This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The news came down on Tuesday afternoon: Boise State and San Diego State are leaving the Mountain West to join the Big East.
If the Mountain West chooses to expand, will that open the door for Utah State?
That's an interesting question.
Here's what we know:The Tribune learned on Tuesday afternoon that Boise State is likely to come back to the Western Athletic Conference for its non-football sports. San Diego State is likely to park its other sports in the Big West.
With that, all eyes are on the Mountain West and whether or not it will expand. The Tribune has previously reported that USU will likely receive an invite along with San Jose State, with Boise State being the domino that will fall.
A source told the Tribune on Tuesday that Air Force, who has been long linked with Boise State, could still leave the MWC for the Big East. Reports surfaced late Tuesday that Navy is also likely to the Big East as a football school. If true, that makes Air Force's departure that much more likely.
With the Mountain West and Conference USA forming an alliance, it's likely that no invitations are imminent, the source said.
"They still don't know how many schools are going to be involved with the conference," the source said. "It's still a very fluid situation. Once they figure out what they need and who they are losing, then they can proceed."
If this scenario plays out, that means USU shouldn't expect an invitation by the end of the week. It also means that there are many more parts that need to be sorted out.
What is known is that collegiate expansion is once again alive and well. Utah State is still a part of the musical chairs. But who knows when the equation plays out for the Aggies?
Tony Jones