We will be getting a New WCC commissioner

DoubleDipper wrote:I was hoping the headline, "We Will Be Getting a New WCC Commissioner," was true again.

I have not listened to the interview yet, but the commish has some explaining to do on why $$$$ she let teams (USF, BYU, SCU and GU) just take it upon themselves to cancel games or choose a different opponent this past season.

DoubleDipper wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:I was hoping the headline, "We Will Be Getting a New WCC Commissioner," was true again.

I have not listened to the interview yet, but the commish has some explaining to do on why $$$$ she let teams (USF, BYU, SCU and GU) just take it upon themselves to cancel games or choose a different opponent this past season.

What??

Canzano was throwing lollipops on this one.  

For a guy who honestly supports women in sports, he could have asked some questions that would have given us some insight into the commissioner's strengths.

At least we now know the commissioner has a 90lbs. Dutch Shepard.  

Q: Gonzaga men’s basketball is a national power and an asset to the WCC, but it’s one member of a larger conference. How does the WCC balance serving the bulk of its members while simultaneously promoting/elevating that top asset?

NEVAREZ: The culture of a healthy conference is balance. Teams and schools are going to move up and down the spectrum of strong versus rebuilding and a healthy conference provides opportunities for those rebuilding to improve while not holding back the excellence at the top of the conference. A running joke among commissioners is that if half the schools like you and half don’t on any given issue, you’re probably doing what’s best for the league as a whole.

@MountainWest wrote:Please welcome Gloria Nevarez (@GloNevarez) to the Mountain West!

up7587 wrote:A Seattle U guy.  He can facilitate GU to the Big East and slip SU right in.

DoubleDipper wrote:It is too late to have more than nine teams in the conference for next season, but I would not be surprised to see ESPN, and especially ESPN+, become part of the WCC landscape next season.

Dean Murdoch wrote:So let's get this straight. Stu Jackson ruins my childhood by running the Vancouver Grizzlies into the ground as their GM, and now he suddenly returns to my life after 25 years to ruin my college hoops experience by moving WCC games to a platform I can't watch from my country?

Thanks, Stu, you're the best.

up7587 wrote:A Seattle U guy.  He can facilitate GU to the Big East and slip SU right in.

DoubleDipper wrote:A Gonzaga-centric interview, but still some insight into Jackson's thoughts on realignment/expansion and scheduling too.

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/mar/06/qa-new-wcc-commissioner-stu-jackson-weighs-in-on-c/

up7587 wrote:Subscription required?  What's the executive summary?

Spokesman Review wrote:S-R: As Gonzaga continues to have conversations with other conferences and examines its future, what does the WCC have to do to ensure it’s a viable option?

Jackson: I think first of all, Gonzaga has such a long history of success that it’s no surprise particularly in this landscape the last five years that people have courted them and it’s no surprise Gonzaga would listen. If I were them I’d listen, particularly in this landscape. Where we stand today, they’re obviously a valuable member of our conference, the gold standard and as we sit here in real time, they’re a member of the WCC. I don’t get the sense they’re going anywhere anytime soon. That doesn’t mean the conversations will cease but if I can offer an opinion, it’s been a positive experience for them. But in terms of retaining them, as a conference we have to continue to get better. That means in areas of competition, scheduling, continuing to within reason improve facilities and strive to be where Gonzaga is. I would tell you finally, my sense from the presidents is they’re committed to doing that. So it won’t happen overnight but over the next several years you’ll see improvement and perhaps Gonzaga at that point, staying might be more beneficial than leaving.

S-R: The other programs in the WCC may not be catching up to Gonzaga per se, but the conference sent three teams to the NCAA Tournament last year and the bottom of the league seems to be better than it’s been in a long time.

Jackson: I’ll tell you what I do know, the middle of the conference has really strengthened. I think case in point, LMU beating both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in this tournament. If you believe in progression, there’s going to be a trickle down effect. It was just Gonzaga, then it was Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s and now we’re able to throw a couple more schools at least in the competitive mix. Does that mean it will trickle down to the schools that haven’t had as much success? I think so, because the bar is there.

S-R: You mentioned scheduling as an area the WCC needs to grow. What does that look like?

Jackson: It’s helpful when a conference does that. There’s a delicate balance, you never want to take away a coach’s ability to schedule because they do it better than anyone. But the role the conference can play is just give that a little bit of an impetus to make it stronger if you at some point down the road are able to have alliances with other conferences that makes sense, that may even marginally strengthen your schedule. Because every little bit helps.