From John Canzano..
This guy is a Pac 10 centered guy but he is fairly tapped into the western college sports landscape.
Here is an excerpt about the MW
A few thoughts for your Sunday:
• Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez told me on Saturday that her conference is exploring a number of expansion scenarios.
“The Mountain West has been meeting regularly to survey the landscape and explore expansion options,” she said.
• MWC member San Diego State already sort of has one foot out the door. The Aztecs held a public celebration for their men’s Final Four basketball season at Snapdragon Stadium on Saturday. Fun was had by all. University President Adela de la Torre used the occasion to drop a hint: “Who knows? Maybe in the near future we will be somewhere else.”
• Fresno State’s President has had regular contact with the Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark over the last five months, campus sources tell me. Boise State could also be an eventual Big 12 target, although I’m told there hasn’t been frequent and regular contact. There were also some recent murmurs about possible Big 12 interest in UNLV, but based on my conversations I don’t think it’s particularly serious.
• Feels like the Big 12 will wait to see what happens with the Pac-12’s media rights deal before doing anything itself. That’s what I would do, at least.
• Anyone else think Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark is eventually going to want something to show for all the bluster and talk?
• As I reported earlier this week, the Pac-12 isn’t expected to finalize its media deal this month. It could be May or even June before there’s a resolution.
• Pass the beer nuts.
• Who should the Mountain West Conference be exploring as potential expansion targets? My mind immediately went to a handful of California-based Big Sky Conference members such as UC Davis, Cal Poly and Sacramento State. But I’m told by an industry insider that those options won’t easily fly.
• There could be firm opposition from San Jose State, Nevada and Fresno State, who all regularly recruit California, per the source. Also, there’s a sizeable investment required to make the jump up.
• The same insider waved off current Big Sky member Montana as a possible Mountain West Conference target. He said: “Montana and Montana State will stay together.”
• I reached out to Big Sky Conference commissioner Tom Wistrcill on Sunday. There’s a domino-effect in play here. Wistrcill told me: “We’re always monitoring the changing landscape of college athletics. Our President’s Council discusses various schools and potential movements at every meeting. You have to be ready for anything.”
• It’s possible that the Mountain West Conference could lose San Diego State to the Pac-12/Big 12 and decide to stay at 10 full-time members (11 in football as Hawaii is football-only). But the ultimate play for the MWC may be in Texas (i.e. Sam Houston, UTEP, UTSA, etc.).
• Keep in mind, Nevarez — the MWC commissioner — used to be the commissioner of the West Coast Conference. She’d welcome Gonzaga with open arms if it ever decided it wanted to join the Mountain West.