Unlike the ACC and Big 10, somebody got division alignment and names right.
No hope for the ACC, but expect B1G to go East and West by June.

I'm thinking the Big East might adopt "East" and "Central".... who knows.... (how about "wannabeLegends" and "wannabeLeaders" ?)

"Atlantic" and "Coastal" are not precisely accurate, but those names were chosen since they fit with Atlantic Coast Conference.
Their main problem is their zipper alignment (which I think only applies to football, not sure they have divisions for other sports).
Hopefully, if this realignment settles down, they can go to something more North-South....

How about these 4 for the MWC addition? - U. Texas E.P., Houston, U. North Texas, and U. Texas S.A.?

http://www.fbschedules.com/2013/01/byu-cougars-announce-2013-football-schedule/

It looks like BYU has cancelled their big deal with Hawaii. I wonder if this means that BYU might be a MWC member again in the near future? Then again they did arrange a 3-game deal with Nevada...

BYU and Hawaii had scheduled to play on CCG weekend but now that the MWC has a CCG they had to reschedule but instead they just canceled the deal. Not sure I'd ready much into this.

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Fan of the Big 12 Conference, the Mountain West Conference and...

Article out of Las Vegas with comments from UNLV AD regarding future of MWC at http://www.lvrj.com/sports/questions-re ... 60521.html

Guys, I have an interesting question to ask here. Should the MWC consider adding FCS schools to the conference since the Hawaii deal is preventing the MWC from getting schools in Texas or further east? Or should the MWC kick Hawaii out so that they can then add schools from the state of Texas or further east?

If they add FCS schools what do you guys think of Montana, Montana St., Portland St., and say Northern Arizona U.?

Give me your ideas and comments please!

I'm curious as to why you think that Hawaii is blocking the admission of the Texas schools. Hawaii doesn't even have full MWC membership so I am highly doubtful they have the ability to make such a block. Do you have some insight on the subject?

As for FCS, Montana is the only school that could feasibly make the jump right now but I'm not sure what Montana would bring the MWC other than a few tvs in a sparsely populated state. The MWC's future hinges on their ability to penetrate Texas. The addition of the right 2-4 Texas schools could really cement the league's status as the best of the rest and land them a tv deal that is better than the Big East's as a result of the addition of all those Texas viewers.

Muskie,
From what I hear, (rumor - not sustained fact yet! maybe someone can dig it up somewhere?) in the deal that brought Hawaii to the MWC from the WAC; the MWC could not add any schools from Texas or further east.

I was wondering for a second, and thought that it might be a sleek move for the M-West if they add Idaho and New Mexico State. However, after what has happened within this conference realignment, it would not happen after both schools chose to become FBS Independents following the 2012-13 season with the WAC to drop football, and Idaho re-joining back to the Big Sky for all of its non-football sports effectively in the 2014-15 season.

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Florida State Seminole fan for life (mostly on football, basketball and baseball)!

Idaho and NMSU didn't choose to become independents, they were not invited to any conference nor could they get any FCS teams to upgrade and join the WAC with them.

IF the MWC wanted Idaho or NMSU they'd have them, those two want more than anything to be in the MWC conference but Boise St hates Idaho and they bring very little to the table, and NMSU (who has the support of UNM) also brings very little to the table.

The MWC's TV is very lean, so no way do they water it down more by adding these schools.

The MWC wants BYU back, and Houston. IF they got either of those NMSU might have a chance but UTEP would probably be the better pick up. In 5 years (I think) when the MWC TV deal is up I could see them adding UTSA and UTEP for the Texas market which could prove valuable in their negotiations assuming they don't get Houston or BYU.

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Fan of the Big 12 Conference, the Mountain West Conference and...

The MWC getting BYU back is a pipe-dream! That is not happening. The best choice for the MWC is to invite some FCS schools to upgrade since the Hawaii ban on going east is in effect while they are in the conference. This is going to be a real short list of: Montana, Montana St., Portland St., Northern Arizona U., and the 4 Dakota schools.

NCat-

BYU is not a pipe dream. It could happen with some solid planning and future realignment. BYU's schedule is nearly 50% filled with MWC teams and independents (Army/Navy/NMSU/Idaho).

If the MWC black balls BYU (in a collective group effort to get BYU to rejoin the conference) from their schedules, BYU will have a really hard time finding games.

If ND goes through with playing 5 ACC games a year and keeping Navy, USC, Stanford, and two BigTen teams like Michigan/MSU/Purdue on the schedule which only leaves them only with 3 possible spots that they will likely fill with big time opponents and other regulars like Army, Air Force, Hawaii, and then maybe BYU every few years.

If Idaho decides to downgrade to FCS BYU would probably not play them and if NMSU joins the Sun Belt or CUSA they may not have enough room to take a beat down from BYU.

All this spells out why BYU may be forced to rejoin the MWC over the next few years and its doesn't even take into account that they have no access to the new playoffs or BCS bowl as a nonND indy.

As far as MWC upgrades go, its very doubtful they take any, if they want to expand to 14 w/o BYU or Houston the best option is the combo of UTEP and UTSA which pushes Boise to the West but also makes that a stacked division.

The the best non Texas options are WAC rejects Idaho and NMSU. After that we get to upgrade like Big Sky powerhouses with very small markets Montana and Montana State, and Big West/Big Skyfb schools Cal Poly and UC Davis which would bring the MWC's Cali count up to 5 pushing Boise and Utah St to the Western division. No other football playing school in the Mnt/Pacific Time Zone has an endowment over 100million which all MWC team have except Air Force (who doesn't need it), Boise St (who's getting close), and SJSU (I found this one odd) so their really are no stand out candidates.

And FYI if Hawaii said no to Texas schools, then there is no way they can take the Dakota schools, look at a map http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/60/Cbd1.PNG they are all just as far East as Dallas is and have WAY worse airports.

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Fan of the Big 12 Conference, the Mountain West Conference and...

We won't settle for an FCS school or NMSU, Idaho. UTEP wants back bad, we just don't feel the need to go to 14 w/o BYU or Houston. Maybe if 14/16 become the norm then we'll settle for UTEP and UTSA or Texas St.

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Agree that the MWC is well set up now at 12. Only BYU would be worth adding, hopefully along with "excusing" Hawaii or SJS.