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RUNNIN' VEGAS - The John McNamara Sports Podcast
Talking all things Las Vegas sports-from UNLV to the pros, and everything in between.
RUNNIN' VEGAS - The John McNamara Sports Podcast
UNLV’s Midseason Pulse: James Madison Conference Realignment & How It Affects the Mountain West | John McNamara & Ryan Pulliam
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Welcome And What’s On Deck
SPEAKER_00Hey guys, John back in the house from Rod in Vegas. We're talking local sports business real estate. You guys like easy subscribe? Special episode. UNOV football basketball. And the first time on this pod, we're talking realignment. We're not talking about our backs either. No, we probably should talk about that. Maybe. Oh man, that's chaotic. Before we go into realignment, it's it's actually one of the things I actually really enjoy is conference realignment. We kind of hinted at here and there on the show a little bit. We haven't you and I haven't gotten detailed, but I want to talk because there's some moving parts with James Madison moving to the American, which I think is gonna
UNLV Football Win Streak
SPEAKER_00potentially affect the Mountain West. But we'll get in that. First, I want to talk a little on Unilev football. Midway through the season. Midway through the season. We got a three-game winning streak. Uh Akron won that game. Beat Cal. Cal had some injuries, but we'll take the win. North Dakota State game. They seemed a little rattled. We got the win. Unal V got the win. What's your thoughts on this on this winning streak right now?
SPEAKER_01On the win streak, I think it's it's it shows me that the team can fight it out in a dog fight like they did at North Dakota State. They can finish out a game and kind of you know get punched in the face like they did at Cal. And they can put a team away that they should have put a team at or at Akron. Um obviously it's exciting that we're we're we're winning right now because after that North Texas game, you and I were both kind of like, oh, and we found found ways to just win. And so I think when you build a culture of winning and you can win different types of games, I think that is only a good thing for the program. Not every single game is going to be a blowout, so I love that we're able to kind of overcome some adversity and get some W's in the win column.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And we're uh so UNO V football, four and two, halfway through the season. How would you grade the first half of the year? I I would give it a B plus.
SPEAKER_01I mean, when we talked at the very beginning of the season, we kind of done a couple conference pre or uh game previews. Excuse me. I had us lose in Memphis just because I didn't think it was going to take a little bit for us to get rocking and rolling. Called it. Um, but I didn't, uh I don't think anybody, the North Texas. So that one is the is obviously the the the black eye on the season. It would obviously be a lot higher had we not lost that game. But we are trending upwards with uh with the three-game win streak. And again, how we're able to win those games, I think is important.
SPEAKER_00Similar grade, I give it a B. Um Memphis, I felt like they gave the game away. We've talked about before, we're still not going to go into details on this pod today about it, but the North Texas one doesn't really bother me as much. It was a bad game. I think that was an underrated North Texas team at North Texas, American football conference team. And we're seeing American football tends to be the best G6 conference right now. So they got talent in Texas. But the Memphis game, I think, yeah, why this is not an A and a B, it's it's that Memphis game. They gave it away. Uh great wins against Cal. We got a little help with that with the injuries. I don't know what's going on in North Dakota State. I they it was weird because I've seen when you watch North Dakota State, it's nothing but confidence in a culture that wins, and they came in there like it. The game was a little bit bigger for them. Maybe being at NFL Stadium. I know uh North Dakota State has played in big games and won FCS titles over the years, but I was a little surprised that they looked rattled. What were your thoughts on the game?
