a member of the Mountain West Conference. Their facilities for other sports are top notch. LA is a large enough market to support another FBS program.

2. Nebraska Omaha

Metro: Omaha, Nebraska
Population: Almost 1 Million (Similar in size to Fresno)
Undergraduate Students: ~12,000
Last Played Football: 1990
Why they stopped playing football: A compromise when the school wanted to move to Division I for men's hockey. Football and wrestling were stopped.
Does the stadium still stand? Yes, Al F. Caniglia field still exists, but some of the stands have been demolished. There is likely room to rebuild a new stadium of 15,000+. However, there is also likely some storefront somewhere near campus where a new stadium can be built and replace some blight. There may be room near the basketball/hockey arena for a modest stadium. It is possible, but unlikely that they would be able to share Morrison stadium with Creighton. But it is possible and more likely that they could use Werner Park, home of the Omaha Storm Chasers of the International League (AAA).

Biggest Rival in the MWC: Wyoming and/or Air Force

Would Omaha Football be in the Shadow of UN Lincoln? Yes and no. UN Omaha would likely be a good landing spot for prospective Cornhuskers who are not satisfied with lack of playing time or who are not able to walk on. It is unlikely that someone who is offered by both schools would chose Omaha. There could be some successful underclassmen at UN Omaha who would transfer to UN Lincoln. When UN Omaha had football, there was a similar relationship that BYU had with Rick's College. The loss of UN Omaha football could be part of the reason UN Lincoln isn't as successful as they used to be. UN Omaha athletes would not get the NIL money that UN Lincoln gets. Lincoln is 50 miles to the east.

Omaha and Eastern Nebraska have had enough growth to again visit the question of returning UNO to the gridiron. As a member of the MWC, there were be enough money to add a women's Title IX sport, like gymnastics or Women's Hockey.

3. Utah Valley

Metro: Salt Lake City CSA
Population: 2.7 Million
Undergraduate Students: 40,500
Last Played Football: Never
Why they have not played football. UVU has not been a four year college for very long, it became a four-year college in 1987. It has grown to the behemoth college it is today, with the largest undergraduate enrollment in Utah. There has been talk of starting a football program many times.

Where would they play? Likely at the soccer stadium, or a local high school at first, or at BYU. (Not at LaVell Edwards Stadium, but at what used to be Provo High School.) The school has some space at what used to be a steel mill a few miles up I-15 where a stadium would likely be built. The university has built a soccer complex on the site

Biggest Rival in the MWC: Utah State

Coming in as an FCS program first and joining the Big Sky Conference is likely cost prohibitive, but the MWC and UVU could be a good match. But being in the shadow of BYU would be a detriment until the population grows a little more.

4. Alaska Anchorage

Metro: Anchorage
Population: ~400,000 (Larger than Reno, smaller than Honolulu.)
Undergraduate Students: 18,000
Last played football: Never
Why they have not played football: As a Division II program, the cost of football is too high, when considering the travel costs to Anchorage. They will not start football until they can be a Division I school and the MWC.

Where they would play? The Sullivan Arena is used for the Great Alaska Shootout. There is a small stadium to the west. When Anchorage was trying to host the Olympics, the plan was to expand that stadium for opening and closing ceremonies. It wouldn't be difficult or very costly to expand that stadium to 20,000. However, the goal may be to get a place similar to the Fargodome and take weather out of the equation. But for an Alaskan, if you let the weather get you, you have to move back to the lower 48. A real Alaskan would make a Packers fan look like a wimp.

Biggest Rival in the MWC: Hawai'i

This is a longshot, but could end up as a hidden gem. Recruiters from other colleges rarely visit Alaska unless there is a generational talent. Many talented kids in Alaska simply don't get the chance to play college football. According to NFL.com, there have been 10 former and current players who have hailed from Alaska. A local college football program would motivate more high school kids from Alaska to seriously consider football and increase the number of Alaskans in the NFL.

Five Former NFL Head Coaches Who Belong in the NFL Hall of Fame

2023-04-02T16:15:00.002-06:00

5. Tom Coughlin

Jacksonville Jaguars 1995 to 2002
New York Giants 2004 to 2015

Credentials: 170 wins. .531 record. Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI Champion. Coached players such as Eli Manning, Mark Brunell, Toni Boselli, Tiki Barber, Jeremy Shockey, David Tyree and Jason Pierre-Paul. He took the Jaguars to the playoffs in their second season. Remember, this was an expansion team at the time. He went to the playoffs 9 times in 20 seasons while suffering 8 losing seasons. He also coached 3 seasons at Boston College, turning the program around and leading them to a #13 ranking before being named the first coach of the Jags.

Why not: After leaving the Giants, he went back to Jacksonville. During that time, the team continued some lackluster performance on the field and Coughlin was the target of a NFLPA grievance. It should also be pointed out that 3 of those 8 losing seasons where his last three with the Giants. Arguably, if Coughlin had retired right after his second Super Bowl, he'd be in the Hall. But that did not happen.

I only know of two other NFL head coaches who has won two Super Bowl Championships and is not in the NFL Hall of Fame. You will read about them down this list. Others like Bill Parcels, Tom Flores, Don Shula and Tom Landry are also in the Hall of Fame. There are coaches with weaker records in the Hall.

4. Marty Schottenheimer

Cleveland Browns 1984-1988
Kansas City Chiefs 1989-1998
Washington 2001
San Diego Chargers 2002-2006

Credentials: 200 wins. .613 record. Only two seasons in his career below .500. Coached players such as Bernie Kosar, Ozzie Newsome, Joe Montana, Marcus Allen (with the Chiefs), and Philip Rivers. His coaching tree includes Bill Cowher (Hall of Fame inductee), Tony Dungy (Hallo of Fame inductee), Mike McCarthy and Bruce Arians who have all won the Big game. His teams made it to the playoffs 13 out of the 21 season he coached. He had 2 seasons where his teams did not make it to .500. His regular season record is one of the best not in the Hall of Fame.

Why not: he never won a Super Bowl. In fact, he never coached in the game as a head coach nor as an assistant coach. He never played in the game as a player. Three times he made it to to conference championship game as a head coach, twice coaching the Cleveland Browns and once coaching the Kansas City Chiefs. The two games with the Browns were memorable games; for the Denver Broncos. While his one time in the AFC Championship Game with the Chiefs, his team was blown out by the Buffalo Bills. During he tenure in San Diego, he never won a single playoff game. If he even made it to the Big Game once, win or lose he likely would have worn a gold jacket in his lifetime. He won a championship with the Virginia Destroyers of the USFL in 2011.

In spite of the negatives, with his winning record, he deserve to be enshrined in Canton. Sadly, Coach Marty passed away from Alzheimer's Disease in 2021. He was diagnosed during his season coaching the Destroyers.

3. Mike Holmgren

Green Bay Packers 1992-1998
Seattle Seahawks 1999-2008

Credentials: 161 wins. .542 record. Super Bowl XXXI Champion with the Packers. He coached the Packers the following season, but lost in Super Bowl XXXII to the Denver Broncos. He also coached the Seattle Seahawks in their first Super Bowl appearance as a franchise in Super Bowl XL, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coached players such as Brett Favre, Desmond Howard, Reggie White and Matt Hassleback. His coaching tree includes Andy Reid and Jon Gruden. As an assistant coach, he coached Steve Young at both the college an pro levels. He was an offensive assistant for BYU's National Championship and the latter years of the 49er's dynasty. He coached 17 seasons, with 12 playoff appearances and 14 winning seasons.

Why not: After he left the Seahawks, he took an executive position with the Cleveland Browns. He was considered a quarterback whisperer. In his 3 seasons with the Brows he did not produce a winning season nor a regular starting quarterback. But that has happened a lot since the Browns returned. Today he is an analyst for the NFL's radio broadcasts on the Westwood One Network.

Come on, lots of head coaches don't make good executives. It's a poor excuse. Put Mike in the Hall.

2. George Seifert

San Francisco 49ers 1989 - 1996
Carolina Panthers 1999-2001

Credentials: 114 wins. .648 record. Super Bowl XXIV and XXIX champions. The long list of players he has coached include Montana, Young, Rice, Sanders, Waters, Lott, Haley, Dean and the list goes on. His coaching tree includes Mike Shanahan, Mike Holmgren, Ray Rhodes, Jon Gruden, Jeff Fisher, Gary Kubiak and Mike McCoy. Before he was chosen as the successor to Bill Walsh, he was the defensive coordinator for the 49ers. He was an important cog in the 49ers dynasty of the 80s and 90s. When he was the defensive coordinator, his defenses always finished in the top 10 in the league in scoring defense.

