Big Ten and other Conference Expansion

[Class'13]

Is this just their own little thing, or could this possibly be the second Expansion Powder Keg?

 

[Mike80]

I didn't see this one coming...

Nevada, Fresno State to join Mountain West Conference - ESPN

 

[TGfan06]

I didn't see this one coming...

Nevada, Fresno State to join Mountain West Conference - ESPN

I have a feeling this is just the beginning for the smaller conferences. It will start out west then shift towards the east. Does the WAC stay together? There will have to be a major realignment for them to stay in business.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Baylor and Wake Forest are both Baptist. Northwestern has religious roots. Boston College -- Oh, and the College of Cardinals.

And U of C also has a Baptist founding. The difference between Wake Forest and Northwestern and Baylor is that the former two long ago abandoned any religious influence in their governing, while the latter is still controlled on a daily basis by the church.

The Catholic schools are a rather interesting study, with the Jesuit controlled BC and Georgetown taking a stridently independent line from the Vatican; whereas the domers tend to Rome's line much more closely.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

I didn't see this one coming...

Nevada, Fresno State to join Mountain West Conference - ESPN

Makes sense from a rivalry standpoint (UNLV already in the MWC and Nevada was Boise's biggest rival in the WAC) and tv market standpoint--both have a lot of alumni in Sacramento.

 

[BB73]

After the Fresno St and Nevada departures, the WAC will have only these 6 left for football (making the MAC and the Sun Belt look good):

Hawaii
Idaho
La Tech
New Mexico St
San Jose St
Utah St


Mandel weighs in on BYU, the Mtn West, and the WAC.

SI.com

Would BYU be Notre Dame as a football independent ... or Navy?

 

[Bucklion]

Nevada, Fresno join Boise in new MWC

Nevada and Fresno State joined Boise State in leaving the WAC for the MWC, leaving the WAC with 6 crappy football schools and no basic hope of staying together unless they can pilfer some C-USA teams. There is also talk of BYU leaving the MWC to become a football independent and play in the WAC or WCC for all other sports a la Notre Dame, but that is uncertain at the moment.

Now maybe the MWC will get a BCS bid even with the loss of Utah...if BYU stays?

 

[Piney]

After the Fresno St and Nevada departures, the WAC will have only these 6 left for football (making the MAC and the Sun Belt look good):

Hawaii
Idaho
La Tech
New Mexico St
San Jose St
Utah St

Time for the SunBelt to get into the fray and 'steal' La Tech!

 

[BB73]

The CFN group talks about the same topic.

CFN

 

[Diego-Bucks]

On a personal level, I say to hell with BYU. I don't care for them in the conference. However, I do think that the MWC could use their "prestige" to enhance their contacts and talks. So, I guess that I hope they stay to help the conference and my school (San Diego State) and then they can ditch us in a few years.

 

[Diego-Bucks]

Would also like to point out that I predicted back in June that the MWC would add Fresno St. and Nevada-Reno to the conference soon, I am really glad that they did. Both those schools are solid additions!!

 

[BB73]

Time for the SunBelt to get into the fray and 'steal' La Tech!

One of the CFN guys mentions that. Fiu has them going to the Mtn West, along with Houston and UTEP, giving them 14 (if BYU stays) and a chance to be a BCS AQ Conference.

Whether or not TCU stays in the Mtn West, or joins what's left of the Big XII, will be a key factor in what happens in the next 12 months.

 

[BigWoof31]

I'll wait to comment on these moves till I get a full report from ORD Buckeye.

 

[Muck]

It took a serious beat down -- in Tuscaloosa -- on the Tide by the USC Trojans and then an NCAA Championship loss to the Cotton Nash UK Wildcats at the hands of Nevil Schutte and the Miners of UTEP to convince Bear, the Baron and the SEC that it was time for integration.

Well it just took a timely 'revelation' for it to happen in Provo.

 

[JBaney45]

After the Fresno St and Nevada departures, the WAC will have only these 6 left for football (making the MAC and the Sun Belt look good):

Hawaii
Idaho
La Tech
New Mexico St
San Jose St
Utah St


Mandel weighs in on BYU, the Mtn West, and the WAC.

SI.com

Byu would obviously be navy you don't even have to read the article. No major BCS school is going to want to schedule BYU in october/november. Better off with the quality of opponents they'll get in the MWC