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Big East football: If Army is out, is Air Force still in?
October 11th, 2011, 9:53 pm · 13 Comments · posted by Frank Schwab
There were a couple of reports today that indicate Army has turned down the Big East, from CBSSports.com saying Army told the Big East it is “not interested,” and the Washington Post quoted Army athletic director Boo Corrigan saying, “Clearly we’re following everything right now, but we are very comfortable where we are as an independent, and we are comfortable with the Patriot League.”
If Army has in fact decided against joining the Big East, where does that leave Air Force, which hoped its football program could join the conference with Army and Navy?
“It would be a great conference with the three service academies and the other schools that are in that conference,” Mueh said Saturday. “I think we’d have a very marketable Big East.”
The Falcons’ football future could be tied to Navy. Air Force could still be interested in the Big East without Army’s involvement, though it is a bit of a harder sell. If Navy also decides to stay independent – which it has said it will do if the Big East is not stable – then Air Force would have a very tough decision. Part of the allure of the Big East for Air Force was being in a conference with the other service academy teams. Army and Navy are obviously programs Air Force would be competitive with, and being in a conference with them would open up two nonconference slots for the Falcons.
If Army is actually out, and Navy decides to stay independent, one of the biggest selling points for the Big East for Air Force would be gone.
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About this blog …
I'm Frank Schwab, Air Force beat reporter for The Gazette. I've been at the paper since 2003, and covered the Broncos for seven seasons. I covered the University of Wisconsin in the late 1990s, so I'm well versed in running football teams (Ron Dayne) and defensive basketball teams (Dick Bennett). I love to chat on www.twitter.com/GazetteAirForce, and will respond to comments and emails at frank.schwab@gazette.com.
For more coverage, visit The Gazette's Air Force Academy Sports page
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If leaving the Mountain West is our only option, why not go independent? That way, we wouldn’t have to share revenue, we wouldn’t have to worry about scheduling Army and Navy and only being relegated to one “prime time” game, we could ink our own BYU-esque deal with a TV network such as ESPN, and we could schedule as many powder-puff or top 10 teams we could reach agreements with. Personally, I’d like to stay and help the MWC become it’s own “power conference”, but if we have to leave, going the independent route makes the most sense.
“Army and Navy are obviously programs Air Force would be competitive with”
So are CSU-Pueblo and Colorado School of Mines, but you don’t see Mueh talking to the RMAC.
“and being in a conference with them would open up two nonconference slots for the Falcons.”
Yes, by all means, please bring in more I-AA creampuffs to build up the kids self esteem. If you’re going to do that, you might as well just drop down to I-AA and go 12-0 every year (16-0, if you count the playoff)
If AFA goes in Big East, count me out for season tickets!! No Way!!
Air Force needs to align its expectations with reality. They can occasionally play competitively with major schools, but they will never get the athletes needed to be a BCS contender.
Best to stay in a small conference or go independent.
Air Force to the Big East makes no sense at all. Falcon fans have a good reason to be upset. There are plenty of regional teams to either invite to the Mountain West, or to form another Conference. It will never really be about the big money for the Falcons, so they just need to stay put for the moment, and see how things shake out. The Big 12 seems to have stabilized at the moment, and that will slow down this Superconference realignment process. The Big East is the only Conference making noise at the moment because they just lost three teams, and the Commisioner of the fading league has no choice…he’s saving his job. Sit tight Falcons…a better offer wil come along.
Agree, Air Force needs to stay away from the BE. It would completely destroy their regional rivals, and it would most likely hurt the local fanbase. Like it has already been said, Air Force (or any service academy) will never get the top tier athlete so moving does not make any sense at all, since recruiting will remain the same. Stay put in the MWC. Army did the right thing, now Air Force needs to tell the BE to look elsewhere.
