Mountain West and Conference USA member schools plan to form a new league for the 2013-14 season, another major change in the college conference landscape that promises to create more movement.
The new conference, which would have 16 football-playing members and 15 all-sport members as it stands now, seeks a membership of 18 to 24 schools to enhance its profile for television and better insulate itself against raids from other conferences.
Five schools, including Boise State, have left or are preparing to leave the Mountain West since last spring. Conference USA is losing four of its highest-profile members to the Big East.
The new, unnamed league could impact Boise State in several ways. If the Broncos depart for the Big East in 2013 as scheduled, they could avoid paying an exit fee since the league would no longer exist. The Broncos’ non-football teams are headed to the WAC, so the stability of that league could affect Boise State as well.
Expansion by the new league could have major ramifications for Idaho. The Vandals are members of the WAC, a league that figures to be targeted if the new conference expands. Idaho is one of four teams in the Mountain or Pacific time zones in the WAC, along with Utah State, San Jose State and New Mexico State.
“It makes a lot of sense for all of us to be together (with the Mountain West),’’ Idaho football coach Robb Akey said last week.
Further Western losses by the WAC could cripple the league, leaving Idaho’s football program homeless. Idaho football was a member of the Sun Belt before joining the WAC in 2005.
Unlike Utah State and San Jose State, Idaho has never been mentioned as a potential addition to the Mountain West.
The new conference likely will split into divisions, and not only have a football title game but also semifinals. It also will hold a league basketball tournament.
School leaders plan to complete work on the new league in six months.
In October, Conference USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky and Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson announced the two leagues were working to merge their football operations starting in 2013. At the time, both men left open the possibility that the football relationship could grow into something bigger.
The new plan is for Conference USA and the Mountain West to join forces and start over, possibly with new television deals. Both conferences currently are in the middle of contracts with CBS Sports Network that run through 2015-16. CBS has an option to extend the deal with the Mountain West for four years. C-USA also has a deal with Fox Sports Network that runs through 2015-16.
The schools involved are:
• Air Force, Colorado State, UNLV, New Mexico and Wyoming, which currently compete in the Mountain West;
• Alabama-Birmingham, East Carolina, Marshall, Rice, Southern Mississippi, UTEP, Tulane and Tulsa, which compete in Conference USA;
• Fresno State, Nevada and Hawaii, which compete in the WAC, but are set to join the Mountain West in 2012.
All the schools except Hawaii will compete in all sports in the new conference. Hawaii will be a football-only member.
Thompson said: “There are a myriad of details and moving parts that will be finalized in the weeks and months ahead, but there is positive momentum toward long-term stability and a tremendous opportunity for all involved.”
STADIUM BONDS
Boise State seeks to borrow $17.5 million for the construction of its $22-million football complex at Bronco Stadium, according to State Board of Education agenda documents.
The school will ask the State Board for permission this week to issue tax-exempt general revenue and refunding bonds. Boise State has raised $4.5 million in private gifts and pledges for the complex, which is scheduled to open for the 2013 football season.
The eight-member board approved the construction of the complex in December. It will consider the bonding request Thursday at 2 p.m. during its meeting at Boise State.
The bond would be secured with pledged revenues, which can not include state appropriations. Pledged revenues include student fees, sales and service revenues and other revenues received or generated by the university. Any cost in excess of the bond amount will be covered by donations, Boise State said.
BYU TO PLAY BRONCOS, VANDALS IN 2012
BYU released its 2012 football schedule Monday, and it includes games at Boise State (Sept. 22) and versus Idaho (Nov. 10). Both were previously announced. The Mountain West expects to release its football schedule in early March.
Brian Murphy: 377-6444 The Associated Press contributed to this report.
