Nevada, Fresno State joining Mountain West

[badger]

Fresno State and Nevada joining - breaking news - tune to ESPN now

Link (http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/cougars/50134064-88/west-mountain-cougars-league.html.csp)

So much for the end of the MWC

This also means Tulsa's former conference, the WAC, is in danger of faltering. Conferences must have at least eight teams.

Mountain West 2010 (nine teams)
Air Force
BYU
Colorado State
New Mexico
San Diego State
TCU
UNLV
Utah
Wyoming

Mountain West 2011 (ten teams)
Air Force
Boise State (replaces BYU, which is going indy)
Colorado State
New Mexico
San Diego State
TCU
UNLV
Nevada (replace Utah, which is going to the Pac 12)
Wyoming
Fresno State (another new team)

WAC 2010 (nine teams)
Boise State
Fresno State
Hawai‘i
Idaho
Louisiana Tech
Nevada
New Mexico State
San Jose State
Utah State

WAC 2011 (six teams)
Hawai‘i
Idaho
Louisiana Tech
New Mexico State
San Jose State
Utah State

Um, ouch!

[badger]

Out of those six teams, the only worthwhile one I see is Hawaii

[badger]

nobody cares :D

:pop:

[soonerspiff]

That's a shame.

/pity post.

[okiedokie]

and BYU all by their lonesome?

[sooner59]

BYU will fail alone. They don't have near the following of Notre Dame. And they have it better than Army/Navy in MWC. Just think. If Utah and BYU stay in the MWC, adding Boise St., Nevada, and Fresno....they become equivalent two the Big East basically. You are assured of a decent SOS and you can a small amount of respect for blazing through that conference and likely get a BCS auto-bid. But now...Utah will get owned (along with Colorado) in the Pac 10, the MWC is still not good enough for an auto-bid, the Big 12 is left with 10 teams and Nebraska is a flake. I really wish we could adopt Arky and Louisville. That would be great for the Big 12 North, both in football and basketball. Hell Arky ain't bad in baseball either.

[reevie]

I'm not sure those two schools strengthen the MWC.

[soonervegas]

Could Hawaii go independent? Play 8 or 9 home games.....

[TexasLidig8r]

BYU got about $2 million from the MWC television contract last year.

They have a state of the art broadcast facility just opening on campus right now.. apparently capable of broadcasting 4 games in high def at the same time.

Within a very short amount of time, I envision them approaching the Big 12, or the Big 12 approaching them saying... Hey Door Knockers... we know y'all can't play on Sundays but we really like your shiny new broadcast facility. That would reduce the costs in operating a Big 12 Network... wanna come to our conference and play? Here's $18 million annually for your trouble.

[Sam.England]

I fear this is only the beginning, more changes will happen before the start of next season! It could get messy before it gets anything else!

[rawlingsHOH]

WAC 2011 (six teams)
Hawai‘i
Idaho
Louisiana Tech
New Mexico State
San Jose State
Utah State
Ridiculously silly!

[royalfan5]

North Texas and Montana to the WAC.

[Mississippi Sooner]

"One of these things is not like the other. One of these things just doesn't belong."

Seriously, is there not a southern/southeastern conference that LATech can join?

[delhalew]

This will cause BYU to have a change of heart. Indie was a bad idea for them anyway, but know there will be no WAC for their other sports. Their only shot at a BCS bid is to stay in the MWC.

[TexasLidig8r]

I fear this is only the beginning, more changes will happen before the start of next season! It could get messy before it gets anything else!

Gary Patterson of TCU certainly thinks so.

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/ncf/news/story?id=5475303

[Sam.England]

Its not a best case solution... but there are some teams to beat up on there if the Big XII needs to have 12 to keep the championship game... and which out them really wouldnt wanna be in the Big XII compared to dead WAC?

[badger]

Could Hawaii go independent? Play 8 or 9 home games.....

