Mountain West officially invites Nevada and Fresno St.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/08/18/1630469/mwc-invites-fresno-st-nevada.html
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/08/18/1630581/byu-to-leave-mwc-which-invites.html
This is getting crazy. From what I’ve read on CBSSports.com, ESPN.com, various Utah media websites, etc., this is what’s happening:
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BYU leaving Mountain West for WAC, but will become an independent in football (though Cougars would have to schedule 4-6 games per season in football against WAC teams under terms of “rejoining” conference)
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MW then extends invite to WAC members Fresno State and Nevada
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In spite of $5 million exit fee, looks like Fresno and Nevada will jump to MW (though latter may have an out as it may have never signed exit fee documents!)
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With WAC now down to only 6-football playing institutions, the West Coast Conference (Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, etc.) extends invite to BYU to join WCC for all-sports except football!
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WAC may extend invitations to current FCS schools UT San Antonio and Texas State, with which it has had discussions
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Rumors also have MW extending invitations to current C-USA members Houston and UTEP
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Rumors also have Boise State backing out on joining the MW and remaining in the WAC
Hmmm…
No way they get a “Notre Dame” style BCS deal with half their schedule against the WAC! To me, doing this without the BCS deal defeats the reasons to leave the MWC in the first place.
That decision would be worse than the one BYU just made now that Nevada and Fresno State have left the WAC.
That decision would be worse than the one BYU just made now that Nevada and Fresno State have left the WAC.[/quote]Well, the Boise State rumor no longer has any validity. Ironic/funny/etc. now I’m reading that BYU “convinced” the WAC to implement the $5 million exit fee so that there wouldn’t be any more defections from the conference once it rejoined. That one really backfired!
In 24 hours it went from the so-called experts writing about the end of the Mountain West to now writing about the death of the WAC!
That decision would be worse than the one BYU just made now that Nevada and Fresno State have left the WAC.[/quote]Well, the Boise State rumor no longer has any validity. Ironic/funny/etc. now I’m reading that BYU “convinced” the WAC to implement the $5 million exit fee so that there wouldn’t be any more defections from the conference once it rejoined. That one really backfired!
In 24 hours it went from the so-called experts writing about the end of the Mountain West to now writing about the death of the WAC![/quote]
It all hinges on whether they get a sweetheart BCS deal. If they do, then they won’t care if they play their other sports in the WAC, WCC, Big Sky, whatever.
If they don’t get a sweetheart BCS deal, then they’ll stay put.
Now, the MWC could target a CUSA school to get to 12 (or 2 if BYU leaves) and that can shift this whole thing east and our way.
[quote=“Run49er, post:2, topic:23766”]This is getting crazy. From what I’ve read on CBSSports.com, ESPN.com, various Utah media websites, etc., this is what’s happening:
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BYU leaving Mountain West for WAC, but will become an independent in football (though Cougars would have to schedule 4-6 games per season in football against WAC teams under terms of “rejoining” conference)
-
MW then extends invite to WAC members Fresno State and Nevada
-
In spite of $5 million exit fee, looks like Fresno and Nevada will jump to MW (though latter may have an out as it may have never signed exit fee documents!)
-
With WAC now down to only 6-football playing institutions, the West Coast Conference (Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, etc.) extends invite to BYU to join WCC for all-sports except football!
-
WAC may extend invitations to current FCS schools UT San Antonio and Texas State, with which it has had discussions
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Rumors also have MW extending invitations to current C-USA members Houston and UTEP
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Rumors also have Boise State backing out on joining the MW and remaining in the WAC
Hmmm…[/quote]
So we’re on step 4, right? If I’m BYU, I’d take the WCC invite and become a football unrestricted free agent and see what kind of market value I have.