Why not: When Siefert left San Francisco, he had the highest percentage of any coach in history. His years in Charlotte were forgettable, including a 1-15 season in 2001. In San Francisco, many though he was riding on Bill Walsh's coattails and detractors will say that his record with the Panthers proves it. He also failed to provide a winning season when he coached Cornell in the 1970s.

He had a tremendous amount of on the field talent and gifted assistant coaches with the 49ers. He did not put any of that to waste and won a pair of Super Bowl Championships. He didn't have that in Carolina, a franchises which has not exactly been one of the NFL's best. Even though in that final season he could have drafted Drew Brees, he drafted instead Dan Morgan who became one of the future cornerstones of the franchise. This season also say the debut of Steve Smith and Kris Jenkins. I wouldn't exactly call the 2001 season a complete bust in spite of the record. The NFL should give him a gold jacket while he still lives. He is now 83 and they are running out of time.

1. Mike Shanahan

Los Angeles Raiders 1988 - 1989 (Both partial seasons)
Denver Broncos 1995 - 2008
Washington 2010 - 2013

Credentials: 170 wins. .522 record. Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII Champion. Coached players such as John Elway, Terrell Davis, Ed McCaffrey, Shannon Sharpe, Bill Romanowski, Steve Atwater, Jason Elam and Robert Griffin III. He was the coach that finally helped Elway get a ring. As an assistant with the 49ers, he coached Young and Rice and the offense that got the monkey off of Young's Back. His coaching tree includes Gary Kubiak and Sean McVey who have both won Super Bowl Championships. It also includes Air Force Coach Troy Calhoun, Kyle Shanahan, Jedd Fisch, Matt LaFleur and Mike McDaniel.

Why not: His record after the retirement of John Elway is good but not great. But it is not terrible. He coached Washington for four seasons, only making the playoffs once during those four seasons. But making the playoffs for a team owned by Daniel Snyder may have been almost as difficult as winning the Super Bowl with the Broncos. This only happened four times, twice by Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs, once by Shanahan and once by Ron Rivera. We will see what happens with new ownership in Washington, but hopefully, it will be better.

Of all the retired coaches, Shanahan is the one who should be in the Hall. His record is impeccable. His time with the Raiders shouldn't count against him as Al Davis didn't give him a fair shot. His time with Washington was as good as any under the ownership of Daniel Snyder. His time in Denver was great. He belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Largest US/Canadian Cities Without a Franchise/Smallest with in Sport-2023 edition

2023-03-05T21:58:00.003-07:00

No commentary or reading into things or speculation on this one. Just the facts.

National Football League

Largest Metro Areas without a franchise

1. Orlando
2. San Diego
3. Portland
4. St. Louis
5. Salt Lake City
6. Sacramento
7. San Antonio
8. Columbus
9. Austin
10. Raleigh

Smallest Metro Areas with a Franchise

1. Green Bay
2. Buffalo
3. New Orleans
4. Jacksonville
5. Nashville
6. Cincinnati
7. Las Vegas
8. Indianapolis
9. Kansas City
10. Pittsburgh

Major League Baseball

Largest Metro Areas without a Franchise

1. Orlando
2. Portland
3. Charlotte
4. Salt Lake City
5. Sacramento
6. San Antonio
7. Columbus
8. Indianapolis
9. Las Vegas
10. Austin

Smallest Metro Areas with a Franchise

1. Milwaukee
2. Cincinnati
3. Kansas City
4. Pittsburgh
5. St. Louis
6. Tampa
7. San Diego
8. Cleveland
9. Denver
10. Minneapolis

National Basketball Association

Largest Metro Areas Without a Franchise

1. Seattle
2. San Diego
3. Tampa
4. St. Louis
5. Pittsburgh
6. Columbus
7. Kansas City
8. Las Vegas
9. Cincinnati
10. Austin

Smallest Metro Areas With a Franchise

1. Memphis
2. New Orleans
3. Oklahoma City
4. Milwaukee
5. Indianapolis
6. San Antonio
7. Sacramento
8. Salt Lake City
9. Charlotte
10. Portland

National Hockey League

Largest Metro Areas Without a Franchise

1. Houston
2. Atlanta
3. Orlando
4. Cleveland
5. San Diego
6. Portland
7. Charlotte
8. Salt Lake City
9. Sacramento
10. San Antonio

Smallest Metro Areas With a Franchise

1. Winnipeg
2. Buffalo
3. Edmonton
4. Calgary
5. Ottawa
6. Nashville
7. Raleigh
8. Las Vegas
9. Columbus
10. Pittsburgh

Major League Soccer

Largest Metro Areas Without a Franchise

1. Detroit
2. Phoenix
3. Cleveland
4. San Diego
5. Tampa
6. Sacramento
7. Pittsburgh
8. San Antonio
9. Indianapolis
10. Las Vegas

Smallest Metro Areas With a Franchise

1. Nashville
2. Austin
3. Cincinnati
4. Kansas City
5. Columbus
6. Salt Lake City
7. Charlotte
8. St. Louis
9. Portland
10. Denver

Is the PAC-12 Finished?

2023-02-28T22:14:00.003-07:00

No. The PAC-12 is not finished. At least I don't think it is. But the ten remaining schools find themselves at a crossroads. While traditional cable may be on its way out, ESPN and other services are not going away, there are changes and uncertainty. All this comes as the PAC-12 loses its biggest loses its biggest market to the Big10.

But I believe that one big issue is the gap between wants and reality. I think we have all been there. Get laid off from a well-paying job and then you are forced to take a job with lower pay. To put in in Hollywood terms, you were going to film with Tom Hanks and Jennifer Lawrence. But now they have dropped out for other projects. The financial backers of the film are willing to move forward with Jeremy Renner and Melissa Rauch, but they don't want to front as much cash. The whole project is at danger of falling apart.

It should also be considered that those remaining in the PAC-12 at this time may not be as valuable to other conferences as USC and UCLA were to the Big 10. But it is really had to pick truth from fantasy. However, it appears that the ultimate goal is to pick apart the PAC-12, ACC and Big 12 until there are only two big conferences left. If that happens, is it really conferences who will suffer? Will it be fans? It will probably be the student athletes. Fewer conferences will eventually lead to fewer choices and fewer opportunities, especially for talented young men and women for whom a nearly free college education is a chance they will never otherwise have.

That is why I hope the PAC-12 survives in some form.

Las Vegas with All 5 Sports? That's Crazy Talk.

2023-02-24T23:59:00.003-07:00

The City and Metro Area of Las Vegas, Nevada. If sports folks on YouTube and other places are to be believed, it will soon be the home of all 5 major sports leagues. The problem is not the money to build. Las Vegas is torn down and rebuilt every couple of decades. The problem is the fans. Las Vegas is the 33rd largest metro or CSA in the United States.

The smallest CSA in the US with all five major sports is Denver. Denver has 3.6 million people compared with 2.3 million in Las Vegas. The Denver sports teams have had varying levels of success and support throughout the years, we can probably look to Denver to get an idea of how successful other teams will be in Las Vegas.

Comparing Apples to Apples

Football

In percentage of seats sold, the Denver Broncos were 14th in the league selling 99.8% of the seats available at Empower Field at Mile High. They averaged 75,980 out of a capacity of 76,125. The Broncos were 5-12 in 2022, last in the AFC west. When your team stinks, you have trouble selling tickets. Normally, the Broncos are at the top of the league, with SRO crowds being the norm. While the Raiders had better results, they did not sell as well. In percentage, the Raiders were 26th out of 32 in attendance as a percentage of seats sold. The average was 62,045 out of 65,000. Frankly, outside of the Washington Commanders, no NFL team is really struggling in attendance, but it is easier to get tickets to see the Raiders than it is to see Broncos, even if the Broncos play outside, in a cold weather city, and have a worse team.

The Broncos are Denver's team. They belong to the Front Range more than anyone else. They were the first big league team in town and were there a few years before the Nuggets, but a long time before the Rockies, Avalanche and Rapids. That's why they do well, even in cold weather.

