thebigabd
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Boise State will be announced as the next member of the Mountain West Conference on Friday, a source with direct knowledge of the pending move told ESPN's Joe Schad.
MWC commissioner Craig Thompson hinted at an expansion announcement on Thursday amid news of Colorado's move from the Big 12 to the Pac-10.
Boise State would be leaving the Western Athletic Conference, a league the Broncos have dominated for a decade in football.
"We remain in communication with key parties and are continuing to implement our internal strategies," Thompson said in a statement. "These deliberations are ongoing and will be remain confidential until the appropriate time."
Thompson had said Monday the Mountain West would hold off on expansion until the dust settles in the other conferences.
The Mountain West includes Brigham Young, Utah and TCU, which the Broncos beat in the Fiesta Bowl in January.
WAC commissioner Karl Benson figured Boise State was bound to bolt for the Mountain West. So much so that as the WAC board of directors and athletic directors assembled in Las Vegas for the conference's annual meeting this week, they discussed contingency plans.
The conference didn't want to be caught off guard.
"I think everyone was anticipating and expecting it," Benson said in a conference call Monday night. "All the signals out there were pointing in the direction that any invitation would come today. ... This is an unbelievably volatile period. The poker playing that is going on I think is unprecedented.
"Regardless of what changes might occur, we are poised to move forward either with our existing membership or with any membership changes that may occur."
Benson said there wasn't any bitterness toward Boise State officials at the meeting, the relationship remaining quite cordial.
The WAC is keeping its options open, too, scouring for schools. Benson said there are five or six candidates from the Football Championship Series the conference is keeping an eye on.
However, Benson wouldn't elaborate on which schools might potentially be in the mix.
"Regardless of what the Mountain West might do, or Boise State might do, the WAC is going to continue to be a credible and recognizable conference," Benson said.
Broncos coach Chris Petersen, who has compiled a 49-4 record and won three WAC titles in four years, said Monday the decision doesn't change anything about his plans for next season.
"We have a very challenging non-conference and conference schedule ahead of us and we are not planning to change our goals because of today's decision," he said.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5276064
MWC commissioner Craig Thompson hinted at an expansion announcement on Thursday amid news of Colorado's move from the Big 12 to the Pac-10.
Boise State would be leaving the Western Athletic Conference, a league the Broncos have dominated for a decade in football.
"We remain in communication with key parties and are continuing to implement our internal strategies," Thompson said in a statement. "These deliberations are ongoing and will be remain confidential until the appropriate time."
Thompson had said Monday the Mountain West would hold off on expansion until the dust settles in the other conferences.
The Mountain West includes Brigham Young, Utah and TCU, which the Broncos beat in the Fiesta Bowl in January.
WAC commissioner Karl Benson figured Boise State was bound to bolt for the Mountain West. So much so that as the WAC board of directors and athletic directors assembled in Las Vegas for the conference's annual meeting this week, they discussed contingency plans.
The conference didn't want to be caught off guard.
"I think everyone was anticipating and expecting it," Benson said in a conference call Monday night. "All the signals out there were pointing in the direction that any invitation would come today. ... This is an unbelievably volatile period. The poker playing that is going on I think is unprecedented.
"Regardless of what changes might occur, we are poised to move forward either with our existing membership or with any membership changes that may occur."
Benson said there wasn't any bitterness toward Boise State officials at the meeting, the relationship remaining quite cordial.
The WAC is keeping its options open, too, scouring for schools. Benson said there are five or six candidates from the Football Championship Series the conference is keeping an eye on.
However, Benson wouldn't elaborate on which schools might potentially be in the mix.
"Regardless of what the Mountain West might do, or Boise State might do, the WAC is going to continue to be a credible and recognizable conference," Benson said.
Broncos coach Chris Petersen, who has compiled a 49-4 record and won three WAC titles in four years, said Monday the decision doesn't change anything about his plans for next season.
"We have a very challenging non-conference and conference schedule ahead of us and we are not planning to change our goals because of today's decision," he said.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5276064