Another rumor in the ol’ rumor mill is based on the peculiar timing of BYU to suddenly bolt the MWC ---- which BYU helped form in 1996, when 5 WAC institutions objected to massive conference expansion. At the time, BYU was among the schools that highly objected to expanding into places like Texas & Oklahoma and sacrificing “athletic and academic integrity” after the WAC megaconference experiment. Rumor has it that MWC and the western CUSA schools have been conducting backdoor talks … the talks of history repeating a WAC megaconference got very serious … and BYU wanted absolutely no part of it. Houston’s rivals site posted an article today about a possible merging of as many as 20 MWC/CUSA schools!
Hmmm…
Mountain West actually approached Utah State first about jumping ship, then Fresno State and Nevada. Wonder what USU now thinks about its decision to stay put?!
UtahStateAggies.com: An Open Letter From Utah State Athletics Director Scott Barnes
Also reading that WAC had hoped to shed Louisiana Tech as part of the “reunion” with BYU, but that’s not happening now!
[quote=“Run49er, post:8, topic:23766”]Mountain West actually approached Utah State first about jumping ship, then Fresno State and Nevada. Wonder what USU now thinks about its decision to stay put?!
UtahStateAggies.com: An Open Letter From Utah State Athletics Director Scott Barnes
Also reading that WAC had hoped to shed Louisiana Tech as part of the “reunion” with BYU, but that’s not happening now!
ESPN.com: WAC’s Karl Benson comes out firing[/quote]
It’s been Utah St.'s ultimate goal to be in a conference first with BYU and close second with Utah. Ultimate FUBAR! They have to be dying right now.
Any chance UTEP would go back to the WAC?
Leaving a CUSA vacancy?
I would think La Tech is foaming at the mouth to try to get in CUSA somehow, too. With the WAC imploding and the MWC looking to expand, they may just get that. They will fit right in geographically if Houston and UTEP leave.
[quote=“ninerID, post:10, topic:23766”]Any chance UTEP would go back to the WAC?
Leaving a CUSA vacancy?[/quote]
Unless they are having trouble paying bills for travel expenses in CUSA, they would be crazy to go (back) to the WAC. Tehy have been mentioned for the MWC, so I think it’s there or stay put. Them going back to the WAC knowing what’s taken place would be worse than BYU going there. Then again, if they are trying to cut expenses, they might just do it.
Houston’s Rival.com site is reporting they are close to going to the Mountain West.
Temple and one other school will join Conference USA for football only, effective starting with the 2011 season.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/439937-breaking-news-temple-to-join-conference-usa
[quote=“Mr. Bojangles, post:13, topic:23766”]
Temple and one other school will join Conference USA for football only, effective starting with the 2011 season.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/439937-breaking-news-temple-to-join-conference-usa[/quote]
This would make sense for Temple, but I’m not sure I see why C-USA would do this. You would think they would want them for all sports.
I would have thought Temple was going for all sports. But, it is a bleacherreport.com article, so I wouldn’t read too much into it.
new Tom Dienhart tweee:
Houston Rivals site says if BYU bolts MWC, SMU may join with Houston. Possible sticking point: Would TCU allow it all to happen?
Temple to C-USA for football, Charlotte to C-USA for all other sports, both join the league for all sports in 2017.
Reports are the MWC and CUSA are in talks to have a championship game where the winner could potentially get an auto BCS bid.
CUSA should be our goal.
[quote=“ninerID, post:18, topic:23766”]Reports are the MWC and CUSA are in talks to have a championship game where the winner could potentially get an auto BCS bid.
CUSA should be our goal.[/quote]
Whether or not that happens, C-USA is a home that will make stepping up much easier.
If FBS really is our goal, AD Rose needs to be pounding down their doors right now.
[quote=“ninerID, post:18, topic:23766”]Reports are the MWC and CUSA are in talks to have a championship game where the winner could potentially get an auto BCS bid.
CUSA should be our goal.[/quote]
I don’t like that. They’re giving into the BCS by making their champs play what is essentially a play-in game for a BCS berth. An auto bid is what both conferences need to make their programs better, but having to get it that way is compromising a lot.