Way back in August, it was reported that there had been discussions between the Mountain West and Conference USA about the possibility of having the champions of each conference meet at the end of the season, with the winner of that game potentially receiving an automatic BcS berth.
Since then, however, such talk has slowed to a dull roar, and for good reason.
In an interview with Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com, MWC commissioner Craig Thompson was asked about the possibility of a play-in game with Conference USA. From the sounds of it, crickets’ chirping on the BcS’ end has tabled any talk of such a contest coming to fruition.
“Following the meetings Monday and Tuesday, it’s not active. (C-USA commissioner) Britton (Banowsky) is probably one of my closest friends in the commissioner ranks, so we talk all the time. Again, the BCS has not said if you have such a game that champion will have an automatic BCS bowl berth. That’s fundamental. And I don’t suspect they’re going to, and I don’t know that’s something that would be on our radar to present.”
During the interview, Thompson also shed a little additional light on his conference’s decision to hold off on any further expansion for the foreseeable future. Basically, the decision of the presidents to eschew further expansion and a conference title game was centered almost solely on the BcS.
“It was discussed. Let’s say you can make $5 million in additional rights fees for a championship game. You’ve got to pay half a million or more to rent a facility, then you can argue about where the game is going to be played. Then you give something extra for the two participants. Let’s say each institution makes $100,000. That’s better than not making $100,00 but does that game get you into a Kansas State-Texas situation or a position where you’ve got a 12-0 from the East vs. 11-1 from West and the West wins. You just knocked yourself out of a BCS berth. The proof is there. We have had three consecutive bowl participants, all undefeated and it’s worked pretty well.”
Except for that whole “getting a shot at a national title” thing it’s worked pretty well, of course.
