HARSIN URGED BOISE STATE LEADERSHIP TO LEAVE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE

[scott715]

https://www.idahopress.com/blueturfspor ... 1bbf5.html

The email was just a few months ago.

[nuk13]

I'd like to see us, Boise State, Utah State and a few others form a new conference.

[a1247]

They have no TV market, who exactly do they think is going to come running? The AAC isn't going to want them the travel isn't worth it. The PAC12 wants "research" schools, and big tv market neither of which BSU falls under. Where exactly do they think they are going?

Maybe the Big12 could package them and BYU together.

[YNot]

They have no TV market, who exactly do they think is going to come running? The AAC isn't going to want them the travel isn't worth it. The PAC12 wants "research" schools, and big tv market neither of which BSU falls under. Where exactly do they think they are going?

Maybe the Big12 could package them and BYU together.

Boise was a temporary member of the AAC with San Diego State, until the MWC came back to them with a better TV deal arrangement. The AAC has an open spot for a 12th school.

I think the AAC - and ESPN - are still interested in Boise to the AAC. ESPN decided not to pay the MWC $48M per year for its inventory, instead letting the MWC (and Boise) inventory go to CBS and FOX; with Boise added to the AAC, ESPN could get back the western TV inventory it wants (Boise), for a fraction of the cost to pay the entire MWC.

If Boise and the AAC hook back up, I hope BYU seriously considers the AAC.

My ideal *realistic* AAC expansion scenario would be BYU-Boise-San Diego State. Honestly, I would shoot for a 7-game AAC schedule - 6 divisional games against Boise, SDSU, Navy, Houston, SMU, and Tulsa and then 1 game rotating against the rest. That would give BYU a couple of conference rivals, frequent games in California, Texas, and Maryland and occasional games in FL/OH/NC/PA/LA/TN. BYU would still have 5 OOC games with which to schedule exciting P5 matchups and perhaps the Utah State game.

To top it off, I would be all in to convince Gonzaga to make the move with us, so that the expanded AAC would have a western group for Olympic sports of BYU-Gonzaga-Boise-SDSU and solid Central and East groups of Wichita-Tulsa-SMU-Houston-Tulane-Memphis and Cincinnati-Tempe-ECU-UCF-USF(and I would also like to see Dayton or VCU as part of the EAST).

Even if required to play 8 AAC conference games, we would still have the annual Boise and SDSU games, plus Houston, SMU, Tulsa, and hopefully Navy. A couple of games against UCF, Cincinnati, Memphis, Temple, Tulane, ECU, and USF would still get the team around to venues for our national fan base, and you could still use the 4 OOC spots for P5 opponents.