Remember the WAC-16 from 1996-1998? From what I’ve read, it came into being by one vote. But what if they couldn’t get the votes and don’t add 2 members to their eastern flank and 4 to the west? (From what I understand, the 3 SWC schools were only coming as a package deal and the West schools were going to block any expansion that didn’t include UNLV and SJSU).

The WAC holds at 10:

Hawaii, Fresno St, San Diego St, Utah, BYU, Wyo, Colo St, AFA, UNM, UTEP

The Big West still expands that year:

SJSU, UNLV, Nevada, Utah St, NMSU, Boise St, Idaho, UNT

What happens with the SWC schools? I’d think Houston still bails on the other 3.

Any chance that C-USA decides to go to 16 in all sports and 10 for football?:

Tulsa, SMU, TCU, Houston, Rice, Tulane, USM, Memphis, Louisville, Cincinnati
non-fb: UAB, Char, USF, DePaul, Marquette, St Louis

by 2003 fb would be at 12 with the UAB and USF upgrades

The alternative for the SWC schools is a lot bleaker.

2005 sees Louisville, Cincinnati, USF, DePaul, Marquette, St Louis, and Charlotte depart C-USA and Marshall, UCF, and ECU join.

SBC football doesn’t get off the ground until 2005 with Ark St, LA Tech, ULL, MTSU, Troy, FAU, and FIU.

The WAC and Big Sky conferences enjoy stability from 1996-2010, when Utah and BYU leave the WAC.