[Redrum]

First, let\'s calibrate.  The Big Ten getting Nebraska.  That is a coup.  Texas to the Pac-10,  that qualifies as a coup although it has less regional logic.

The Mountain West certainly can gain teams,  but picking up Boise St.  is probably pick of the litter.   What the Big 12 remnants would bring to the Mountain West is more Central Time Zone  television presence. But apart from Kansas City and maybe St. Louis (if Missouri joins the MWC).  What else Kansas, Kan St., Missouri would bring to the mix isn\'t clear or dramatic.  The largest urban markets in the current MWC are some share of Denver (Colo. St., Air Force) Salt Lake City and DFW (although TCU has a smaller fan base than schools not even close to DFW.)   Not clear how much revenue gain  comes from Manhattan, KS or Lawrence, KS.

But, inter-sectional play exposes more people to the MWC who might not have paid any attention before.   Plus the fact that the MWC really had no way to dramatically grow their audience in the the original  MWC territory,   what\'s not to like?   Don\'t know about the idea that the MWC is the "big winner" though.   I\'d settle for " not a bad pickup".
Missou and maybe Kansas improve the competition in football.  Kansas should win basketball easily unless playing in the MWC eventually erodes their attractiveness to recruits.

[Redrum]

First, let\'s calibrate.  The Big Ten getting Nebraska.  That is a coup.  Texas to the Pac-10,  that qualifies as a coup although it has less regional logic.

The Mountain West certainly can gain teams,  but picking up Boise St.  is probably pick of the litter.   What the Big 12 remnants would bring to the Mountain West is more Central Time Zone  television presence. But apart from Kansas City and maybe St. Louis (if Missouri joins the MWC).  What else Kansas, Kan St., Missouri would bring to the mix isn\'t clear or dramatic.  The largest urban markets in the current MWC are some share of Denver (Colo. St., Air Force) Salt Lake City and DFW (although TCU has a smaller fan base than schools not even close to DFW.)   Not clear how much revenue gain  comes from Manhattan, KS or Lawrence, KS.

But, inter-sectional play exposes more people to the MWC who might not have paid any attention before.   Plus the fact that the MWC really had no way to dramatically grow their audience in the the original  MWC territory,   what\'s not to like?   Don\'t know about the idea that the MWC is the "big winner" though.   I\'d settle for " not a bad pickup".
Missou and maybe Kansas improve the competition in football.  Kansas should win basketball easily unless playing in the MWC eventually erodes their attractiveness to recruits.