Things just got more interesting in the conference shuffling...

[Hards Alumni]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5276064

Boise State to the MWC.

[HouWarrior]

That is a pretty good 10 team field. Assuming Tx/Ok group join Pac 16, why wouldn't the orphan group, en masse (IowaSt,Kans.,Kstate,Baylor,Mizzou), consider joining Mountain West---realistically, its about the same play level, and its seems deserving of BCS auto status

[Litehouse]

The Mountain West may seem deserving of a BCS bid, but the Big East already has a bid.  I realize basketball is an afterthought for most of these teams, but if the football was relatively close, the far superior b-ball in the Big East might be enough to tip the scales for these teams, especially Kansas and Mizzou.

[Husker4MU]

It all depends on what happens with the Big XII's vacated BCS spot.  There's talk that the Pac 10 is angling to get 2 auto berths if they expand to 16 teams.  That would snap away the Big XII bid.  If the Pac 10 doesn't get two bids, the open bid should go to the MWC.

[Mr. Nielsen]

I can see Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri and Iowa State more in the Big East than the Mtn. West.

If your Iowa State, you must be hating life right now. Nobody is talking about you. Your to far east for the Mtn. West and to far north for Conf. USA and the Big Ten doesn't want you.

[HoopsMalone]

It all depends on what happens with the Big XII's vacated BCS spot.  There's talk that the Pac 10 is angling to get 2 auto berths if they expand to 16 teams.  That would snap away the Big XII bid.  If the Pac 10 doesn't get two bids, the open bid should go to the MWC.

Those Mountain West teams are hot right now.  Who knows if it is a flash in the pan.  The safer play is to join the Big East and maintain an auto-bid to the BCS rather than bet that those teams like Boise State and Utah will continue their high level going forward and earn an auto-bid. 

I think that they should keep the auto-bids as is.  There is plenty of opportunities to make it at large.  No reason to lock up spots.  For example, LSU was one of the best teams in the country, but Alabama and Florida took the two SEC bids and they could not get another one.  Just keep the 5 auto bids and the 5 at-large bids (assuming the Big East holds).

[TJ]

It all depends on what happens with the Big XII's vacated BCS spot.  There's talk that the Pac 10 is angling to get 2 auto berths if they expand to 16 teams.  That would snap away the Big XII bid.  If the Pac 10 doesn't get two bids, the open bid should go to the MWC.

There's nothing written that requires 6 auto-bids, is there?

Watch, before long when there are four 16 team conferences they'll award 2 auto-bids to each and drop a bowl game; then they won't have to worry about those pesky at-large bids at all anymore.

[BuzzSucksSucks]

As reported earlier: Texas, Texas Tech, OU, OSU to the Pac 10.

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/061210dnospoaustinreport.92f8114a.html

[wyoMUfan]

I can see Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri and Iowa State more in the Big East than the Mtn. West.

If your Iowa State, you must be hating life right now. Nobody is talking about you. Your to far east for the Mtn. West and to far north for Conf. USA and the Big Ten doesn't want you.

all the guys i work with are saying that KU and KState are salavating at a chance to join the mwc!   WHAT!
I told them they are idiots and that no way a team w/ such an illustrious past and bright future on the hardwood as Kansas would want to have to play home and aways w/ wyoming every year. LOL

[HouWarrior]

all the guys i work with are saying that KU and KState are salavating at a chance to join the mwc!   WHAT!
I told them they are idiots and that no way a team w/ such an illustrious past and bright future on the hardwood as Kansas would want to have to play home and aways w/ wyoming every year. LOL

I agree--but Wyoming is not the class of the MWC--at the top, TCU, Utah,Boise State, etc have been in or vied for BCS spots.
Kansas to UConn is not a dream matchup either, travel costs to BE would be higher, and but for BE being founding BCS conf.(with accompanying prestige of an automatic spot), its level of play /teams really is not greatly better than anything in MWC. Surely you dont think any MWC team fears a BE FB team, and surely you dont feel just being east is more prestigious--in football, power shifted away from the NE USA, many decades ago.

[wadefan#1]

It woukd be awesome if Kansas and K-State join the Big East.

[goodgreatgrand]

Today, ND cancelled their 2013 game with Navy. Doesnt the BE require two year's notice? Hmmmmm.....

[ChicosBailBonds]

Today, ND cancelled their 2013 game with Navy. Doesnt the BE require two year's notice? Hmmmmm.....

Really?  Wow...I'd say that's a big deal.  ND has played Navy for a long long long time.  Probably means something....

