Here is an interesting article about Seattle University and their talks about moving to Division I. This article is from the Seattle Times
Seattle U. may go back to Division I
By Nick Perry
Seattle Times staff reporter
Seattle University is considering rejoining the big leagues of college sports nearly three decades after leaving.
A task force of 22 people including students, faculty and trustees will study the costs and benefits of rejoining the West Coast Conference and returning to NCAA Division I status. Such a move could substantially raise the university's national profile and have an effect on everything from admissions to fundraising.
Not to mention potentially sparking a rivalry on the basketball court between Seattle U. and its Jesuit cousin, Gonzaga University in Spokane.
Seattle U. enjoyed its basketball glory days in the 1950s, with legendary players such as Eddie O'Brien and his twin brother Johnny O'Brien ? who became the first college player to score 1,000 points in a season in 1951-52 ? and Elgin Baylor, who led the team to the title game of the 1958 NCAA tournament before losing to Kentucky.
Seattle U. joined the West Coast Conference in 1971, but much to the disappointment of fans and alumni, left in 1980, on the basis it was costing too much to recruit a consistently good team. These days, the Seattle U. Redhawks (formerly Chieftains) compete in the Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
But Rev. Stephen Sundborg, the university's president, made clear his strong support of moving to Division I in last month's convocation speech. He said he was especially excited about the prospect of joining the eight other schools in the West Coast Conference, seven of which are also Catholic universities.
"We would be with them in basketball, which was and can be our tradition, but also in soccer, where we can already compete, in volleyball, baseball, and across the board," Sundborg said in his address. "That is Division I but what we most want is to be with those other quality universities, those peers of ours. This is not a matter of academics vs. sports, it is about the very reputation and educational quality of our university."
Twelve weeks ago, Sundborg hired Bill Hogan as athletic director, after Hogan spent 15 years with the University of San Francisco, a West Coast Conference school. Hogan acknowledged that moving Seattle U. to Division I was "part of the discussion" of his hire.
Hogan said that the West Coast Conference needs more teams and would likely welcome back Seattle U. The WCC is one of the nation's most stable conferences. The conference has not added a school since 1979 when Gonzaga and San Diego joined and has not lost a school since Seattle U. left.
"The West Coast Conference talks about Seattle U.'s potential every other year," he said. "It's not like the East Coast, where there's a university every other block."
Seattle U. would be required to add one men's sport in the spring, Hogan said. Likely it would be baseball, golf or tennis.
The task force is due to make a recommendation in May. Should they decide to pursue the idea, Seattle U. could be playing a large number of Division I games by the 2008-09 school year and have a full Division I calendar the following year, Hogan said. The school would likely go through a reclassification period before becoming a full member again.
In Spokane, Gonzaga's success in basketball has had a direct impact on the university, said spokesman Dale Goodwin. Since advancing to the NCAA tournament's Elite Eight in 1999, Gonzaga's enrollment has risen from 4,400 to more than 6,500, and annual fundraising has risen from less than $10 million to more than $15 million.
"We've gone from a relatively regional entity to much more of a national entity," said Gonzaga athletic director Mike Roth. "The more people know about you, the better."
Gonzaga also spent $25 million two years ago building a new, 6,000-seat basketball stadium. Seattle U. might need to make a similar investment. The Connolly Center, Seattle U.'s current basketball arena, holds only 900 fans. One option might be, temporarily at least, to use existing facilities at KeyArena or at the University of Washington.
Seattle U. Provost John Eshelman said that a higher-profile athletic program would benefit the university by increasing student diversity, especially by attracting more students from out of state.
Many students past and present are already getting excited about the possibilities for Seattle U. ? including Johnny O'Brien, who said he's "absolutely delighted" at the news.
"I believe it's a positive all the way," he said. "We get an upgrade of the facilities for student use. And it's positive for the old alumni. We were just hoping for the day we would be back in Division I."
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My question is this, what are your thoughts on this possible move? How would this affect the GNAC?
