NCAA Football re-alignment?

[Flames24Rulz]

So who's the bigger loser here, the MWC or Boise State?

 

Boise's still Pac-10/12/14/16 bound whenever they expand to 16 teams.

 

I'd expect Houston to be on the MWC's radar right now. Maybe even SMU too.

 

Is Boise State committed to the MWC for a certain term? Or can they just bail whenever the Pac 12 opens the doors?

 

I'm sure they're probably committed for a couple of years, at least. But Fresno and Nevada were able to get out of their contracts with the WAC to join the MWC, even though that whole situation sounded really messy.

 

I still think Boise makes the most logical sense, from an economic standpoint, for the Pac-whatever.

[shnsajax]

I was still thinking the Big 12 would eventually invite TCU and another school. Still a good move for TCU.

[Flames24Rulz]

I was still thinking the Big 12 would eventually invite TCU and another school. Still a good move for TCU.

 

What about Boise in the Big 12?

[Old Style]

I was still thinking the Big 12 would eventually invite TCU and another school. Still a good move for TCU.

TCU doesn't add any value to the Big 12. Sure their football team is good, but we have plenty of good football teams already. They don't add any new recruiting areas or TV markets.

[Guest]

So who's the bigger loser here, the MWC or Boise State?

 

Boise's still Pac-10/12/14/16 bound whenever they expand to 16 teams.

 

I'd expect Houston to be on the MWC's radar right now. Maybe even SMU too.

 

Boise was never brought up as a possibility in the most recent talks. I know academics seem to have really taken a backseat compared to what Stanford and Cal used to threaten, but taking on Boise might still be too much for them.

 

Despite having the Arizona schools in conference, you're correct.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Big 12 won't add anyone. There won't be enough time for them to add teams before it crumbles.

[Warpticon]

I feel really bad for the MWC. A year ago they had very good TCU, Utah, and BYU teams carrying the conference to a level that many thought justified consideration for an automatic qualification. Then the announcement that Boise was moving to the MWC came. Could a strengthening conference be getting stronger? And then..Utah moves to the Pac-10, BYU goes independent (seriously, wtf?), and now TCU is going to the Big East. And essentially, Boise just traded the bottom of the WAC for the bottom of the MWC...especially with Fresno, Nevada, and possibly Hawaii coming along. A Boise/Utah/BYU/TCU/Nevada/Hawaii/Fresno top half of the conference would be very formidable. Boise/Nevada/Hawaii/Fresno...we already had that.

[Banedon]

I feel really bad for the MWC. A year ago they had very good TCU, Utah, and BYU teams carrying the conference to a level that many thought justified consideration for an automatic qualification. Then the announcement that Boise was moving to the MWC came. Could a strengthening conference be getting stronger? And then..Utah moves to the Pac-10, BYU goes independent (seriously, wtf?), and now TCU is going to the Big East. And essentially, Boise just traded the bottom of the WAC for the bottom of the MWC...especially with Fresno, Nevada, and possibly Hawaii coming along. A Boise/Utah/BYU/TCU/Nevada/Hawaii/Fresno top half of the conference would be very formidable. Boise/Nevada/Hawaii/Fresno...we already had that.

 

Yeah...it's pretty crummy. The conference should be pretty strong next season at least.

[Andy]

Didn't Boise join the MWC after Utah was already out the door, or am I not remembering that right?

 

In any case, I don't know what on Earth this does to the basketball conference. They should probably just boot DePaul out but I'm not sure they want to do that.

[hawkeyecub]

I was still thinking the Big 12 would eventually invite TCU and another school. Still a good move for TCU.

TCU doesn't add any value to the Big 12. Sure their football team is good, but we have plenty of good football teams already. They don't add any new recruiting areas or TV markets.

 

It would allow them to maintain the conference championship game payday in football though. They must have decided that wouldn't be worth splitting the pie further.

[Banedon]

Didn't Boise join the MWC after Utah was already out the door, or am I not remembering that right?

 

In any case, I don't know what on Earth this does to the basketball conference. They should probably just boot DePaul out but I'm not sure they want to do that.

 

No...Utah announced they were leaving about a week after Boise announced the MWC move. Boise did reaffirm their commitment to the MWC after that, but that was also, obviously, when TCU was still going to be there.

[Flames24Rulz]

I feel really bad for the MWC. A year ago they had very good TCU, Utah, and BYU teams carrying the conference to a level that many thought justified consideration for an automatic qualification. Then the announcement that Boise was moving to the MWC came. Could a strengthening conference be getting stronger? And then..Utah moves to the Pac-10, BYU goes independent (seriously, wtf?), and now TCU is going to the Big East. And essentially, Boise just traded the bottom of the WAC for the bottom of the MWC...especially with Fresno, Nevada, and possibly Hawaii coming along. A Boise/Utah/BYU/TCU/Nevada/Hawaii/Fresno top half of the conference would be very formidable. Boise/Nevada/Hawaii/Fresno...we already had that.

