We've beaten the size of the venues into the ground, but I maintain that the optics of playing in the arenas of the MWC versus the junior college/high school gyms of the WCC is significant. It would be one thing if these venues were sold out and rocking, but as we know, the atmosphere is, to be kind, lacking, at all venues except SMC and Gonzaga. Furthermore, attendance for the seven schools other than Gonzaga and St. Mary's typically ranges between 1,000 and 2,000. Only Air Force and San Jose St. are in that neighborhood The next lowest MWC team, Colorado St., averages double the attendance of these seven schools.

Don't get me wrong, I love playing Gonzaga more than anyone in the MWC, and they are by far a better program than anyone in the MWC. And I also enjoy the rivalry with SMC, and they are too undoubtedly a quality program. However, the other seven teams in the WCC are all the same to me. There is no evidence, despite the arguments of some, that any of these schools are "getting better", or that they will ever draw any kind of following in their respective markets. These are after-thought programs that have no following, and will perennially be sub-100 RPI.

And while the MWC has taken a step back since BYU left, it is still a better all-around conference than the WCC. For example, this year the MWC has an RPI rating of 9 and the WCC 13. In the seven years since BYU joined the WCC, the average RPI ranking of the MWC has been 8.2 and the WCC 10.7. However, that stat is obviously skewed by BYU being part of the WCC. In the three years prior to BYU joining the WCC (2009, 2010 and 2011), the MWC had an average RPI rating of 5.7 and the WCC 14. The MWC is simply a stronger conference top to bottom.

Another barometer of conference depth is NCAA tournament appearances by the respective member schools. As for the WCC, excluding Pacific (who joined the WCC for the 2013-14 season), only two programs not named St. Mary's or Gonzaga have played in the NCAA tournament since 2000 (San Diego in 2008 and 2003 and Pepperdine in 2000 and 2002). Portland has only been to the tournament twice, and not since 1996. San Francisco, for all their storied history, has not been to the tournament since 1998 and only three times since 1980. Santa Clara hasn't been since 1996 and Loyola Marymount has not been since 1990.

Conversely, although UNLV is a shadow of what they once were in their glory years, they've still been to the tournament eight times while in the MWC with their last appearance in 2013. UNLV is still a nationally respected program as evidenced by their annual recruiting haul.

SDSU and New Mexico are established programs with both having recent appearances in the tournament from 2010-15 and 2010-14 respectively.

Excluding Utah St. (who joined the MWC in 2013), CSU (2003, 2012 and 2013), Boise St. (2008, 2013 and 2015), Nevada (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2017), Wyoming (2002 and 2015), Air Force (2004 and 2006) and Fresno St. (2000, 2001 and 2016), all have at least double digit appearances in the tournament since 2000.

San Jose St. is the only outlier here, having only been to the tournament twice in their history and not since 1996. Their profile looks remarkably similar to a WCC team.

In sum, other than two games against Gonzaga, and to a lesser extent the two games against St. Mary's, what is exciting about being in the WCC? I'd prefer games against EVERY team in the MWC over the remaining seven schools in the WCC other than possibly San Jose St.