Not So Fast, Big East: Air Force Will Stay in the Mountain West

by Adrian Mac on Dec 7, 2011 11:19 PM MST in NCAA Conference Realignment

The Air Force Falcons are nor leaving the Mountain West Conference for the Big East. And, the reasoning behind the decision is so reasonable that it flies in the face of all we've learned about conference affiliation in the last few years. Air Force is staying because of loyalty and a belief that their student athletes will be better off playing regional rivalries as opposed to traveling to Rutgers or UCF to play a football game.

Lt. General Mike Gould officially released this statement earlier today. Read this paragraph.

"The Air Force Academy will remain in the Mountain West Conference, where we have been since 1998-99 when we were a co-founding member of the conference. I made this decision based on what’s best for our cadet-athletes and the institution as a whole. This decision was made based on things like regional rivalries (like just playing our 50th football game against Colorado State Univ.), loyalties to the conference, travel time for our cadet athletes and fans, school time missed, and travel costs. I feel the Academy is a key and pivotal member of the Mountain West, and think we can do a lot to help this conference continue its tradition of excellence. We of course continue to watch the changes happening not only in the Mountain West, but within NCAA sports around the country. As for now, ‘We’re ALL IN’ the Mountain West Conference."

How refreshing is it to read that?

Now that Air Force is out, you'd have to assume that the Big East will target Temple as their 12th member. Navy is largely expected to become the league's 11th football playing school in the coming days or weeks. This news is obviously good for the MWC and C-USA as the leagues are inching closer and closer to a potential all sports merger. Air Force was mentioned as a possible Big 12 candidate just a few months ago.

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Comments

Well if Air Force had left we would have had a perfect 16 schools for the merger.

O well Air Force is a constant middle of the pack school that goes to bowl games every year.
The Hawaii Bowl between Nevada and USM should be a good preview of the new merger.
A good question now is what our bowl line ups is going to be like?
MWC has
Vegas Bowl: vs PAC-12
Poinsettia Bowl: vs top WAC school
Independence Bowl in Shereveport: vs ACC
New Mexico Bowl: vs PAC-12
Hawaii Bowl is becoming MWC and is looking for a new tie in with the merger.

by WolfpackNev on Dec 7, 2011 11:38 PM MST reply actions

Great question--

And Im actually working on a post on how Air Force’s decision effects the merger. Now, we have 10 football schools in the west and 8 in the east. You have to kind of wish that Hawaii was never brought in- if only because it’s making my head hurt trying to figure out the best way to schedule things out with all these teams jumbled together now.

Axes Up. Miner Rush - For UTEP Miners Fans

by Adrian Mac on Dec 7, 2011 11:57 PM MST up reply actions

AMAC: I thought it was 17 with AFA staying but i may be wrong,

8 from the MWC (AFA, CSU, WYO, UNLV, NEV, FRES, HAW, UNM) and 9 from CUSA…if that’s the case, then it should still be split into 2 div, but UTEP’s affiliation will be smack dab in the middle of that conversation..i would hope we would still go west only because we’re losing UH and HOU anyways, might as well rebuild some of the rivalries with the old WAC schools.

Another quick point, very sly move by Air Force if they do stick with the MWC, they along with USM are probably the best football teams in this league right now. They no longer have to go through Boise, TCU to win the league. Plus they have natl appeal and I think don’t worry as much about getting into an AQ league like Boise and the CUSA schools were so concerned with.

by DFWMiner on Dec 8, 2011 5:22 AM MST up reply actions

Add Nevada to that list as well.

Top competing schools right out of the gate in west will be Nevada and Air Force. Wyoming looks promising and CSU and UNM needs to break in new HCs. And your right its 17 for football and 16 for all other sports.

by WolfpackNev on Dec 8, 2011 5:28 AM MST up reply actions