Hockey

The Colorado Avalanche are the defending Stanley Cup Champions. But that defense is not going well. Hockey has parity. It is the most difficult sport to repeat as champions. The Avalanche are averaging 17,922 fans per game in an arena that hold 18,000. Not bad for a 4th place team. The Golden Knights are in first place in their division. They are averaging 17,985 in an arena that holds 17,637. This means that there are usually 250 or so fans in the arena without a seat. Not bad. But this is simple economics or is it. The Avalanche are competing with the Denver Nuggets who have the best record in the Western Conference and appear to be heading to the NBA finals for the first time in team history (and its a long history.) In terms of percentage the Nuggets are 13th in the league.

The difference between the Avalanche and the Knights? Not much in terms of attendance. The Knights are doing better. The Knights have the first team in town advantage. They were an expansion team. They have only belonged to Las Vegas. The Raiders moved to town and were Oakland's team. Generally, expansion teams do better than moved teams. Generally, the first team in town tends to own the city. These are probably two reasons why the Knights do better than the Avalanche at the gate. Las Vegas is a Hockey town because Hockey was there first.

How will the other sports do?

Baseball

I have concerns about the A's moving to Las Vegas. First of all, it is taking a long, long time to happen. If it happens, the A's still have two more seasons in Oakland. Then, coming to Vegas, the new stadium will not likely be ready. They will have to use either Cashman field or Las Vegas Ballpark for at least 1 season, with a lot of temporary seats added. The Aviators, the AAA team averaged just under 7,000 per game in a stadium with 10,000 seats. Las Vegas is in the middle of the Mojave Desert, which means the days and nights are hot and dry. In July, the days get above 100 and it rarely gets below 80 at night. This will make games, even after dark, uncomfortable.

The problem they will have if the A's move to Vegas is that it will still have the same owners and managers of a team that hasn't had a lot of success on the field since the Clinton Administration. One of the reasons they do so poorly on Oakland is the product on the field is less than great. Moving to Las Vegas will not suddenly produce a pennant winner. While a new stadium will likely see large crowds at first, if they fortunes of the team do no turn around, the crowds will stop coming.

My conclusion is that the A's will struggle in Las Vegas. If I were the A's, I would be looking no farther than Sacramento for a new home. If you have to put a MLB team in Vegas, the stadium needs to have a roof. The Colorado Rockies, even though they have not done well on the field, are in the top 10 in attendance year after year.

Basketball

The NBA will likely expand. Seattle should be at the top of the list. Many are guessing Las Vegas for the second team, as the NBA will likely expand by two. But Las Vegas isn't the only contender. San Diego, Anaheim, St. Louis, New Jersey, Tampa, Pittsburgh, Austin, Nashville, Kansas City, Louisville and Norfolk, Virginia are also contenders for a new NBA team. Seven of those cities (Anaheim, St. Louis, Tampa, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Nashville and Kansas City) already have an arena. Five of those have a larger population. A Las Vegas NBA team would likely play at T Mobile arena or the Thomas and Mack Center for a couple of seasons.

They main problem an NBA team would have is that the Golden Knights were there first, and they would be the main competition for tickets, especially if the Knights continue to do well and an NBA expansion team struggles on the court. The NBA is not like the NHL. The NBA does not have parity. Inertia is much harder to beat. LV would likely see years of draft picks come and go before they even make the playoffs. Strong attendance at first would likely drop off. No team in the NBA is really struggling at the gate, 5 teams are below 90% in attendance. The smaller market teams also struggle for success. The Milwaukee Bucks are the only small market team to win a championship in the last 45 years.

My conclusion is that the NBA will struggle in Las Vegas and may not even last long enough to get their own arena. I would consider a 3rd team in LA (Anaheim) as they have the population to support it. If you put a team in Vegas, share T-Mobile with the Knight without planning your own venue. That will guarantee no direct competition.

The Utah Jazz are now a team that succeeds at the gate even without the results on the court. If you can't win a championship, at least figure out how to get some players that are fun to watch.

Soccer

Major League Soccer is looking for a replacement for the pandemic-derailed expansion team that was going to be in Sacramento. San Diego and Las Vegas are the contenders. San Diego has a lot of advantages over Vegas, including Snapdragon Stadium, which is more intimate for soccer. They do not have an NFL team to compete against. A Vegas team would likely play at Allegiant Stadium. An NFL stadium has worked for two teams, the Seattle Sounders and Atlanta United. Both teams were successful on the field right away, which is possible in soccer. It must be said that playing in an NFL stadium has not really worked for the New England Revolution or the Chicago Fire, but the Revs have done better in recent years.

I would expect the MLS to do well in Vegas as the city has a very high Hispanic population. If San Diego is chosen, Vegas will probably be in the next round of expansion as the league pushes to 32 teams.

Even though it's been a few years since the team has been won a championship, Real Salt Lake still manages to get fans in the stadium.

How the Mountain West might expand

2023-02-18T10:17:00.003-07:00

With the PAC-12 looking for replacements for USC and UCLA, and possible further expansion of the Big 12, it appears that a decimation of the MWC is inevitable. I think the MWC will eventually lose 4 or 5 schools, but what ends up happening is still in process and changes every day.

I was a proponent of the Mountain West adding UTSA before the American did. That was two years ago. But, who listens. Now who is going to leave the American for the Mountain? Probably no one. Sometimes you pay the price when you are not proactive. Proactivity is not the MWC DNA, a trait they learned from the PAC-12. If it was, Boise State and Fresno State would have been added years before Utah, BYU and TCU left when everyone else was at 12 schools

I know some snarky commenter is going to say, the New Mountain West will include Stanford, California, Oregon State and Washington State after the PAC-12 collapses. That the MW will have nothing to fret about. I will eat a bag of kale chips if that happens. It probably won't. Someone will figure out how work it out.

I don't have access to the same analytics that the real MWC would have access to. I spent an entire home sick day figuring this out.

My analysis included the following: Market size, facilities, football, men's basketball, women's and Olympic sports, academic reputation based upon US News and World Report, and weather or not they play in the shadow of larger programs. I did not consider any college that resides in a city of less than 100,000. I was surprised by the final outcome. Here it is.

The Top 4 prospects for expansion

1. University of Texas at El Paso. Surprised? I'm not. UTEP is a natural fit for the MWC and arguably should have been included when the conference first formed. They have a history in Men's Basketball and Track and Field. It is tough to beat six national championships, which their track and field team boasts. The Front Range 4 of the Mountain West Conference (Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico and Wyoming) have rivalries with UTEP going back to the old WAC days. New Mexico even longer. UTEP is isolated for the rest of Texas and is not likely to be in the shadow of the big schools in the state: Texas, Texas A&M, etc. These school rarely go all the way to El Paso to recruit. The biggest threat from the Power 5 in El Paso, is Arizona, which is much closer than any of the big Texas schools. Oh yea, the Sun Bowl is in El Paso. There are two things that drag UTEP down. First, they are in a smaller market, but at a little short of 1 million, it's larger than most on this list. The second is that their academic reputation is less than stellar. The second they can fix. Overall, if the Mountain West only adds one school, UTEP is the logical first choice.

The main arguments against UTEP are two-fold. First, while they have a great history, their present is lack-luster. They may make bowl games, but they are rarely a top-25 program. Even in their more storied basketball and track programs, their success was decades ago. While their distance from the rest of Texas keeps them out of the shadow of Texas A&M and Texas and other such schools, it also isolates them for the sweet, sweet recruiting base that is most of Texas. Therefore, they offer no recruiting advantages. But considering all other things, UTEP is the best option for the Mountain West Conference.

2. University of Montana. In addition to being among the athletic elites in the Big Sky Conference, Montana is a good academic school, which attracts a nationwide if not world-wide student body. Their facilities are already FBS ready, and they regularly sell out the 25,000 seat Washington-Grizzly Stadium. They have been regulars in the NCAA tourney, making 12 appearance. Not too shabby, but second to Weber State. They fit naturally in the geography of the Mountain West Conference. Montana's athletic director has said publicly that they are not interested in a move to the FBS at this time, but under the right circumstances, in a situation where they could succeed, don't count on them saying no. No doubt the Grizzlies are a good fit for the Mountain West. The biggest weakness is the smaller market and the distance of Missoula from other large cities in the State of Montana. Given it's academics and tradition of excellence, Montana is a great choice for the Mountain West.

