Mountain West and C-USA to merge football

[HuskerFanChuck]

Link is here:

 

http://espn.go.com/c...l-only-alliance

 

Sounds like a good move to me for the conferences to solidify their football, and it also sounds like it may play a role in other sports as well, though the conferences aren't merging for those. Not a move I would have foreseen. And it sounds like at least three potential suitors for the Big East agreed to the merger, so who knows whether those schools will want to make the Big East move after this. Those schools were BSU, AFA, and UCF. Interesting stuff... the world of realignment keeps getting a tad more bizarre as we go along.

 

Edit: One other major thing to add -- *22* teams for football.

 

Just mind-boggling.

[Scarlet Overkill]

no good can come from this.

[husker_99]

from what i read of it earlier was that the conferences were still separate but just that the winners of each conference would then meet up and have a championship game hoping it gives the winner a BCS berth. The MWC and C-USA still exist. That the whole reason they are doing this is trying to get a BCS slot.

[It'sNotAFakeID]

from what i read of it earlier was that the conferences were still separate but just that the winners of each conference would then meet up and have a championship game hoping it gives the winner a BCS berth. The MWC and C-USA still exist. That the whole reason they are doing this is trying to get a BCS slot.

 

I believe that is what they're going to do. Which is fine. It doesn't mess much up, just adds a conference championship game with BCS implications on the line. And with the Big East school hunting, it's probably going to be in the best interests of these conferences to merge

[HuskerFanChuck]

The articles that I read actually made it sound as though the two divisions for football hadn't been decided on yet. So I don't think it'll be just playing those in your current conference, I think there will probably be a lot more cross-conference playing. That, and the articles I read also stated that there would be some coordination, though not merging, of schedules for other sports as well. Should definitely be interesting going forward.

[VectorVictor]

The articles that I read actually made it sound as though the two divisions for football hadn't been decided on yet. So I don't think it'll be just playing those in your current conference, I think there will probably be a lot more cross-conference playing. That, and the articles I read also stated that there would be some coordination, though not merging, of schedules for other sports as well. Should definitely be interesting going forward.

 

That, or if anything, they start an agreement to limit their non-con to where only one or two non-con games are outside of the 22 team arrangement per year.

 

Considering a number of these schools are cannon fodder for larger BCS non-con schedules, it may benefit them in the longrun to step back and say 'no' to more non-con with these teams--short term, it will hurt financially, but it will start forcing the BCS 'haves' to play each other more for non-con, and the 'have-nots' here can build themselves up by playing each other more.

 

And however they work this out, if they end up as a 22-team conference, there's no way in hell the BCS can say no to them getting a berth, unless they want to take it in the shorts again from the Government.

[gratefullred]

Is this what a super-conference looks like? I thought is would be more super.

[irafreak]

Why would the BCS give this league a birth? Because they combined the lackluster schools of the country and they now play a championship game? The only way I'd give them a birth was if they actually played and beat all 21 teams. That would be impressive. Otherwise it's just a small step up having the best team from the mountain west...boise...play the best team from conference usa. Yawn. Sounds like a low level bowl game.

[HuskerFanChuck]

Fits better as a #6 auto invite than the Big East does currently, unless the Big East's invites come to fruition. But from the reports, all the major players in the Big East invites seem likely to stay in their respective conferences for this merger. Actually higher quality football has been played in the Mountain West than the Big East for quite some time. They just didn't have the positioning and clout necessary at the time the BCS was formed to insert themselves in the equation. Would have been even better if they could have kept TCU for this, but I still think this conference is light years ahead of where the Big East finds themselves, football wise. I'd actually be very surprised if the BCS didn't pick up the winner. And if both the Big 12/Big East continue to go the direction they have been... you could end up with only four automatic BCS bids anyway... and I'm not sure that's the position the BCS wants itself in. The more 'involvement' they have from conferences, the less likely they are to draw the notice and wrath of Washington. And say what you will about whether or not Washington's attention SHOULD be focused there... we know there's at least a few eyes open regarding the BCS and it's current format. If the BCS can find a way to salvage itself by being just a little more inclusive by adding one automatic bid, you think they won't take it? I'm inclined to believe to help solidify their position, they'll do what they need to.

 

Edit: WOOT! Finally made the Travel Squad!

[huKSer]

The articles that I read actually made it sound as though the two divisions for football hadn't been decided on yet. So I don't think it'll be just playing those in your current conference, I think there will probably be a lot more cross-conference playing. That, and the articles I read also stated that there would be some coordination, though not merging, of schedules for other sports as well. Should definitely be interesting going forward.

 

That, or if anything, they start an agreement to limit their non-con to where only one or two non-con games are outside of the 22 team arrangement per year.

 

Considering a number of these schools are cannon fodder for larger BCS non-con schedules, it may benefit them in the longrun to step back and say 'no' to more non-con with these teams--short term, it will hurt financially, but it will start forcing the BCS 'haves' to play each other more for non-con, and the 'have-nots' here can build themselves up by playing each other more.

 

And however they work this out, if they end up as a 22-team conference, there's no way in hell the BCS can say no to them getting a berth, unless they want to take it in the shorts again from the Government.

How is Grampa Snyder going to schedule non-con games? UNK, Emporia State and UNO Intra-mural champions?

[OmahaPlaya]

Interesting turn of events.

[Excel]

no good can come from this.

Agreed, is this a sign of things to come?

 

Interesting move though...I always wanted to see this kind of combination between the MWC and the WAC.

[HuskerCarter]

Forget 16 team super-conference. Lets go with a 22 team conference!

[walksalone]

I think you guys are right, that no good can come from this...

 

But, I think that they had to do this with the way things are starting to play out.