The Philadelphia Daily News is reporting that last year's Football Championship Subdivision finalists are both moving to the Football Bowl Subdivision. Villanova to the Big East and Montana to the WAC. 'Nova will use the MLS stadium in Chester, PA as a temp home until their home football stadium is expanded to a Big East-acceptable Size.
Have not seen any reports from other papers confirming this. But Montana to the WAC seems to be a given at this point, even if there is no official word from either Montana nor the WAC at this time. But there has been no official repudiation of the story, either.
My take...
In 2012, Montana would bring the number of WAC teams to 7. They still need to add at least two more schools. It is my hunch that Montana and the Board of Regents would not move on this without Montana State. The other school at the top of the short list has to be Texas State. That will help pacify Louisiana Tech, help with their travel expense, and ensure that the WAC is an ongoing concern. The WAC may add another 3 for a 12-school conference, but not right away.
Villanova to the Big East in football is not totally unexpected, in my book. 'Nova is in the Big East in Basketball and well situated to succeed. I am not putting them in the Orange Bowl right away, but could produce a winning tradition as quickly as Nevada did...perhaps they will even be the next Boise State. The Big East is at 8 for football, and 'Nova makes it 9. Others could move up as well, but the only other Big East programs that are FCS are Georgetown and Notre Dame. The latter will never join the Big East in Football. They only way the Big East grows beyond 10 is if they spin off the non-football programs into a new conference. That is not totally unexpected as well.
This is also a sign that the Big East sees the Mountain West as less of a threat without BYU and Utah.
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