NorwichCat11 wrote:
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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