(03-14-2018 09:29 AM)bluesox Wrote:  Gonzaga makes sense to pair with Hawaii football to get to 12. Im sure the mwc would jump to 14 with BYu and utep if byu we’re willing to jump. Not sure if the mwc would jump to 14 with UTEP and another Texas school. It would be dumb for the wcc to not bring in Seattle if Gonzaga left

I do not understand this obsession people have with the Mountain West and UTEP. Why, because it's in Texas? It's 45 miles away from New Mexico State; one can be in New Mexico from the geographic center of El Paso in 15 minutes if traffic is good. The way college sports fans think of Texas, UTEP might as well not be in Texas at all. NMSU would be an exponentially better addition that recruits virtually the same territory. It adds better quality and fan support to the basketball league, plus a rivalry with UNM that makes for excellent atmosphere and probably for much better viewing than UTEP vs. anybody currently in the conference.

The Mountain West is not a league that is obsessed with getting maximum TV exposure, as evidenced by their desire to have greater control over football kickoff times; they want atmosphere and fan engagement on the local level and the best quality product possible. Adding UTEP over NMSU - whether UNM wants to keep the Aggies out or not - is a short-sighted move that doesn't jive with the idea that the league wants to be more competitive in basketball. You're better off staying with 12 at that point.