Marshall Football
1990: 6-5
1991: 11-4 (#8)
1992: 12-3 (#6)
1993: 11-4 (#9)
1994: 12-2 (#2)
1995: 12-3 (#6)
1996: 15-0 (#1)
joined FBS
1997: 10-3
1998: 12-1
1999: 13-0 (#10, would have earned an automatic BCS bowl berth under post-2005 rules)
2000: 8-5
2001: 11-2 (#21)
2002: 11-2 (#19)
received invitation to C-USA
2003: 8-4
2004: 6-6
C-USA membership begins
2005: 4-7
2006: 5-7
2007: 3-9
2008: 4-8
2009: 7-6
Marshall finished ranked in the Top 25 in 3 of the 4 years prior to receiving their invite from C-USA. They went undefeated in 1 of of those seasons and would have received an automatic BCS bowl berth under today's rules. Marshall had double digit wins in 11 of 12 previous seasons before receiving their C-USA invite. They started the decline immediately after receiving the invite and just this year managed their first winning season since joining C-USA.
The only thing Marshall offered C-USA was their winning football program. They are the only school in C-USA not designated as a national research university. They don't have a big media market, fan base, or athletics budget. They don't fit in the geographic football of the other C-USA schools or offer fertile recruiting territory. They haven't made an NCAA men's basketball tournament appearance since 1987. They only had football.
Boise State Football
1998: 6-5
1999: 10-3
2000: 10-2
WAC membership begins
2001: 8-4
2002: 12-1 (#12)
2003: 13-1 (#15)
2004: 11-1 (#13)
2005: 9-4
2006: 13-0 (#6, Fiesta Bowl)
2007: 10-3
2008: 12-1 (#13)
2009: 14-0 (#4, Fiesta Bowl)
What else does Boise offer to other conferences besides a good football team? They are truck driving U, and they don't have a big alumni base. They don't have a big athletics budget or fan base. Boise is the same size as Shreveport and is not overflowing with FBS recruits. They've made 1 NCAA men's basketball tournament appearance since 1994. What do they offer besides a good football team? What happens if Peterson leaves or if they start to play tougher competition week in and week out? This is why the Mountain West is reluctant to invite them, and why Boise may not be the MWC's first replacement choice... because they may turn into what Marshall is today...