SPEAKER_01Well, I mean, I think, especially with how well those fans traveled, and kudos to those fans for coming down. I mean, I don't think anybody really needs to twist anybody's arm to spend a weekend in Las Vegas, but especially when you're in North Dakota, um, but you know, the the the game was interesting. I mean, it was just a defensive struggle. The only touchdown that that we scored was obviously um uh Andre Porter. It was Andre Porter's interception pick six, and I mean that was just kind of out of nowhere. It was it but it was it was a dogfight, man, and that's kind of what you want to have for those. I I love the North Dakota State team, like the what they kind of represent, that hard-nosed football, and coming down. But yeah, for them to be a little bit rattled was was interesting. I don't think they necessarily played anybody huge so far this year. Air Force was obviously a a game that they won. But for them coming in five and oh, being the the the the the road favorite according to the to the uh to the sports books, um, and to have, I mean, there was a lot of yellow. Did you go to the game? No, I didn't know. There was a ton of yellow on that side of the stadium, and you know, when you're across from it, you just hear that sound coming in waves. So it almost it didn't it almost had had like kind of like a bowl type experience, not necessarily a road game. So yeah, for them to come in and not be able to execute their game plan um was a little head scratching for me.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. It's a little interesting because you don't there hasn't been programs in the past because Unileat football is just starting to get be good, right? We're three and a half years, give or take, of the program winning. So it was interesting to see a team come in uh that caliber to be a little intimidated. So I I don't think I've really seen that in watching Unileve football in the 15 years I've been watching, you've been watching your whole life. No, it's never. I mean, before they, you know, the second. So hey, we'll take it. It's good. You know, what I liked about the three-game win, there seemed like the second half of the Akron, they kind of got back to how they were playing that Hawaii game. And it's just been what I've been the most impressive with is the defense. Yes, absolutely. And the pass rush. Their three best pass rushers are freshmen. And now you and I talked all off season. That was my biggest concern. Can these guys step up? They're very talented, they're highly recruited, but usually it takes a couple years for these guys to become, you know, grown men that are effective. And between Rudolph,
Defense Emerges As The Identity
SPEAKER_00um Porter, and uh Toga Fow, um, really impressive. And I'm trying to remember the Idaho kid, he got injured. But there's like three or four pass rushers that are young and talented, and the defense has really stepped up this year, which is so funny because our biggest concern was the defense, and this North Dakota State win is completely a defensive win. That interception touchdown doesn't happen. When Unal V loses that game, absolutely. The offense has been the concern. So, what are the things that you have liked, and what do you want to see moving forward?
SPEAKER_01I again the things that I've liked to echo your point, because I was really hard on the defense all preseason and even the first maybe one or two games. But yeah, yeah, the defense is is really stepped up and played exceptionally well. Come up with big plays when they need to. I mean, that Mumu uh Binwaed um interception at the end of the game just to really seal it with was huge. That was the second one of the day. I've um what I've been impressed with is again us finding ways to to win the game. The Akron, we should have won. We we we pounded it. Cal, we were up, we blew a set a 17-point lead and ended up winning that game. And again, yeah, they were they were injured, but even their second string quarterback came in and really was able to toss the ball around a little bit. Um, and then the the North Dakota State just those three games you circle on the calendar because you have to win those games in order to compete for a Mountain West Conference Championship. And so I just I love the way that we've found a way to win. Um, one thing that I'd I'd kind of like to see a little bit uh improvement of is um am I am I jumping ahead there? Um but uh just the the the play calling has been uh offensive play calling has been um it just seems like we're missing out. A couple QB draws on third and long that just haven't panned out. Uh them I don't get that play, it drives me nuts.
SPEAKER_00It does they've been doing it all year and it hasn't worked. I'm just I don't know if that's a Corey Dennis play or Dan Mullen, but there's something going on with the play calling. I totally agree with you. And it started in the Memphis game, and we still we'll see flashes, and then all of a sudden it goes away. Like, why don't we just not do that anymore? It hasn't worked at all, right?