Recommend the AFA leaders read the attached article, with the following quotes from Corrigan, Westpoint AD: “Army Strong”
http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/10/12/101211-sports-wolken-army-1/
“I can’t speak for Air Force and Navy,” Corrigan said, “but I can tell you our primary mission at West Point is to develop leaders of character for the U.S. Army.”
“We are extremely comfortable in our current status,” Corrigan said. “We are a national institution with a constitutional mandate to recruit nationally. Our independent status allows us to develop the type of schedule that helps us showcase our program around the country. Joining any conference would certainly limit those options.”
“It’s very important that we focus on being the best West Point we can be.”
The most recent rumblings I’ve heard about conference realignmnet say that Boise may receive an initation to join the BE. San Diego State is trying to garner an invitation to the PAC-12. What does all this mean for the MWC?
Well, let’s suppose the two aforementioned schools leave the MWC and that AFA stays put. With Fresno, Hawaii and Nevada joining the MWC next year, the short term future for the MWC would include CSU, WYO, UNLV and New Mexico. If AFA stayed in the MWC it would make geographic sense and, competitively speaking, the Falcons would be among relative equals on the football field. With 7 conference games in this alignment, plus the A/N games, AFA could still have 2 non-conf games each year, and the Parents’ Weekend creampuff..
Any place other than the Big East. It will be the “Little” or “No” East soon! Stay where we are Mueh! Wake up and swell success and stability!
I hope the AFA does not join the Big East. I have no interest in watching a matchup with the likes of a Rutgers or South Florida. Our regional rivalries and fan support will be ruined. Either stay in the MWC which right now has a better shot at a BCS AQ than the Big East without TCU or go independent. NO to the BIG LEAST! Will never attend an AFA football game again if we go to the Big East.
A 12 team conference split east and west is worth consideration. Having Boise State, AF, SMU, Houston, Louisville and Cincinnati comprise the Western Division is absolutely worth looking at if AQ status remains for the conference. The concerns over not being able to play traditional rivals like CSU or WY seem to be unfounded; during AF’s days as an independent they were scheduled on a regular basis. With AF being in this type of division split it could possibly open the door to reviving the CU rivalry, starting one with Texas A&M or Stanford.
Recruiting in OH and TX are critical to AF and the stated teams for the Western Division provide a great opportunity to showcase the AF program to while playing in those recruiting grounds.
This situation is incredibly fluid, but that shouldn’t preclude the AFA AD and the Superintendent from giving serious consideration to a BE offer.
Mike
In realignment circus, desperate Big East will likely lose AQ status http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/stewart_mandel/10/10/big.east.automatic.qualifier.status/index.html#ixzz1abBORe6d
If BSU stays in the MWC then BEC Loses AQ status and MWC gains AQ status by 2014. Associated TV deal will mean more money in MWC 2014 and beyond while BEC football contracts decline to current MWC levels. Where is the big TV money for CUSA and their highly populated areas? The big state schools with their hundreds of thousands of alumni will still determine where the money goes.
No way to develop a true rivalry with the teams mentioned for new BEC. Schools are all spread way to far apart. OCC “rivalry” games lose meaning as they don’t matter in conference standing. Instead of attending one or two away games a year, many fans be lucky to go to one every other year. Finally, its likely only one SA will be in a bowl in any given year. It’d suck to win the CIC trophy then watch Navy go bowling while we stay home due to conference record.
So the football rivalry with current MWC members like UNLV and NM is strong and it will be no problem developing them with Hawaii, Fresno State and Nevada? Really? Playing those programs and in their associated TV markets really promotes AF football over those in TX, OH, NJ/NY and FL? Come on! If BSU bounces from the MWC to the BE the MWC is simply the new WAC with no flagship Top 25 programs. The leadership at the Academy is going to keep the football program relevant and BSU and WVU in the BE would maintain AQ status which is critical to any program being relevant with super conferences being formed. The option of the BE has to be given serious consideration; especially if BSU is seriously considering an offer to join as well.
Mike