BCS leagues expanding - yeah?

There isn't a lot of examples that I was looking for to set up a scenario where a 3-loss team could grab an auto bid. But it's early.

Most years 9-3 would get you on the cusp of the top 12 anyway (stipulating that the 12th would go to the top G5.)

 

I figure it will work out that the championship game winners of the SEC and Big 10 will get byes, the losers will be in, and the top other top conference team will get in (how that is determined will be interesting. Are they seeding the top four conference champs 1-4? Or can an at large team get a first round bye? With the G5 "champ" getting a bid, that will leave three more bids up in the air. One of the things I don't want to see is an SEC or Big 10 team that has losses to their conferences top two teams in for a couple of reasons. 1. Clearly they are not the best team in the country and 2. the top two teams in the Big 1o or SEC shouldn't have to beat a team twice or three times to win a national title. Particularly if the previous games have been beat-downs.

 

There has to be a way to solve for the problem that the worst position for a contending Big 10 or SEC team to be in is losing the conference title game. That means you took on an extra game the third-place team in your league didn’t have to play but now you get no extra time off with a bye.

 

Gonzaga to the Pac officially official again. Or something.

Also apparently UTEP to the MW.

I know there has been some hand-wringing on this, and the Pac still needs another football member (don't be surprised if one of the AAC teams is still it), but the Pac is winning this battle.

 

[UTEP and Texas State are good additions for the MWC. Gonzaga is a great get for the Pac-12, a regional team that provides quality competition in all sports except football.

Depending on how the structure the rights package, this should result in a major bump. And it should make it easier for the Pac to add the 8th football program it needs.

The Pac and MWC will both remain sustainable G5 leagues. Despite the current rancor, there will be games between the leagues, they provide regional competition. Heck, a Pac-12-MWC football/basketball challenge could be a lot of fun.

 

Losing UTEP would be rough for Conference USA, not necessarily for what the Miners bring to the table but for leaving boat anchor New Mexico State out by itself in the desert and no longer able to be justified by “At least they have a travel partner.” Now that it has called up enough FCS scrubs, will C-USA try and ditch the Aggies?

 

One thing that struck me reading a story about UTEP: It was the longest-standing member of CUSA, having joined in 2005.

 

UTEP was basically persona non grata when the old WAC split up. The Mountain West wanted nothing to do with the Miners. But circumstances change, I s'pose...

 

UTEP's swan song in the WAC was 2006. They wore CUSA patches on their uniforms for their bowl game that season.

 

The MW has gone through so much since then. What's funny is half of the original conference is still there.

 

What is it about UTEP that makes them so damned unappealing?