TCU accepted an invitation to join the Big 12 last night. Not only did it make sense geographically for TCU than the Big East, it has given the Big 12 some much-needed stability.
Here is how the Big 12 could become more stable: invite Boise State to join the league, and do so NOW.
What good can Boise State bring to the Big 12 you ask? Well first of all, the Broncos are pretty damn good in football. They are in the top five in all the polls every year, and they have been a BCS threat the last five seasons.
And who wouldn’t salivate at future Boise State-Oklahoma, Boise State-Texas, Boise State-Oklahoma State and now Boise State-TCU matchups? At the very least it will show us college football fans if Boise State really belongs with the big boys – which I say it does.
Boise State is in the vicinity of the conference’s footprint. It wouldn’t be a stretch for the Big 12 to expand into the northwest.
Bottom line: the Big 12’s football profile will go to another level, rivaling the SEC. Boise State would get its wish in playing in a BCS conference. It’s a win-win all the way around.
However, I have a feeling the Pac-12 will beat the Big 12 to the punch. Boise State would fit well travel-wise with Oregon, Washington, and the California schools.
After all, the Pac-12 tried to – and still may try to – kill the Big 12 by wooing Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas Tech.
Categories: college football, sports story
Your reasoning makes sense from a fan’s prospective. Boise would certainly provide quality competition for the Big 12. However, University Presidents and Athletic Directors have a different criteria for selecting schools these days.
*Are they in a large TV market? Will they help us secure a fatter contract? (No. Boise, Idaho is the #119th ranked market according to scout.com).
*Do they play in a large stadium? Will gate receipts be augmented by adding this program. (No. Boise plays in a 33,500 seat stadium. That’s roughly half the size that the Big 12 is looking for – as a minimum.)
*Are they in fairly close proximity? Will fans be excited about traveling back and forth? Will income be generated for the local hotels and restaurants when this team comes to town. (No. Boise is a whopping 1,600 miles from Austin, Texas. Why did I pick Austin? ‘Cause ain’t nobody gettin’ in the Big 12 without UT’s approval.)
All Texas and Oklahoma are getting out of adding Boise is a bigger travel bill for all sports and another tough hurdle in the Conference and National Championship run.
Boise just joined the Mountain West. I agree that the Pac 12 could make a play for them if they decide to expand. But they really only meet the proximity requirement. If they go after Boise, I can only surmise that it’s to weaken the Mountain West.
If Missouri takes off for the SEC, look for Louisville or one of the service academies to come into the picture. (Of course, Notre Dame is always a wet dream for any conference. lol) Boise would be a last resort, in my opinion.
While the football team would be a plus for the Big 12 as far as overall strength, everything else about Boise State is not appealing for a BCS conference. They have small facilities, they’re in a small market, their other sports programs are not terribly strong, and they don’t have the infrastructure to meet the needs of visiting big-time programs. It’s important to remember, the Boise State football program has been competing at their current level for only 15 years (they became D-1 in 1996). While that makes their rise to prominence all the more impressive, it also means they’ve outplayed their facilities and infrastructure, which means they may be a big-time football program, but they’re still a small-time school.
Rumor has is that Boise State turned down a pac12 invite a couple years ago, they know the grass is greener playing cupcakes. Another rumor is that Big12 wants BYU or West Virginia or another Big East team looking to jet over a small market team like Boise State. Last year when TCU jumped at a Big East invite the Big12 turned down a TCU inquiry for invitation. The bottomline for Big12 is not to invite another Iowa State. Boise State might be great now but how about in 5-10 years when they lose their stud qb or stud coach…is this a school that will compete longterm and bring big dollars to the table.
Unfortunately, the only marketable commodity that Boise State University has at this very moment is it’s Fantastic Football Team and football record. However, Boise ( the city ) and BSU ( the university) are both growing in size and recognition. Investment in such an organization may not yield unbelievable returns in the short term view, but BSU is bettering itself as quickly as possible, and has always had a tradition rich in success … check wiki.
In short, BSU is purposely attempting to update and expand facilities, especially for football; however, being located a little off the beaten path in a low population state with two other State-funded Universities doesn’t help with funding. If we could gain admission into a AQ Confernce and start to recieve the large annual payouts, we would be able to close the gap much quicker. As it is now, BSU arguably does more with its comparatively miniscule athletic budget than virtually any other Institution out there.
Ideally I think that BSU fits into the PAC 12 geography better than the BIG 12; however, in my opinion, most of the Universities in the PAC 12 are mostly SNOBS, seem to consider themselves to be “ELITES”, and are generally staffed with Extreme Left – Wing Wack Jobs. Meanwhile, most the BIG 12 schools have much more conservative ideas and sensibilities. Accordingly, I think that BSU would fit in better “CULTURALLY” with the BIG 12.