SPEAKER_01You know, if you have Alex Orgie back there, maybe you know, he's a big physical guy, you need two yards, I'm all for it. But third and third and five, third and eight, and you're running that. I I just I don't get it. And the the the pass on first down, run on second, put Jet Thomas a lot of pressure on him to try to pick up big yards on that second down. And so, yeah, play offensive play calling has been something that I haven't been extremely pleased with.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Same me, and I know I've been saying this the whole time, Jackson Arnold has been frustrating. Overall, I think he's a good quarterback. I'm glad he's he's probably one of the best Unlov quarterbacks, but we just had AC. Um, if we're talking just history of UNLV, he's like he's a guy that doesn't lose you games, but he's not a guy that wins you games. And I and I've been frustrated because the offense has completely gone through Jackson Arnold, and I just haven't seen it. And then the Cal game happens, and you're like, Oh, okay. Oh, yeah, I get it. Okay, maybe he the switch has occurred. Okay, he's leveling up. Like, this is what we were hoping for. Maybe this is why they keep going through him on the offense, and then we go back to North Dakota State. Same old, same old Jackson Arnold. Um, again, good quarterback. It's just, it's uh I would I I uh if we can get back to that Calc game and whatever was working in that game, there was just he was decisive, you know? Yes, and maybe that's what he's doing in practice, and that's why they continue to run these plays. But the Cal game was like, I get it if they do it that way, but he isn't an elite athlete. Um, but we need to see decisiveness from him, and I think that's gonna be incredibly important for the rest of the season. They have a great leg up now to get into the conference title game. But I'm telling you right now, I was talking North Dakota State the entire time, and that was gonna be New Mexico is looking really good right now. I mean, blowing out teams, elite defense in the Mountain West. Um, I don't think that's a gimme in, anyways. I think we're gonna go in as underdogs at Albuquerque, you know, a couple weeks down the road. So, but before we got Albuquerque, big game this weekend versus at Air Force, 4-1 Air Force, pretty good team. Um, this was the dark horse team that I have concerns about. We did Uniley just won the North Dakota State game. I hope they are not seeing past this game at the New Mexico because it's it's it's a way, it's elevation. Um, Air Force, they can put up a lot of points. So, this is actually a little bit more of a concern of mine than even before. I thought this was more of a gimme game, and I'm not so sure now. I think I'm hoping Unal V is not looking ahead. I hope they're focused this weekend.
SPEAKER_01All the ingredients of a trap game, 100%. Had to, you know, your possibility of your new conference rival uh
Offensive Play Calling And QB Frustrations
SPEAKER_01beating them, big win. Uh then yeah, you have the game, the game ahead. And Air Force is is tough. If you haven't seen Air Force play on the field, and fortunately we have some defensive players coming back, but seeing them on film and then actually having to defend against them on the field are two completely different things. So if the defense has been playing the way it has been and they've been able to stop the run, um, you know, maybe our couple of our weaknesses have been big plays now, but Air Force doesn't really throw out, you know, air out the ball a whole lot. If the defense can can step up and really concentrate on their and hit their assignments, I think we're gonna be okay, but you're absolutely right. Total, total possibility of a trap game, and it's something that I'm gonna be watching very closely.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and the players have really stood up to me. Obviously, we've already talked to other reporters, look great. Trey Fulton is all over the place, love it in a good way. And then Cam Sante has been just a tackling machine. Who are some of the players in Ullb that really impressed you and looking forward to hopefully they continue with that because they have led this defense to look like a different unit uh for the second half of the first half.
SPEAKER_01Second half of the first half sense.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, I'm not a fraction guy, but yeah.
SPEAKER_01Good thing. You know, I I I talked about him earlier. Moo Moo, I think, has been has stepped up. Those defensive backs um had got torched a lot last year. He's he's come up big, and then it's kind of like a hit or miss type deal. Uh I, you know, I'm buying into the Tasmania with Tasredick, and then it's like, oh, he drops a couple easy passes. I know that their the wideouts have been banged up. There's been a lot of uh separated shoulders, so Tayshawn Lyons really hasn't played uh as much and and again lived up to that billing of that first team All-Mountain West conference. Uh Jaden Thomas, when he's able to go, it's he he he's he's good. And so I just think they need to give him the ball a little bit more. But like you said, Andre Porter, Tugofua, Mumu bin Wahib. And a special shout out to Jake Pope. Jake Pope was one of the guys who I kind of was a little disappointed uh at at the end of last season. I've been kind of watching him and how he flies around the field a little bit more. He's in on a lot of initial tackles or coming through to make sure that tackle gets made. So special mention to Jake Pope because I think he's really stepped it up this season.
