State Board gives Boise OK; Vandals exploring options
The Idaho State Board of Education today gave Boise State the OK to pursue membership in the Big East as a football-only member, a move that could have major implications for the Western Athletic Conference and the University of Idaho. If Boise State moves to the Big East, its other sports could move to the WAC, West Coast Conference or another conference that makes geographic sense. BSU president Bob Kustra said he's in discussions with one conference in particular to house the Broncos' Olympic sports.
Kustra also told the State Board that Conference USA could grab current WAC members New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech if the Big East adds Houston, SMU and Central Florida in its expansion, while the Mountain West could take Utah State. San Jose State has also been rumored to the MWC.
With all this conference movement still in flux, Idaho AD Rob Spear declined to comment when reached by The Spokesman-Review. "As you can imagine, we are exploring mutiple scenarios," Spear said in an email.