Report: Wichita State Interested In Joining Mountain West


Wichita State has reportedly expressed interest in joining the Mountain West Conference.


Wichita State’s athletic program has reportedly expressed interest in joining the Mountain West Conference, according to CBS Sports.

School president John Bardo, as well as other individuals representing Wichita State’s athletic department, have been in contact with Mountain West representatives. The Shockers are currently members of the Missouri Valley Conference.

Bardo had previously expressed interest in reviving the Shockers’ football program, which was removed from its athletic department in 1986. If Bardo’s attempts to join the Mountain West are to succeed, reinstating WSU football will be necessary.

The Shockers’ potential addition would give the Mountain West its 12th basketball program and 13th football program.

While there would certainly be economic complications, such as contract renegotiations with the Mountain West’s media rights holders, the addition of such a prominent basketball program would undoubtedly benefit the conference.

Wichita State provided the college basketball world with one of the sport’s greatest Cinderella stories during the 2013 NCAA Tournament, and the Shockers have not backed down since. Head coach Gregg Marshall has built this program into a mid-major powerhouse on the back of that Final Four appearance and five consecutive years in the NCAA Tournament.

There are question marks as to how the Shockers’ potential football program would impact the conference. What are the odds of the Mountain West approving an upstart football program that would immediately join the conference? It’s safe to assume it’s not too great.

According to CBS Sports, adding FBS football would cost Wichita State approximately $50 million, and that’s not including renovations to Cessna Stadium, the school’s old football facility. And, as with any new program, it’ll take time before the school is competitive and consistently generating good revenue.

It will be a long and arduous process, one that the Mountain West may want to steer clear of altogether. There is certainly a balancing act at this point for the conference. Would the addition of such a strong basketball program offset the ramifications of an upstart, unproven football program?

That remains to be seen. But there will be updates soon, as Wichita State is set to reveal more information on the status of its potential football startup in the next 30-45 days.

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