If there's any program that you'd want to do an away-and-away series with, it's Alooooooooooooha! :D

[bent rider]

BYU got their a$$es handed to them by the MWC ... if go run-off and play in the WAC in basketball we'll raid the WAC so they are no longer a viable conference. This will likely force byu to stay in the MWC ... they didn't actually go independent, the news was leaked that they were going to.

BYU is laughable, they are like the kid who has a spiffy new pool in their backyard but still none of the cool kids want to come over and play.

BYU thinks they can be the Notre Dame of the west, but they have one tenth or less than Notre Dame has in terms of fans, money, tradition, etc -- and even less when it comes to bowl success. Sure you can send a signal out in HD, but no one outside of their little valley will get the signal unless cable, DirecTV, Dish agree to carry it -- and why would they? -- the Mtn West couldn't get Dish to carry the Mtn network that included 9 universities, including BYU. Furthermore, Notre Dame is not making the reputation of Independent football games on teevee any better by sucking for the last decade since they have been on NBC.

[Mississippi Sooner]

I have the BYU channel on my satellite package. It's way up there with crap like RFD-TV and the Arabic language channels. :D

[OklahomaTuba]

BYU got about $2 million from the MWC television contract last year.

They have a state of the art broadcast facility just opening on campus right now.. apparently capable of broadcasting 4 games in high def at the same time.

Within a very short amount of time, I envision them approaching the Big 12, or the Big 12 approaching them saying... Hey Door Knockers... we know y'all can't play on Sundays but we really like your shiny new broadcast facility. That would reduce the costs in operating a Big 12 Network... wanna come to our conference and play? Here's $18 million annually for your trouble.Exactly.

Heard Merv Johnson at lunch the other day say that if the conference does expand, its got to be TCU and BYU. Arkincest would be nice, but no chance of it probably.

[badger]

its got to be TCU and BYU.

TCU add nothing... 35k stadium? Another school in Texas? Zzzzz.

Since we were gonna be in a division with Arizona/AzState anyway with the Pac 16, maybe ask those two instead?

[bent rider]

I have the BYU channel on my satellite package. It's way up there with crap like RFD-TV and the Arabic language channels. :D

Is it in HD? Is it there because your cable system has to carry a certain number of non-profit educational/religious channels and the Mormons provide for that free, costs paid through their proselytizing budget? Will it still be there once its converted into a BYU sports station with paid ads and all? Would their own church let them do that conversion or will they make them stand-up a second byu sports channel?

[Mississippi Sooner]

Is it in HD? Is it there because your cable system has to carry a certain number of non-profit educational/religious channels and the Mormons provide for that free, costs paid through their proselytizing budget? Will it still be there once its converted into a BYU sports station with paid ads and all? Would their own church let them do that conversion or will they make them stand-up a second byu sports channel?

Answer to all those questions: I have no idea. I just noticed it once when I was scanning through the channels I never watch. For all I know, they have concerts by the Tabernacle Choir.

[OK2U]

Maybe a bad move, but not as bad as some of you might think.
(I live in Salt Lake City, and know a little bit about the school, and its community)

BYU is owned by the LDS church, one of the most profitable and savvy businesses in the world. They had an estimated $30 billion in assets in 1995. Nearly every mormon is an avid BYU fan, and with more than 9 million in the U.S. alone, that's quite a lot. (There are 3.7 million people in OK, and we know that not all are OU fans).

Suffice it to say, BYU has access to more cash than most programs in the nation and has a much larger fan base than you think.

The Church will treat BYU going Indie like as marketing goldmine for recruiting more people the fold. They'll spare no expense.

You can't buy tradition, but they certainly have a lot more than the Iowa States and the Baylors of the world.

[Salt City Sooner]

If there's any program that you'd want to do an away-and-away series with, it's Alooooooooooooha! :D[Deloss Dodds voice] No, no, NO. That would cost WAYYY too much.[/Deloss Dodds voice]



:D

[SteelClip49]

TCU and BYU would be great in the XII. After all, they are the 2 best mid-major football programs of all time. BYU from late 70s to early 2000s were always winning around 10 games under the tutelage of Edwards and continued with Mendenhall.