 

The bottom of the MWC is better than the WAC. San Diego State is also an up and coming program but that could die out if/when Brady Hoke leaves.

 

Otherwise, I agree. Houston and SMU make a lot of sense for the MWC. That adds to the depth of the conference, but probably won't do a whole lot to actually garner consideration for a BCS bid. I do still think Boise's going to eventually wind up in the Pac-10, whenever the superconferences actually happen.

[Banedon]

Ha...I didn't realize that the Big East will now have 17 teams for non-football sports.

[ZMovieman]

Didn't Boise join the MWC after Utah was already out the door, or am I not remembering that right?

 

In any case, I don't know what on Earth this does to the basketball conference. They should probably just boot DePaul out but I'm not sure they want to do that.

 

Since money drives all, I'd assume DePaul is safe (for now) as they will be needed when a new TV deal is being negotiated. The Big East can argue that they have three of the four largest media markets potentially in their fold (NYC, Chicago, and Dallas/FW). Even if those teams are not kings of the region, the mere presence helps. If any school gets the boot, it'll be a basketball only school that doesn't add any media market. That leaves Marquette, Providence, and Seton Hall. I think Marquette's competitiveness helps them stay afloat and Providence will stick around because that's where the Big East is centered. I'd personally be all for kicking out Seton Hall which doubles Rutger's NJ market and has not shown a commitment to their athletics for a while now.

[javy knows my name]

j/k

[Guest]

For my own sanity, I would hope no one in charge of pledging millions of dollars in TV money would do so to the Big East because they have a "presence" in DFW and Chicago.

[ZMovieman]

For my own sanity, I would hope no one in charge of pledging millions of dollars in TV money would do so to the Big East because they have a "presence" in DFW and Chicago.

 

Oh no question it's an awkward at best fit. As a Marquette guy, the fan base is concerned about getting the bump, and rightfully so. All they have to hang their hat on is being competitive in the Big East now, and past history.

 

On a side note, scheduling for basketball actually doesn't get more complicated, especially if Nova bumps up in football. If I recall correctly, the current schedule has 12 single matchups and 3 sets of home-home (two of which are dictated by ESPN/CBS choice). So it would just simply make it 14 single matchups and 2 sets of home-home, essentially cutting the fat on the home-homes a bit.

[Jon]

In more minor news, UMass is planning on becoming an FBS program and reportedly seeking to join the MAC.

[Andy]

In more minor news, UMass is planning on becoming an FBS program and reportedly seeking to join the MAC.

Well, I guess Buffalo would have a rival in the "what the hell are you northeastern schools doing in a midwestern conference" category.

[jersey cubs fan]

Say what you will about the Big Ten having more than 10 teams, that's a heck of a lot better than these crazy multi-regional conferences and ones with twice the number of schools for basketball.

[Andy]

Say what you will about the Big Ten having more than 10 teams, that's a heck of a lot better than these crazy multi-regional conferences and ones with twice the number of schools for basketball.

What's wrong with the basketball side? It's not like Georgetown and Marquette, for instance, don't deserve to be in a big-time basketball conference even if they don't want to be big-time in football. Not sure what else you can do with schools like that.

 

TCU in the Big East, FWIW, really doesn't make much less sense than staying in the MWC. Travels to Boise and Fresno would've been just as long as their trips to the northern Big East schools and now they get the BCS bid.

[snoodmonger]

I'd make fun of the Big East, but I have a bad feeling I'll be praying for a Big East invite in the next 3-5 years.

[jersey cubs fan]

Say what you will about the Big Ten having more than 10 teams, that's a heck of a lot better than these crazy multi-regional conferences and ones with twice the number of schools for basketball.

What's wrong with the basketball side? It's not like Georgetown and Marquette, for instance, don't deserve to be in a big-time basketball conference even if they don't want to be big-time in football. Not sure what else you can do with schools like that.

 

TCU in the Big East, FWIW, really doesn't make much less sense than staying in the MWC. Travels to Boise and Fresno would've been just as long as their trips to the northern Big East schools and now they get the BCS bid.

 

It's ridiculous that the conference has twice as many schools in basketball. What don't you get?

[SouthSideRyan]

I'd make fun of the Big East, but I have a bad feeling I'll be praying for a Big East invite in the next 3-5 years.

 

The toupe is already angling for it.

[Andy]

Say what you will about the Big Ten having more than 10 teams, that's a heck of a lot better than these crazy multi-regional conferences and ones with twice the number of schools for basketball.

What's wrong with the basketball side? It's not like Georgetown and Marquette, for instance, don't deserve to be in a big-time basketball conference even if they don't want to be big-time in football. Not sure what else you can do with schools like that.

 

TCU in the Big East, FWIW, really doesn't make much less sense than staying in the MWC. Travels to Boise and Fresno would've been just as long as their trips to the northern Big East schools and now they get the BCS bid.

 

It's ridiculous that the conference has twice as many schools in basketball. What don't you get?

Whatever. I don't remotely care enough about this to debate it. But the Big East was a basketball-only conference six years before they even started football.