One additional change facing the West Coast Conference is the potential loss of BYU. According to an article published yesterday in Sports Illustrated: Campus Crush, BYU, an independent football power and WCC member in all other sports, is the first choice of the Big 12 for expansion. Currently sitting with 10 football teams, the Big 12 needs two more football teams to create two divisions and a conference championship. The other two schools being considered are Cincinnati and Colorado State. As for BYU, the article states, "BYU has an increased desire to join the league (Big 12) because of the yawning perception gap between the Power Five (football schools) and everyone else. BYU realizes it won't be treated like Notre Dame as an independent, so this seems like the most logical move for both sides."
Furthermore, this change is being accelerated by a Big Ten proposal which is currently in front of the NCAA. The amendment states that a conference championship game must be played between the winners of two divisions - meaning the Big 12 must hold a title game between their division winners to qualify for the NCAA football playoffs.
BYU could elect to join the Big 12 in only football or may decide to move their entire athletic program to the Big 12. If that occurred, the WCC would fall to nine members. BYU is clearly the most ill-fitted member of the West Coast Conference so DU just might make an ideal replacement.
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If the Big !2 expands by adding any combination of BYU, Cincinnati or Colorado State, DU could potentially have an opportunity to move conferences in a number of ways
1 - BYU to Big 12, WCC replaces BYU with Denver but they might go to Seattle which is a former member and a lot closer
2. Cincinnati to Big 12 from American
American replaces Cincinnati with UMASS from the A10
A10 replaces UMASS with Witchita State from the Missouri Valley
Missouri Valley replaces Witchita with DU
3. CSU to Big 12 from Mountain West
Mountain West could add BYU and create an opening for DU in the WCC or
Mountain West could add UTEP to replace CSU and DU for non-fb to balance for Hawaii fb only and maintain a tv presence in Denver
All these scenarios have been mentioned on a number of conference boards and sports websites. The BYU to the Big 12 and DU replacing them in the WCC seems to be the most logical one> Several boards have said the WCC won't take Seattle because Gonzaga will block them, thus leaving the door open for DU to finally join the conference it has wanted all along as its forever home with like minded schools. The second most likely scenario would be to the Missori Valley to replace Witchita State. Let's keep our fingers crossed for the Big !2 moves could be decided early next year and any expansion they make could affect DU but they could also do nothing we will still be in the Summit again waiting for the next set of moves.
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