Both schools also have 1 national title and 1 Heisman winner.

[silverwheels]

"One of these things is not like the other. One of these things just doesn't belong."

Seriously, is there not a southern/southeastern conference that LATech can join?

Geographically, they should be in Conference USA.


TCU and BYU would be great in the XII. After all, they are the 2 best mid-major football programs of all time. BYU from late 70s to early 2000s were always winning around 10 games under the tutelage of Edwards and continued with Mendenhall.

Both schools also have 1 national title and 1 Heisman winner.

I could do without another Texas team in the conference. 4 is more than enough.

[TexasLidig8r]

TCU and BYU would be great in the XII. After all, they are the 2 best mid-major football programs of all time. BYU from late 70s to early 2000s were always winning around 10 games under the tutelage of Edwards and continued with Mendenhall.

Both schools also have 1 national title and 1 Heisman winner.

STOP IT!

Why TCU?

What do they bring?

It's NOT about football prowess.. it's about new television markets and revenue!

Keep in mind... the Big 10 will never allow Neutered Dame to have their own television network. Neutered Dame has nationwide exposure and recruits nationwide. Besides geography, what does the Big 10 have to offer Neutered Dame?

BUT...

What does the Big 12 have to offer? Ok, Neutered Dame, you want your own television network... we can work with that. You want another big dog from a population and television exposure mainstay... ok.. we got that too. You want to double your revenue from your television contract.. I imagine we can promise you that as well.

Now..if you start talking BYU and Neutered Dame... NOW it's going to get interesting!

[ddub0224]

Does trying to steal AZ and AZ State make sense? They were late additions to the PAC (whatever). Decent teams in all major sports - certainly better rounded than TCU, Houston, BYU. I would also think they would add more new viewers.

[NormanPride]

If we could get Notre Dame I would **** myself. There's absolutely no chance of that happening.

[Mississippi Sooner]

If we could get Notre Dame I would **** myself. There's absolutely no chance of that happening.

Nope. I dare say they'd join the Pac-whatever before they'd join us.

[badger]

STOP IT!

Why TCU?

Neutered Dame

Do I need to smack myself for agreeing with Lid?

Awww, what the hell.... Bad badger! (smacks self)

[KantoSooner]

one of the most profitable and savvy businesses in the world[/B]. They had an estimated $30 billion in assets in 1995. .

This is a little one that I have spent many moments in my adult life capturing and flushing down the toilet....only to have it appear afresh somewhere else. Here goes one more time:

The LDS church is neither savvy nor particularly profitable. They make scads of money and are very rich because of the fact that THEY ARE A CHURCH. THEY PAY NO TAXES. NOT ON THEIR REAL ESTATE, NOT ON THEIR PROFITS.

You let any half-bright B-School grad loose with an advantage like that and, if he/she is NOT wildly successful within five years, you should take 'em out behind the barn and put a bullet in them and take them out of everyone's misery.

There is no magic or brilliance behind the LDS 'success'; only the cowardice of the US government when it comes to taxing businesses hiding behind the skirts of religious organizations.

[NMSooner'80]

If you wanted to take a road trip every two years to a scenic place that doesn't support football (and take over the stadium), bring in UNM. If nothing else, a bunch of us transplants would love it. We could probably fund Lobo athletics just by our attendance as visiting fans for one game every couple of seasons.

[49r]

This is a little one that I have spent many moments in my adult life capturing and flushing down the toilet....only to have it appear afresh somewhere else. Here goes one more time:

The LDS church is neither savvy nor particularly profitable. They make scads of money and are very rich because of the fact that THEY ARE A CHURCH. THEY PAY NO TAXES. NOT ON THEIR REAL ESTATE, NOT ON THEIR PROFITS.

