ET: Boise State

Submitted by A2MIKE on

"Boise State on Friday accepted an invitation to join the Mountain West Conference as the two-time Fiesta Bowl winner seeks out a league that's a better launching pad into lucrative bowl games."



Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/football/ncaa/06/11/boise-mwc.ap/index.html#ixzz0qjeBg3wb

If you are Boise State and you really want to get into a BCS title game then holdout for a major conference bid.  Don't join the MWC.  I don't get this at all, looking for some insight.

Michigan_Mike

June 13th, 2010 at 8:39 AM ^

Pac 10 was never going to invite them so they are going to try and make the Mountain West a major conference. If they MWC picks off some of the Big 12 left overs they would have a serious chance.

Mr. Robot

June 13th, 2010 at 9:02 AM ^

The MWC is almost certain to become a BCS conference once all of this is said and done. The original purpose in them picking up Boise was to bump the Big East for their spot, as unlikely as that was to actually occur. Now they not only have that argument of being better than the Big East, but now that the Big XII is going to be history, there is an open slot anyway. Given stregnth of teams and a wide-open BCS slot, I don't think there is any way the MWC doesn't go BCS.

The realignment isn't over yet, either. Its still completely possible for the MWC to pick up leftover Big XII teams, and for said teams, the MWC is their best shot at NOT getting left behind when they don't get into the Big 10 or the Pac 10. Not only that, but it still possible some teams could be getting sniped by the Big Ten from the Big East, which would hamper their profile even more and clear the way for the MWC, which isn't probably going to lose anybody.

Basically, the MWC couldn't have asked for a better scenario then what has been going down the last week or two. They stand to gain a lot, especially now that they have Boise.

Topher

June 13th, 2010 at 9:04 AM ^

"If you are Boise State and you really want to get into a BCS title game then holdout for a major conference bid.  Don't join the MWC.  I don't get this at all, looking for some insight."

A couple days ago, I was betting that the MWC got Boise State in anticipation of TCU being invited to the Big 12. Now that the Big 12 appears sure to implode, the MWC is in great shape. The MWC now has ten members, including three (BSU, TCU, Utah) of the four teams (Hawai'i is the other one) to get at-large BCS bids, and the current MWC teams are have never lost to non-MWC members in BCS games.

It will be fairly easy for the MWC to sweep up the Kansas teams, Missouri, or Iowa State or possibly Baylor and make their own 12-team conference and take the Big 12's dissolved automatic bid.

Kansas and KSU are probably not excited about their basketball prospects in the MWC.

madtadder

June 13th, 2010 at 11:49 AM ^

Basketball is a lot different than football though. You can play in a weak conference and dominate it and come out just fine. Look at Memphis. If Kansas ends up in the MWC, they would be fine. They'd still sell out all their games and they'd still make the tourney every year.

A2MIKE

June 13th, 2010 at 9:25 AM ^

I didn't properly lay out my thought process.  I apologize for that.  My feeling is that Texas likes being in the Big 12 for the unequal revenue sharing, being the big dog in a geographically close conference, as well as not having to lose rivalries and tradition by switching conferences.  I think they would have preferred to add 2 teams (replacing Nebraska and Colorado).  I would assume their meeting with A&M was in order to save the conference and keep A&M from jumping ship ala Colorado.  Is it possible that the Big 12 stays together and pulls a Utah, TCU or Boise State in to get back to 12 teams?  I just don't see a MWC with Utah, Boise, and TCU as well as say Kansas and Kansas St being a conference worthy of an auto bid to the BCS.

wolverine1987

June 13th, 2010 at 9:40 AM ^

First, it does improve their chances as a poster above laid out. Second, there is no other choice. Despite some fans and posters who believe that Boise's success the last few years makes them, as one person here said in another thread, "a huge win," for the MWC, the fact is that they would have chances approximately zero of joining a current auto bid BCS conference. Rightly or wrongly (I think rightly), the BCS conferences do not look at Boise as a brand name school than enhances their conferences either in football or financially. Joining the MWC is far more a victory for Boise than it is a win for the MWC.

MGoRobo

June 13th, 2010 at 1:14 PM ^

By going to the MWC, Boise increases their level of competition (by playing teams like Utah, TCU and potentially Mizzou).  Also, the conference itself, if they manage to add Mizzou and Kansas (maybe others) would actually become a strong conference.  The BCS could take this into account in the future, when they will most likely change the auto bids.  I believe they have to wait til the current BCS contract expires, though if the Big 12 dissolves...who gets the auto bid for the Big 12?

MWC, anyone?

BlueTimesTwo

June 13th, 2010 at 1:18 PM ^

With a stadium that only holds about 36K, and a smaller and more regional fan base, they are not very attractive to the major conferences.  It is still a win for the MWC, considering that they have as good of a shot as anybody to play in the BCS championship game this year.  If they beat Va Tech in their first game, they should be favored to make it.