SPEAKER_00Pope's done a great job, and it was funny because we had Tyler Bischoff on the pod a couple weeks back, and he goes, What would you say is the strength of UV football? It took me a second, but the really the strength is our safeties. It's Trey Fulton and Pope. They've they've looked phenomenal, they've been flying around, and it shows on the defense. We're seeing improvement of the defense. I hope that continues because defense wins championships. So uh so far, good uh first half of the season for Union V football, but now we go to our passion running rabbits. Unal V exhibition game versus Utah loss by 10 points. I think it was 79.69, something like that. Okay. Didn't go to the game, but we got an insider, guys. Yeah, I was he went to the game. Well, you're an insider. I'm just you know, well, yeah, I was one of 3,000 people, I think, who were nice. Uh so yeah, let me know your thoughts of the game, exhibition game and Thomas and Mack. Pretty cool. They're doing it. Uh they have that three at the Thomas and Mack. I love what Passenger is doing. Um playing tough teams at the Thomas and Mack because obviously the year before they kind of went in cold in those games. They lost some games they probably shouldn't, specifically the Montana game, that Chattanooga game. Chattanooga
Air Force Trap Game Preview
SPEAKER_00actually ended up being a good team. Right. But it kind of puts a sour taste in your mouth when you have a couple of those uh mid-major or lower you know, uh programs, you get those losses like Tyler Bischoff talks about all the time. Like that those don't help you. Those are you don't want those losses on your resume. No. So, how do you think they looked? To me, I I listened to a little bit. There were some positive things, but I want your insight because you were actually the man there and you had eyes on the game.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, obviously, we have to take things into context. First game exhibition, key players missing, AJ Storr still being uh ineligible, and we didn't get some good news on Tuesday with that court hearing. Tyron Jones, Don Trez Williams, Tyler Harrison, Ike Williamson were all we're all sitting out. So you really the one one of the things I was truly impressed with was our our our depth. I think we're gonna be a very deep team, especially that guard position. And I like how Passner kind of had we played small, um, but it's gonna come down to which of these kids are gonna play defense in order to see the court because um uh obviously, you know, Mac went off and he's he was he was awesome. And I liked how there seemed to be some there seemed to be some there were some miscues of the first half where there was just flat out left some kids wide open uh on the threes. And I think they went, I I want to say they went like maybe five of twelve. Uh Utah went five of twelve that first half behind the arc. They only hit one three-pointer that second half. So I like how I could possibly see some half um halftime adjustments being made. But, you know, I I liked seeing the kids play, and you know, we can kind of talk individually, but they were scrappy out there, they were playing decent early in the season, gonna make some mistakes, and there were some made. But I'm you know, I'm I was pleasantly surprised to see the kids get out there and play.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it was good to see Utah's a Big 12 program, new coach, uh I believe it's old Utah State coach, right, that dominated uh the Mountain West for over the years. So well coached team. So it was a good program to match yourself and just get you vibe because with your three best players out, and then you got also uh Dante's Williams and Isaac Williamson who are gonna play minutes. I think Dante Williams is gonna be one of those guys that's gonna be the first guys off the bench. So really four really important players um that are out, and for them to have um the confidence, and I don't mind a bad shooting night, to be completely honest with you, or a bad free throw night, because usually it's just those games happen. Usually there's third games you shoot well, a third that you're mediocre, and a third that you shoot bad, right? So to have a
Running Rebels Exhibition Takeaways
SPEAKER_00bad free throw and three-point shooting night and only lose by 10 points, and with your three best players out, I thought that overall that was a positive thing. Yeah, so that was good. Uh the obviously I didn't watch the game, but the box square listened to uh other folks, you know, Cam Miles stood out 16 points. Passenger has talked about that he has a high upside uh on this team. You have talked about being a huge fan of him, so he put up 16 points. The biggest thing I got out of it, though, that we did not have last year was the rebounding. Incredible. MJ Thomas, 10 rebounds. Kiss, true freshman, eight rebounds. Uh Femina, nine rebounds. So um there were some positive things here overall.
