News again is going at hyper speed as there is confirmation of the meeting C-USA and MWC officials which took place in Colorado Springs, and the meeting did include Craig Thompson as well as C-USA commissioner Critton Banoskwy talking about television, scheduling, and the BCS. Looks like this is a real possibility of trying to get in on an auto-bid to the BCS with a cross over game between the two conference champions. While this seems like an innovative or crazy idea (you decide?) to gain a BCS bid, but what is more crazy is that there is some twitter chatter from some reliable people that say Houston is bound for the Mountain West.
Seeing reports that Houston is going to MWC.
Dennis Dodd
dennisdoddcbs
The question to be asked is why would this be happening if the two leagues are trying to get together to create an auto bid. The idea may have already been shot down by BCS Executive Director Bill Hanckock but I can not say for sure, but it makes sense for the Mountain West to then turn to Houston to add them. They will help in BCS criteria but unless they are able to join the MWC in 2011, which I doubt, their stats will not count in the current cycle.
Instead of posting something new here is more info form Dennis Dodd:
Just got off the phone with Craig Thompson. "I have had no communication with Houston."Dennis Dodd
dennisdoddcbs
MWC and CUSA trending toward more of a partnership instead of acting alone. Houston probably stays put.Dennis Dodd
dennisdoddcbs
Just to play hypothetical here lets say Houston joins the MWC (something I have been saying for years, and before they were really good at football) this gets the Mountain West to 12 teams if BYU stays and this may sway them to stay. That makes C-USA at eleven and I can see them snagging Louisiana Tech from the WAC which would help them out greatly to reduce travel, and that would eventually kill of the WAC for football and basketball.
Moving on to this: BYU was so close to going independent and getting a WAC heavy football schedule. It was so close that a schedule was already drawn up for them in 2011:
WAC commissioner Karl Benson said Friday that the league had a schedule of games for BYU against WAC members to help fill the Cougars' 2011 season.
They were:
• BYU at Fresno State;
• BYU at Hawaii;
• Utah State at BYU;
• Nevada at BYU;
• San Jose State at BYU;
• New Mexico State at BYU.
Even by adding Utah, Texas and others the schedule is only slightly better then any other MWC schedule, but I guess if they get a better television package and rights to put games on BYU-TV it makes sense.
As of now BYU still has yet to officially say anything and the date to leave the Mountain West in 2011 is September first, and by all accounts the West Coast Conference is not in the mix since BYU has not returned calls to the WCC.
This is all going way too fast, and have no clue what will end up happening, but I am still sticking with my initial reaction that has BYU coming back to the Mountain West as they had Houston to get to 12 teams. The agreement with Conference USA does not seem to benefit the Mountain West all that much since they have routinely sent teams to the BCS where C-USA has not been close. Only way it gets done if they are treated as BCS league money wise and perhaps the two leagues share the bowl pay out equally, or maybe a 60/40 to the winner while sharing the money between the two leagues.
Follow Mountain West Connection via Twitter and Facebook for News Quick Hits and Random Nonsense.