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Before the Big Ten threw the college football punditry into a state of utter higgledy-piggledy by announcing it might expand in 12 to 18 months, and then whispering that it might expand to 16 immediately, there was a conference realignment scenario that actually made sense and promised to improve the state of college football: moving Boise State into the Mountain West.
Boise's clearly outgrown the WAC, where they rarely deal with a game within two touchdowns, let alone a loss. Moving them to the Mountain West gives them some profile after their annual defeat/crushing of a Pac-10 team, reduces the possibility that the BCS will have to deal with multiple undefeated mid-majors, and prevents said BCS from ever staging another Kiddie Table Bowl, unless someone in Conference USA gets seriously upstart. Also, college football will have some indication whether Boise is seriously for real and or when it's just clobbering WAC goofballs. It's an idea that needs to happen.
Apparently, if that's going to happen, it's going to happen like now:
The Mountain West Conference presidents meet next month, and there’s at least a decent chance that they will formally invite BSU — if not immediately after the gathering, then before July 1.
Here’s why: if the MWC wants Boise State’s performance in the 2008-10 seasons to be included in the formula that determines whether the MWC receives an automatic BCS bid for the next cycle of games — and it sure as heck does — then the Broncos must be a member of the MWC in 2011.
I'm sure there are very complicated calculations going on in the Mountain West Fortress of Solitude right now. Can they possibly end with any decision other than "duh, invite Boise"?
I'd suggest that the MWC take a hard look at adding Fresno State, too, bringing them to an even ten and beefing their football presence up to the point where it's almost impossible to justify a Big East autobid without a corresponding Mountain West one. If they want to get all cackling and evil about things, they could ask Wyoming and possibly Colorado State to hike back to the WAC. That would bring their conference strength of schedule up even further without hurting the basketball side of things—the reason UNLV and San Diego State are safe.
The new conference would be guaranteed a BCS bid for the single year of its existence, at which point the Pac 10 and Big 12 will tear it limb from limb and keep the shiny bits to themselves. But 2011 will be cool.
This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
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Comments
Grrr.. I want to brag about whipping Lebron, and the lead article is f*cking Boise???
Grrr.. I want to brag about whipping Lebron, and the lead article is f*cking Boise???You need to have one blogger who keeps late hours, especially where they play games at night and so forth. One of you guys should man up and get into cocaine.
by L'etat, c'est moi on May 14, 2010 1:15 AM EDT reply actions
Makes. Too. Much. Sense.
Move Notre Dame into the Big 11, and Bosie State into the MWC.
Problem Solved. Next?
by nexrad on May 14, 2010 2:42 AM EDT reply actions
The MWC will stil be worse off once their raided for Utah by the Pac 10 and TCU by the Big 12.
by NittanyBlueHen on May 14, 2010 6:22 AM EDT reply actions
My thoughts: Go back to the future. Combine the MWC and the WAC. Make it 14 teams and let the others drop down to Conference USA, Sun Belt, or big Sky as appropriate.
Keep: BYU, Utah, Utah State, Colorado State, Nevada, UNLV, Wyoming, New Mexico, Air Force, San Jose State, Fresno State, Boise State
Add: UTEP and Colorado. If that doesn’t work, take a hard look at moving Montana up to 1A and bring them in.
Lose: Hawaii and San Diego State (Pac 10), TCU (Big 12), New Mexico State and LA Tech (Sun Belt), Idaho (Big Sky)
by fan82 on May 14, 2010 10:46 AM EDT reply actions
L’etat, YOU whipped Lebron, really? I didn’t realize you actually play for the Celtics. YOU didn’t whip anyone!!
by buckeyenut on May 14, 2010 11:57 AM EDT reply actions
After the game, I snuck up on him with a bullwhip and went all High Plains Drifter on him.
by L'etat, c'est moi on May 14, 2010 10:21 PM EDT reply actions
A few points for ya, fan82.
The only way the MWC is interested in Boise is if Utah jumps ship to the Pac-10. As is, they are on track to get an automatic bid for the BCS. They don’t need Boise, and don’t want Fresno.
San Diego St and Hawaii have no chance of getting into the Pac-10. Neither school adds that many TV sets. Hawaii is too far away, has too small a stadium, and even west coast fans don’t stay up to watch the ultra late Hawaii games. I TIVO the games, but I’m a cfb junkie.
by kingsfan on May 15, 2010 12:31 AM EDT reply actions
I’ve been saying this for a while. Take the best of the WAC and the best of the Mountain West and you have a great conference. The MWC should take Boise St., Fresno St., Hawaii, and Nevada. Keep 12 or drop the weak teams down to the WAC. I like 10 team conferences, so while the Big 10 is talking about expansion, I would prefer to see them drop back down to 10. Just think about how much the Big East would upgrade if they added Notre Dame and Penn State. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love Penn State in the Big 10, but if we were going to lose one to the Big East, they are the logical choice. If eveyone shoots for a 12 team conference, that favors the Big 10 and Pac 10. The MWC and the Big East will be picking through the dregs and raiding Conference USA. There are enough good teams in the West to make another strong 12 team conference, but out East? I think big conferences condemn the Big East to mediocrity.
by Sexy Pete on May 16, 2010 2:00 PM EDT reply actions
The WAC is calling… All those teams who left the WAC are more than welcome to come back. Most of those teams left because the thought they could build better conference. It’s time to put away their "DeMarcus Russell experiment!" Most of their history has to do with when they were in the WAC anyway. The WAC has the TV contract, traditions, and history. What has the MWC produced if you take Utah out of the equation. Nothing! They don’t have a 2 time Fiesta Bowl Champ, a National ranked wrestling program. Fresno State has NCAA national baseball title, well respect football program, Nevada has been the WAC’s poster child for Basketball. Where are the MWC achievements like that. The poster child for the MWC is Utah. no one else! Make the WAC stronger and dispose of the MWC. Let face it the MWC has teams that should return to their root. Make a conference that could be an automatic qualifier for the BCS system. WAC 10 Boise State, Fresno, Nevada, Hawaii, San Jose State, UNLV, BYU, Utah, TCU, San Diego State.
by tail410 on May 16, 2010 2:26 PM EDT reply actions
Hey tail410, That would be a nice conference. I hope something happens out there. Those programs deserve it.
by Sexy Pete on May 16, 2010 3:37 PM EDT reply actions
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