It has also been said that Montana will not join another conference without Montana State. That was their excuse for not joining the WAC 13 years ago. That may not be true today. The Brawl of the Wild could still happen. That would also not prohibit Montana State form having another cash grab game against another FBS school, but that would prohibit Montana from playing another FCS school That would complicate the rivalry. The real reason was likely that Montana would not have made enough money joining a WAC made up of mostly other Big Sky rivals. That money would not have been there for them at the time. It was the right decision for them to remain in the Big Sky Conference then. But what is different now? Boise State doesn't seem to be getting interest from the PAC-12 or Big 12. It also seems as if Air Force, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, Utah State and Wyoming will remain in the Mountain West forever. That may make the money equation better.

3. Sacramento State. This is probably a surprise to most readers, but not a surprise to me. Sacramento, while not quite the population of San Diego comes close. California's capitol city is the 2nd largest metro without an FBS football program. Sacramento State has a stellar academic program, like most schools in California. They have an FBS-ready stadium, which means they will not have to expand to move up. Their success on the gridiron is a recent phenomenon, they have been successful in some Olympic sports, especially track and field. While they are close geographically to California and Stanford, those schools have been so poor on in football in recent years, there is an opportunity to strike and gain some recruiting advantages. Their biggest weakness is a lack NCAA men's basketball tournament appearances and their small basketball arena, one that not even Air Force would be jealous of. They would need to pay more attention to the basketball program if they join the MWC. They may have to work out a scheduling agreement with the Kings for use of the Golden 1 Center for some games. Despite lack of success in on the basketball court, markets are going to rule the day. Sacramento is an untapped market at the FBS level and that makes Sacramento State a solid choice, but probably not a top choice.

4. Weber State University. This is a surprise. Please forget about my affiliation to WSU. I am an alum. I tried not to let my bias influence my analysis. But hear me out. The Wildcats are a basketball power and most teams dread a trip to the Purple Palace. In basketball WSU has 23 Big Sky Conference championships, 16 NCAA appearances, twice advancing to the Sweet 16. Their Alumni include Damian Lillard, Bruce Collins, Willie Sorjourner and Wat Mikasa. Their basketball resume is as good as anyone currently in the MWC. They have taken steps to keep things interesting before basketball season begins. They have been to the NCAA playoffs 6 of the past 7 seasons. There are upgrades in process to Stuart Stadium, which seats about 17,000. They have grown to one of the largest campuses in the west, giving them a large alumni base. Their biggest strike against them very large shadow of Utah and BYU. And there is one other elephant in the room to discuss.

My original analysis has them at #2, but I had to bring them down a little. Many readers will say that Utah State would block Weber State going into the Mountain West. How would USU do that other than to convince the other members of the conference to vote against them? Like every other school in the state, USU has only one vote on the board of regents. That would be no avenue except as a symbolic gesture. If Weber State has a good case to join, USU's objection would only be a symbolic voice. I don't think USU could block Weber State even if they wanted to. But do they have to?

Utah State is located in Logan, which is not part of the Greater Salt Lake Combined Statistical area. When traveling to Logan, you rarely fly directly there. Go to Expedia and see where it takes you? That is right, to Salt Lake City. The drive from Salt Lake City to Logan goes through Ogden. Logan isn't large enough to employ a large share of Utah State's alumni. Most find jobs in Salt Lake. Utah State already provides access to the Salt Lake media market. And therefore, the MWC already has access to the rich Salt Lake recruiting base. Therefore, Weber State would not provide an additional market or recruiting base to Mountain West Schools that they don't already have. It's an Oz/Tin Man argument, similar to the PAC-12 adding BYU or Colorado State or the Big 12 adding Rice or the Big 10 adding Pitt. Utah State doesn't have to block Weber State. Their location is already an argument against it. Even so, there are advantages to having two schools close to each other. The MW used to have BYU and Utah. The WAC used to have both TCU and SMU. Wyoming and Colorado State are close to each other. For road trips in some sports, you can visit both schools the same weekend and stay in the same hotel, cutting down on travel expenses and travel fatigue.

Even if you only count Ogden/Layton by itself, this would still be the third largest market I considered. (Except for some basketball-only schools) Here you also have a proven ability to succeed consistently at the FCS level, and a large alumni base. It has also the community support to succeed at a higher level. Weber State may not be a top choice, but they are a solid one. They haven't switch conferences in my lifetime and would probably bring stability as well.

The next four best targets

5. University of California at Davis. UCD is also in the Sacramento area. They reason they are lower than Sacramento State is because their football stadium only seats 10,000. While it is expandable to over 20,000, it will take some cash to do it. It would be much cheaper than building anew, but it would not be free. At least they have a better basketball arena than Sacramento State. But have also been mostly a no-show in the NCAA tournament. 2016-17 is the answer to this trivial pursuit question. That is UCD's one and only NCAA men's basketball tournament appearance. Otherwise, they are very equal to Sacramento State, including academic. In many books, perhaps slightly better. If one of the other schools higher on this list does not want to join the MWC, then UCD is a solid choice. Plus you get the two schools in the same market travel cost advantage if you also add Sacramento State.

6. New Mexico State. They are lower on this list for two reasons. One is that their academic reputation is not quite up to others on this list. The other is that the recent hazing scandal will likely be the most brutal penalty on a school since the SMU death penalty. This one self-imposed. The Aggies have a good basketball history, too. In football, two bowl games in the past five seasons is nothing to sneeze at. That as an independent after the Sun Belt decided that it was too costly to keep Idaho and NMSU. But today, they are members of Conference USA with their arch-rival UTEP and no longer independent in football and a member of the WAC in other sports. They should get extra credit for lasting that long in independence. They should be a force in Conference USA. Technically Las Cruces is in the El Paso metro, the MWC is unlikely to add both. As a side note, it would be funny if the MWC adds UC Davis and NMSU to the conference, you would have three schools who call themselves Aggies. One a bull, one a horse and one a cowboy. New Mexico State was likely the school that kept the WAC alive after the last round of conference expansion.

7. Eastern Washington. There are two reasons why EWU is lower on this list. First is Spokane and the 2nd is Gonzaga. The Zags do not play football, which gives the Eagles a chance at recruiting in football locally. (If Gonzaga kept football, EWU wouldn't be in the Big Sky Conference.) While the Eagles have recently held their own on the court, but still not the power that the Zags are. EWU has only three NCAA tournament appearances. It should have been 4 but they didn't survive this year's Big Sky Tournament. It is what has happened on the turf at Roos Field that makes them special. There are already plans afoot to expand the stadium to 18,000+. If a school wants the MWC, they are trying to make a case for it. But that was announced 10 years ago and it has yet to happen. It can happen to an FCS school without FBS money, just look at Montana and Montana State. Some things take cash and sometimes raising enough cash takes time, especially when a pandemic is afoot. Would the prospects of moving up put some urgency into the alumni base and community? That remains to be seen.

8. North Dakota State. They are the Alabama of the FCS, why are they not higher on my list? Yes, they are in a small market, but Fargo is larger than Missoula. They play in the 25,000 seat Fargodome, which is probably the nicest FCS facility. But three big issues where Montana is a solid choice and NDSU is a weaker choice. First, they have 4 NCAA men's tournament appearances compared to Montana's 12. NDSU has never advanced to the Sweet 16. Second, their academics are a tier lower than Montana. While yes, they are in a larger market than Montana, Fargo is not so much larger than Missoula where it would make up the difference when it comes to media market options, NIL and recruiting. NDSU can't do much about the market size, they can work on the academics and work on sports other than football. But on the plus side, they have shown Idaho how to use a dome, and they don't play basketball there.

I previously wrote a post about non-football schools that could add football and be of value to the Mountain West Conference, they would all be below North Dakota State. If the MW loses four or more schools, I will also write a post about basketball-only schools.

Not making the cut, but considered

Portland State University. PSU is in the largest market not only in the west, but in the entire country that does not have at least one FBS school nearby. Oregon State and Oregon are as close to Portland as Baltimore is to Philly. You can't really count Corvallis and Eugene as being in the Portland metro. But, a lot of grads from Oregon and Oregon State find jobs after graduation in Portland. This is not the reason why.

The largest problem is no on-campus football field and a smaller basketball arena. They no longer share a stadium with the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer. That hasn't been a thing for years. Lately, they have been playing about 20 miles away in Hillsboro. PSU also lacks any sort of athletic reputation. Sure, it wasn't long ago that they were a Division II school. But most colleges that are serious about athletics are more successful once they move up. If Portland State took athletics seriously, they would have better facilities, closer to campus. Perhaps the Timbers would let them move back to Providence Park (fat chance of that happening.) and the Blazers would let them play some games at Moda Arena (chances are only slightly better.) But the school simply doesn't put a premium price on sports. That's OK. It's still a good school. I may have a future post about gridiron football vs. Major League Soccer and why more colleges don't play in NBA arenas and visa versa. Portland State will be the poster child.

