With the "orphans" (the five teams that will be lost when the Big XII implodes: Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Missouri and Baylor) trying to keep the Big XII alive, there are also Plan B scenarios that could come in to play.
The most popular one is that Kansas, K State, Iowa State and Missouri heading off to the Mountain West Conference while Baylor tries to find something (Conference USA?).
Well a new scenario has come up that it's shocking that no one has thought of: The Big XII could absorb the Mountain West.
It's not a bad idea for anyone involved. Obviously, those
"orphan" teams would love it since they keep the Big XII alive and stay in a BCS conference. The Mountain West teams would like it since they'd be joining a conference that already has BCS status. It is a win-win as far as that goes.
Also consider that it would mean the Big XII could receive money from the departing schools (Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Colorado and Texas Tech) in penalty fees. If there is no Big XII, then those schools wouldn't really have to pay a leaving fee to the conference. Keeping the Big XII alive would mean the conference would rake in those exit fees.
Right now, the Mountain West has 10 teams. That could change if Texas A&M decides to go to the SEC and the Pac-10 decides to add MWC's Utah. That would mean the nine MWC teams would hook up with the five remaining Big XII teams and form a 14-team conference. If the Pac-10 doesn't nab Utah, then the Big XII would have 15-teams and would almost assuredly add a 16th member (I'd go for Memphis, though SMU or UTEP could work).
Of course, the big wigs in the MWC wouldn't be fond of losing their conference they've worked so hard to put at almost-BCS status. But the schools involved would be fools not to jump at the opportunity to land in a BCS guaranteed conference. It would also put the league among those SuperConferences and could attempt to follow the Pac-10s lead of multiple BCS bids (a longshot, yes, but they'd have a chance at it).
Even if the Big XII didn't want to expand up to 14 or 16 teams, they could just add 7 of the MWC's teams and form a 12-team league. They could add all everyone but San Diego State, Air Force and Wyoming (or pick your schools, but that would see to be smartest). They could also just grab four or five MWC schools and have a 9 or 10-team league. TCU, Utah, BYU, Colorado State and UNLV may be the most likely schools to go after ... in that order.
I do think that wouldn't happen since I think the MWC members would like to see everyone join.
By the way, I think Boise State may have jumped to the MWC too soon. If the Big XII would take just a few schools to the Big XII, it would be stuck in a bad conference again. Oddly, the MWC would then loot the WAC ... BSU's old conference ... for new members. If Boise had just held out a little longer, they could've been offered a spot in the Big XII.
The most popular one is that Kansas, K State, Iowa State and Missouri heading off to the Mountain West Conference while Baylor tries to find something (Conference USA?).
Well a new scenario has come up that it's shocking that no one has thought of: The Big XII could absorb the Mountain West.
It's not a bad idea for anyone involved. Obviously, those
"orphan" teams would love it since they keep the Big XII alive and stay in a BCS conference. The Mountain West teams would like it since they'd be joining a conference that already has BCS status. It is a win-win as far as that goes.Also consider that it would mean the Big XII could receive money from the departing schools (Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Colorado and Texas Tech) in penalty fees. If there is no Big XII, then those schools wouldn't really have to pay a leaving fee to the conference. Keeping the Big XII alive would mean the conference would rake in those exit fees.
Right now, the Mountain West has 10 teams. That could change if Texas A&M decides to go to the SEC and the Pac-10 decides to add MWC's Utah. That would mean the nine MWC teams would hook up with the five remaining Big XII teams and form a 14-team conference. If the Pac-10 doesn't nab Utah, then the Big XII would have 15-teams and would almost assuredly add a 16th member (I'd go for Memphis, though SMU or UTEP could work).
Of course, the big wigs in the MWC wouldn't be fond of losing their conference they've worked so hard to put at almost-BCS status. But the schools involved would be fools not to jump at the opportunity to land in a BCS guaranteed conference. It would also put the league among those SuperConferences and could attempt to follow the Pac-10s lead of multiple BCS bids (a longshot, yes, but they'd have a chance at it).
Even if the Big XII didn't want to expand up to 14 or 16 teams, they could just add 7 of the MWC's teams and form a 12-team league. They could add all everyone but San Diego State, Air Force and Wyoming (or pick your schools, but that would see to be smartest). They could also just grab four or five MWC schools and have a 9 or 10-team league. TCU, Utah, BYU, Colorado State and UNLV may be the most likely schools to go after ... in that order.
I do think that wouldn't happen since I think the MWC members would like to see everyone join.
By the way, I think Boise State may have jumped to the MWC too soon. If the Big XII would take just a few schools to the Big XII, it would be stuck in a bad conference again. Oddly, the MWC would then loot the WAC ... BSU's old conference ... for new members. If Boise had just held out a little longer, they could've been offered a spot in the Big XII.
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