SPEAKER_01I 100% agree. And before Sebastian Mack signed, and then obviously with AJ AJ Stor, we kind of, I at least pegged Cam Miles as the guy to take over the scoring role for the our DGL for this year. And yeah, him dropping that 16, he looked good. Um you know uh um MJ Thomas, Jackson Kiss for being a true freshman, and I don't know if guys, and I I know they don't have I don't I know they that they don't have um kangaroos in New Zealand, but that's where like one of my biggest irrational fears is fighting a kangaroo. So I just think dudes from Australia and like New Zealand are are are tough.
SPEAKER_00I know what I'm being for Halloween kangaroo exactly sneak up on you.
SPEAKER_01But he I mean he he looked like a legit dude. I mean, preseason freshman of the year. Um and then Famina did he he, you know, he pulled out some boards. We weren't really expecting a lot from him from his production from his previous stops, but I don't know if they washed his jersey on hot or he's just out of shape, but it it it didn't look like he had trouble keeping the jersey in. He looked a little bit winded, so that's something that I was a little bit um not concerned at because I don't know how much, but just knowing that we could pull down those rebounds, playing the small ball that we did, a lot of our height wasn't didn't make the the the the court. Um, but it was fun to watch, man. And I and I really liked uh I really liked being there. And uh we tied him the second half. I mean if you think about it. But my big standout who I was really, really impressed with, he only played um 13 minutes, but he had three boards, two blocks, and one steal, and he did amazing footwork for a big band. But the mighty Mo, Mustafa Loom, and he really impressed me the way he w moved on the court. So I think if we have him as a backup role to a tyran, um we might have some rim protectors. And again, it can allow us to play a little bit more aggressive on the perimeter because we know if if a guard blows past us, we have some rim protectors to help us out.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and some insight too. And Pasner talked about Loom too playing very well defensively. And those one thing I'm looking at, there looks like there's gonna be potentially depth this year. He's got versatile pieces like on Loom. So if we're playing an all Mountain West Center or something like that, you can stick Loom on them, so to speak, right? So uh that was good. The other thing that came to me was he did say the two point guards are Ford and Cam Miles, and that was kind of uh Cam Miles actually scored well, uh, but there was a high turnover rate. So it sounds like Ford and Cam Miles are probably gonna be the point guards for the year, and it may depend on who's playing well. You know, I'm assuming Ford is the guy, and then Cam Miles can come in when he's hot, or or you know, Ford's in
Depth Rebounding And New Contributors
SPEAKER_00foul trouble. But there was a little insight to that uh that Passener gave away. And yeah. So uh so after watching the first game, do you feel more confident about going to the season, or you're like, oh, I don't know. I think we need to do a little bit more work here.
