In an interview with the Denver Post, Air Force athletic director Hans Mueh acknowledged that “our interest in the Big East is high” and that a decision on a move from the Mountain West could come by the end the end of October.
Reportedly, the Falcons aren’t the only MWC member the Big East has their sights set on.
Both the Boston Globe and Newark Star-Ledger are reporting that the Big East is considering the pursuit of Boise State as a football-only member. It’s unclear from either report whether any discussions, preliminary or otherwise, have taken place with the school.
Boise State is in its first season in the MWC after announcing it was leaving the WAC last year. The addition of the Broncos football program would be a significant boost to the Big East’s hopes of maintaining an automatic BcS bid beyond 2013.
In addition to Boise State, the Globe reports that the Big East is considering adding Air Force and Navy as football-only members and Temple and UCF as members in all sports, as well as pushing Villanova to make the move from Div. 1-AA to 1-A. If all of that were to come to fruition -- and neither West Virginia nor Louisville leaves as has previously been rumored -- it would give the Big East 12 football members, thus triggering the ability to stage a championship game.
Boise State has also been rumored to possibly be of interest to the Big 12, so there could be some competition for the Broncos’ football services.