Is the Mountain West Conference Circling the Big XII's Carcass?

Today’s decision by the Mountain West Conference to hold off on inviting Boise State can only mean one thing: They believe there might be better options for them in the near future.

It's apparent from the communications from the conference to Boise-area media outlets prior to the MWC meetings, and the phone call MWC commissioner Craig Thompson made to BSU President Bob Kustra coinciding with today’s announcement, that an invitation to the Broncos was imminent.

But the events of the past few days have caused the nine league presidents to back off of those expansion plans.

That’s because the possibility exists that schools like Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State, and even Nebraska might be available to the Mountain West if the Big XII falls apart.

If the reports are true, Nebraska and Missouri have been given an ultimatum by the Big XII to make a decision on which conference they want to be a part of within the next several days.

Supposedly, if the Huskers and Tigers don’t give a guarantee to stay in the Big XII, then the power brokers schools in the conference will take their ball and go to the Pac-10, leaving Missouri and Nebraska hanging out to dry and at the mercy of the Big Ten.

The best-case scenario for BYU may be for cooler heads to prevail; for Missouri to move on to the Big Ten and Nebraska remaining in the Big XII.

BYU would then certainly be a serious candidate to replace Missouri.

The Pac-10 and Big XII could then work a joint TV deal that would put them on a financial footing similar to the Big Ten and SEC.