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Home > Bison Media Zone > McFeely blog: Oklahoma State coach's view of Boise State should be music to NDSU's ears
Podcast: Bison Media Zone
Episode:

McFeely blog: Oklahoma State coach's view of Boise State should be music to NDSU's ears
Category: Sports & Recreation
Duration: 00:00:00
Publish Date: 2022-03-29 20:29:54
Description: FARGO Mike Gundy says things. Some entertaining. Some not so much. But the Oklahoma State football coach's views about future Big 12 Conference expansion should perk up ears in Fargo.

Talking to media last week at the start of OSU spring practice, Gundy was asked his thoughts on the state of the Big 12. The Power 5 conference was dealt a hammer blow last year when keystone schools Texas and Oklahoma decided to bolt the league for the more lucrative Southeastern Conference. The Big 12 countered by wooing independent Brigham Young and Cincinnati, Central Florida and Houston from the American Athletic Conference.



Texas and Oklahoma won't leave the Big 12 until July 2025. BYU is joining the league in 2023 while Cincinnati, Central Florida and Houston will likely become Big 12 members in 2024. That means for one season, 2024, the Big 12 will have 14 members before dropping back to 12 when Texas and Oklahoma vamoose for the SEC.



Gundy, according to a column by the Oklahoman newspaper's Barry Tremel, believes the Big 12 won't stay at 12 members for long. He thinks the conference will again expand to 14 members within "five years from now." Gundy thoughts echo those of Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby.



Here's where it gets interesting for followers of North Dakota State football. Gundy said he believes Boise State of the Mountain West Conference would be a strong addition to the Big 12.



"From a history of success, from what I would call a football school that grabs people's attention, Boise would be a team that people would be interested in," Gundy told Tremel. "The administrators and whoever makes the deals money-wise would have to decide whether they can get enough people to watch the games. That’s what it comes down to."



Gundy believes Boise State is a "national brand" that carries some weight in the college football world.



"Just like BYU," Gundy said. "Everybody thought BYU was a Power 5 school forever. I used to flip (channels), and I’d stop and watch ‘em. I think Boise does grab people’s attention."



From an NDSU perspective, this is important if the school's administration is serious about exploring a move to the Mountain West for football (and perhaps other sports, despite huge financial hurdles). If Boise State exits the Football Bowl Subdivision Mountain West, that might spur the conference to make an addition, and NDSU would at least be in the discussion as a possible addition because of the Bison's powerful Football Championship Subdivision program.



NDSU needs a conference invitation to move up to FBS. For that to happen a conference has to have an opening, either through expansion or need of filling an absence. If Boise State leaves the MWC, that would cause an opening that could need filling. That might lead to an invitation for another school, which could be NDSU.



It's still "a moonshot," as I've deemed an NDSU-to-FBS climb ... but dominos have to fall for there to be the slimmest opportunity for the Bison to move. And Boise State to the Big 12 would be a pretty big domino.



And if the Big 12 wanted to get to 14, it would need another school in addition to Boise State. Could that also come from the Mountain West ranks? A Colorado State, San Diego State or Air Force?



Gundy is a Boise State fan, which can't hurt the Broncos chances of realizing their dream of being asked to join a Power 5 conference. NDSU fans, therefore, should be rooting for Gundy's opinions to carry a little weight.



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