The Idaho Vandals had recent talks with the MW about entry into the conference. Despite projections by the university, that it could get into about 1 1/2 million homes, "the conference appears to be turned off by Idaho's lack of television market."
"With that in mind, Spear isn't completely ready to write off Idaho's chances of eventually joining the MWC.
'There's always a chance,' Spear said. 'This conference reshuffling is going to continue on and I still think we haven't seen the end of it and you'll see a lot more movement in the future.'"
Does this pertain to backup plans by the MW to indeed add two teams if BSU and SDSU and cannot be convinced to stay after 2012? Something that is also mentioned in the article is the potential for Big 12 and Big East poaching and the continued shuffling of conference affiliation:
"The potential for a football final four could lead to dramatic changes in the bowl system, and with the hiring of a new commissioner, the Big 12 could be poised to poach teams from rival conferences such as the Big East, causing another major round of realignment."
Are Idaho and NMSU simply biding time until the inevitable occurs? If the Big XII decides to actually let its number of affiliations match its roman numerals, at least two teams get plucked from somewhere and most rumors have centered around Louisville for months, although recent fan rumors have cited ACC teams, such as FSU and Clemson (less likely - $20 million fee...). If the BE is plundered, it could use this opportunity to further press the MW, which has too few members to ensure the existence of several sports it now hosts. This type of scenario could be exactly what Idaho and NMSU are hoping for, which would open the door for them to walk into the MW. Even if BSU and SDSU decide to "stay gone", these two teams are among the last in line, as there doesn't seem to be any desire for Texas expansion. Watch out, the impossible could still happen.