California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo. Alex G. Spanos Stadium is one of the nicest facilities at the FCS level, and would likely easily be expandable to 30,000. But SLO brags about being halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, which really means they are in the middle of nowhere. LA and City by the bay are not exactly next-door neighbors. I also didn't consider any schools in towns less than 100,000. I had to draw the line somewhere. SLO simply fell below the line. Too bad, its a nice town. It would be a great place for a bowl game. But you are not going to land a big media deal by adding SLO when you already have Laramie. There are only so many small towns a FBS conference can have. The MWC already has enough.

Montana State. Pretty much the same argument as Cal Poly, only its colder there. Good school, nice town, great spot for a summer vacation, just too small and too far away from something better. If Billings were 100 miles closer, then maybe. But at least the fishing in Bozeman is good. I should note that Bozeman is a growing town, and a place to consider living if your job and the job of your significant other is 100% remote and likely to state that way. That is, if you don't mind enduring those Southern Montana winters.

Other possibilities, but not written about in this post include: Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Northern Iowa and Louisiana Tech. Geography will prevent them from poaching more of Conference USA or the Sun Belt.

Why SMU rules and Boise State drools in the PAC-12 Expansion rumors.

2023-02-08T15:42:00.001-07:00

The PAC-12 appears to be getting back to 12 with the addition of Southern Methodist and San Diego State.

Originally, the idea was that the PAC-12 would not add new schools whiteout a new media deal. However, it appears that the media partners of the PAC-12 conference want the expansion before the deal, or the two go hand in hand. It is also clear that the new media deal is based upon market size. Based upon recent athletic performance, this does not make sense. However, we are talking about media dollars, and that is the most important thing.

The math checks out.

Let's face it, you do not lose the entire Los Angeles metro area and try to make it up by adding a market approximately 4% of the size. SMU doesn't own Dallas, and really no college does. But they are a presence there. In the early 80's, SMU was big enough to share Texas Stadium with the Cowboys. San Diego and Dallas together are still smaller than LA, but in adding these markets, you are making up almost 2/3 of the iPhones lost when USC and UCLA left for the Big 10.

Why not Boise State?

Trouble is, Boise State has put a lot of money and effort into building a top tier sports program. Boise is an isolated city that doesn't have a lot of sports and entertainment options. Even the NBA G-League has abandoned the Treasure Valley. They lost their A-level minor league team. All they have occupying their sports venues is a tier-3 minor league hockey team. Not a lot of love for one of the fastest growing cities in the US.

The market in Boise has some growing to do. The Boise Area has the same population Salt Lake/Ogden/Provo combined had in the 1970s. When the ABA folded, all Utah had was minor league baseball and hockey. But they did have the Cougars and the Utes. The PAC-12 wasn't going to add Utah in the 1970s, when Maricopa County had nearly twice the population and was growing faster. Boise State is in the same position Utah was in those days. They were a good choice, there were better choices. Utah's day came about 40 year later. If college sports still exists in 40 years, Boise State will be in a good position.

It's not over for Boise yet. The PAC-12 may not be done and the Big 12 may not be done either. Boise State CAN play with the big boys. They do so every season. I suggest some patience for those who follow the Blue. Your time will eventually come if it does not come tomorrow.

What is next for the MWC? That will come in a later post.

The Eight Metro Areas that are Jealous About the A's Leaving Oakland for Las Vegas

2023-02-05T00:00:00.006-07:00

There are seven Combined Statistical Areas that have a larger population than Las Vegas with sports fans frustrated that the Oakland Athletics appear to be headed for Sin City. First, lets talk about Las Vegas to understand why. When we talk about major sports franchises we are talking about the 4 major sports leagues in the United States: Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, National Football League, National Basketball Association and Major League soccer.

Las Vegas has a population of 2.3 million people. They have a cost of living that is 103% or 3% higher than the national average. Their average household income is roughly 61,000 per year, compared to the national household income of 54,000 per year. Las Vegas has two major sports franchises, the Las Vegas Raiders and the Vegas Golden Knights. Both play in relatively new stadia. There are five cities smaller than Las Vegas with two sports franchises: Cincinnati, Nashville, Milwaukee, New Orleans and Buffalo. The smallest city, so far, with 3 or more major sports teams is Pittsburgh with 3 of the 5. The smallest city with Baseball is Milwaukee. The AAA Las Vegas Aviators play at Summerlin South which seats 10,000 and can be used as a temporary home. Vegas has grown by 1.25% since the 2020 census. The closest Major League Baseball teams to Vegas are the Los Angels Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels. LA is approximately a 4 hour drive to Los Vegas.

Here are eight cities that are currently larger than Las Vegas in Population and are possibly just as deserving as Las Vegas for the location of a major league baseball franchise.

8. Indianapolis, Indiana has a population of 2.5 million people. Their cost of living is 84% of the national average. Their household income is 61,000 per year. This means that an Indianapolis family has more disposable income than a Las Vegas family. They have two major league franchises, the Colts of the NFL and the Pacers of the NBA. The Colts play in the 14-year-old Lucas Oil Stadium, which is about halfway through it's life, the Pacers play in the 24-year-old Gaimbridge Arena which is the 12th oldest in the NBA. If baseball does move to Indiana soon, they will soon have to compete with the Pacers for stadium funds. Indy has a AAA team, the Indians, who play at Victory Field which seats 13,750 people. The site is large enough for the current stadium to expand for a Major League team. Since the 2020 census, Indianapolis has grown by 0.62%, therefore it is not growing as fast as Las Vegas. Vegas could grow to become larger than Indy before 2030. The closest Major League Baseball franchise to Indy is the Cincinnati Reds at just over an hour away. It is possible the Reds could block a move to Indianapolis, but not likely.

7. Columbus, Ohio has a population of 2.5 million, but slightly larger than Indianapolis. Their cost of living is 86%. Their average household income is roughly 58,000 per year. Likely skewed downward by Ohio State University students. Columbians have less disposable income than Vegans. Columbus has two major sports franchises, the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL and the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer. The Blue Jackets play in the 23-year-old Nationwide arena. The Crew recently moved to new stadium in 2021. The Columbus Clippers play in 10,100 seat Huntington Park which could be used as a temporary stadium, but is not on a large enough site to be expandable to Major League size. Columbus has grown at 0.46% since the 2020 census. Like Indy, Las Vegas' population will likely pass Columbus in the future. The Cincinnati Reds are also the closest Major League Franchise to Columbus, at nearly two hours away. Columbus is also near Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

6. San Antonio, Texas has a population of 2.6 million. Their cost of living is 91% of the national average. Their average household income is 55,000. Theirs is skewed downward by the large military population. San Antonio is home to only one major sports franchise, the San Antonio Spurs. The AT&T Center was open in 2002. The San Antonio Mission play AA ball at the Nelson W. Wolf Municipal Stadium, which has 6,200 seats and an outfield area that can seat 3,000 fans. It is on a lot large enough to expand. Major League baseball can't be played at the Alamodome as the right field fence would be too close to home plate. San Antonio, Texas is the 2nd largest metro area in the United States with only one major sports franchise. San Antonio is growing at a rate of 1.7% since the 2020 census and is likely to remain larger than Las Vegas. It is the fastest growing city on this list. The closest Major League Franchise is the Houston Astros, about 3 hours away.

5. Sacramento, California has a population of 2.7 million. Their cost of living is 120% of the national average. Their household income is a little over 71,000 which means that the average household has less money to spend on baseball. Like San Antonio, there is only an NBA franchise in the city. The Kings play in the Golden 1 Center, which has been operating since 2016. There have been multiple efforts to lure the Athletics to the Capital City in the past, up to and including building the foundation of a major league park near the old Arco Arena where the Kings used to play. There were once plans to promote the Sacramento Republic to Major League Soccer, but those plans fell through during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Sacramento is home of the AAA River Cats who play in the 14,014 Seat Sutter Health Park, which is the 2nd largest AAA stadium. (The largest we will talk about later.) The stadium sits on a site large enough for a Major League Baseball stadium, but there is no room to expand the current stadium due to its location on the site. Originally, I think there were plans to put a new arena at this location for the Kings, who ended up building at another site. Sacramento's population is growing at 0.62%, but will likely remain larger than Las Vegas for a few decades. Sacramento is the largest city in the United States to host only one major sports franchise. Outside of the A's, the next closest franchise is the San Francisco Giants. It is nearly 2 hours from Sacramento to San Francisco. It is unlikely that the Giants would block moving the As to Sacramento.

