Saving the WAC...The End is Near

What Will Conference-USA do?

The Big East Conference has taken 3 from Conference-USA and 2 from the Mountain West Conference.  The question for Conference-USA is whether they remain at 9 schools or replace those who they have lost.  I know people around the country are curious, because this has suddenly become my most read post.  As C-USA has lost 2 of the 3 teams in Texas, I believe that is where they will go next...not to Louisiana Tech, but to North Texas and possibly UTSA.  Although Louisiana Tech is certainly lobbying hard to get off of the sinking ship known as the WAC.  However, I believe that if C-USA returns to 12 teams, they will not take the Rushton school.  My guess at this point is North Texas, Middle Tennessee and Appalachian State.  I have been wrong before, but I believe that the WAC may dodge the bullet here.

C-USA will probably not loose any others even if the Big 12 returns to 12 and takes Louisville and Cincinnati.  The Big East has better options left to them.  BYU, and Temple are at the top of the list right now.  Memphis is a favorite of Louisville coach Rick Pitino, but if he is not in the Big East, why take his input?  Especially if Memphis is not the best market and university to add to the fold.  The new western-half of the Big East...Houston, SMU, Air Force and Boise are pushing for the Cougars.

What about the MWC?

Where the WAC will not dodge the bullet is in the Mountain West Conference.  Certainly, the MWC will add at least 1 school and return to 9.  That 1 school should be Utah State.  Even though the Aggies are only 2-5 at this point, they have been in every game they have played.  They have held the lead in the 4th quarter in every single game so far this year.  You also can't ignore, if you are the Mountain West Conference, what Stew Morrill and the Spectrum Crazies have done on the basketball court.  Nor can the MWC afford to ignore how the Beehive State supported the mtn. when BYU and Utah were part of the fold.  The MWC, if they get Utah State, will have the 2 fastest growing states in the country...Utah and Nevada.

Now the question is this, does the Mountain West Conference expand beyond 9?  This is anyone's guess at this point.  They may follow the lead of Conference-USA.  If Conference-USA remains at 9, the MWC will remain at 9 and only add Utah State.  If C-USA pushes for other schools, so will the MWC.  If the MWC expands beyond 9, they will finish off the WAC for good.

Beyond Utah State, San Jose State probably is the next school.  San Diego State and Fresno State will push  to complete the trio of Cal-State schools that have not been together since SDSU left the Big West in the 70s.  And the MWC may not be able to resist getting a foothold in the Bay Area, even if the Spartans are way down the food chain.

Eleven and 12 are not so easy because the options are dwindling.  Idaho is a good academic option, but their facilities are not the best and neither is their fan support.  But if the MWC takes Idaho and New Mexico State, they could consolidate football mid-major power and take out another conference...sort of another merger.  They could ask C_USA to add La Tech, UTSA and make a formal WAC merger complete, but I don't think it will happen.  If the MWC goes to 12 at this point, Idaho is a good option, but not New Mexico State.  At least Idaho has a respected academic profile.  New Mexico State has very little to offer.  They do not have a winning tradition on the gridiron nor are their academics worth bragging about. IMHO, New Mexico State truly belongs in the Southland Conference...in the FCS.  But they will end up in the Sun Belt along with Texas State, Louisiana Tech and UTSA.

If the MWC stays at 10, and does not go to 12 and add Idaho, they should return to the FCS and the Big Sky Conference.  If the MWC reaches out and accepts the Vandals, a serious push for a 25,000+ seat outdoor stadium should be be more than seriously considered.

The 12th team for the MWC should be bold and should be based on potential.  I have been shot down by readers for suggesting Montana.  But I stick by that suggestion.  If not Montana, then who?

The WAC, at this point should lock up the non-football programs for Air Force and Boise State, add Utah Valley, CS-Bakersfield and Texas A&M Corpus Christi and keep the NCAA automatic bid and become a basketball conference.  I have heard that the Missouri Valley is considering Air Force while even the Big Sky is pursuing Boise State.  If the WAC can not lock up Boise State's non-football programs and BSU joins the Big Sky, the WAC should fold.