Mountain West General Realignment Thread

pounder · **Posted:** Sun Dec 04, 2011 5:42 pm

Fresno St. Alum wrote:

Who thinks the BCS will get rid of the AQ? I do. why because that's what the big boys want. So explain why BSU, SDSU, AFA joining a non AQ for fb only on the other end of america and downgrading to the BW or BSky is worth it? If UConn/Rutgers think they are going to the ACC and the ACC has hinted at 16, plus Louisville thinks they're going to the B12 more reason for all schools to wait it out. Sounds to me like the Bballers should add Xavier, Dayton, St.Louis and forget fb. Sounds to me like they might as well press on w/ a merger or just stay 2 separate conferences since no one else would be going to a big boy conference for a while and a merger won't stop the B12 adding Cincy or BYU or Houston later.

At minimum, $2 million more per year per school in the TV contract.

Furthermore, Boise State seems to believe that NBC, fighting for the rights for Big East TV, will help DOUBLE what the Big East currently makes.

Sounds crazy? I'm finding TV execs talking about sports being the only sure male TV draw right now. Go figure.

Fresno St. Alum · **Posted:** Mon Dec 05, 2011 3:07 am

pounder wrote:

Fresno St. Alum wrote:

Who thinks the BCS will get rid of the AQ? I do. why because that's what the big boys want. So explain why BSU, SDSU, AFA joining a non AQ for fb only on the other end of america and downgrading to the BW or BSky is worth it? If UConn/Rutgers think they are going to the ACC and the ACC has hinted at 16, plus Louisville thinks they're going to the B12 more reason for all schools to wait it out. Sounds to me like the Bballers should add Xavier, Dayton, St.Louis and forget fb. Sounds to me like they might as well press on w/ a merger or just stay 2 separate conferences since no one else would be going to a big boy conference for a while and a merger won't stop the B12 adding Cincy or BYU or Houston later.

At minimum, $2 million more per year per school in the TV contract.

Furthermore, Boise State seems to believe that NBC, fighting for the rights for Big East TV, will help DOUBLE what the Big East currently makes.

Sounds crazy? I'm finding TV execs talking about sports being the only sure male TV draw right now. Go figure.

2 mill more per school only if they join and Rutgers, Louisville, UConn, don't leave. how much more will travel cost? All their other sports will die, for sure.

westwolf · **Posted:** Mon Dec 05, 2011 10:17 am

How much more bowl money would BSU and/or TCU have earned had they joined - and won - the BE this year?

pounder · **Posted:** Tue Dec 06, 2011 1:18 am

Are we sure the big schools want to ditch the AQ? Are we sure UConn & Rutgers are going to the ACC? I don't know.

If Big East football falls apart, there's another option: instead of sinking into a merger arrangement that very possibly doesn't improve the per-school take, use the core of what's left of BE football and cherry-pick from those merged schools. What's likely to happen is that conference will get the same contract the merger would get, but at half the schools.

Fresno St. Alum · **Posted:** Tue Dec 06, 2011 3:20 pm

pounder wrote:

Are we sure the big schools want to ditch the AQ? Are we sure UConn & Rutgers are going to the ACC? I don't know.

If Big East football falls apart, there's another option: instead of sinking into a merger arrangement that very possibly doesn't improve the per-school take, use the core of what's left of BE football and cherry-pick from those merged schools. What's likely to happen is that conference will get the same contract the merger would get, but at half the schools.

That does make a lot of sense. I posted that part on what they should do if that happens on the BE thread.

Fresno St. Alum · **Posted:** Tue Dec 06, 2011 3:31 pm

If the MW and CUSA become all sports, doesn't that mean Hawaii would join for all sports putting the BW back at 11. So does UCSD get the 12th spot or does SDSU block. If they do does CSUB get that spot. This assumes the WAC survives since CUSA and MW merge. So SJSU would be off the table.

freaked4collegefb · **Joined:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:37 pm **Posts:** 7063

Jon Wilner blog article(previously posted in another thread) discussing how BE expansion dominoes may impact other conferences like the MWC at http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegespo ... t-possibly

freaked4collegefb · **Joined:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:37 pm **Posts:** 7063

Another Jon Wilner article regarding "possibility" of SJSU joining the MWC at http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_19482791

Also,Salt Lake Trib blog article discussing "possibility" of USU eventually joining the MWC at http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blosususpo ... e.html.csp

tute79 · **Joined:** Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:25 pm **Posts:** 1493

The Hawaii arrangement may complicate the MWC's plan going forward.

However, I think what may lie ahead is the WAC becomes a non-FB conference.
How else can Boise St. join, if the WAC continues to sponsor an FBS football league ?

