TCU officials deny getting MWC offer
By Wendell Barnhouse;Damien Pierce
Star-Telegram Staff Writers
TCU officials are denying that a decision has been made about accepting a possible invitation to join the Mountain West Conference. But momentum appears to be building for the MWC to expand and to invite TCU.
On Tuesday, as TCU's current league, Conference USA, announced the addition of SMU, Rice, Tulsa, Marshall and Central Florida, MWC commissioner Craig Thompson said he is in favor of his league expanding. He expects a decision on expansion from the MWC presidents in early December.
TCU athletic director Eric Hyman and provost William Koehler said the school is studying the costs of such a potential move but denied reports that TCU had been invited to join the MWC and that a decision on MWC expansion was expected soon.
Thomspon also denied the reports, saying "There is no invitation imminent."
A source with knowledge of the conference realignment situation said Tuesday that the MWC wants to expand by one or possibly two teams, and that TCU tops the MWC list.
"TCU would probably like another school to be included, which would make it easier to schedule a travel partner for TCU," the source said. "There really isn't much of a difference in advantages between a nine-team or a 10-team league."
MWC's presidents had a "thorough and detailed" discussion of expansion issues during a conference call Monday.
"We discussed nine, 10, 11 and 12 members, plus staying at eight," Thompson said. "The presidents are looking at more information about future television and Bowl Championship Series negotiations. They want to know what the potential of additional members would mean to those situations."
Thompson said that the presidents did discuss specific schools, and that there are "less than eight" schools on the MWC target list. Those schools are apparently TCU, New Mexico State, Utah State, Boise State, Hawaii, Nevada, Fresno State and UT-El Paso.
Thompson would not speculate on what the MWC presidents would decide.
"My gut feeling, as commissioner: I think we should expand," Thompson said. "The renegotiation of our TV contracts, our market share, scheduling opportunities are all some of the reasons to expand.
"How many? I don't think 12 is the number. Nine might be right. Or 10. I think we can strengthen ourselves with additional members."
The MWC has agreements with three bowls: Liberty, Las Vegas and San Francisco.
"There are potential candidates that would deliver or bring with them bowl berths," Thompson said.
That would include TCU (the first-year Fort Worth Bowl), UTEP (the Sun Bowl), Boise State (the Humanitarian Bowl) and Hawaii (the Hawaii Bowl).
Thompson said when and if the MWC decides to expand it would happen quickly, with invitations after an announcement.
"We have not planned a meeting with the Mountain West," TCU's Hyman said. "There is nothing imminent. We're gathering information, and it's way too premature to suggest something would happen this week. Once we gather all the facts, we'll sit down and have the necessary dialogue.
"Before we proceed, we have a responsibility to the institution to make sure we have all the facts and that we are doing due diligence to figure out a decision. We're still getting the lay of the land."
TCU's board of trustees will have their regular meetings Thursday and Friday.
"I would imagine there will be some talk about the conference situation [at the board meeting], but there is no action expected to be asked for by the AD," Koehler said. "There are no plans to my knowledge that we will be making any decisions this week.
"We have not been invited to join another conference, and we're committed to C-USA right now. We're going to keep all of our options open."
TCU officials have privately expressed their concerns about the strength and viability of the new C-USA alignment -- in particular, the football programs at SMU and Tulsa.
A move to the MWC could help TCU continue to build the national profile of its football program. And with the 8-0 Frogs facing the possibility of an undefeated season going largely unrewarded, switching leagues for the fourth time in less than a decade makes sense.