The television money might not be the best in the Mountain West, but the conference sure has gone out of its way to help out Air Force through the years. The academy, and particularly superintendent Lt. Gen. Mike Gould, value loyalty, which might be one reason Air Force is leaning towards staying in the Mountain West.
Last night during a long Q and A session with folks on Twitter, I pointed out the ways the conference has assisted Air Force through the years. Here’s a short recap:
- The MW agreed to do an eight-game conference schedule in football when it planned to have 10 teams, instead of the obvious nine-game round robin slate. That was primarily for Air Force (which has Navy and Army in nonconference and badly wants scheduling flexibility).
- The MW has annually tweaked its schedule to let Air Force play Navy and Army first weekends of October and November. AFA plays a conference game every year in Week 2. That’s not a huge deal, but the conference has been flexible for Air Force (and it is probably a big deal to whatever conference opponent that has to play the Falcons in the second game of the season).
- Air Force’s games against Army and Navy this season ended up on CBS, which was a huge exposure boost for AFA. The conference helped put that together with its television partners at CBS, knowing what the exposure means to Air Force.
- The past week provided another example. The Falcons wanted to go to the Military Bowl, which is not affiliated with the Mountain West, but had an opening because Navy was ineligible. Commissioner Craig Thompson worked with the league’s bowl partners, and eventually the Independence Bowl let the Falcons go. Coach Troy Calhoun and athletic director Hans Mueh both publicly thanked the conference in the last few days for the effort to get the Falcons into the Military Bowl.
“The conference was instrumental,” Calhoun said.
There are other instances but that list is a good indication of how the Mountain West values Air Force. No official decision has been made on Air Force’s conference future, but the Falcons have always expressed respect for the Mountain West. If Air Force stays in the Mountain West, the relationship between the school and the conference (and between Gould, the former chairman of the Mountain West’s board of directors, and Thompson) will be a major reason.
Yes, not to mention the 9.4 million dollars the MWC will demand from AF to leave rhe CONF. Who has $ 9.4 million sitting around? What will the fan base think if they give up the I-25 corridor opponents for the Big East? Won’t sit well with the fans, and Gen. Gould is showing a penchant for observing what is and has been lacking in AFA sports. Season Ticket sales will take a nose dive here locally if AF was to join the Big East. IMO
I continue to be dizzy from the realignment possibilities which seem to change daily or even more frequently. As I understand it, for the 2012 football season the MWC will be comprised of : AFA, Boise, CSU , Fresno State, Hawaii, New Mexico, Nevada, UNLV, SDSU and WYO. That’s ten teams.
Currently it appears for 2013 Boise and SDSU would head to the Big East leaving the MWC with eight teams if no other teams are added…..unless of course AFA also heads to the Big East…..or the MWC-C-USA merger comes to pass.
Stay tuned.
When the merry-go-round stops, there will be 4-6 big conferences with all the good teams in the country. Those conferences will be involved in a playoff for the national championship, and will get all the TV money and recruits. The rest of the teams will become Division II, and will erode their fan base and quality. Which group will the Falcons be in?
Unfortunately “loyalty” doesn’t pay the bills of running an ever increasing athletic department budget with everything from salaries to travel going through the roof. This scenario in a rapidly shrinking Air Force is a receipe for financial disaster. I wouldn’t consider the current Athletic department senior staff to be “visionary” at all. That’s the biggest problem here. Mueh and Co. have always been “reactionary”. AFA’s move anywhere for football is far from being a dead issue.
I hope we stay in the MWC where we belong and have our roots. I think the MWC will always be an attractive conference regardless of who is a member of it. There are plenty of good solid athletic department schools in the West that the MWC can choose from. The Big East and C-USA are iffy at best even with Boise and San Diego going there. Don’t forget folks, TCU thought the Big East was the “bright rainbow” until they read and saw the small print. I also don’t think the BCS is a big deal for Air force, Navy, or Army and for other MWC teams. We aren’t and never will be teams the BCS Bowls look for. They look and only select the “BIG MONEY/FOOTBALL FACTORY” schools! Our service academy schools were not designed nor have the mission of becoming “football factories” and certainly will NEVER be “BIG” athletic money schools. We develop future military leaders for our country. That is our mission and don’t lose sight of that!
Agree w SteveAFA…. unfortunately this is about staying relevant competing at the highest level of college football…. if you think a fan base / stadium attendance will be hard in a conference with BSU, SMU, Houston, the thought of what the potential alternatives could be given where this split of college football is eventually going to lead is scary
USAFABlue – we do not want our future military leaders to be competing against the 2nd tier.
I’m heartened to hear that Troy Calhoun will be staying at the academy. I realize suitors are likely to call on him annually after the regular season ends and before the bowl season begins. A & M isn’t the last one who’ll talk to him, merely the most recent one to whom Calhoun has politely siad “no thank you.”
As for where AFA will be in future football seasons, I expect there will be more realignments and the Falcons will be approached by by some aggregation of schools to come join its league. For now the MWC offers some attractive features for AFA. In years it plays Hawaii on the road Air Force will be able to schedule a 13th game. Additionally, the Falcons will be playing in a league in which it can be competitive on an annual basis. I anticipate seeing the Falcons earn and accept bowl bids in more seasons than not as long as calhoun leads the program.
[...] Air Force and Navy, have nonetheless to dedicate to a Big East, and Air Force appears to be leaning toward staying in a Mountain West Conference out of a clarity of — brace yourself — [...]
[...] Air Force and Navy, have nonetheless to dedicate to a Big East, and Air Force appears to be leaning toward staying in a Mountain West Conference out of a clarity of — brace yourself — [...]
[...] Air Force and Navy, have nonetheless to dedicate to a Big East, and Air Force appears to be leaning toward staying in a Mountain West Conference out of a clarity of — brace yourself — [...]
BCS Bowls is not a AFA issue. AFA last visited a “big bowl” when AFA Football Father Ben Martin was coaching-1970ish Sugar Bowl, 1963 Gator Bowl and 1959 Cotton Bowl. Hey UCONN LOST millions last year because it could not sell its alloted BOWL tickets and UCONN was the BIG East winner.
AFA will be Bowling if it wins, has stars, and can travel well-tickets, hotel rooms, etc. The ex AFA DC Derutyuer(?) I presume is out at Texas A&M.
The AFA assistant coaches need major pay raises now. Calhoun wants them taken care off before he gets $$ justice comparable with other coaches- Navy’s HC gets $1.5 plus according to USA Today.
Beat Toledo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
watch tv shows online…
[...]Mountain West has been a loyal partner to Air Force through the years – Air Force : Colorado Springs Gazette, CO[...]…