Let's assume there are not 6 FBS prospects to be had, so the WAC decides to get out of the football business.

At the very least, it would seem they have the opportunity to explore absorbing some or all of the Great West.
If you are a Great West team (in a conference with number problems at least as bad as the WAC),
how could agreeing to join the WAC be any worse than remaining in the Great West.
The Great West does not even have an AQ for the D-1 basketball tourney....

I can imagine that the western teams may not be excited at all about Chicago State or NJIT.

Not sure that Mr. Hurd will know how many teams he needs to recruit until Boise gets an answer from Big West.

What ever happened to a possible eastern division of the WAC, which would include some or all of

Appalachian State
Georgia Southern
Liberty
Jacksonville State
JMU

I feel those additions along with a combination of UTPA, UVU, and CSUB would be somewhat stabalizing

Reality happened. FBS eastern WAC was a pipe dream.

_________________

WRANGLERS 153-55-1 CVFL CHAMPS '04 '05 '09 '12

NFL CHAMPS '29 '30 '31 '36 '39 '44 '61 '62 '65 '66 '67 '96 '10

BW/WAC/MWC CHAMPS '77 '82 '85 '88 '89 '91 '92 '93 '99 '12
'08 NCAA BASEBALL CHAMPS

The whispers I'm hearing regarding Idaho:

First off, the Big Sky commish got all giddy on Twitter today to claim that Idaho is in discussions with them.

However, Idaho wants a way to save face and/or bide time until a supposed Mountain West invite.

The negotiation is apparently targeting an all-but-FB invite for Idaho. They theoretically would get a couple years of FB independence to try to make something of that, hopefully getting the MWC invite, more likely hemmorhage enough money to prove to the donor base that it won't work in FBS, then complete the drop to FCS.

I do question if the Big Sky would buy into that whisper, other than the numbers incentive of getting off 11 in all sports besides football.

It would be prudent for Idaho to take advantage of the Big Sky's kindness.

Also, if Air Force decides to go to the Big East in 2015 and take their other sports to the WCC, does this open up a spot in the MWC for New Mexico St? What do you all think?

If the MWC wanted Idaho or NM State, they would already be in.

If AFA leaves it will be NMSU or Texas St. since we'd need a school w/ baseball to keep it as a conf. sport. Idaho would be out unless we went to 12.

_________________

WRANGLERS 153-55-1 CVFL CHAMPS '04 '05 '09 '12

NFL CHAMPS '29 '30 '31 '36 '39 '44 '61 '62 '65 '66 '67 '96 '10

BW/WAC/MWC CHAMPS '77 '82 '85 '88 '89 '91 '92 '93 '99 '12
'08 NCAA BASEBALL CHAMPS

Well App State, GA Southern, Liberty, Jacksonville State, and JMU have made their intentions clear that they want FBS status. Do you think when the WAC collapses we see a new FBS conference full of FCS start ups? I could envision a conference like this

App State
GA Southern
Jacksonville State
Liberty
JMU
Delaware
Lamar
Sam Houston State

Maybe an Alabama State, Villanova, Florida A&M, William & Mary, or Richmond would also be interested.

I'm thinking the MWC may not consider Boise St. truly and definitively GONE until they get into the Big West.

At that point (once they are certain that BSU and SDSU are not coming back), they COULD still choose to invite Idaho and NMSU
(full invitation or just FB only), to get them to 12 and a CCG for FB.

If the MWC passes on Idaho and NMSU at that point, those schools need to start making other plans and fast....
They should be developing contingency plans now. Big Sky sounds like best option for Idaho. It could even be an option for NMSU.

NCAA does not allow new FBS conferences to form made of FCS schools, it also does not let an FCS conf. (Big Sky, CAA etc) become an FBS conf.

WAC was the 1 chance a bunch of FCS schools had to move up, the June 1 deadline(to move from FCS to FBS) passed so they aren't coming. They seem content to wait for a spot to open in the SBC, MAC, CUSA and be a regional fit.

_________________

WRANGLERS 153-55-1 CVFL CHAMPS '04 '05 '09 '12

NFL CHAMPS '29 '30 '31 '36 '39 '44 '61 '62 '65 '66 '67 '96 '10

BW/WAC/MWC CHAMPS '77 '82 '85 '88 '89 '91 '92 '93 '99 '12
'08 NCAA BASEBALL CHAMPS

Fresno St Alum has a good point about the FCS schools trying to move up through the WAC. I wonder, from a legal perspective, at what point the WAC loses its right to claim FBS football status? Can it temporarily stop sponsoring the sport but gain new members down the road, lets say the 2014 season, and reclaim its status as an FBS conference?

Article out of Missoula with comments from Big Sky Commish who says he is currently negotiating with ALL WAC schools.Link at http://missoulian.com/sports/college/mo ... f887a.html

Article out of Boise(previously posted in another thread)with response from Idaho AD who says his school is talking with the Big Sky regarding non-FB programs only.Link at http://www.kboi2.com/sports/Idaho-Vanda ... 17376.html

Article out of Lewiston(previously posted in another thread)with comments from Idaho President and others regarding current state of the WAC and possibility that Idaho may need to leave for another conference.Link at http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/07 ... sity-idaho

CSNBBS MB thread(previously posted in another thread)discussing "unconfirmed report" of a possible partial or full WAC/Big Sky merger at http://csnbbs.com/showthread.php?tid=578513