Not to mention the Catholic Church is probably worth a dozen times more (it's hard to find hard info on the topic, but some audits reveal it may be around half a trillion dollars) than the LDS Church. Not to mention probably 50 million (or more, again I really don't know) followers domestically. Compare that to the 9 million mormons...

[bent rider]

Not to mention the Catholic Church is probably worth a dozen times more (it's hard to find hard info on the topic, but some audits reveal it may be around half a trillion dollars) than the LDS Church. Not to mention probably 50 million (or more, again I really don't know) followers domestically. Compare that to the 9 million mormons...

Pew survey says 24% of the US is Catholic, 2% Mormon (LDS, FLDS, etc, LDS being the largest).
So that is 1/10th of the number of potential casual fans based on religion (don't forget even in Utah, there are many LDS Univ of Utah fans, a few USU and other fans who actually dislike BYU athletics).

1 national championship (often disputed), and 1 Heisman compared to 8-11 NC for Notre Dame (depending how one counts), many Heismans for ND. Rudy vs Nepoleon Dynamite. Beer drinking Catholics vs kool-aide sipping Mormons - good luck getting advertisers.

[Mississippi Sooner]

Hey, they can always get ads for whoever makes their sacred undergarments.

[bent rider]

The LDS church is neither savvy nor particularly profitable. They make scads of money and are very rich because of the fact that THEY ARE A CHURCH. THEY PAY NO TAXES. NOT ON THEIR REAL ESTATE, NOT ON THEIR PROFITS.

You let any half-bright B-School grad loose with an advantage like that and, if he/she is NOT wildly successful within five years, you should take 'em out behind the barn and put a bullet in them and take them out of everyone's misery.


There might be some B-school grads shot then after the LDS church's $3 billion dollar shopping mall project in downtown Salt Lake City folds (the Mall of America in Minneapolis cost less than $1 Billion) along with their church-run newspaper, The Deseret News, that is on the rocks.

[Bourbon St Sooner]

Well at least texas is remaining in the Sun Belt.



Oh, hang on, that's their non-conference schedule.

[badger]

Did you all hear that C-USA/MWC are trying to get an auto-berth?

Link (http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/08/19/2414774/mwc-c-usa-talking-about-merged.html)

Basically, and this really sounds like the first step toward more playoffs, which is cool, MWC and C-USA champs will face each other to determine who gets the auto bid of the two. I assume the loser of the game as well as other teams from their conferences, could still vie for an at-large berth.

[Mississippi Sooner]

Did you all hear that C-USA/MWC are trying to get an auto-berth?

Link (http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/08/19/2414774/mwc-c-usa-talking-about-merged.html)

Basically, and this really sounds like the first step toward more playoffs, which is cool, MWC and C-USA champs will face each other to determine who gets the auto bid of the two. I assume the loser of the game as well as other teams from their conferences, could still vie for an at-large berth.

Hmmm. Kinda like the play-in game for basketball.

[John Kochtoston]

A BYU/Big 12-2 marraige makes too much sense for Dan Beebe to ever do it. I've resigned myself to the fact the Big 12-2 will cease to be by the end of the current TV deals, 2016 I think, if not sooner. I, for one, am looking forward to spicing up the SEC West or PAC East.

[soonervegas]

A BYU/Big 12-2 marraige makes too much sense for Dan Beebe to ever do it. I've resigned myself to the fact the Big 12-2 will cease to be by the end of the current TV deals, 2016 I think, if not sooner. I, for one, am looking forward to spicing up the SEC West or PAC East.

Yup.

[budbarrybob]

WAC was a whack name anyway...

[badger]

latest here (http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=262&articleid=20100820_262_0_hrimgs913269) with tulsa comments

I absolutely would love more MWC/C-USA partnerships. Having Boy-zee in town last year made us all Tulsa fans for a night. The Golden Hurricane really, REALLY came close to defeating those smurf turf punks too