[goodgreatgrand]

Oops. My bad. False alarm. They cancelled with Army, not Navy.

http://www.collegefantasyfootballinsider.com/news/16751/2013-ArmyNotre-Dame-no-longer-planned

[IrwinFletcher]

Today, ND cancelled their 2013 game with Navy. Doesnt the BE require two year's notice? Hmmmmm.....

ND will never cancel a  game with Navy.  They have a verbal agreement to play every year because it was Navy that kept ND's program afloat during the WWII years.  Because of that, there is a long standing agreement to continue to play every year.

[TJ]

I agree--but Wyoming is not the class of the MWC--at the top, TCU, Utah,Boise State, etc have been in or vied for BCS spots.
Kansas to UConn is not a dream matchup either, travel costs to BE would be higher, and but for BE being founding BCS conf.(with accompanying prestige of an automatic spot), its level of play /teams really is not greatly better than anything in MWC. Surely you dont think any MWC team fears a BE FB team, and surely you dont feel just being east is more prestigious--in football, power shifted away from the NE USA, many decades ago.

Rutgers, West Virginia, Cincinnati, and Louisville have been in or vied for BCS spots too.  Even if the MWC is marginally better in football (and only football) on the field, there's no way they can match the revenue opportunities of the Big East.

[HouWarrior]

Rutgers, West Virginia, Cincinnati, and Louisville have been in or vied for BCS spots too.  Even if the MWC is marginally better in football (and only football) on the field, there's no way they can match the revenue opportunities of the Big East.

BE teams you mention may not have been BCS teams, but for the fact that BE is an AUTO  qualifer: the champ automatically is in--it doesnt earn BCS spot from undefeated seasons like Utah, TCU and Boise state have had.

Understand,...I HOPE BE truly maintains a shot to attract and lure FB teams, but unlike MWC which is at 10, and unlikely to diminish  (more likely to grow), the BE FB is at only 8 and is clearly a B10 target(poss ACC too), its likely to lose teams, and then ...BE is too small, loses its BCS auto qualifer status, and will be less than MWC.

The really big advantage of BE, in attracting, or competing for the B12 orphans over them going to MWC, is less about FB $,  (a big, 16 team MWC, will make plenty--network TV, poss MWC netw, etc), it is that BE can brag to the orphans--join us, keep us at more than 8, and you'll be in a conf, whose champ, regardless of record, automatically cashes a BCS bowl check.

The MWC moved quickly to add Boise State, and is well poised /positioned to go after the B12orphans today vs. BE which almost has to wait for the B10 losses to clear out, before it can commit to offer to B12 orphan group--- esp due to risk of overbloating the BE BB conf size.

[TJ]

BE teams you mention may not have been BCS teams, but for the fact that BE is an AUTO  qualifer: the champ automatically is in--it doesnt earn BCS spot from undefeated seasons like Utah, TCU and Boise state have had.

Understand,...I HOPE BE truly maintains a shot to attract and lure FB teams, but unlike MWC which is at 10, and unlikely to diminish  (more likely to grow), the BE FB is at only 8 and is clearly a B10 target(poss ACC too), its likely to lose teams, and then ...BE is too small, loses its BCS auto qualifer status, and will be less than MWC.

The really big advantage of BE, in attracting, or competing for the B12 orphans over them going to MWC, is less about FB $,  (a big, 16 team MWC, will make plenty--network TV, poss MWC netw, etc), it is that BE can brag to the orphans--join us, keep us at more than 8, and you'll be in a conf, whose champ, regardless of record, automatically cashes a BCS bowl check.

The MWC moved quickly to add Boise State, and is well poised /positioned to go after the B12orphans today vs. BE which almost has to wait for the B10 losses to clear out, before it can commit to offer to B12 orphan group--- esp due to risk of overbloating the BE BB conf size.

The only thing you said that I really disagree with is the first paragraph.  Cincinnati was in last year without the auto-qualifier; WV was in without the auto-qualifier in 2007-8; Louisville was in without the auto-qualifier in 2006-7.

In that same time, Boise went twice, Utah once, and TCU once.  And I bet both Boise and TCU don't both go last year if they are both in the MWC

The big east is certainly in a precarious position right now, but I think you overstate the MWC advantages and also overstate the BE disadvantages to make the gap seem wider than it really is.

[Mayor McCheese]

ND will never cancel a  game with Navy.  They have a verbal agreement to play every year because it was Navy that kept ND's program afloat during the WWII years.  Because of that, there is a long standing agreement to continue to play every year.

Navy is good competition for Notre Dame, considering lately Navy has been more successful than ND

[ListerineSting]

Notre Dame's intentions is the baby elephant in the tent that no one is really addressing. Quite frankly, that elephant is beginning to belch and the odor is starting to be noticed.