In what is to be game week for the 2011 college football season, now the conversation is heading back to the Texas A&M and the SEC. Over the weekend the Big 12 held a conference call between their Board of Directors to discuss their options. The big deal from the meeting is that the SEC is possibly imposing a Sept. 1 deadline for the Aggies to decide.
The meeting aso happened to discuss possible replacements if/when Texas A&M leaves to the SEC:
Brigham Young, which operates as an independent in football, has been widely mentioned as an expansion target, but a Big 12 source told The Star that expansion options in other BCS conferences is a possibility. Notre Dame and Pittsburgh, which share Big East membership in most sports, were discussed by the Board as expansion possibilities.
"There's linkage between the two based on location," the source said. "It's not inconceivable to think in terms of both schools."
No way Notre Dame joins the Big 12, and the only possible was is for them to keep their NBC contract AND get an equal share to the other schools. Pitt seems way out of the way and if they are going after Pitt then they must add another school in that area and perhaps that is why Notre Dame is mentioned. If they are going after those to schools that puts the Big 12 at 11 teams and a 12th would needed to be added and the logical and most talked about choice is BYU.
BYU has been reportedly been contacted by the Big 12 and they have stipulations if they are to go to the Big 12 and the biggest is getting some sort of contract saying Texas intends to stay in the Big 12. I don't see BYU having that kind of pull. Also, Notre Dame's decision is of interest to BYU because the report says BYU does not want to be the only non-service academy independent. The BYU situation is very fluid in regards to their future.
However, all eyes are pointing at Texas A&M to see what they do and then the dominoes will fall with another round of expansion that may or may not affect the Mountain West. For now, we wait.
Follow Mountain West Connection for more news around the clock via twitter, facebook and now google plus.