San Diego State is helping Boise State find a stable conference home for its non-football sports, possibly in the Big West for 2013 and beyond.

Should Boise and SDSU still pay an exit penalty when every team is leaving the Mountain West?

Steve Fisher lands a much needed big man for next season. In so doing, he also adds to an already stellar recruiting class.

It appears Craig Thompson was being proactive about expansion.

In hindsight, the worst thing the Mountain West ever did was sign their TV deal. It's dooming the conference.

Mountain West rivals UNLV and SDSU are ranked 7 & 8 in a mostly pointless list.

In summary, SDSU is trying get into a more lucrative conference. Lucrative conferences don't seem to be terribly interested so SDSU is not above riding Boise St.'s coattails.

"Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson said Utah State and San Jose State would be considered as potential new members for his league if Boise State or Air Force leave for the Big East Conference."

Missouri’s decision to apply for membership to the SEC was "inevitable and imminent," although a specific time frame has yet to be set.

Is this the beginning of the end to the Big East?

I suppose the Big 12 could add BYU only, thus leaving the Big East unscathed. However, if the Big 12 wants to get back to twelve then I don't see a scenario that doesn't involve current or targeted Big East schools.

So far, the Big 12 has indicated to Sterk that it was "looking more east than west and staying in their footprint right now." But Sterk said Big 12 officials also told him SDSU’s package was "good powerful information, well put together and that they would look at it as their realignment committee developed."

Sounds like the Big East is about to be raided which should bode well for the Mountain West.

What can Thompson do to keep TCU or Air Force?

"Just say, ‘Guys, we’re not going anywhere, and we might not have the biggest house on the block but we have a roof that’s not leaking,’" Thompson said. "That’s about all you can do."

The likelihood of an eventual Conference USA-Mountain West Conference merger is appearing more realistic.

Mandel also predicts the Aztecs will finish the season at 10-2 under first year coach Rocky Long.

San Diego State — where gorgeous women, the best weather in the world and little national respect for its football program have collectively resided together for decades — has been toiling in mediocrity for quite some time. After posting a 9-4 season under departed coach Brady Hoke last year — including a 35-14 win over Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl — there's some excitement brewing.

"I was hurt when I found out I wasn’t going to be able to come back," said Carlwell, a backup on SDSU’s 34-3 team who was slated to start this season. "My time at San Diego State was amazing. I couldn’t ask for a better three years of my life. I was a part of an amazing team. We made history at San Diego State and our legacy will forever live and that is something I am really proud of."

San Diego State’s basketball team literally filled a giant void Saturday night when 6-foot-11 LSU transfer Garrett Green confirmed to the Union-Tribune that he has committed to the Aztecs for his final season of eligibility.

Updates from Montezuma Mesa:

* CB Leon McFadden could see time at WR.
* Head Coach Rocky Long says Boise St.'s blue turf is "no big deal" and that SDSU will play Boise St "in the parking lot if they want."

Heralded St. John’s freshman Dwayne Polee II is transferring to SDSU, his father confirmed Monday, and plans to sign a financial-aid agreement later this week. He becomes the second big-time transfer landed by the Aztecs this spring, joining Utah freshman J.J. O’Brien.

"In the past year, the MWC has engaged Conference USA about their mutual interests. At this week's in board of directors meeting in San Diego, Thompson said chief executives of the league's member schools left with a plan to expand that kind of engagement to other non-automatic BCS leagues such as the Sun Belt, Mid-American and Western Athletic conferences.'

Methinks the MWC should also be contacting the football schools in the Big East.

'Then there is the ongoing basketball/football battle being waged internally in the Big East. The basketball schools are already frustrated by having to make a 16-team work. It could go to 18 and perhaps as many as 20 if some of the football schools get their wish to increase that sport to 12 teams, which would allow for a conference championship game and more money.

A basketball-football split seems a question of when, not if.'

St. John’s announced Monday that freshman forward Dwayne Polee II has been granted his release for the purpose of transferring to the West Coast. Polee attended Westchester High in Los Angeles, and his mother reportedly is ill.

He wouldn’t be the first Westchester High player to end up on Montezuma Mesa, or even the first to end up there after starting his career in the Big East.

Tony Bland, a candidate for the assistant coach vacancy on Steve Fisher’s staff, transferred to SDSU after spending two seasons at Syracuse. Guard Brandon Heath, the Aztecs’ all-time leading scorer, went to Westchester as well.

ESPN’s Ford is sold. He initially had Leonard in the middle of the first round, but that was before he went to Las Vegas.

In his ensuing draft analysis, Ford used phrases like "blown away" and "big-time prospect" and "it's hard to figure how he misses as a 10-year NBA player." On Tuesday, he called Leonard the draft’s "biggest sleeper" and in his post-lottery mock draft had Washington selecting him at No. 6.

The Mountain West Conference almost certainly won’t be able to qualify for automatic membership into college football’s most lucrative club for 2012 and 2013. However, it’s close enough that it likely will have a strong case to gain automatic entry into the Bowl Championship Series for those two years under a special appeal next year to the BCS presidential oversight committee.

With the loss of Kawhi Leonard, the return of Carlwell would be a nice boost for the Aztecs.

Parting shot: In January, Weber played coy when asked if the Big 12 Conference had expressed interest in SDSU. "I can’t talk about that," he said.

Sterk was asked about it Tuesday.

"Believe me, long-term, that could be, you never know," Sterk said. "A foothold in California for (the Big 12’s) TV (contract) wouldn’t be bad."

Hi Mountain West Fans,

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Rivals.com reviews how the Aztecs B-ball program has come into prominence.