The Western Athletic Conference is in a somewhat dire situation: they need to expand in order to have more than six members for the 2011-12 and remain a legitimate conference.
As the San Marcos Daily Record reported on Friday, the Western Athletic Conference will reportedly extend an invite to Seattle U as a non-football member as well as other schools discussed previously.
College Athletics: Sources say Texas State will be invited to join WAC " Breaking News " San Marcos Record, San Marcos, TX
...according to sources close to the situation — since Montana is in currently in a transition mode — Texas State and UTSA will be invited into the conference for all sports while Denver and Seattle will join for all but football.To many, Montana was a no-brainer to receive an immediate invite to the WAC but since the school just inducted a new president Monday afternoon and has yet to complete its Football Bowl Subdivision feasibility study, it wouldn’t be in a position to accept an invitation in the conference’s time frame.
However, according to the Seattle U athletics department, they have yet to receive an official invite and are still waiting for notification from the WAC about an official site visit.
So it's not set in stone quite yet and ultimately Seattle University might still have another option.
As of right now, whether Seattle U gets an invite might hinge on Montana's FBS feasibility study and whether they decide to take the next step as a football school or not.
Daily Word: Analyzing WAC expansion possibilities - college basketball - ESPN
If Montana chooses to stay put, the likelihood is that all four of the other candidates will join the WAC for eight members in football, 10 in men's basketball. The two Texas schools would create a bridge between members New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech. If Montana decides to join, then Seattle is likely out.
If Seattle U is squeezed out of the WAC, the West Coast Conference still needs to add a non-football member after Brigham Young University announced that they will be joining the conference in 2011-12. Seattle U could still end up in the WCC. And quite honestly, the WCC seems like a stronger fit in sharing a common mission and values with the current member institutions as described here previously.
So until the WAC extends invites and Montana makes its decision, nothing is off the table for Seattle and the WCC still appears to be the stronger fit for the non-football school. In the meantime, might this 30 day window within which the WAC might make their decision give the WCC time to make an invite?