Many people believe that if the Big 12 remains at 14 members after Texas and Oklahoma leave. Remember BYU enters the conference in 2023. Cincinnati, Central Florida and Houston enter in 2024. Texas and Oklahoma leave in 2025. For the 2024-25 academic year, the Big 12 will be at 14 members for one season, and reports are that they are considering two additional members to remain at 14 members.
Surely, Boise State is one of those schools being considered. So are South Florida, Memphis and a few others. South Florida, many believe, has the inside track as Florida is a mecca of college talent and South Florida would be a good travel partner for Central Florida
These are things that Boise State can't match. Boise, while one of the fastest growing to cities, is a long way for hitting the magical 1 million in population. The Treasure Valley will reach that number in the 2030s. Therefore, travel to and from Boise is not ideal for a Big 12 school. One must remember that if Boise were to join the Big 12, they would be both the most west and the most north in the conference.
The lower population would also not be a recruiting gain for the Big 12.
Finally, it takes about 5 and a half hours to drive from Provo to Boise, which is about 2 hours shorter than the drive from Houston to Lubbock.
Now, before Boise State fans begin throwing those rotten tomatoes at me, I am well aware of all the positives that Boise State brings, including their recent success in sports. Including their success against BYU. But even BSU fans will admit the points I made are the main arguments against Boise. Like the Wasatch Front, Boise isn't close to anywhere else. Population wise, its about where Salt Lake was in the 1950s.
5 Schools that are a more ideal Big 12 Travel Partner for BYU than Boise State would be.
5. Utah State
This is a far better travel partner for BYU. The good before the bad. USU is a top-tier research institution and brings academic excellence to the table. They are a big rival of BYU. They have had their moments in sports, especially in football. The problem is that there is no airport in Logan with regional service. It is two hours from Provo and nearly 90 minutes from Salt Lake City. The shortest route can be treacherous in winter.
4. Colorado State
CSU is also a top research school. Colorado is a recruiting hotbed. CSU is closer to DIA than CU and Bolder. The main negative is that the State of Colorado doesn't seem to care much for college sports these days. Both CU and CSU are struggling.
3. UNLV
Sure, it's a five-hour drive from Provo to Las Vegas, but a short charter flight. There are world-class facilities in Las Vegas. UNLV is a good school, especially for tech. But their performance on the field has been anything but world-class. They are not exactly power-5 ready. If their basketball team was still performing at a world-class level, you could justify the poor performance in football. But those facilities...that might be enough.
2. Arizona State
One thing that Bob Bowlsby would love is to take a program or two from the PAC-12. ASU is likely on the top of his list. The Phoenix metro, the campus, everything. Plus, ASU may to better if their recruiting base was a little farther east. They only negative is appearing like a hyprocrit.
1. Utah
BYU and Utah belong in the same conference. It's one of the best rivalries, not just in college football, but in all sports. The PAC-12 may be more forgiving of taking Utah considering the rivalry factor. Plus, USC and Oregon may send Bowlsby a thank-you card.
Honorable mentions: Air Force, Wyoming, Nevada, SMU
All this being said, Boise State appears to be the best realistic option for a BYU travel partner.
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