As for any that wonder about the NCAA Violations — while they should not have happened, as soon as they were discovered as a actual “violation”, they were apparently reported and addressed with the – GRAND TOTAL FOR ALL VIOLATIONS BEING LESS THAN $4800.00. Almost 70violations/$4800.00/over a 5 year period. The football programs were minor, one was less than a dollar while there was a serious violation in womens’ tennis — and as soon as this was discovered, the coach was fired and the situation reported and dealt with. Most of the football violations were head-scratchers. Letting an incoming player sleep on your couch or floor while they look for housing, buying another player a hamburger, a host family for an exchange student from the NETHERLANDS helping their “charge” buy car insurance and letting him drive a 17 year old Toyota. Out west we need personal transportation — lots of empty farm land out here, with only Valley Bus, bicycle, or a Taxi to choose from as alternatives – no subways, passenger trains, or light rails.
I think it’s just amazing how you can shop your services to the BIG BAD BCS SCHOOLS, and get nothing but public scrutiny, but extend your hand to fellow students with a neighborly act of kindenss at a “little school” and you better watch out.
Just my two cents.
SamDaMan — While Kellen Moore is indeed a very special quarterback and Coach Pete and staff are fantastic, BSU has always had a tradition of great quarterbacks, coaches and winning, and while I would hate to lose coach Pete, I think that BSU will still find its way back if that were to occur. This Football Program is not just a flash in the pan, it has been building for decades, and shows no signs of slowing down.
SamDaMan — LOOK UP “IGNORANT” & “FELACIOUS”.
WOW. Talk about thoughtful and thorough.
Are you from Boise? If so, what’s your take on what’s going on now that TCU is splitting the Mountain West?
I am from the Boise area.
When Boise State University (BSU) joined the Mountain West Conference (MWC), BYU, Utah, & TCU were still in the
conference. If they would all have stayed, the combination of BSU, BYU, Utah & TCU would’ve been a fantastic core to an AQ Conference, not to mention The Airforce Academy, San Diego State, and Colorado State. Alas, shortly after BSU committed, Utah fled to the PAC 12, BYU found out that no one wanted to put up with their obstenate attitude, crazy ideas, and a refussal to take responsibility for bad decisions when their ideas blow up in their face (Read dump ESPN for The MOUNTAIN, VS., & CBS Sports channels and the comparative lack of exposure, and more).
BYU threw a Major League tantrum/hissy fit because the PAC 12 wanted Utah but not them. Further exploration revealed that no one else really wanted to put up with them or their crazy ideas and pre-conditions to inclusion. So they gathered up their toys and went Independent — they’ll show everyone.
So now BSU & TCU are the lone members left from the Football power structure from the MWC. Shortly thereafter,
Patterson hinted in an interview that things might not be over yet. Two months later, TCU accepted the invitation to the
Big East.
WOW ………
What looked like a fantastic new Western AQ Conference easily rivaling the ACC & BIG EAST just evaporated before our very eyes.
Unfortunately, GREED has corrupted the NCAAF.
I think that this is a fair statement that most would agree with.
Conference affiliation is no longer based on Academics, Reputation, Performance, and Geography. Instead it has
devolved into how many television sets they bring, butts-in-seats, stabiliy, and occasionally self-preservation because
of the GREED.
Now that the scene has been set, we will proceed to answer your specific querry.
As extremely dissappointed and heart-sick as I am over being marooned in the MWC(Without AQ Status) by all three
teams, I can’t really blame TCU for leaving while the getting was good. Especially with their previous inclusion in the
Southwest Conference and subsequent exclusion from any AQ Conference since. The present reality in the NCAAF FBS is very much like musical chairs, once the music stops, if you aren’t in an AQ Conference, the BCS power structure will squeeze you out.
I would really like to see BSU recieve an invitation from the BIG 12 as you stated in the above article. But media reports
that I’ve seen make it sound like a longshot at this time. Probably totally dependant on whether or not Missouri can
stop it’s schitzophrenic behavior and decide where it wants to be if anyone does indeed want them in a different conference, and then whether the BIG 12 will just replace Missouri or add more teams to get to 12 teams or more.
As for the Mountain West Conference, all they can do at this point is pick up the pieces and attempt to assemble the best conference with the best of the left-over teams available in the region(Next year The WAC 2.0) and hope for more
conference chaos to try to pick off any left over teams from either the BIG EAST or the BIG 12 should they be raided or
implode.
AQ status for The Mountain West Conference is apparently fleeting for the time being. Unfortunately, the mere presence of BSU isn’t enough to get the AQ Status. I don’t see a talked about alliance with Conference USA as a viable solution either. At this point, none of the Conference USA teams have been good enough to earn a BCS Bid on there own, so why would there inclusion with the MWC suddenly move the needle? Frankly, if things remain as they are, it could take another decade or more to develop enough good teams to earn an AQ Status if the BCS even exists by then.
My long winded, round about two cents, for what it is worth.
I still think the conference expansion saga is not even close to being over. If the Big 12 gains enough strength and stability, I think the Big 12 will fight the Pac-12 over Boise State. The Pac-12 will look to grow by adding schools with strong football programs in place of Oklahoma, Ok. State and Texas.
I hope you’re right!