October 20, 2008

MWC Expansion - Wild Speculation upgraded to Rumors.

While I have expounded on MWC Expansion, more than once, these were simply my thoughts, with little bearing on actual changes. I even recently shot another report of the idea down thinking it was silliness. It did come from the Idaho Statesman, which is ready to explode once the news of Boise State's upgrade to the MWC is complete. (Notice also the change of perspective I have had since merely a year ago.) That report was quickly squashed by the Deseret News, a Salt Lake news paper partially owned by the LDS church, which fully owns BYU.

What would it take for the MWC to consider expanding? I can't find the link but I remember a statement that, regarding adding Boise State and Fresno State, they would need to add two bowl games or BCS automatic qualifications. Boise has already brought one, and strong BCS credentials.

Interestingly, this C-USA message board is indicating reports that:

The MWC Commissioner gave a radio interview in Boise while finalizing the Humanitarian Bowl agreement and indicated that the MWC Presidents are open to revisiting the expansion questions. For a commissioner to go public on something like this, there has to be something to it. This is, without question, a new development.

And this perspective:

So, if expansion stops at BSU, then this is a positive development for CUSA. Like PAC, I don't see MWC going beyond 10 teams because everyone wants to play BYU (and probably Utah) just like northern PAC schools want to play USC and UCLA each year so they can boost their season ticket sales and for recruiting purposes.

This radio address is echoed by that same Idaho paper mentioned above.

Meanwhile, Thompson told "Idaho Sports Talk" that Mountain West presidents have discussed expansion for the first time since selecting TCU over Boise State in January 2004 to create a nine-team league.

However, a Mountain West spokesman told the Idaho Statesman that expansion is "not an agenda item at this time."

Now that same Deseret News posts this article.

That's right, the MWC needs to snatch up the University of Tulsa as fast as it can.

You thought I was talking about Boise State?

I actually like Boise State and have been a proponent of the MWC adding the school in the past, despite that ghastly blue turf and an arena named after Taco Bell.

The MWC schedules have been fouled up ever since TCU came in the league, and schools could save a lot of money if they started playing two games the same weekend on the same trip, rather than making a bunch of single-game trips as they do now. Basketball could go back to a Thursday-Saturday schedule, rather than have all those Tuesday and Wednesday games.

Tulsa was ranked a Tier 1 school, 83rd in the country, ahead of every MWC school. BYU and TCU were the highest-ranked MWC schools, in a tie for 113th, just ahead of Colorado State and Utah. Boise State didn't even make the list of Tier 3 and Tier 4 schools (UNLV and San Diego State were in the latter category).

Not exactly a flat rebuttal to expansion talks, nor a Texas team as feared by the C-USA boards. It could be much worse for C-USA than losing a Texas School. A bigger question is whether Tulsa would leave C-USA for the MWC. The MWC edge in football is less when other sports are considered.

Nothing is official, but rumors are in the wind. Everywhere Craig Thompson turns this question arises., even when the topic is the MWC's success in its short 10 year lifespan, equal to the lifespan of the BCS.

Is a MWC expansion on the horizon? Are Boise State, Fresno State and Tulsa lined up to fill a 12 team conference?

I can only hope.

Comments:

MWC Expansion - Wild Speculation upgraded to Rumors.
While I have expounded on MWC Expansion, more than once, these were simply my thoughts, with little bearing on actual changes. I even recently shot another report of the idea down thinking it was silliness. It did come from the Idaho Statesman, which is ready to explode once the news of Boise State's upgrade to the MWC is complete. (Notice also the change of perspective I have had since merely a year ago.) That report was quickly squashed by the Deseret News, a Salt Lake news paper partially owned by the LDS church, which fully owns BYU. What would it take for the MWC to consider expanding? I can't find the link but I remember a statement that, regarding adding Boise State and Fresno State, they would need to add two bowl games or BCS automatic qualifications. Boise has already brought one, and strong BCS credentials. Interestingly, this C-USA message board is indicating reports that:
The MWC Commissioner gave a radio interview in Boise while finalizing the Humanitarian Bowl agreement and indicated that the MWC Presidents are open to revisiting the expansion questions. For a commissioner to go public on something like this, there has to be something to it. This is, without question, a new development.
And this perspective:
So, if expansion stops at BSU, then this is a positive development for CUSA. Like PAC, I don't see MWC going beyond 10 teams because everyone wants to play BYU (and probably Utah) just like northern PAC schools want to play USC and UCLA each year so they can boost their season ticket sales and for recruiting purposes.
This radio address is echoed by that same Idaho paper mentioned above.
Meanwhile, Thompson told "Idaho Sports Talk" that Mountain West presidents have discussed expansion for the first time since selecting TCU over Boise State in January 2004 to create a nine-team league. However, a Mountain West spokesman told the Idaho Statesman that expansion is "not an agenda item at this time."
Now that same Deseret News posts this article.
That's right, the MWC needs to snatch up the University of Tulsa as fast as it can. You thought I was talking about Boise State? I actually like Boise State and have been a proponent of the MWC adding the school in the past, despite that ghastly blue turf and an arena named after Taco Bell.
The MWC schedules have been fouled up ever since TCU came in the league, and schools could save a lot of money if they started playing two games the same weekend on the same trip, rather than making a bunch of single-game trips as they do now. Basketball could go back to a Thursday-Saturday schedule, rather than have all those Tuesday and Wednesday games.
Tulsa was ranked a Tier 1 school, 83rd in the country, ahead of every MWC school. BYU and TCU were the highest-ranked MWC schools, in a tie for 113th, just ahead of Colorado State and Utah. Boise State didn't even make the list of Tier 3 and Tier 4 schools (UNLV and San Diego State were in the latter category).
Not exactly a flat rebuttal to expansion talks, nor a Texas team as feared by the C-USA boards. It could be much worse for C-USA than losing a Texas School. A bigger question is whether Tulsa would leave C-USA for the MWC. The MWC edge in football is less when other sports are considered. Nothing is official, but rumors are in the wind. Everywhere Craig Thompson turns this question arises., even when the topic is the MWC's success in its short 10 year lifespan, equal to the lifespan of the BCS. Is a MWC expansion on the horizon? Are Boise State, Fresno State and Tulsa lined up to fill a 12 team conference? I can only hope.