The Mountain West is Getting WACky and so is the BCS?

The college football conference shuffle has been pretty quiet since Nebraska announced it was heading to the Big Ten (12), Colorado and Utah making plans to join the current Pac-10, soon to be named Pac-12, and Boise State heading to the Mountain West.

Yesterday 2 1/2 weeks before the college football season is due to kick-off it looks like this could be the last season for the WAC after Nevada and Fresno State announced it will be going to the Mountain West...bringing the Mountain West total to 11 teams, if BYU decides to stick around. The WAC would be left with 6 teams Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State, San Jose State, and Utah State.

I don't think you can have a viable conference with 6 teams. Here is what I foresee happening with the WAC in 2011.

1. Louisiana Tech doesn't really even fit geographically. I think Conference USA or Sun Belt would be a good fit for them not only talent wise but geographically, which would save them a ton on travel costs, including that every other year trip to Hawaii.

2. Hawaii seems to me as a team that would fit in a Mountain West conference, maybe even the PAC-10(12), except I think Boise State would be a better grab for the BCS conference than Hawaii.

3. Idaho is another team that would fit the Mountain West makeup. I don't see them going anywhere else unless the Big 12(10) gets desperate to hold on to the number 12. Idaho while a decent football team, they don't have what it takes in the other sports or market to make it in the Big 12(10) conference.

4. Utah State, San Jose State, and New Mexico State would all be a better fit in the Mountain West than anywhere else. They can't really fit in the PAC-10(12) or the Big 12(10).

So with these changes I predict here is how the conferences would look.

Mountain West

Air Force

BYU (Indy?)

Colorado State

New Mexico

San Diego State

TCU

UNLV

Wyoming

Boise State

Nevada

Fresno State

-------------

Hawaii

Idaho

Utah State

San Jose State

New Mexico State

Let's say BYU doesn't leave to be an independent, which I don't see any benefits for them doing so (especially now that Nevada and Fresno are coming to the MW), that would leave 16 teams in the conference and make the Mountain West the first 16 team super conference. Its a nice what if scenario.

For now back to the reality of the addition of Boise State, Nevada, and Fresno State. Does the Mountain West now become a BCS conference? 3 (5 if you count departing Utah and assume Hawaii joins) of their teams, with the addition of Boise State would have already played in a BCS bowl, which isn't bad considering the conference currently doesn't receive an automatic birth.

Here are BCS births by conference of teams that have played in a BCS game

ACC - 5 teams

Big East - 7 teams

Pac-10 - 7 teams

Big 12 - 7 teams

Big 10 - 7 teams

SEC -6 teams

Making the Mountain West a BCS school would make 7 BCS conferences. This would then almost make a perfect scenario for a playoff system with the 7 conference winners and 1 at large.

Pac-10 vs. Mountain West

Big 10 vs. Big 12
SEC vs ACC
Big East vs At large

This of course would be so awesome I can't really contain myself right now. And I am well aware I kind of got off topic about the Mountain West's expansion but it just creates such a perfect storm. And of course much like my awesome highly touted NHL proposal this one will never see the light of day. But it is still fun to play pretend at the age of 26.