SPEAKER_01I mean, maybe just uh a smidge more more confident, just because it isn't anything that was like, oh my gosh, this is amazing, we're gonna be Madden West Conference champions. But when you do have a a lot of new players coming on, and Terrence Ford and Cam Miles both had three turnovers each to your point, so it's kind of like okay, uh who's gonna be running the running the offense for us. But Ford hasn't played, he didn't play last year, so there's a little bit of rust to drop off. Um you obviously don't want to have your starting, you know, your two point guards turn the ball turn the ball over six times. Um, but I think that you know the team really fits the passenger's blueprint of of blue-collar basketball. And you talked about the rebounding, and we don't we didn't even have Tyron Jones uh on the court. So the rebounding, the the the defense was there, and um I think we can if Storr, whatever Storr's situation is, I think we have a go-to score in Mac, which was something that was uh a question mark at the very least. But um I'm so I'm not necessarily like, oh my gosh, this is amazing, but I didn't lose any confidence. And sometimes, like you said, those first exhibition games where you have a southeast Missouri state come in and we don't play well, it kind of hits the confidence a little bit. But for us to do that against Utah, uh, you know, I I think we looked good.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah, I think, and we didn't go really into it, but Special Mac had a good game. He wasn't super efficient when he got uh at UCLA. He wasn't efficient in the first half, but then turned around the second half. He's older player, and it looks good that he can put up twenty. I mean, anybody who puts up 25 points in NCAA basketball is probably a pretty good player. So I think worst case scenario, if Storr is not eligible, I like the the three guys of Harris, Jones, and Mac. You know, I don't looking at GCU and New Mexico, they look like the team's defeat. They are they They are definitely in their own like status or tier, whatever you want to call it. But it gave me the confidence to go, like, hey, on paper, this team looks like it has more depth, more versatile players this year, uh, more scores, maybe not from outside, but overall, I like what we saw. And if we get the bonus of store, uh, I would say it would be probably the clear third best team in the Mountain West, and we have a chance to win a Mountain West championship because he would be he'd be one of the if he's not the best player in Mountain West, he'd be top two, top three, worst case. So that would make a big difference. But either way, they looked good, they looked like they'll be competing for a Mountain West championship. You never know. There's injuries, there's a lot that can go on. Um, but it was a positive game and uh excited for uh running Rebels basketball.
Realignment News James Madison Joins AAC
SPEAKER_00Okay, now we're getting into it. Realignment. Big news! James Madison was the news, uh, so was Miami, Ohio, uh, in Yukon about a month ago. Want you enjoy the American Conference. And American said, hey, we're not interested right now. Uh we're not gonna be realigning. Two weeks go by, and James Madison now is in uh the American Conference. Big move for the American. What are your thoughts? I have a lot of thoughts on this, but I want your thoughts first.
SPEAKER_01I think it is a big move, and I think you have to, in in in the you know, the superpower conferences now with the four of them, they're you have to do some things to make your conference at least somewhat palatable for kids to kids to come to. And I mean, and now with the football programs in the American, you got Army and Navy, which are legitimate football programs. You have Memphis, which we saw at the beginning of the year, can come in and and win a game, they look good. Now they have um uh now they have James Madison, and Jay's Madison was kind of the Serenous Cinderella story of last year for the the college football playoffs. So I think it's it's important for these lower tier conference or mid-majors, let's call them, um, to k keep continuing to be relevant. And it is a decent football program, and then even at basketball, they have Wichita State coming in, Wichita State's in as well. So basketball, they're gonna be they're gonna look good. So I think it's a great move for Jameis Madison. I think um the American conference got a win out of it, and um, you know, I'm kind of excited to see what happens, what ripple effect that does happen.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. One of the things that I, you know, with the pack and taking away Teamster Mountain West, it would never make sense to me. Is it almost like it it weakened the the West Coast when it comes to football versus having them all in the same conference? It never made sense to me. Because you look at the American Conference without James Madison, it is clearly the number one G6 football conference right now, and it's not even close. So to add James Madison, who's a legit playoff contender, it's gone to the playoffs, has played well. Uh, they are making some power moves. I know awesome James Madison spent like 20 million to get in, but it made all the sense in the world because they're good at basketball, too, by the way. I think they win the NCAA tournament like two years ago. Um, they have a high NLI budget. Um, so it makes the Americans stronger. You know, it's interesting. Now, what does the PAC and because there's going to be, once this occurs, there's always a ripple effect guys. Because now the Sunbelt is probably going to add a team, and who's that team? And we also know the PAC per their TV deal has to, they have to get one more program by 2027. Is that basketball? Is that football? And Mountain West is so growing. The the commissioner has come out multiple times. Is they want 12 programs for football and basketball. So what do you think are the ripple effects of this in terms of Sump Bell, Mountain West, and PAC? And who do you think, who do you think people, what do you think the programs are going to be going to the next conferences now? What are your predictions?