One solution may be for the MWC to invite Idaho for FB only.
This could even out the numbers and allow a MWC/CUSA merger to go forward.

The WAC may lose USU and SJSU entirely.
Their remaining FB schools would be Idaho, LaTech, NMSU, and 2-3 newbies (from FCS) in Texas.
The latter group could somehow link up with the Sun-Belt, but Idaho is REALLY isolated.
It appears the WAC has exhausted any and all potential FBS invitees (there was little to choose from).
The WAC can survive as a non-FB conference perhaps with schools like Denver, Seattle, Idaho (MWC FB), Boise St. (BE FB),
and they could potentially go after BYU (all but FB). Just a thought.
Some of this will play out over the next few weeks, as the shifting in response to the BE moves.

accseahawk · **Posted:** Wed Dec 07, 2011 3:02 pm

The MWC w/o Boise and SDSU has to add either Utah St or San Jose St in order to get back up to the magic number of 8 in order to get FBS conference recognition. This is why I think they are seriously pursuing the merger for all sports with CUSA. Putting everything under the CUSA banner gets the current MWC schools out from under their current tv contract while allowing for 2 solid divisions that make sense.

Hawaii (FBALL Only)
Fresno St
Nevada
UNLV
New Mexico
Air Force
Wyoming
Colorado St

UTEP
Rice
Tulsa
Tulane
UAB
Memphis
S Miss
ECU
Marshall

Now from this point I would still add either Utah St or San Jose St to the West Division to give a football balance of 18, both if Air Force leaves, OR shift UTEP to the west if they are not oppossed and add a eastern/central school. You play 8 division games with no crossover. Division champs play each other in championship game, increasing the chances of a BCS bid, whatever that may look like. Basketball and other sports play round robin in thier division with some made for tv basketball crossovers to increase the tv contract. No non made for tv crossovers for basektball and none at all for non revenue sports. A shared tv contract spanning all time zones should be enough to feed all 18 mouths.

tute79 · **Joined:** Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:25 pm **Posts:** 1493

Assume for now USAFA stays, I'm thinking 20 for FB, 18 for all else.

SDSU and SJSU join the Big West for all but FB.

CUSA adds North Texas to regain Dallas market, MWC adds Utah St. and SJSU (FB only).
Then they merge.

UTEP plays FB in East (they get to recruit in Texas, which they like), plays in West for other sports.

So it would look like this:

<<<WEST>>>
Hawaii *
SJSU*
Fresno St.
Nevada
UNLV
Utah St.
Wyoming
Colorado St.
USAFA
New Mexico

<<<EAST>>>
UTEP (West for FB)
Tulsa
North Texas
Rice
Tulane
Memphis
Southern Miss
UAB
ECU
Marshall

FB- play a 9-game round robin (no cross-over), then a CCG
BB- play 17 other schools + one extra rival game (so that is "home & home" within division (UTEP <-> Tulsa) for 18 games.

what do ya think ?

cnj · **Joined:** Wed Nov 02, 2011 3:19 pm **Posts:** 11

brett mcmurphy on cbssports.com obtained a copy of an 8 page report entitled "bcs and the big east expnansion (an alternative plan) written by the cusa commish about a mwc merger and emailed to college presidents. under the freedom of information act, anyone could request to see it, since it'd be a public record.

Fresno St. Alum · **Posted:** Wed Dec 07, 2011 6:45 pm

So Air Force is staying, who is the 12th team gonna be? It's gotta be from the west. UNLV? They suck at football but have a big market. I don't think it would be Memphis because they're better at bball and are in the bball footprint making them an all sports. I don't think they want 17 for all sports even though they were willing to do it for TCU. Memphis doesn't bring TCU game changer status.

freaked4collegefb · **Joined:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:37 pm **Posts:** 7063

Here is link to previously mentioned Brett McMurphy article discussing MWC/C-USA merger plans at http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entr ... 2/33745889

Also,here is Denver Post article with comments from AFA Superintendent regarding his school staying in the MWC at http://www.denverpost.com/afa/ci_19491419

accseahawk · **Posted:** Thu Dec 08, 2011 8:45 am

Looks like the MWC CUSA merger will be for 16 teams in all sports with Hawaii as football only for 17 in football.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/minersmania/ci_19494570
UTEP looking to be in the western division and does not oppose.

With 17 for football and no desire to expand, i assume the West Side can play 8 conference games while the East Side can play 7? Scheduling for a 17 team conference would be brutal and as long as you play all the teams in your division you can have a championship game. No rule that the divisions have to play the same number of conference games.

Mountain West General Realignment Thread

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