ColoradoTide
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http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_15954231
Brigham Young University will leave the Mountain West Conference to become an independent in football and join the West Coast Conference in all other sports. MWC presidents were informed of the move Tuesday afternoon.
A news conference will be held Wednesday to announce the move, which will likely take place for the 2011-12 academic year.
The move is a blow to the MWC, as well as the Western Athletic Conference, which had been attempting to lure BYU in all other sports before the MWC raided the WAC last week to get Fresno State and Nevada. Members of the WCC include Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, Portland, Loyola Marymount, San Francisco, Pepperdine, Santa Clara and San Diego.
"Since its inception, the Mountain West Conference has worked strategically to grow and strengthen the league, in order to position itself at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics," said MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson said in a statement. "Our Board of Directors' diligent exploration of options to advance the membership's objectives is ongoing. This includes conversations with our television partners to address issues of mutual importance, as well as determining the optimal configuration for the Conference and investigating the possibility of various collaborative alliances. We look forward to the future with great excitement - particularly welcoming recent additions Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada into the Mountain West."
Still to be determined is whether the University of Denver, which has long eyed a spot in the WCC, will accompany BYU in the move. DU athletic department officials had no comment as of Tuesday afternoon.
Initially, BYU planned on joining the WAC in all sports but football but the MWC's raid of Fresno State and Neveda led to BYU reconsidering its options.
BYU had until midnight to notify the MWC of its intentions.
When the dust settles, the current nine-team MWC will grow to 10 teams in football, after gaining three teams and losing two. Utah will leave for the Pac-10, BYU to independence, and Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada will join.
Brigham Young University will leave the Mountain West Conference to become an independent in football and join the West Coast Conference in all other sports. MWC presidents were informed of the move Tuesday afternoon.
A news conference will be held Wednesday to announce the move, which will likely take place for the 2011-12 academic year.
The move is a blow to the MWC, as well as the Western Athletic Conference, which had been attempting to lure BYU in all other sports before the MWC raided the WAC last week to get Fresno State and Nevada. Members of the WCC include Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, Portland, Loyola Marymount, San Francisco, Pepperdine, Santa Clara and San Diego.
"Since its inception, the Mountain West Conference has worked strategically to grow and strengthen the league, in order to position itself at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics," said MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson said in a statement. "Our Board of Directors' diligent exploration of options to advance the membership's objectives is ongoing. This includes conversations with our television partners to address issues of mutual importance, as well as determining the optimal configuration for the Conference and investigating the possibility of various collaborative alliances. We look forward to the future with great excitement - particularly welcoming recent additions Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada into the Mountain West."
Still to be determined is whether the University of Denver, which has long eyed a spot in the WCC, will accompany BYU in the move. DU athletic department officials had no comment as of Tuesday afternoon.
Initially, BYU planned on joining the WAC in all sports but football but the MWC's raid of Fresno State and Neveda led to BYU reconsidering its options.
BYU had until midnight to notify the MWC of its intentions.
When the dust settles, the current nine-team MWC will grow to 10 teams in football, after gaining three teams and losing two. Utah will leave for the Pac-10, BYU to independence, and Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada will join.
