Did the mtn. cause the demise of the MWC?

Yes, the Mountain West Conference survives, but only as a ghost of it's former self; and in 2013, will live with likely only half of it's original members.  Yes, some turnover was inevitable, but not all of it.  Some of the problems with the MWC can be blamed on the mtn.

TCU would not have turned down the opportunity to go to the Big 12 and Utah would not have turned down the possibility of going to the PAC 12.  Otherwise, the conference should have remained in-tact.

BYU's main problem is that the mtn would not let BYUtv broadcast games not on the mtn, nor would they let BYUtv rebroadcast games.  If BYU could have have utilized BYUtv in this manner, BYU would have stuck with the MWC.

It is arguable that a conference with Boise State, BYU, TCU and Utah would be BCS worthy.  It is debatable if a BYU/Boise State conference could become BCS worthy, but the Big East thought well enough of that partnership to give BYU an invite, which the Cougars spurned.  But the western expansion of the Big East has trouble written all over it and the Cougars were smart to avoid it.

I contend however, that BYU and Boise State could not alone hold up the MWC as a BCS conference with the likes of UNLV, Colorado State and New Mexico.  It has never been the top teams in the MWC that has been the problem, it has been the lower teams.  It would have been nice if the top tier teams in the old MWC...Boise State, Utah, BYU and TCU could have joined the top tier teams in the WAC for a new conference...Fresno State, and Nevada.  They could have brought along Air Force and San Diego State for good measure.

But at least what is left in the MWC is stable...Fresno State, Nevada, Hawaii, Colorado State, Wyoming, UNLV and New Mexico are not going anywhere.  Fresno State has attractive market potential, but they are not yet ready to play with the Big Boys.  Nevada and Colorado State, maybe one day will have that market potential as well.  For now, it would be a good conference for Utah State and San Jose State to join.

If the Big East fails, there is space for Boise State and San Diego State.

The only threat to the MWC now; let's say that if the Big East fails and then Boise State and BYU get together for a new conference.  There is a good chance at a portion of their old MWC buddies will become friends again.  But for now, the MWC may be a shadow of it's former self and stable and far from a demise.

But the mtn certain did not help matters much.