4. Salt Lake City, Utah has a population of 2.7 million, but has recently surpassed Sacramento in population. The cost of living is slightly higher than Las Vegas at 104% of the national average. The average household income is around 64,000. Salt Lake is home to two top-level sports franchises, the Jazz of the NBA and Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer. The Jazz play in the Delta Center, which seats 18,307 and currently the 3rd oldest arena in the NBA. Real Salt Lake plays in the suburbs at America First Field in Sandy which seats 20,000. It is the 5th-oldest soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer. Salt Lake City hosts the AAA Salt Lake Bees whose home field has 14,511 seats and is the largest AAA stadium. But the Bees will move to a new stadium in the Daybreak section of South Jordan, Utah. The details of the new stadium have yet to be released, but the new site is large enough for a major league stadium. Salt Lake City is growing at 1.67% since the 2020 census and is the 3rd fastest growing large city in the United States. It is unlikely that Las Vegas will ever grow larger than Salt Lake. When the Jazz first moved to Salt Lake City in 1979, it was in the smallest metro area to host a major sports franchise outside of Green Bay. Now there are 12 major sports metros smaller than Salt Lake. (Due to expansion, relocation and metro shrink as well as growth in Salt Lake.) The closest Major League baseball franchise to Salt Lake City is the Colorado Rockies, but it is an 8 hour drive to get there making it the most isolated city on this list.*

3. Charlotte, North Carolina has a population of 2.8 million. The cost of living is 97% of the national average with the average household income at 68,000, which translates to a similar disposable income level to Las Vegas. Charlotte is the only city on this list with three major sports franchises; The Carolina Panthers, the Charlotte Hornets and Charlotte FC call Charlotte home. The Panthers and Charlotte FC both play at Bank of America Stadium which is approaching 38 years in operation. There are no plans for a new stadium for either brand of football. The Spectrum Center for the Hornets has been in use since 2008. There is a AAA baseball team in Charlotte, the Knights. They play at 10,500 seat Truist Field, which is on the other side of the parking structure for the Panthers. The site does not look big enough to support a Major League expansion, but a talented architect may make it work. Charlotte has grown 1.51% since the 2020 census, the 4th fastest growing large city in the United States. There are two US metro areas smaller than Charlotte with 3 sports franchises. The closest Major League franchise to Charlotte is the Atlanta Braves, which will take nearly 4 hours to reach by car.

2. Portland, Oregon has a population of 3.3 million in the metro area. The cost of living is 132% of the national average, the highest cost of living on this list. The average household income is 78,000, which is also the highest on this list. Portland is the home of the NBA's Trailblazers and MLS's Timbers. The Blazers play in the Moda Center, their home since 1995. The Timbers play at Providence Park which is someone near 100 years old, but one half of the stadium was built in 2019. Sounds odd, but it is considered on of the best stadia in Major League Soccer. There is A-level ball played in the Portland area. Since the Timbers turned Providence Park into a soccer-only field, the AAA team moved to Albuquerque and became the Isotopes. The Hillsboro Hops play at Ron Tonkin Field about 20 miles west of Portland. The stadium has 4,500 seats. The multi-use park is also the home of the Portland State Vikings football team. Actually, the east side of the grandstand is for football, while the west side is the 3rd-base site of the baseball stadium. But there is a pier on the Willamette River where a Major League Stadium could be built closer to downtown. Portland is growing slowly, by 0.14% since the 2020 Census. The nearest MLB team to Portland is the Seattle Mariners, which will take about 3 hours by car.

1. Orlando, Florida has a population of 4.3 million in the metro area. Orlando has about the same cost of living as Las Vegas. The average household income is around 59,000. Orlando is the most populated metro area in the US that only has two major sports franchises, the Orlando Magic of the NBA and Orlando City SC of Major League Soccer. The Magic play in Amway Center which has been around since 2010. Exploria Stadium was built for Soccer and opened in 2017. Orlando is the only metro on this list that does not have a minor league baseball team at any level. But there are several teams that have spring training in central Florida with the Braves and Astros playing spring ball near Orlando. The metro has grown at 1.65% since the 2020 Census, making it the second fastest growing large city in the United States. While Orlando has a lot going for it, it is only an hour from St. Petersburg, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, making it the least isolated. Between Orlando and Tampa, all five major sports leagues are represented. With Tampa hosting Baseball, Football and Hockey. Orlando is also the only city on this list with a real grass-roots effort to bring Major League baseball to town. It is not likely, but possible the Rays organization would block an expansion team or a move to the Magic Kingdom. Orlando is now larger than Denver and Minneapolis which have all five sports franchises.

Note: I did not put Austin, Nashville, Raleigh-Durham, Virginia Beach or Louisville on this list because they are smaller than Las Vegas.

*As Patman93 correctly points out, Seattle is currently the most isolated Major League team and will be unless Portland or Vancouver, Canada gets a franchise.

A Break from Sports. The Muppets Remake the Princess Bride

2023-01-24T22:50:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my daughter, Emma, who came up with this idea, I present the cast of a remake of The Princess Bride. The cast is, of course, the Muppets.

Robin the Frog as the Grandson

Gonzo as Grandfather/Narrator

Kermit the Frog as Westley

Miss Piggy as Buttercup, the Princess Bride

Pepe the Prawn as Inigo Montoya

Sweetums as Fezzik

Link Hogthrob as Prince Humperdink

Rizzo the Rat at Vezzini

Uncle Deadly as Count Rugen

Honeydew and Beaker as The Albino (and his assistant)

Rowlf as Miracle Max

Janice as Valerie

Swedish Chef as the Very Impressive Clergyman

Statler and Waldorf as the Ancient Boer(s)

Fozzie as Yellin

Floyd Pepper as The King

Annie Sue as the Queen

My Idea of Bowl Game Reform

2023-01-17T22:19:00.005-07:00

Bowls must fit the following criteria:

1. Must be played in a warm-weather city, unless played in the afternoon.
2. Must be played in a stadium whose primary use is football. Can be a dual-use or multi-use stadium as long as college or professional football is regularly played at the stadium.
3. Must be played in a stadium with more than 34,999 regular seats
4. Most only be one bowl game played at the stadium

This will eliminate the following 13 bowls or slots for 26 teams This fits along with what happened in 2022. 8 teams for the playoffs. 17 teams were 6-6 or worse. Here are the bowls elmiminated.

Myrtle Beach Bowl (Stadium Size)
New Orleans Bowl (Multiple Bowls)
Cheez-Its Bowl (Multiple Bowls)
Guaranteed Rate Bowl (Baseball Stadium)
Camellia Bowl (Stadium Size)
Hawaii Bowl (Stadium Size)
Boca Raton Bowl (Stadium Size)
Fenway Bowl (Baseball Stadium)
First Responder Bowl (Stadium Size)
Lending Tree Bowl (Stadium Size)
Gasparilla Bowl (Multiple Bowls)
Bahamas Bowl (Stadium Size)
Frisco Bowl (Soccer Stadium)

Bowl Games that would still be played but could be moved different stadiums:

Military Bowl to M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore from Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis due to stadium size.
Holiday Bowl to Snapdragon Stadium from PetCo Park to move from a baseball stadium to a football stadium
Pinstripe Bowl to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey from Yankee Stadium to move from a baseball stadium to a football stadium. (The game could also move to SHI Stadium in Rutgers, New Jersey)
Cure Bowl to FBC Mortgage Stadium from Exploria stadium to move from a soccer stadium to a football stadium

Contingent Bowl games that could be organized if there are not enough bowl games for all 7-5 teams. In some years, there may not be enough bowls for all 7-5 teams with this current list. Each conference could have a contingency for such, provided the game is played in a stadium that will qualify. According to applying the future playoffs in these years

Bowl Eligibility. 7 wins and a winning record in conference will lead to an automatic qualification. 7 wins would make a team eligible but now guaranteed. 6-6 will be eligible if there are no other 7 win teams available.

Now, I have gone through an exercise to see if this will work based upon the 2022-23 bowl season. There are some problems with this. Mostly that there are only two independents remaining after the latest conference realignment, namely Army and Notre Dame, the latter who pals with the ACC. Conferences will be larger, but playing with the same number of games. I found that eliminating bowl games based upon stadium size will mostly hurt Conference USA and the Sun Belt. That will be balanced by the number of teams from power conferences making the playoffs.

