Fanblogs.com - Latest Comments in Should the MWC expand?

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Ed — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 23:56:54 -0000

I like the idea of Hawaii, Fresno and Boise going to the Mountain West. That would allow for a more balance league with: West Division: Boise, Hawaii, UNLV, SDSU, Fresno and BYU. The Mountain Division would have: Utah, New Mexico, TCU, CSU, Wyoming and AF. Each team would play 9 conference games with 5 division games, 2 rival games and 2 games rotating between 4 schools. This would allow Utah to play BYU each year and allow long standing rivalries to continue annually.

I live in Houston and U of Houston is a commuter school in a pro-town and is second fiddle to Texas, TA&M, Tech and LSU. Houston only brings potential TV eyeballs and a major recruiting area for the MWC. Look at the running back from Oregon State Rodgers that ran all over USC. He is from the Houston area and was hardly recruited. Houston is a major, rich recruiting area for not only the Texas schools but for schools all over. Tulsa is a decent team but doesn't bring eyeball revenue, recruiting or major attraction. My prediction is that Boise St will go to the MWC first. Then if the MWC can get a guaranteed BCS game, then you may see the MWC going to 12 teams. I agree with Ben that since Houston and Boise both have bowl games, it would allow the MWC to have more bowl slots. My other immediate prediction is that Central Florida will be invited to join the Big East by 2010. That will allow the Big East to have 2 schools in Florida and would allow the non-Florida BE schools an annual trip to Florida and enhance Florida recruiting. If Central Florida leaves, then Houston, Tulsa or UTEP may push to leave C-USA and join Fresno and Boise in the MWC.

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Chasen — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 00:03:06 -0000

I agree its the same as Lousiana Tech being in the Western Athletic Conference

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Chasen — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:50:08 -0000

Boise State should be moved into the MWC, it's an obvious decision. BSU's record in the WAC since joining in 2001 is 52-4. They have also won 6 WAC titles since joining. In their first year in the WAC (2001) they proved it when going into Fresno and beating the unbeaten #7 Bulldogs 35 to 30. On the downside though BSU has never been picked to win the WAC including this season and they have never started any season ranked. As for example Fresno St has started three seasons ranked since 2001. On another upside though Boise State has won 50% of their bowl games while being in the WAC and those victories were against good teams (Iowa St, TCU, and Oklahoma). The ones they lost were even close games when losing to Louisville 44-40, Boston College 27-21, and ECU 41-38. All in all its shown that BSU deserves to be a Mountain West team. They need real opponents!!!!!!! P.S. I know its not just the football team moving up, that the basketball team would move to MWC too but no worries because the Bronco's basketball team won the WAC last season!

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Jim — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:46:00 -0000

I think you are mistaken if you believe The University of Houston would be the most attractive eastward program for MWC expansion. The University of Tulsa is much more attractive from an athletic, facilities and market standpoint. The University of Houston is in fact located in a bigger TV market but they are swallowed by that market . The city of Houston is and will always be a market dominated by Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and LSU. The University of Tulsa does compete with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State for the Tulsa market but per capita The University of Tulsa has a greater share of their local market than the University of Houston. The University of Tulsa just renovated their football stadium and the facility is as good as any 30,000-40,000 seat facility in the current Mountain West. Tulsa football recently ended a 2 game series with BYU (TU is the last team to beat BYU) and last Saturday they just completed the 1st game of a 2 game series with New Mexico, blasting the Lobo's 56-14. Next season TU starts a 2 game series with Boise St. It appears TU is scheduling more Mountain West programs and that can only help relations. From a competetive standpoint TU football has competed in C-USA Championship game 2 of the last 3 seasons (4 Bowls over the last 5 seasons). This season they are expected challenge Memphis in basketball and it appears their storied basketball program is on its way back. Obviously Tulsa is a natural rival for TCU and New Mexico.

(Mountain West- Boise. St., BYU, Fresno St., San Diego St., Utah, UNLV / Mountain East- Air Force, Colorado St., New Mexico, TCU, Tulsa, Wyoming)

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Ben Prather — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:18:17 -0000

They get a trial this week at Oregon. I remember when we invited TCU and I thought they would be about 3-4 in the MWC due to th increase in difficultly and they won the conference.

Re: Should the MWC expand?

lawfamily — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:27:53 -0000

I say give Boise State a trial year in the MWC. Let's see how good they are when they play BYU, Utah, and TCU every year. Will they rise to the challenge?

Re: Should the MWC expand?

shiguy — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:07:03 -0000

agree h

Re: Should the MWC expand?

dithridge — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:26:06 -0000

I remember Jim Calhoun saying he wouldn't schedule Boston College for basketball, but I don't remember BC saying they wouldn't schedule old Big East teams anymore. According to nationalchamps.net BC is scheduled to play Syracuse in football as soon as 2010.

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Anonymous IV — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:46:33 -0000

I agree with you overall I was just stating the distance factor. It is nice that you mentioned the importance of the media markets in your article.

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Ben Prather — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:37:39 -0000

I refer you here.

Ahhh, the new h.

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Ben Prather — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:36:08 -0000

I refer you here.

