One possibility that has been discussed in the ever-changing college football landscape (at least on BroncoCountry.com), is a move by Boise State and Houston to the Big East Conference.
Boise State has been mentioned by several media publications (including the Boston Globe newspaper) and on "tweets" (on the popular Internet site Twitter from several noted media people) as a candidate for the Big East Conference in football. Houston has not been mentioned anywhere but may be a team that could help bridge the distance between locations that are far apart geographically and also make it possible for Boise State to make the move.
This would also give the Big East Conference two members in the heart of two other automatic-qualifying conferences (the Big 12 and the Pac-12) as well as access to two of the top recruiting grounds in the nation--Texas and California. Hundreds of college football players come from both states each year and many go on to the ranks of professional football. The Big 12 Conference headquarters are in Irving, Texas and the Cougars are just 250 miles south from that location. Houston is a deep recruiting area and by playing a Big East game every other year in Texas, the Big East teams would be able to play a game close to Texas recruits.
Similarly, if you look at the above map of the Pac-12 Conference, Boise is almost the exact center of the Pac-12 footprint. In fact, if you draw a straight line from either Denver (University of Colorado), Phoenix (Arizona State), Tucson (Arizona) or Salt Lake City (University of Utah), you would go right through or near Boise on your way to either Eugene (University of Oregon), Corvallis (Oregon State), Seattle (Washington) or Pullman (Washington State). And vice versa. Boise State has always recruited well in California and by playing a game in the Gem State, it would enable parents of Big East football recruits from California to easily travel to Boise to see a game.
Houston, of course, is one of the largest cities in America and an area of extraordinary wealth and commerce. Boise, as the dynamic capital of Idaho and the home base for numerous recreational activities, has been one of the fastest-growing areas in the country for the last two decades and shows no signs of relinquishing that distinction any time soon. Several magazines have bestowed praise upon Boise for everything from being one of the Best Cities in America to one of the Best Places to Start a Business to one of the Best Places to Raise a Family to one of the Best Places to take a Walk.
Boise State's football team is a perennial Top 10 team and serious national contender the last two seasons. They finished with undefeated regular seasons in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009. The Broncos are one of three NCAA teams since 1898 to post three consecutive 12-win seasons They are the fifth team in the modern era and 11th in history to win ten or more games in eight out of nine years. Boise State is one of only three teams since 1908 to have a home record of 73-2 or better. Boise State broke modern records the last two years for the most wins in a three-year period, the most wins over five years, the most wins over seven years and the most wins in periods of eight years, 10 years, 11 years and 12 years. Boise State also has the second-best record against Top 15 teams in the last five years.
The crazy movements the last two years in college football have made previously unheard-of moves possible and the move discussed above certainly would open up new avenues that Big East coaches and presidents wouldn't have dreamed possible. At this point, I reiterate that such events are merely conjecture at this point and such rumors may not come to fruition. But if you can have conference teams in the heart of both the Big 12 and the Pac-12, with recruiting available in their backyards, the notion has to not only be entertained but discussed.
Much of this, of course, depends on what else happens in the Expansion of 2011. Other conferences may make moves that make the one referred to here obsolete or impossible. Or those moves may make it necessary to do exactly what is being discussed. Or they make it necessary to discuss these notions as well as other moves. No one can accurately claim they know what is going on. Expansion is either something that you love to discuss or don't want to even think about.
But it is interesting, nonetheless.
Boise State has been mentioned by several media publications (including the Boston Globe newspaper) and on "tweets" (on the popular Internet site Twitter from several noted media people) as a candidate for the Big East Conference in football. Houston has not been mentioned anywhere but may be a team that could help bridge the distance between locations that are far apart geographically and also make it possible for Boise State to make the move.
This would also give the Big East Conference two members in the heart of two other automatic-qualifying conferences (the Big 12 and the Pac-12) as well as access to two of the top recruiting grounds in the nation--Texas and California. Hundreds of college football players come from both states each year and many go on to the ranks of professional football. The Big 12 Conference headquarters are in Irving, Texas and the Cougars are just 250 miles south from that location. Houston is a deep recruiting area and by playing a Big East game every other year in Texas, the Big East teams would be able to play a game close to Texas recruits.
Similarly, if you look at the above map of the Pac-12 Conference, Boise is almost the exact center of the Pac-12 footprint. In fact, if you draw a straight line from either Denver (University of Colorado), Phoenix (Arizona State), Tucson (Arizona) or Salt Lake City (University of Utah), you would go right through or near Boise on your way to either Eugene (University of Oregon), Corvallis (Oregon State), Seattle (Washington) or Pullman (Washington State). And vice versa. Boise State has always recruited well in California and by playing a game in the Gem State, it would enable parents of Big East football recruits from California to easily travel to Boise to see a game.
Houston, of course, is one of the largest cities in America and an area of extraordinary wealth and commerce. Boise, as the dynamic capital of Idaho and the home base for numerous recreational activities, has been one of the fastest-growing areas in the country for the last two decades and shows no signs of relinquishing that distinction any time soon. Several magazines have bestowed praise upon Boise for everything from being one of the Best Cities in America to one of the Best Places to Start a Business to one of the Best Places to Raise a Family to one of the Best Places to take a Walk.
Boise State's football team is a perennial Top 10 team and serious national contender the last two seasons. They finished with undefeated regular seasons in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009. The Broncos are one of three NCAA teams since 1898 to post three consecutive 12-win seasons They are the fifth team in the modern era and 11th in history to win ten or more games in eight out of nine years. Boise State is one of only three teams since 1908 to have a home record of 73-2 or better. Boise State broke modern records the last two years for the most wins in a three-year period, the most wins over five years, the most wins over seven years and the most wins in periods of eight years, 10 years, 11 years and 12 years. Boise State also has the second-best record against Top 15 teams in the last five years.
The crazy movements the last two years in college football have made previously unheard-of moves possible and the move discussed above certainly would open up new avenues that Big East coaches and presidents wouldn't have dreamed possible. At this point, I reiterate that such events are merely conjecture at this point and such rumors may not come to fruition. But if you can have conference teams in the heart of both the Big 12 and the Pac-12, with recruiting available in their backyards, the notion has to not only be entertained but discussed.
Much of this, of course, depends on what else happens in the Expansion of 2011. Other conferences may make moves that make the one referred to here obsolete or impossible. Or those moves may make it necessary to do exactly what is being discussed. Or they make it necessary to discuss these notions as well as other moves. No one can accurately claim they know what is going on. Expansion is either something that you love to discuss or don't want to even think about.
But it is interesting, nonetheless.
Thanks for the write up. Hope to see Boise, AFA, Houston, & SMU all join a strong & stable AQ Big East.
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