AFA, Army, Navy to save BE?

Very interesting article. I guess it would make some sense since they travel all over as independents anyway, and AFA travels to play the other two every year.



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Even Greg Wrubell is tweeting about this.

So Air Force had an offer to go the Big 12? Why is it coming out that just about every team has an offer to a bigger conference except BYU? This is driving me crazy! If Air Force, Navy and Army go to the Big East, and BYU still gets left out of the Big 12 I think I might scream. I really hope BYU and the Big 12 can work it out so that they can get into the conference. In the end, if they don't, I will consider it a colossal failure.

So AF is only talking after the invitation was turned down. Perhaps this mean BYU is still in negotiations with the Big 12.

Maybe the Big East should create a Western Division, with AF, BYU, Boise, Houston, etc.

If all these other teams get into a BCS conference and BYU doesnt I give up. And if it comes out that BYU doesnt get into a conference because they screwed it up I will give up on them altogether.



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hawkwing wrote:
Maybe the Big East should create a Western Division, with AF, BYU, Boise, Houston, etc.

I would imagine that any number of scenarios, including this one, have been discussed and are still in play potentially.



Note 1: AFA came right out and said that they told the Big 12 that they are not a fit for that conference becasue they did not feel that they could recruit and compete against Texas, Oklahoma, Okie State, etc. AFA did not want to put their Cadets in such a position. They use football to build leadership through being competitive and want to play in a stable conference where they can be competitive. AFA said it was hard to turn down the well needed money that they would have immediately plowed into a baseball field and some other non-football investment the first year. They put student-athletes and rivalries with Army and Navy above money. They also said they would try to kiss and make up with CSU and Wyoming to preserve those rivalries. I hope we are paying attention. Be careful what you wish for. Ask Utah. But, I am on the Big 12 bandwagon, if we tone down the OOC games and schedule gimmes almost always at home until we prove we can recruit to that level and compete at that level. If we prove that we can - then start trying to ramp up the OOC schedules. We will compete better than AFA in BIg 12, but we will struggle.



Note 2: AFA and Navy lobbied hard to get Army an invite to the BIg East. The BIg East wants Army. Army - read above re AFA and Big 12 - apparently has concerns about whether their program is ready to compete at a Big East level. Although I would say buck up and give it a shot - no reason Army can't step up to it if AFA and Navy can - it would just take a higher level of committment and resources - you have to respect Army for recognizing who they are and who they are not.



Comment: If AFA, Navy, and Army all go Big East - that will be two less teams available to easily schedule BYU late in the season when conference play is engaged. ND will probably do its Big East buddies a favor and schedule all three of those schools frequently.

SpiffCoug wrote:
So AF is only talking after the invitation was turned down. Perhaps this mean BYU is still in negotiations with the Big 12.

Always a possibility. Still amazing that even Air Force could become a member of a BCS conference and BYU could not.



Since we have only to go off of what we can deduct from all the information floating out there, I believe BYU was in talks from the beginning. They were viewed at the time as a formible replacement for TAMU and the only school that could be plugged into the Big 12 in 2012. TCU was the only other school (of course except ND) that could do likewise for a $5 million fee, but originally there was sentiment against another Texas team. Once that hurdle was overcome, they became the favored child, since BYU does have baggage (Sunday play, BYUtv, etc). I believe the Big 12 door is now shut.



I thought long ago that the Big East should develop a western division and now is the best time for them to explore that. With the addition of BSU, AF and BYU and Houston, I think they could pull something out to still stay viable. Possibly, but at the moment, I don't see there ever being an options for BYU in another conference unless there is a conference that actually "needs" us. The Big 12 has no such need.