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Ben Prather — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:34:24 -0000

At least we are not from Hawaii to Louisiana.

Besides we have San Diego already, Fresno does not expand the territory that much.

TCU was the mistake geographically, not Fresno State or Boise State.

Given TCU, Houston is not so bad anymore.

Re: Should the MWC expand?

4cornerz — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:55:42 -0000

If the MWC expand they should get automatic BCS bid

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Anon V — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:05:40 -0000

The Pac-10 isn't expanding, there are no schools nearby that have the "research" status they want. The conference also has no need to expand for money because of the back up Rose Bowl contract. Their always gauranteed the big bowl even if the BCS imploded unexpectedly. I'm a Pac-10er and yes the university presidents do have a superiority complex to other schools, believing they are the academic equal of the Ivy League, so don't look for any expansion.

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Anonymous IV — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:29:28 -0000

Using the real estate mantra is a good idea. I think any conference that would include both TCU and Fresno State creates logistical problems. There is a thing as being too spread out. There is a geographical element that must be considered in conference re-alignment and expansion.

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Lennie Collins — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:50:06 -0000

Location, Location, Location!

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Ben Prather — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:46:10 -0000

I wish Utah Basketball was still a solid team.

UNLV has been going 2-2 in OOC play, against teams that would beat most non-BCS teams,and ending up with 3-4 wins. They are not weighing down the conference.

They are not like Idaho or Utah State losing to FCS teams.

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Ben Prather — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:41:18 -0000

MWC Automatic Bowl Berths: 4

Bowl record 4-1.

We are doing something right.

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Superlobo — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:04:41 -0000

You're right , however you can't blame the MWC for trying to get the best teams possible, no matter the geographic location of that team.

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Superlobo — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:48:10 -0000

Like I said we'll give you heck, but it appears as if both Utah and BYU will both field great teams this year. We have been doing very well lately with Rocky Long as coach (Rocky was born in Utah and Bronco Mendenhall was an assistant with the Lobos for years.)

Don't get me wrong, if we beat either one of you, I would be pleased, but for the good of the MWC we need you two to break through, so the rest of the country can see there are some other very good football teams in our conference.
Last year Air Force was 9-4, New Mexico 9-4, TCU 8-5 and of course Utah 9-4 and BYU 11-2. That's 5 of the 9 conference teams with very good records against some very good competition. Most of all the losses to the aforementioned teams were dealt by the other conference members.

Rocky chose to schedule some very good ooc games this year (Texas AM, Arizona and Tulsa). I hope he wasn't too ambitious. Those teams along with the conference schedule is brutal. We have managed to beat Texas Tech, Missouri and Arizona in the last three years and have been invited to 5 bowls in the last 6 years. So, we are improving. However, I believe your future glory is right here in the MWC. Like I said before, we are almost there. We can only prove what we are allowed to prove by the BCS.

All we can hope for is "Truth, justice and the American way" to prevail.

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Lennie Collins — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:19:11 -0000

The point I am getting at is that there is no doggone mountains in Fort Worth or Houston just like the is no Pacific Ocean in Arizona, Doggone it!

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Superlobo — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:15:14 -0000

My bad, you're right. The point remains the same. Thanks for the welcome!

Re: Should the MWC expand?

MetsJetsRebels — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:08:29 -0000

I know. MWC is rising up the ranks in basketball as well as football. UNLV will be a top 25 team in the country the whole season, and there are a few other solid teams as well(BYU, Utah, SDSU, New Mexico, etc. all will be respectable this year). It just seems like basketball is completely thrown out the window, but what UNLV lacks in football, we're a basketball powerhouse that is going to put the MWC on the map in basketball for years to come(if we haven't already).

As for UNLV football, we will be able to handle Utah St with ease, and I could see us beating Iowa St and UNR, we play them close every time. UNLV, while their record doesn't show it, really has put up some good fights over the past couple years(Iowa St, UNR, that Wisconsin game last year, beating Utah, etc etc), I think our program is on the rise and will at least be respectable and potentially a 6 win team this year.

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Ben Prather — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:45:20 -0000

The MWC does not get its due as a BB conference. BB would be a significant factor that is completely neglected here.

The fact is that the NCAA tournament makes the issue less pronounced than the bowl structure. This is why Football is usually the driving factor in conference realignment.

Here we focus squarely on college football. No "HAIL TO THE REDSKINS" here. No other sports matter. (hyperbole...)

UNLV's problem is that even a close conference will experience separation. Just please beat Utah State this year. I mean really, that was embarrassing. Iowa State should be in reach and you can upset Nevada. Win THOSE three and everything else will work out well. A Miracle against ASU would be nice.

Just don't beat us!

Re: Should the MWC expand?

Ben Prather — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:35:28 -0000

When the MWC formed they thought they were trimming off the WAC fat.

The problem with realignment is no matter how balanced the teams are to start, eventually separation will occur.

The current MWC with Boise State, Fresno State and another would be as good in the long run, if not better than, any possible realignment. The real problem is strength of schedule. The MWC needs to improve this.

Weber State and Southern Utah are not acceptable oppoonents.