I learned that some secondary bowls from power conferences like the Gator Bowl and the Sun Bowl may end up on the short end of the stick. This was my fourth iteration. On the first iteration, I had South Alabama going to the Gator Bowl. I guarantee that will never happen. I think it is more likely that the Sun Bowl and Independence Bowl are more likely to go away than the Bahamas Bowl.

The smaller G-5 conferences will have trouble. The smaller bowls that play in smaller stadiums were created

How it could have worked this year

College football playoffs

First Round Bye (Top 4 conference champions)

1. Georgia
2. Michigan
3. Clemson
4. Utah

Other Qualifiers

TCU
Ohio State
Alabama
Kansas State
Tennessee
USC
Penn State
Tulane

These take the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl

Other Bowls

Cure Bowl-Orlando, Florida
Affiliations: Sun Belt vs. Conference USA
Matchup: Coastal Carolina vs. UTSA

Las Vegas Bowl-Las Vegas, Nevada
Affiliations: PAC-12 vs. SEC
Matchup: Oregon State vs. BYU

Los Angeles Bowl-Los Angeles, California
Affiliations: Mountain West vs. PAC-12
Matchup: Fresno State vs. South Alabama

New Mexico Bowl-Albuquerque, New Mexico
Affiliations: Mountain West vs. American
Matchup: Wyoming vs. East Carolina

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl-Boise, Idaho
Affiliation: Mountain West vs. MAC
Matchup: Boise State vs. Toledo

Armed Forces Bowl-Fort Worth, Texas
Affiliation: Conference USA vs. American
Matchup: North Texas vs. SMU

Independence Bowl-Shreveport, Louisiana
Affiliation: American vs.
Matchup: Houston vs. Wake Forest

Quick Lane Bowl-Detroit, Michigan
Affiliation: MAC vs. Big 10
Matchup: Eastern Michigan vs. Marshall

Birmingham Bowl-Birmingham, Alabama
Affiliation: American vs. Conference USA
Matchup: Troy vs. Middle Tennessee

Military Bowl-Baltimore, Maryland
Affiliation: American vs. ACC
Matchup: Cincinnati vs. North Carolina

Liberty Bowl-Memphis, Tennessee
Affiliation: SEC vs. Big 12
Matchup Mississippi State vs. Liberty

Holiday Bowl-San Diego, California
Affiliation: PAC-12 vs. ACC
Matchup: Oregon vs. Norte Dame

Texas Bowl-Houston, Texas
Affiliation: Big 12 vs. SEC
Matchup: Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss

Pinstripe Bowl-East Rutherford, New Jersey
Affiliation: Big 10 vs. ACC
Matchup: Maryland vs. Duke

Alamo Bowl-San Antonio, Texas
Affiliation: PAC-12 vs. Big 12
Matchup: Washington vs. Texas

Duke's Mayo Bowl-Charlotte, North Carolina
Affiliation: ACC vs. Big 10
Matchup: Florida State vs. Iowa

Sun Bowl-El Paso, Texas
Affiliation: Pac 12 vs ACC
Matchup: UCLA vs. Louisville

Gator Bowl-Jacksonville, Florida
Affiliation: ACC vs. SEC
Matchup: NC State vs. Central Florida

Arizona Bowl-Tucson, Arizon
Affiliation: MWC vs. MAC
Matchup: Air Force vs. Toledo

Music City Bowl-Memphis, Tennessee
Affiliation: Big 10 vs SEC
Matchup: Minnesota vs. Arkansas*

ReliaQuest Bowl-Tampa, Florida
Affiliation: SEC vs. Big 10
Matchup: South Carolina vs. Illinois

Citris Bowl-Orlando, Florida
Affiliation: SEC vs. Big 10
Matchup LSU vs. Purdue

Number of 6-6 teams: 1

Invitations by Conference

American Athletic Conference

Playoff:
Tulane

Guaranteed Affiliated (7-5 or better with a winning conference record)
Central Florida (Gator vs. NC State)
Cincinnati (Military vs North Carolina)
SMU (Armed Forces vs. North Texas)
Houston (Independence vs. Wake Forest)

At-Large (7-5 or better, but sub-500 in conference play)
East Carolina (New Mexico vs. Wyoming)

Eligible (6-6)
Memphis

Atlantic Coast Conference:

Playoff (Invited to participate in the college football playoff)
Clemson

Guaranteed Affiliated (7-5 or better with a winning conference record)
Florida State (Duke's Mayo vs. Iowa)
North Carolina (Military vs Cincinnati)
Duke (Pinstripe vs. Maryland)

At-Large (7-5 or better, but sub-500 in conference play)
Louisville (Sun vs. UCLA)
NC State (Gator vs. East Carolina)
Wake Forest (Independence vs. Houston)

Eligible (6-6)
Syracuse

Big 12

Playoff
TCU
Kansas State

Guaranteed Affiliated
Texas (Alamo vs. Washington)
Texas Tech (Texas vs. Ole Miss)

Eligible
Baylor
Kansas
Oklahoma

Big Ten

Playoff
Ohio State
Michigan
Penn State

Guaranteed Affiliated
Purdue (Citrus vs LSU)
Illinois (ReliaQuest vs South Carolina)
Iowa (Duke's Mayo vs Florida State)
Minnesota (Music City vs Arkansas)

At-Large
Maryland (Pinstripe vs. Duke)

Eligible
Wisconsin

Conference USA

Guaranteed Affiliated
UTSA (Cure vs. Coastal Carolina)
North Texas (Armed Forces vs. Central Florida)
Western Kentucky (New Mexico vs. SMU)
Middle Tennessee (Birmingham vs. Troy)

Eligible
UAB

Independents

At-Large
Notre Dame (Holiday vs. Oregon)
Liberty (Liberty Bowl vs. Mississippi State)
BYU (Las Vegas vs. Oregon State)

Eligible
New Mexico State
Army

Mid-American Conference

Guaranteed Affiliated
Ohio (Potato vs. Boise State)
Toledo (Arizona vs. Air Force)
Eastern Michigan (Quick Lane vs Marshall)

Eligible
Buffalo
Bowling Green
Miami (OH)

Mountain West Conference

Guaranteed Affiliated
Fresno State (LA vs. South Alabama)
Boise State (Potato vs. Ohio)
Wyoming (New Mexico vs. East Carolina)
Air Force (Arizona vs. Toledo)

Eligible
San Diego State
San Jose State
Utah State

PAC-12

Playoff
Utah
USC

Guaranteed Affiliated
Washington (Alamo vs. Texas)
Oregon (Holiday vs. Notre Dame)
Oregon State (Las Vegas vs. BYU)
UCLA (Sun vs. Louisville)

Eligible
Washington State

SEC

Playoff
Georgia
Alabama
Tennessee

Guaranteed Affiliated
LSU (Citrus vs. Purdue)
Mississippi State (Liberty vs. Liberty)
Ole Miss (Texas vs. Texas Tech)
South Carolina (ReliaQuest vs. Illinois)

Eligible
Arkansas (Music City vs. Minnesota)
Kentucky
Florida
Missouri

Sun Belt

Guaranteed Affiliated
Coastal Carolina (Cure vs. Kentucky)
Marshall (Quick Lane vs. Eastern Michigan)
Troy (Birmingham vs. Middle Tennessee)
South Alabama (LA vs. Fresno State)

Eligible
Appalachian State
Georgia Southern
Southern Mississippi

Transitioning-Not Eligible If they were eligible, no 6-6 teams would get bowl invites.
James Madison

Thoughts on the College National Championship

2023-01-15T13:09:00.000-07:00

Well, that was fun. If you are a Georgia Bulldogs fan. Otherwise, the Bulldogs won by a score more typical of a top-rate FBS school normally defeats a mid-level FCS school. TCU was supposed to be a better opponent. But they didn't bring their A game. When the final gun sounded, UGA had a 58 point game. Was it a true National Championship?

At the risk of being a critic, I must point out that the TCU Horned Frogs were not even the champion of the Big 12 Conference. Kansas State was. But the Wildcats didn't do so well against the SEC in the Sugar Bowl. There were weaknesses found in the TCU armor before the end of the season. November wasn't so good. Beside the loss to KSU, the Frogs fended off upset bids from Texas Tech, Texas and Baylor. They struggled in all phases of the game, but maintained their high ranking. A 12 team playoff likely would have eliminated the Frogs in the round of 4, if they had gotten past Tulane in the first round. (See this link.)

