This whole mess has left both the MWC and WAC much weaker, and the WCC an attractive (but very financially lopsided) basketball league.
This whole mess has left both the MWC and WAC much weaker, and the WCC an attractive (but very financially lopsided) basketball league.
Like I said, this is the college football version of the CART-IRL story.
CART-IRL?
Predictions:
– Hawaii goes independent
– Louisiana Tech goes to Sun Belt or C-USA
– Utah State, Idaho, New Mexico State, and San Jose State find their way to the MWC at some point prior to negotiations for the MWC conference’s next cable deal and/or prior to major BCS realignment due to a move towards superconferences and/or a playoff system
– MWC then rounds up to a conference of 16 by picking off UTEP and Montana (a I-AA powerhouse that might look to follow the Boise State path to I-A at some point), leftovers of an imploded Big 12, or some combination of the above
Champ Car and Indy Racing League. See history here.
CART-IRL?
Two organized bodies competing to govern open-wheeled racing here in America. They practically destroyed their sport while NASCAR reached new heights.
And to elaborate: IRL was formed by discontented CART members and tracks (pre-eminently Indianapolis Motor Speedway), focusing on oval racing (like NASCAR) vs. the street / road courses typical of CART and Formula One. CART hung on for another decade before finally going bankrupt in the 2008 recession. Subsequently remnant CART teams and tracks (e.g. Long Beach Grand Prix) joined up with IRL.
Interesting, I had never heard of the whole CART-IRL thing. And yet I’ve somehow been to both the Indy 500 and the Long Beach Grand Prix. Go figure.
Louisiana Tech wants to avoid going back to the Sun Belt but would probably jump to C-USA in a heartbeat.
I still think the Big 12 doesn’t last more than a couple years, and the remnants of that and the top of the Mountain West get together and the leftovers join up with the WAC teams. It’s not a slam dunk but I think thats the one with the highest odds.
After that I think the next scenario is an 8-10 team WAC with UTEP, North Texas and/or some of the regional 1-AA teams.
I think the complete death of the WAC is a possibility but I think it’s the least likely.
Ok, imagine this, along with BYU, Notre Dame, Army, and Navy four other teams join them and form a football only independents conference. USC and Texas, maybe Air Force and one other maybe Oklahoma?
That means 7 conference games against solid teams, with plenty of room to pick up traditional rivalries and a few regional opponents. No doubt such a league could get a BCS auto bid and the runner up could easily be in a position for an at large spot.
They could allow each other more independence in tv deals, although together they would be pretty solid too. You’d also avoid serious travel costs by keeping non football sports in regional conferences. You could toss in basketball to the league. The downside is you are certainly facing a potentially stronger conference than any they currently exist in, but as the SEC has shown, with just a few really good teams and a bunch of weaker non con games it might be doable.
It’s crazy, but maybe?
Bump it up to 12 by adding UCLA, Boston College, Miami and Florida State.
Or cover all the major regions by swapping Army/Navy for Washington and Oregon.
Or let’s go all out nuts, make it 16 teams, add Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska and Kansas.
Call it the Mighty 16 ( M-16 for short, because really what’s more American than football and guns)
M-16
WEST
Washington
Oregon
USC
UCLA
BYU
Air Force
Texas
Oklahoma
EAST
Nebraska
Kansas
Notre Dame
Boston College
Michigan
Ohio State
Florida State
Miami
Now come on, you can’t tell me that would be one he’ll of a football and basketball conference!