Conference Expansion

College football conferences will have a different look in 2011:

Big 12 : 11 teams (minus Nebraska)
Big 10 : 12 teams (plus Nebraska)
Pac 10 : 11 teams (plus Utah)
WAC : 6 teams (minus Boise, Nevada, Fresno)
MWC : 11 teams (minus Utah, plus Boise, Nevada, Fresno)

There is still some flux in this. BYU is mulling going independent. Colorado may still find a way to get out of the Big 12 a year earlier. Nevada and Fresno may end back in the WAC for a year. Hawaii, Utah State and Louisiana Tech could also leave the WAC.
However, as it stands now, the one previous 11 team conference now has 12 teams and the ability to stage a championship. Three additional conferences are one team short of the number, while one conference teeters on the brink of extinction.
As the dust is settling, the Big 10 seems to be better off, while the entire college football landscape west of the Mississippi is in shamples.
Perhaps the biggest shame is poaching going on in the Mountain West and WAC. College football could really use another western BCS conference. The Mountain West was poised to be the conference, especially with the additional of Boise State. However, with the defection of Utah and possibly of BYU those hopes are looking weaker. The Mountain West picked up a couple of ok WAC teams, but now has a large conference to deal with. Perhaps the best option now would be to simply start over. Grab the best teams from the Mountain West and WAC to make a quality conference. (Wait, wasn't this supposed to be what the Mountain West was all about?)
Who would you drop? UNLV, New Mexico and San Diego State are horrid in football, yet all made the NCAA basketball tournament. Wyoming is in a small market, but they did make a bowl last season. Colorado State is in one, of the largest markets in a conference. However, they don't have much a hold on that market (which they also somewhat share with Air Force.) They could be dropped, leaving only teams that made a bowl or the NCAA tourney. With Boise, Nevada and Fresno, you'd have a somewhat respectable 10 team conference, but one still with some football weakness.

The Big 12 and Pac 10 pose some additional issues. The Pac-10 has already assigned Utah a "probationary" membership, so they can probably limit the amount of money doled out to the new mouth until the championship game is going. In the Big-12, Colorado will be ponying out a good amount of change to leave, so its not like they will be hurting.

Will the Big-12 go for expansion? BYU could be a logical addition. They could help bring in revenue and easily compete in the Big-12 north. That gives another season to look for another team. (unless Missouri decides to leave.) A second team is more of a challenge. Air Force could provide a travel partner for BYU and restore the Colorado toe-hold. Going in to Texas is another option, though that could create geographical (and Texas politcal) issues. Houston and TCU both have respectable programs. Though it would be odd to have Houston competing in the North.

Another option would be to take two Texas schools and make an entirely Texas south division, while bumping the Oklahoma schools to the north.

Perhaps even more overzealous would be a Southwest Conference revival. Add SMU, TCU, Houston and Rice [uh, for academics] to the south division, bump the Oklahoma schools up north and add BYU and Air Force. TCU and Texas would be the powers in the south, with Houston, Tech and A&M nipping at their heals. In the north, Oklahoma, BYU and Oklahoma State would probably dominate, though Air Force and Missouri should be respectable.

Conference USA can grab New Mexico, New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech to complete their 12.

These leaves 11 western teams from the WAC/MWC. Perhaps a IAA moveup can be added to get a championship game going. (Or Hawaii may go it solo.)
Boise, Fresno, Nevada, Hawaii, Idaho, San Jose State, Utah State, Colorado State, San Diego State, UNLV, Wyoming.

And then in the next season, Texas A&M will bolt to the SEC and Texas will head to the Pac-10, and everything will start all over again.

Perhaps we will see BYU stay in the Mountain West and the BCS bid come through.

Maybe the WAC will find a way to survive.

Where will Utah State and Hawaii end up?

Will the Pac-10 and big-10 continue expanding?

What about the Big east?

There is also the matter of being an incumbent BCS conference. You get more money. You have an easier time scheduling. You find it easier to stay BCS.

Perhaps we should just create 'football-only' conferences. Teams that can fill stadiums and win games go in the top conferences. Other teams go in lower conferences and move up if they are successful.