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Post by volleyguy on Jun 4, 2015 11:09:27 GMT -5
The Big West conference is a conference that should be so much stronger than it is. Hawaii and Long Beach State are known as volleyball powerhouses. Yes in the past few years they have not been AS good in the recent years but they are powerhouses nonetheless. UCSB is a school that used to be a powerhouse... I cannot call it that now. Also all the schools are California schools with beautiful campuses many of which are right by the beach. Many of them have strong academics as well as great social scenes... So what is the problem with the Big West??? In one word, it is Money. Not having football isn't the real problem, since football at a mid-major level is probably more of a financial drain than a boost. Not having strong basketball teams is, however, a big problem. Good basketball could offset some of disadvantages that not having football brings, particularly in regards to presenting a strong athletic presence on campus that is attractive for potential recruits. The WCC does a better job of that. Oh, and adding UC Riverside (instead of UC San Diego) was a bust.
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Post by geddyleeridesagain on Jun 4, 2015 12:11:48 GMT -5
Yeah, what Volleyguy said - money, money,money. Athletic department budgets for Big West schools are dwarfed by the Pac 12 and other power conference schools. They (Big West) are trying to compete against bigger budgets, better facilities, national TV contracts and so on - and they're trying to do it in the heart of power school recruiting territory (California). The WCC is in better shape by virtue of being all private schools, which generally puts them on better financial footing, not to mention offering a small, private, (largely) christian school alternative to the big boys, which appeals to a number of good recruits. From an athletics perspective, it's just tough for the Big West these days.
As an aside, that's also why I think that for as well-known as Shoji is, he still might be underrated. What that guy has been doing (and continues to do) at Hawaii is, to me at least, remarkable.
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Post by gouci on Jun 4, 2015 12:50:37 GMT -5
Maybe 15 years ago the power conferences had total athletic budgets 3 times that of the Big West teams.
Today the power conferences may have total athletic budgets 8 times that of the Big West teams.
All these new power conference regional networks that bring in hundreds of millions of dollars have made the rich get richer. The gap between the power conference total budgets and that of the Big West has become the size of the Grand Canyon.
However if you look at the men's side where they offer partial scholarships instead of full scholarships it makes more of an even playing field. So in sports like baseball, men's soccer and men's volleyball a few Big West teams can still be powerhouses from time to time.
In pro sports they have a salary cap to level the playing field not in college.
In business they have laws against monopolies but in college athletics the power conferences are somehow allowed to monopolize most of the TV revenue.
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Post by jake on Jun 4, 2015 13:04:16 GMT -5
Never happen,.. .CAL POLY has been there and done that. POLY will sweep the gauchos this year. ...... The gauchos return everyone, and add far better recruits, one who was ranked in the top 20 and is the real deal. No way poly sweeps them lol. A freshman is still a freshman,...no matter how touted in hs. It takes a full year for any freshman to adjust to D1 volleyball,...that and the academics. (at most schools)
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Post by gouci on Jun 4, 2015 13:23:59 GMT -5
A freshman is still a freshman,...no matter how touted in hs. It takes a full year for any freshman to adjust to D1 volleyball,...that and the academics. (at most schools) Did this apply to Taylor Nelson? Jake how do you explain Taylor Nelson winning Prepvolleyball.com National Player of the Year as a high school senior but not even making it onto the Big West all freshmen team last season at Cal Poly?
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Post by WahineFan44 on Jun 4, 2015 13:33:19 GMT -5
A freshman is still a freshman,...no matter how touted in hs. It takes a full year for any freshman to adjust to D1 volleyball,...that and the academics. (at most schools) Did this apply to Taylor Nelson? Jake how do you explain Taylor Nelson winning Prepvolleyball.com National Player of the Year as a high school senior but not even making it onto the Big West all freshmen team last season at Cal Poly? I thought she was the California, npoy, not the total npoy.
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Post by volleyguy on Jun 4, 2015 13:50:25 GMT -5
Yeah, what Volleyguy said - money, money,money. Athletic department budgets for Big West schools are dwarfed by the Pac 12 and other power conference schools. They (Big West) are trying to compete against bigger budgets, better facilities, national TV contracts and so on - and they're trying to do it in the heart of power school recruiting territory (California). The WCC is in better shape by virtue of being all private schools, which generally puts them on better financial footing, not to mention offering a small, private, (largely) christian school alternative to the big boys, which appeals to a number of good recruits. From an athletics perspective, it's just tough for the Big West these days. As an aside, that's also why I think that for as well-known as Shoji is, he still might be underrated. What that guy has been doing (and continues to do) at Hawaii is, to me at least, remarkable. Both Shoji and Gimillaro are great coaches--they are more alike than different. Although it was perhaps inevitable that both programs would decline due to their conference affiliations (despite Hawaii's football program), the biggest factor in the difference now is/was the deterioration of Gimmillaro's own club and his relationship with local clubs, which was almost entirely a result of his own doing.
