MWC Close to Auto-Bid?

[MrTitleist]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5123705
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Mountain West Conference has performed so well the past two seasons that it could receive an automatic bid to the BCS in the 2012 and '13 seasons.

BCS executive director Bill dna rifle was hesitant Wednesday to say the MWC, which has placed Utah and TCU in the Bowl Championship Series the last two seasons, was on course to become the seventh automatic qualifying conference.

But he did tell the conference commissioners and athletic directors gathered here this week for meetings that they should be aware of the strides the Mountain West has made toward earning an automatic bid.

The BCS rates non-automatic qualifying leagues using three criteria that measure the strength of its best teams and the league as a whole. The first two seasons of the four-year evaluation period were 2008 and '09, banner years for the MWC.

The Big East, Big 12, Big Ten, Atlantic Coast Conference, Pac-10 and Southeastern Conference currently receive automatic BCS bids.

"If they [the Mountain West Conference] meet the threshold, they'll be the seventh," dna rifle said, though he added the way the other conferences perform over the next two seasons influences that threshold.

dna rifle also said the BCS in the future would like to avoid playing its non-championship games on weekday nights because it hurts attendance.

He cited the fact that Iowa brought 28,000 fans in January to the Orange Bowl, which was played on a Tuesday.

[WYO1016]

It's all lip service. I really doubt that this is anything more than a PR statement to make it look like the BCS is actually considering dividing the pot with another conference.

[Wyokie]

It's all lip service. I really doubt that this is anything more than a PR statement to make it look like the BCS is actually considering dividing the pot with another conference.

It could actually happen.

Rumors are flying that the Big 10 is going gut the Big East by inviting 5 schools including Notre Dame to join the conference to go to 16.

[fromolwyoming]

It's all lip service. I really doubt that this is anything more than a PR statement to make it look like the BCS is actually considering dividing the pot with another conference.

It could actually happen.

Rumors are flying that the Big 10 is going gut the Big East by inviting 5 schools including Notre Dame to join the conference to go to 16.

If that happens, and they do not go for Nebraska or Missouri, the MWC will only have to worry about losing Utah.

[Wyokie]

It's all lip service. I really doubt that this is anything more than a PR statement to make it look like the BCS is actually considering dividing the pot with another conference.

It could actually happen.

Rumors are flying that the Big 10 is going gut the Big East by inviting 5 schools including Notre Dame to join the conference to go to 16.

If that happens, and they do not go for Nebraska or Missouri, the MWC will only have to worry about losing Utah.

I guarantee you this...

Big Ten has NO interest in Nebraska nor do they want Missouri. The B10 wants the eastern seaboard due to T.V. and the fact they have their own network. So the Big 12 won't lose anybody.

And as for the PAC-10.....they won't expand. Why expand to Utah if they can't get Colorado. CU can't afford to pay the penalty fees to leave the Big 12.

The future BCS will be ACC, SEC, Big Ten (16), Big 12, PAC-10 and the Mountain West.

[WestWYOPoke]

The future BCS will be ACC, SEC, Big Ten (16), Big 12, PAC-10 and the Mountain West.

I agree that the Pac-10 will not expand. As per the conferences rules, all 10 schools have to agree to any addition...not sure that'll happen unless its CU, Texas or Texas A&M; none of those will join.

While I think the Big Ten will expand, I think I will only be one team. There is no need for the conference to expand past 12, they already pull in more money than any other conference and one more team gives them a championship game. Once you hit 12, why split the money up more???

Because of that, I think the Big East will add either Memphis or UCF to keep 8 FB teams and stay BCS eligible. But they will be worse than the MWC (as they have been for a few years) and hopefully the BCS big wigs will realize this and either add the MWC or switch them with the Big East.