Boise State, San Diego State to join Big East

Life for UNLV is expected to change radically, possibly beginning today.

The Big East Conference, according to several reports, is expected to announce it will add five schools in 2013, including Boise State and San Diego State of the Mountain West Conference as football-only members that will be part of a proposed Western division.

Houston, Southern Methodist and Central Florida reportedly will leave Conference USA to join as full members.

UNLV athletic director Jim Livengood said he would not comment until an announcement is made. The Mountain West office took the same position.

Now the future for UNLV and the Mountain West -- which also could eventually lose Air Force to the Big East -- probably involves Conference USA. The leagues agreed in mid-October to a merger in football only that could take place next year or in 2013.

Texas-El Paso athletic director Bob Stull said at a news conference Thursday the merger is "moving more toward all sports at this point."

"I can tell you that merger will happen with the Mountain West," Stull added. "Unless something really dramatic happens, we will do that. And there's a fairly good chance we'll be playing a lot back into the West side. Especially if we lose SMU and Houston to the Big East ... then obviously most of the Texas schools are gone, and it makes a lot of sense for us to play New Mexico, Las Vegas, etc."

Even if the merger is limited to football, it sets up several scenarios.

If Air Force remains in the Mountain West, that gives the MWC eight football teams (Hawaii will not compete in other sports) and C-USA nine. The Mountain West could add Utah State to create two nine-team divisions.

Should Air Force leave, there are at least two possibilities.

Perhaps UTEP would move to the Western division, leveling the two sides and giving New Mexico a nearby rival. UTEP could stay in the East, and Utah State and San Jose State might be brought in to equal the numbers.

If C-USA adds Louisiana Tech, that adds even more scenarios.

Utah State, San Jose State and Louisiana Tech are in the Western Athletic Conference, and if they leave, the already damaged WAC could be crippled. Boise State reportedly is looking to place its nonfootball sports in the WAC, but under such a scenario could be forced to scramble or reconsider its plans.

There is some feeling in the Mountain West that Boise State and San Diego State might eventually have second thoughts anyway.

The Bowl Championship Series numbers are due out soon, and the Big East is expected to be in terrible shape. Plus, automatic BCS status could be a thing of the past in the coming years, making the move to the Big East less attractive.

But the Big East's big selling point is a better television package. That conference has thrown out a $3.7 million figure to each team -- the Mountain West pays $1.5 million -- but in the new TV deal that will be negotiated next year, the Big East might have trouble matching its target.

A network will have to look at a football conference that soon will lose Pittsburgh, Syracuse and West Virginia, with the possibility Louisville, Connecticut and Rutgers will follow.

Big East teams could wind up on NBC Sports Network (currently Versus), receiving roughly the same national exposure Mountain West schools get now.

UNLV and the Mountain West wouldn't be disappointed if the deal blew up in the outgoing members' faces.

But this week, the Mountain West will have to cede the stage to the Big East and its commissioner, John Marinatto.

"I think ... he should get a substantial raise for what he just accomplished," Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino told The Associated Press. "Getting Boise State. Getting Houston, SMU. I think that is as good of a job for a commissioner with his back against the wall as I've seen since I've been in athletics. The teams you lost aren't as good in football as the teams you're bringing in."

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.