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Post by Barefoot In Kailua on Jun 4, 2015 13:56:59 GMT -5
Hawai'i will run the tables in the Big West this season, the POY will be Tai Manu-Olevao. You heard it here first. I have to respectfully disagree. If UH relies on Olevao to be the first option, they won't be as successful as they hope. If Magill and Mitchem are options 1 and 2, UH will be more likely to finish undefeated in conference. I think those two will have better chances of getting POY. I am leaning more towards Mitchem unless Higgins's sets to the middles improve. Maglio will surprise everybody. Manu-Olevao will not be Hawaii's primary option the way Hartong, Danielson, etc., was for the Wahine but she won't have to be. That is one of the reasons why I believe she will shine this year. The talent and depth on this Wahine team will be a benefit, not only to Shoji but to Tai as well, in more ways than one.
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Post by Barefoot In Kailua on Jun 4, 2015 14:00:38 GMT -5
Did this apply to Taylor Nelson? Jake how do you explain Taylor Nelson winning Prepvolleyball.com National Player of the Year as a high school senior but not even making it onto the Big West all freshmen team last season at Cal Poly? I thought she was the California, npoy, not the total npoy. Brah, for someone so attuned to the youth game, you really are losing heat here. lol. Nelson was PrepVolleyball.com's National (Senior) Player of the Year. She was also the Gatorade and Maxpreps.com California POY.
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Post by WahineFan44 on Jun 4, 2015 14:46:55 GMT -5
I thought she was the California, npoy, not the total npoy. Brah, for someone so attuned to the youth game, you really are losing heat here. lol. Nelson was PrepVolleyball.com's National (Senior) Player of the Year. She was also the Gatorade and Maxpreps.com California POY. I don't have prepvolleyball lol. I got the gatoriade award and thought that was her only award. My apolgies.
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Post by Garand on Jun 4, 2015 15:06:20 GMT -5
Yeah, well, just don't let it happen again.
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Post by HawaiiVB on Jun 5, 2015 2:41:33 GMT -5
I will predict that within four years, the Big West will be adding more schools for athletic membership. Its a hunch with seeing what is happening around the country. If my guess is right, super conferences will form quickly.
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Post by zenyada on Jun 5, 2015 10:19:26 GMT -5
The Big West conference is a conference that should be so much stronger than it is. Hawaii and Long Beach State are known as volleyball powerhouses. Yes in the past few years they have not been AS good in the recent years but they are powerhouses nonetheless. UCSB is a school that used to be a powerhouse... I cannot call it that now. Also all the schools are California schools with beautiful campuses many of which are right by the beach. Many of them have strong academics as well as great social scenes... So what is the problem with the Big West??? Same thing that's wrong with UCLA and USC. First, college has gotten so expensive that talent is getting disbursed by scholarship money. Many don't have the luxury of playing at their state/local school, they go play where they can get paid. Second, early recruiting injects more risk, so there are more "misses" with the schollies handed out. For example, not to kill anyone's buzz, but I think Hawaii will yield little umph from their 2015 class, and that will "cost" them later. Third, increased substitutions and specialization. The advantage these schools had was they always had a core of beach grown, highly skilled all around players that provided a "toughness" competitively. Now with all the subs, recruit tall, specialize, and this core of highly skilled players is less relevant. Kathy Gregory used to recruit players in her own mold. That era is over.
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Post by jake on Jun 5, 2015 18:13:48 GMT -5
A freshman is still a freshman,...no matter how touted in hs. It takes a full year for any freshman to adjust to D1 volleyball,...that and the academics. (at most schools) Did this apply to Taylor Nelson? Jake how do you explain Taylor Nelson winning Prepvolleyball.com National Player of the Year as a high school senior but not even making it onto the Big West all freshmen team last season at Cal Poly? Thought I just did.
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Post by Victory At Hand on Jun 6, 2015 1:00:02 GMT -5
The Big West conference is a conference that should be so much stronger than it is. Hawaii and Long Beach State are known as volleyball powerhouses. Yes in the past few years they have not been AS good in the recent years but they are powerhouses nonetheless. UCSB is a school that used to be a powerhouse... I cannot call it that now. Also all the schools are California schools with beautiful campuses many of which are right by the beach. Many of them have strong academics as well as great social scenes... So what is the problem with the Big West??? UCSB was never a powerhouse, they had years where they were very competitive and years where they were not. Long Beach State and Hawaii, and even Pacific when they were in the BW, were national powers, all winning national titles. If you look at it over the years, only Hawaii has been consistently in the top 25 and in the NCAA Tournament.
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