Today was supposed to be the day that the Mountain West Conference added Boise State to help enhance its resume for automatic BCS qualification. Instead the MWC released a statement that they were not going to do anything…for now. The move has infuriated fans of the smurf 
turf as well as many loyal fans of the MWC. However, at least one poorly educated sports writer thinks it was the right decision.
turf as well as many loyal fans of the MWC. However, at least one poorly educated sports writer thinks it was the right decision.By the end of this month the collegiate sporting landscape as we know it is going to be drastically different. The Pac 10 and the Big 10 are going to expand, and from the looks of it they are going to tear apart the Big 12. It seems that the Pac 10 has its eyes on Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and either Colorado or Baylor. The Big 10 will snatch up Nebraska and Missouri. Its not quite clear how all of this will work out, but the rumors have gotten so strong that the Big 12 has issued an ultimatum to Nebraska and Missouri to either declare their loyalty to the Big 12 or get gone.
That’s why the MWC is buying its time. It doesn’t know how the landscape is going to play out. For instance, if the Big 12 really does get destroyed then the MWC doesn’t need to do anything to ensure that it becomes one of the major powers. However the MWC has indicated that it would be willing to add up to as many 6 new teams, meaning that it would likely go after the Big 12 left overs plus any WAC teams that it really wants.
My favorite theory, albeit rather unlikely, is the revival of the Rocky Mountain Conference. This conference would consist of the following rivals: Byu v. Utah; Tcu v. Boise State; Kansas v. Kansas State; Colorado v. Colorado State; and then two other schools likely UNLV and Air force. The most exciting thing about this set up is that as a new conference we could get out of the horrible agreement that we have with The Mountain and CBS. Also, think of what a basketball powerhouse we would become with the addition of Kansas and Kansas State.
My least favorite theory involves the MWC getting pilfered. The Big 12 after losing so many great teams snatches up TCU and BSU to try and recuperate. The Pac 10 wanting to grab the Utah and Colorado markets grabs Utah and CSU. I don’t think that this is that likely either. A scary, and more probable proposition, is that the Big 12 is able to maintain several but not all of its teams and only needs to get a couple of more teams. If this is the case, TCU is going to be sorely tempted with the automatic birth that the Big 12 provides.
In the end, it comes down to money not conference competitiveness. Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, and Missouri, make a lot of money and the Pac 10 and the Big 10 want a piece of that money. That’s why Boise State may get left out in the cold, they are a great football school but they cant bring in the dough. By Friday, when Nebraska and Missouri have to decide whether the bolt or to stay, things are going to either be a lot clearer or a lot more murky in the world of college sports. I personally am hoping for the later.
In the end, it comes down to money not conference competitiveness. Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, and Missouri, make a lot of money and the Pac 10 and the Big 10 want a piece of that money. That’s why Boise State may get left out in the cold, they are a great football school but they cant bring in the dough. By Friday, when Nebraska and Missouri have to decide whether the bolt or to stay, things are going to either be a lot clearer or a lot more murky in the world of college sports. I personally am hoping for the later.
Good analysis. I think this could be a win situation for everybody (except the Big 12 of course) if the cards play right. But I think MWC already made a mistake by not immediately accepting Boise State into its conference with open arms. I think no matter the scenario, that should be a priority and a given. gg MWC
ReplyDeleteIts starting to look like the Big 10 is going snub Mizzou. This begs the question if the Big 12 is going to fall apart. Surely the Big 12 could lure away one other team. I would target TCU. If the Big 12 does in fact stay in tact then the Pac 10 would have to look elsewhere to expand. Although they would likely only expand to 12 instead of 16. I would expect them to target Utah and Colorado. Losing TCU and Utah would obviously be disastrous for the MWC.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the time has come for the MWC to be proactive. Give offers to Kansas, K-state. Tell them that there wont be a Big 12 to come back to and if they dont sign the MWC will leave them out in the cold and bring in Iowa state and Fresno State instead.
Of course nothing is to say that the Pac 10 wont go ahead and still try and steal the 6 teams from the Big 12 even if Mizzou stays put. Some reports say that the Pac 16 would be so powerful that it could be entitled to two automatic bids.