Just got word that they will be joining the WAC and moving up to D1. The WAC is folding in football but will have basketball and baseball still to my knowledge.

Any chance Grand Canyon will ever have a football program.

I think they considered it a few years ago, but found it would be too expensive. With how quickly the University is expanding and their emphasis starting to build in athletics I wouldn't be surprised if they started one up in the next few years.

Think that Grand Canyon could really have a solid football program if they started one. All the ingredients are in place with the big exception of a football stadium. I would love to see a 4th university within the state pickup football. Would be great for the JUCO scene here as well as keep a ton of local athletes in state.

Agreed. GC would have some distinct advantages over schools like NAU because they could recruit the valley relentlessly due to location. Not to mention picking up the best JUCO kids that don't land big time offers.

The issue is that the WAC is essentially a basketball conference now with New Mexico State being the only one I know of that has football. So I'm not sure what their options would be football wise if they did start a program. And it goes without saying that expenses (stadium) would be a huge undertaking.

We need a D-2 school in the state. Now there's a fit.

Idaho and NMSU are going to play FBS football one more year (next season) as Independents, then Idaho will be dropping down to FCS and joining the Big Sky in 2014. No word on if NMSU will stay Independent or latch on to either the Mountain West (where University of New Mexico already is), Conference USA (not a good fit) or the Sun Belt (another possibility).

Sun Belt has told NMSU no. So has MWC

Ouch. When the Sun Belt conference is telling you they don't want you, that's when you know you've hit rock bottom.

Welp, guess the Sun Belt is doing an about-face and looking at NMSU and Georgia Southern to replace Florida Atlantic and Middle Tennessee State, now that those two are headed to Conf USA.

Idaho, for those that care, is bound for the Big Sky in 2014.

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--- nomuck10 wrote:

We need a D-2 school in the state. Now there's a fit.

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I second that! There is absolutely no reason why Arizona doesn't have a strong Div II program. There are so many really good football players that leave this state for California and Texas Div IIs. It's really too bad.

Actually, the vast majority of them go to the RMAC (mostly CO schools). Those schools know that there are a lot of talented kids here.

NEFbDad wrote:

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--- nomuck10 wrote:

We need a D-2 school in the state. Now there's a fit.

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I second that! There is absolutely no reason why Arizona doesn't have a strong Div II program. There are so many really good football players that leave this state for California and Texas Div IIs. It's really too bad.

^Correct I have a few friends who went over to NM & Colorado to play division 2 football.