With the announcement today that the Big East has authorized itself* to engage in conversations about expansion, Boise State’s name has come up as a possible candidate for the beleaguered conference -- perhaps as a football-only member. It’s been thought with the BCS brass meeting within the next couple of years to assess future automatic qualifiers that Boise State would be a security blanket for the Big East as they desperately try to keep their head above water in the conference realignment storm.
(*note: technically, it was the presidents authorizing the conference, so who the hell is really in charge here?)
There haven’t been any formal talks yet -- publicly, at least -- between the two sides, but Boise State president Bob Kustra did issue the following statement that says, just as you would expect, pretty much nothing at all. Here it is; make of it what you will:
“Boise State is excited about playing its first football game in the Mountain West Conference this weekend, and is looking forward to an outstanding inaugural conference season in all sports. The university is pleased to be affiliated with such high-quality institutions, and has great confidence in the future direction of the Mountain West.
“While we are certainly flattered to be mentioned in connection with other conferences, and we hold those leagues in high regard, our current focus is on continuing to build the outstanding athletic programs that have helped make Boise State a popular and compelling national brand.
“The landscape of college athletics is exceptionally fluid, and we are continuing to monitor the situation. We are confident that Boise State will be well positioned for future success, and we will evaluate our status with the best interests of the entire university in mind. Boise State’s athletic achievements, academic and research successes, popularity, and vision for future growth make the university an extremely valuable conference partner.”