SPEAKER_01I think the the PAC is definitely going to make a play, maybe out of UC Davis, because it kind of makes sense geo geographic-wise. Um, but uh the Mountain West, and we've talked about it before, I would love, especially after the success that uh North Dakota State has had and their their fans coming down, the two Montana schools, Montana State and University of Montana, uh, they've been uh they've been perennial powerhouses at that FCS level. They have a great following, they have an in-state rivalry that they could bring to the Mountain West conference, and they play hard-nosed football again, like like we talked about with North Dakota State. So I don't know if we can replicate North Dakota State exactly, but if we could bring the two Montana schools in, that'll give us the 12 for football, and they do have decent basketball uh schools as well. I think that would kind of round out the Mountain West, and it makes sense geographically
Mountain West PAC Targets And FOMO
SPEAKER_01as well. You don't want kids flying all over the country uh and then having to come back and go to class on a Monday. So I would really like to see the Montana schools added to the Mountain West conference.
SPEAKER_00That'd be cool. The the the issue with the Mount the Montana schools, and they're really good programs, especially Montana Sarah now, and some bowmen where uh Bozeman where it's it's a pretty decent sized city. The media market in the media market, right? So the only issue is as we know it's at least 20 million to get into the um to the Mountain West, right? Um, give or take. So this they're both state schools and they're kind of a package deal. Yeah. So can Montana afford $40 million, give or take, to move up both our programs? And does it make sense for the Mountain West or PAC, whoever, to add both schools? Because really what you're doing is you're adding the state of Montana. That's that's how you get the TV dollars, and that's how you pre- So basically, if you get both schools, you you kind of diminish. It would almost be like a part-time role. Are they even gonna be other athletics? So I think there's a huge hurdle with the Montanas in and in. I think what would be best is I was thinking about this today, is like one, I don't know if Pac would do this, but one goes to Pac and one goes to Montana, I would love that. I think that would work out for both programs or both conferences. I think it would make a lot of sense. I don't know if I see US uh Davis, uh Montana got or uh Mountain West got ahead with Davis being a part of the Mountain West. I think they're gonna be added in football in 2028, and they have those grant of rights, so it's extremely now expensive to get any Mountain West school. Um, and it sounds like with the settlement, the PAC has a zero dollars give or take. It sounds like the Mountain West made a deal because people are saying that the Mountain West gave it away, and I think there was 40 cents on the dollar. I think it would have really came down to is the pack only had so much money, and it's either get the money or get no money, pack goes bankrupt and everybody loses. Right. You know, so and nobody really knows the story. It's probably come out in the next five, six years. It can be super interesting. Uh, but the two programs that I think that make the most sense, the the commissioner has come out, loves Toledo. I think if you add Toledo as football only, you have to add a basketball program too, which we let's say a San Francisco, Santa Clara, UC Irvine. I like Utah Valley. That's Mountain West has never brought up Utah Valley, but I like them. I don't think they would add them. But I think San Francisco Santa Clara Irvine, one of those. You get back in California. What I think makes the most sense is Tarleton State. They have very much a James Madison vibe to them. They have the football field, they have the new basketball arena, they have a lot of money. They come from the AM program. I would love for them to add, I know they want to be a full member, and that has been the pushback of adding Tarleton State versus just football. But Tarlton State is either going, it's gonna, it's gonna happen the next 24. I think they're number two in FCS right now behind Montana State, and they won a lot of big games last year. They're either going to Conference USA, some bell, or they're going to Mountain West. They have the leverage right now. I would just love to see the Mountain West get ahead of it because they have missed out on so many Texas programs all the year. It drives me nuts. Houston, North Texas, UTSA, Rice. Now these are all legit Big 12 American, and Mountain West just keeps missing out on Texas programs. We got El Paso, if you count that. But um Yeah, what's your thoughts?
