(02-28-2018 08:54 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(02-28-2018 07:51 PM)YNot Wrote:  

(02-28-2018 07:24 PM)CrimsonPhantom Wrote:  This is pretty wild for expansion of the MWC:

http://mwwire.com/2018/02/28/mountain-we...nd-canyon/

I'm not sure Saint Mary's is that attractive. Despite top-25 rankings and playing in a huge media market, they have little fan support or following.

But, more importantly, BYU would probably stick with independence and a watered-down WCC versus playing in the Mountain division or that Rockies bball quadrant. Here's how you tempt BYU:

- ensure annual home-away basketball games with Gonzaga and Utah St. and one of UNLV, SDSU, or New Mexico.

- ensure annual football games against Boise St. and Utah St., even if cross-division.

- let them phase-in to full membership by 2023 - to avoid substantial and costly game buyout penalties. 4-6 games until then, with Utah St. and Boise St. as annual opponents.

So, the answer for football is to align all the legacy MWC schools, except for BYU, in the MWC South Division - plus UTEP or NMSU.

MWC SOUTH
SDSU
UNLV
Air Force
Wyoming
CSU
New Mexico
NMSU/UTEP

MWC NORTH
BYU
Boise St.
Utah St.
Hawaii
Fresno St.
SJSU
Nevada

This way, BYU keeps its two rivalry games, rekindles its rivalry with Hawaii, and gets an annual game in California.

For basketball quadrants:

NORTH
Gonzaga
Boise St.
Utah St.
BYU

WEST
Fresno St.
SJSU
Saint Mary's
Nevada

SOUTH
SDSU
UNLV
New Mexico
Grand Canyon

EAST
Wyoming
Colorado St.
Air Force
NMSU/UTEP

*Go to a 20-game conference basketball schedule, so you play your quad plus two others home-away; everyone else once (rotating home-away every other year). Stack the schedules so that Gonzaga and Saint Mary's play annually (and perhaps BYU and Saint Mary's).

Wouldn't be surprised in that scenario if AAC offers BYU a ND type deal.

I'd do that without a moments thought.

That said, if BYU were to join the MW, it would be for olympic sports only. I dont see football being part of the deal (beyond maybe a scheduling agreement).