<p>Horned Frogs headed to BCS’ Big East
November 29, 2010 9:47 AM
FRANK SCHWAB
THE GAZETTE</p>
<p>In 2010, the Mountain West lost its three best football programs. BYU (independent) and Utah (PAC-10) announced they would be leaving months ago, and TCU has joined them in heading to bigger things.</p>
<p>TCU announced Monday all of its sports would join the Big East on July 1, 2012. That’s a huge blow for the Mountain West. TCU is ranked third in the Bowl Championship Series standings and finished in the top 10 of the final Associated Press rankings the past two seasons.</p>
<p>The Mountain West has added Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada and is talking with Hawaii about coming aboard for football, and Air Force officials remain optimistic. </p>
<p>“We feel very confident about the long-term sustainability of the Mountain West Conference,” Lt. Gen. Mike Gould, superintendent of the Air Force Academy and the chair of the MWC board of directors, said in a statement released by the academy.</p>
<p>COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - “Today’s intercollegiate athletics environment is very fluid,” said Mountain West Conference Commissioner Craig Thompson. "Our Board of Directors and Directors of Athletics, as they have throughout the history of the MWC and with even more focus recently, will continue to analyze the landscape and chart our course in the context of ongoing changes. That includes conversations already underway with potential future members, as well as related discussions with our television and bowl partners.</p>
<p>“We appreciate the many contributions TCU has made to the growth and development of the Mountain West over the past six years. We look forward to shaping the future of the Conference in the coming months.”</p>
<p>TCU deserves this after playing so well for so long as a member of a non BCS conference. The BCS system is very unfair to schools not in major conferences, and TCU has won on a consistent level and knocked off many schools with higher tier football programs. Congrats Frogs and bring home a Rose Bowl title!</p>
<p>the sad thing is TCU is the only thing keeping the Big East alive now in football. Makes sense to go somewhere where you can win the conference year after year without competition and go to a BCS game. Although i believe if they had stayed the MWC would have received the Big East’s slot. But oh well. It’s all about money now so whatevs. As they say, if you can’t bust (or beat) the system, join it. The BCS is a load of bull, and this just further shows it.</p>
<p>but as one TCU official said, the big-10 was 12 teams, the big-12 has 10, so why should the big east be only eastern teams?</p>
<p>I still don’t think this was a great move for TCU. The MWC is a stronger conference in football than the Big East right now, especially with Boise State coming in.</p>
<p>And as far as locations not making sense, Louisiana Tech is part of the WAC. Common sense was thrown out the window years ago.</p>
<p>Let’s face it…AF will never play in a BCS bowl but will be very competitive in the new Mountain West. Probably a healthy development for AF.</p>
<p>2010-2011
Air Force
BYU (becoming independent in football, joining Western Athletic Conference in other schools)
Colorado State
New Mexico
San Diego State
TCU
UNLV
Utah (leaving for Pac-10)
Wyoming</p>
<p>2011-12
Air Force
Boise State (joining from WAC)
Colorado State
New Mexico
San Diego State
TCU (leaving for Big East)
UNLV
Wyoming</p>
<p>2012-13
Air Force
Boise State
Colorado State
Fresno State (joining from WAC)
Nevada (joining from WAC)
New Mexico
San Diego State
UNLV
Wyoming</p>