I suspect that if this game were played again, it would be a close one. TCU now understands that there is a difference between preparing for a bowl game and preparing for a playoff. In the final analysis, it can be said in short that TCU wasn't prepared.

The Big 12 finished 2-7 in bowl season. They did not have a good showing at all. One of those wins was TCU's shootout win over Michigan as well as the blowout loss to Georgia. The other was Texas Tech's win over Ole Miss in the Texas Bowl, which started with a touching tribute to the late Mike Leach.

If you include the future four of the Big 12, the conference adds 2 wins and and 2 losses to the conference with BYU's narrow win over SMU and Houston's win over Louisiana. (Go/Geaux Cougars) While Cincinnati and Central Florida found themselves on the wrong end of not so close games. Those departing the Big 12 for the SEC didn't fare so well either. Texas and Oklahoma both lost close games.

The American, ACC, Independents, MAC and SEC had winning bowl records by conference. C-USA was .500. The other conferences lost more than they won.

I am not putting too much stock into bowl performances. With players opting out, focusing on finals, accumulation of injuries, and coaching changes, bowls don't mean what they used to. But I will have more on that in future posts.

Where The Major Sports Leagues Will Next Expand and/or Move

2023-01-02T21:35:00.004-07:00

List of largest markets without sports teams in each of the 5 top-tier leagues in the United State. *Denotes a city where a franchise was once located but either moved or folded.

Largest 10 US Metros without Major League Soccer

1. Detroit
2. Phoenix
3. Cleveland
4. San Diego
5. Tampa/St. Petersburg* (Tampa Bay Mutiny folded in 2001)
6. Sacramento
7. Pittsburgh
8. San Antonio
9. Indianapolis
10. Las Vegas

Las Vegas is larger than:

Cincinnati
Nashville--Now the smallest market for Major League Soccer

Note: No Canadian Cities without Major League Soccer are large enough to appear to this list.

MLS is currently at 29 teams. A planned expansion to Sacramento fell through during the pandemic. My hunch is that Detroit, Phoenix, San Diego and/or San Antonio are next to bring the league to 32 teams.

Largest 10 US Markets without Major League Baseball

1. Orlando
2. Portland
3. Charlotte
4. Salt Lake City
5. Sacramento
6. San Antonio
7. Austin
8. Columbus
9. Indianapolis
10. Las Vegas

Las Vegas is larger than:

Cincinnati--Now the smallest market for Major League Baseball

Note: If Canadian cities were included, Montreal, home of the Expos until 2004, would be the largest city on this list.

Baseball has said they will not discuss expansion until stadiums in Oakland and Tampa are worked out. Tampa really would not have to move very far if they use Orlando as a stopping off point. Nashville, which is not large enough to make this list is making a bid for the Rays. Charlotte would also work. It appears, however, that the Rays will find a way to stay put.

Many assume the A's will head to Las Vegas, but there are better cities on this list. But from what I can tell, the A's to Vegas is about 80% a done deal. The site planned for the stadium will work, there is an intermediate venue plan. But there are infrastructure issues like a plan for traffic, parking and sewer and water systems There are better markets. Portland has an aging old mall east of the Rose district that would make a great site for a new stadium and should be the more logical next city for the A's. Sacramento would also work. Salt Lake City has a sports fanatic with tons of money to throw around.

As for expansion, my guess for the next baseball cities would be Charlotte and Salt Lake should the A's land in Portland and the Rays go inland. San Antonio and Austin are also promising baseball cities.

Largest 10 US Markets without the National Footba1l League

1. Orlando
2. Portland
3. San Diego* (Chargers moved to Los Angeles in 2017)
4. St. Louis* (Rams moved to Los Angeles in 2016)
5. Salt Lake City
6. Sacramento
7. San Antonio*** (San Antonio was the temporary home of the New Orleans Saints in 2005 for 3 games)
8. Austin
9. Columbus
10. Raleigh

Raleigh is larger than:

Jacksonville
New Orleans
Buffalo
Green Bay--Now the smallest market for the National Football League

Many want to see the NFL expand to London. Logistically this will not work unless an entire division can be located in Europe. Teams are now chartering two airplanes when they travel. Travel to London for 8 teams every year will be expensive. A division in Europe would solve logistical issues for nearly half the season.

Giving San Diego and St Louis teams again I think is the next logical step if the NFL decides to expand. San Antonio, Austin and Columbus would also work very well for future NFL franchises.

Largest 10 US Markets without the National Basketball Association

1. Seattle* (Sonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008)
2. Tampa/St. Petersburg*** (St. Petersburg was the temporary home of the Toronto Raptors in 2020-21)
3. San Diego* (Clippers moved to Los Angeles in 1984)
4. St. Louis* (Hawks moved to Atlanta in 1968)
5. Pittsburgh** (ABA Pittsburgh Condors folded in 1972)
6. Austin
7. Columbus
8. Kansas City* (Kings moved to Sacramento in 1985)
9. Las Vegas
10. Cincinnati* (Royals moved to Kansas City/Omaha in 1972. Team is now the Sacramento Kings.)

Cincinnati is larger than

Milwaukee
Oklahoma City
Memphis
New Orleans--Now the smallest market in the National Basketball Association

The next two cities for NBA expansion seem logical to me...Seattle and Tampa. There is a push to put a team in Louisville, but as you can see, there are a lot of teams without basketball that are larger than Louisville. Austin and Columbus would be very nice NBA cities. Virginia Beach, which is also not large enough to be on this list could also be a good place for the NBA to land.

However, many are starting to think the 82 game season is too long, there is too much tanking and there are other issues that the NBA has to work out first before expanding. Once the NBA figures out their scheduling problems, then they can work on expansion.

Largest 10 US Markets without the National Hockey League

1. Houston
2. Atlanta* (Flames moved to Calgary in 1980. Thrashers moved to Winnipeg in 2011.)
3. Orlando
4. Cleveland** (Barons folded in 1978)
5. Portland
6. Charlotte
7. Salt Lake City
8. Sacramento
9. San Antonio
10. Austin

Austin is larger than

Columbus
Las Vegas
Raleigh
Nashville
Buffalo-->The smallest US city with an NHL team.
Ottawa
Calgary
Edmonton
Winnipeg--Now the smallest market in the National Hockey League

Note: The largest Canadian cities not on this are not large enough to appear on this list.

If Canada gets another team, I think a 2nd team in Toronto is the most logical place. It would be more likely to succeed than Quebec City or Hamilton.

The situation with the Coyotes needs to be solved before expansion in the US is considered. Kansas City is often mentioned in Hockey expansion articles, but they do not make this list. It's not that Kansas City is a bad sports town. I think the NHL moving the Coyotes to Kansas City would be a good move. Not all of the cities are good for hockey. These cities, except for Cleveland, are simply growing faster than KC. San Antonio and Austin do not appear to be hockey towns. Same with Orlando. Portland and Salt Lake City appear to be the next best targets for Hockey beyond Houston. If baseball beats hockey to Salt Lake, then Sacramento would be a good place.

Markets with multiple teams in the same league

New York
MLS: NYFC, New York Red Bulls
MLB: New York Yankees, New York Mets
NBA: New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets
NFL: New York Giants, New York Jets
NHL: New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils

Los Angeles
MLS: Los Angeles Galaxy, LAFC
MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angels Angels
NBA: Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers
NFL: Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers
NHL: Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks

Washington/Baltimore
MLB: Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles
NFL: Washington Commanders, Baltimore Ravens

Chicago
MLB: Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox

San Francisco/San Jose/Oakland
MLB: San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics

Largest 20 Markets without any major sports franchises

1. Virginia Beach/Norfolk/Newport News, Virginia
2. Greensboro/Winston-Salem, North Carolina
3. Providence, Rhode Island
4. Richmond, Virginia
5. Louisville, Kentucky
6. Greenville, South Carolina
7. Hartford, Connecticut
8. Grand Rapids, Michigan
9. Birmingham, Alabama
10. Fresno, California
11. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
12. Fort Meyers, Florida
13. Albany, New York
14. Rochester, New York
15. Knoxville, Tennessee
16. Albuquerque, New Mexico
17. Tulsa, Oklahoma
18. Tucson, Arizona
19. El Paso, Texas
20. Sarasota, Florida