SPEAKER_01No, I I you you you as always bring up some great points. And um if it if it is, if it is a you know, add one for football and then grab another basketball. I would love to see San Francisco come in. The Dawn's historic program. And um obviously I selfishly as a fan, I always like to have good venues to go to away game. So I would love to spend a weekend in San Francisco watching UNLV versus San Francisco basketball.
SPEAKER_00Well, I like the you're okay to go OT for a little bit, or you gotta go? No, yeah, let's go. Okay, cool. Uh I like uh I like the San Francisco program too. The arena is kind of like it's a high school gym, but they've clearly they've upgraded it. But I I think San Francisco makes the most sense for a basketball program or Santa Clara because they're putting a lot of money into that basketball program. We just don't know the finances, so we can't tell you guys. But something that has been how uh uh the Commission of the Mountain West has clearly gone out and like we're gonna get big cities for the media market. So I think the Toledo San Francisco pairing makes a lot of sense of how uh the we've seen expansion. So quick question for you though, now that the pack is left, uh do you have a little FOMO that Unal V is is not in the pack now, or you feel good about Mountain West?
SPEAKER_01I still feel good about the Mountain West. I mean, we are six and one against Power Force schools in the last seven games, and our only loss was an overtime loss to Syracuse. So I don't think we necessarily need a patch, uh, you know, a big power conference patch on our shoulder to show that we're a legitimate contender and can play at that level. I mean, I don't think there's been another uh group of uh group of six, and I can't remember what what the numbers are now, but the group of six that has has beaten that many um G5 or G4 uh power you know power teams. And uh again, the media deal isn't great, there's not a whole lot, and we we kind of uh sometimes the grass isn't always greener or necessarily in this case bluer, and we don't have we're kind of in control of our own destiny in the Mountain West, and they still have one automatic bid for sure for for basketball, so there's that. And if we continue to play the schools that we're supposed to play, and if you look at our non-conference schedule over the next couple years, we are still playing big name schools. So um, I don't have any FOMO about it. I'm I'm good with being in the Mountain West.
SPEAKER_00Okay. Originally it was all about Mountain West when it all went down. I I have a little FOMO, just to be completely honest with you. Yeah, it's uh it's not, but we've played those things, been those part of those programs. I just think overall, I think it was almost like a loss loss. I will say this though. I agree. Gloria Navarra's Commissioner Mountain West, great job. Um imagine what the Mountain West looks like right now if they didn't uh target North Dakota State and GCU. Very difficult.
SPEAKER_01It would be, I mean, it would be like the big big West type. Right.
SPEAKER_00I mean, it's made a big difference. So it'll be interesting who they add, because I know they want to add any. I think it's just so dry PAC just did such a terrible job with the expansion. And I mean, imagine a conference. What they could have done, and again, we're not going to know the details of why this all went down the way it went down, but the Mountain West had the ability to basically dissolve itself. Um, and you could have had potentially, you know, the Air Force, New Mexico, and then added a Grand Canyon. Imagine that type of conference. American, I think, would still be a better football conference. It'd be kind of like a 1A, 1B, like it was. I just never really it would be the best basketball conference. For sure. That which would, you know. Um, but yeah, I just it never really made a ton of sense of why they did the things they did. And um, yeah, and uh the more you think about it, it's they went to the pack to go with Washington State and Oregon State. But what are the two best programs uh from the Mountain West? It's it's Boise in football and San Diego State and basketball. Konzaga came later, obviously their premier basketball program, but I feel like they actually had the leverage and not Oregon State and Washington State. So I don't totally understand it, but I'm I guess I'm venting now. It's all good. You said you might do that. I did just about different things, right?
SPEAKER_01All right, right. You got any final thoughts? No, I just I love this Go Rebels uh big game this weekend. Thanks for having me on.
SPEAKER_00Yes, right, I'm pulling this man. You see this guy bomb a bear, guys run a Vegas game of yourselves today.