College Athletics: A conversation with SLC Commissioner Tom Burnett

Just got off the phone with Southland Conference Commissioner Tom Burnett. Here's a little bit of what Burnett had to say.

On the potential of Texas State and Texas-San Antonio joining the WAC: "We’ve long understood these two institutions have had this aspiration and while you can have an aspiration without an answer, so to speak, they have both found themselves in a position this opportunity has kind of fallen out of the sky into their laps. Earlier in the summer, none of us thought it would happen. What we learned is that conference membership can change on a dime. It can look tranquil and peaceful one day and turbulent on the next. The WAC has found itself on survival mode. It’s not an envious position to be in and if these two schools help the WAC exist in the future, for a lot of reasons, it’s a forgone conclusion that it will happen. Maybe a lot sooner than a lot of people in our conference thought it would happen."

On his discussions with Texas State and WAC Commissioner Karl Benson: "The lines of communication between me, Texas State and Karl Benson have always been open. I'm talking with each on a daily basis. I think we're all going about it the right way. It's not a secretive effort here. I know what the WAC has to do to keep itself in existence and Karl has been very honest with me about what he wants to do."

On if he feels Texas State and UTSA would jump at the opportunity to join the WAC: "I'm not a betting man, but if there's another opportunity out there for them, I don’t know what is. These are two schools that are sitting on a go waiting for the FBS opportunity. They've been ready to sign up yesterday."

On where the Southland Conference goes without Texas State and UTSA: "There are a ton of options, one of which is to stay where we are with a 10-member conference with eight playing football. Losing these two members doesn't put our conference into survival mode. It puts us into a mode where we can enhance our conference any number of ways, whether it be expansion or staying put. We don't ever want to lose anybody, but we've had a lot of membership change in our history and always adapt to it."