Introducing the Old/New Great West Conference

For years the Great West has been a football only conference, but it will be all sports, including college basketball (had to work that angle in) beginning in 2009-2010.

This Division I conference is a mish-mash of independent teams, teams from other conferences looking for a home and teams that have moved up a notch or two from lower divisions.

Current members include North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah Valley University, Houston Baptist, Texas-Pan American and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Seattle (home of the recently fired Los Angeles Clippers General Manager and L.A. Lakers legend Elgin Baylor) could join later.

They’re calling it the second most expansive conference in the nation behind the WAC.

That’s true. Because when I think of teams from the west, the New Jersey Institute of Technology or any school east of the Mississippi instantly comes to mind.

All this means is that there is now another conference fighting for that coveted play-in game a couple of days before the Big Dance begins.