Article out of Las Cruces with comments from WAC Commish who confirms that one of the WAC's options under review is a possible non-FB merger with the Big Sky which is currently still in the preliminary stages.Unclear how this would work or if it will "get legs".Link at http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-sp ... feline-wac

I don't see what else they can do. Let them protect BB, etc. and fold their tent for football. That will leave 5 major and 5 minor FBS conferences to split the $$$.

Don't you DARE forget Notre Dame !!! Their on-field excellence ought to be worth about 10% of the total pot, don't you agree ???

The WAC merging with another western conference makes sense. NMSU & Univ. of Idaho are the two with a fb placement need. Neither are the type of institutions than could survive long as fb independents.

It's a shame the way some of these conference shifts have gone. The MWC, having been raided themselves, largely depleted the WAC based on fb, then the message to the two orphans: "We took from your conference what we needed, but we shall not take you too. It's not our responsibility to help you". Doubt individual MWC schools, and other established independents, shall do a whole lot to help the two out.

Will the Sunbelt again be open to take NMSU? Will Idaho accept going all back to the BSC is their fate?

If the Big Sky is offering Idaho a home for Oly sports, and would allow them to explore FBS independence or FB only membership in MWC,
I would think Idaho should jump all over that.

The only thing better for Idaho would be unlikely MWC invite in all sports. Maybe Idaho is waiting to make sure that possibiliity goes away,
so they wouldn't have to pay BSC an exit fee if it such an invitation did come along

The hold-up (as always) involves that F***ed-Up Big East. Until they finish raiding the MWC, the MWC's plans are up in the air, and this cascades to the remaining WAC members.

It would appear, that Idaho and NMSU may have reason to hedge, but Seattle, Denver, Boise St. (sans football), UVU, and CSU-B should be completely on board.
That's 16 (but Boise is always a flight risk, and North Dakota could be). Then again Idaho and NMSU Oly spors get the numbers up to 18 = 2 x 9 and provide a buffer.

If and when the BE adds BYU FB, AFA FB or Army FB, the MWC can make their final move, and the Big Sky / WAC deal may happen.....

Darwinism at work.

I am curious as to which Big Sky schools would volunteer to be shifted into the WAC if this deals go through. Will the stronger schools (Montana/ Montana St, etc.) want to make the jump in order to make the WAC the stronger of the two leagues or is the Big Sky office going to dictate to the newcomers and geographic outliers that they will be the ones pushed into the unstable WAC?

That's the sort of question that needs to be sorted out, before any such merger is agreed upon.

Because of issues like this, I think the WAC (if it continues to be operated under that name) would have to be under the control of the Big Sky League Office.
Perhaps all the schools are members of the Big Sky for everything but basketball.

Basketball may be the only sport requring 2 conferences. That is all about maintaining 2 auto-bids, and the associated monetary "units" from
the NCAA BB Tourney TV contract.

Article out of Boise(previously posted in another thread)with comments from MWC Commish who says his league is not interested in adding either Idaho or NMSU.The WAC is having their FB media day tomorrow.It will be interesting to see if there is any WAC realignment news tomorrow.Link at http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2012/0 ... tate_again

Article out of Boise with comments from WAC Commish who says that the WAC is unlikely to sponsor FB after 2012-2013.Unclear when a formal announcement will be made.Link at http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2012/0 ... th_coaches

Salt Lake Trib blog article discussing future of WAC at http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsususp ... e.html.csp

Article out of Boise with comments from WAC Commish regarding WAC realignment situation at http://www.idahostatesman.com/2012/07/2 ... ndent.html

Article out of Las Cruces discussing future of NMSU and the WAC at http://www.lcsun-news.com/las-cruces-sp ... k-wac-2013

Article out of Anniston(previously posted in another thread)with comments from JSU AD regarding "possible" future move by some FCS schools to FBS and the WAC. Link at http://www.annistonstar.com/view/full_s ... =home_news

Article out of Anniston with comments from WAC Commish and JMU President shooting down latest JMU to the WAC rumor at http://www.annistonstar.com/view/full_s ... =home_news