Preemptive Strike, Or "How The MWC Beats The Big Boys at Their Own Game"

Last week I wrote about "TCU and the Conference Expansion Issue".

Today let's look at it from a different perspective; that of the MWC as a major player in the National Championship discussion.

MWC Expansion

Three teams make financial and competitive sense: 

• Boise State
• Fresno State
• Nevada

With these three programs the MWC has the twelve in needs for a conference championship game.  

• Boise State—Obvious reasons for inviting BSU to the club. BSU is the darling of non auto invite programs. 
• Fresno State—Great Football tradition and an outstanding baseball program as well. Fresno State brings another top tier football program to the club and one of the fastest growing television markets in the country...oh and lets not forget right in the middle of Pac 10 country. 
• Nevada—Another good football program, and in an auto qualifying conference it gets better. Las Vegas TV market is another major growth area that brings ratings clout to any TV rights package.

The Big 10 is supposed to be the catalyst to a total restructuring of the college football landscape. Well what if the MWC takes that card and runs with it?

How would it effect the major players?

• Pac 10—In the short term it effects the Pac 10 the most as Utah is a bargaining chip with other programs, and Fresno State and Nevada take a bigger chunk of recruits out of the non USC football programs pie. 
• Big 12—The Utah schools are talked about as replacements for Missouri or any other program that leaves for the Big 10. Colorado State is now firmly entrenched in the MWC and if the Big 12 is raided the choices for really solid football programs shrinks drastically. Losing Texas and A&M would effectively destroy the Big 12 at this point as the Big 10 likely takes at least one of the northern schools and with no MWC teams to pull in, they are left with Houston, SMU, UTEP as replacements.
• Big 10 —The Big 12 is still in position to make it's moves, and has the television power to lure a number of big programs into the fold, but with the MWC moves already happening, other conferences are trying to keep from losing major pieces.
• SEC—Luring Texas and Texas A&M would effectively destroy the big 12 as we know it. The SEC and Big 10 are least effected by the moves.

If the MWC is to survive intact, they have got to make the first move...