FORT COLLINS - CSU will be part of a new 16-school conference that will begin athletic competition in the 2013-14 school year.
The yet-unnamed conference would stretch from coast to coast and across five times zones. Colorado State University, Air Force, New Mexico, UNLV and Wyoming - all current Mountain West Conference members - would be in the new conference.
Other members would be Alabama-Birmingham, East Carolina, Fresno State, Hawaii, Marshall, Nevada-Reno, Rice, Southern Mississippi, Texas-El Paso, Tulane and Tulsa.
CSU President Tony Frank and athletic director Jack Graham could not immediately be reached for comment. CSU athletic media relations director Zak Gilbert said the school had no immediate official comment.
"This is an exciting development that will stabilize the current conferences and create the first truly national conference with members in five time zones and television viewership from coast to coast. This partnership brings together like-minded institutions to improve the integrity and stability of intercollegiate athletics," UNLV President Neal Smatresk said in a news release issued by the Mountain West. "We are moving our plans forward rapidly and expect to complete our conversations in the near future. Look for further announcements soon as we work together on this exciting new venture."
CSU had been exploring options after the departure of BYU and Utah from the Mountain West after last season and the planned departure of Boise State, San Diego State and TCU in upcoming years.
"I don't think it really affects me in golf except for championship," CSU men's golf coach Jamie Bermel said. "What's good for the school is good for me."
Presidents and chancellors from the 16 schools met Sunday in Dallas and agreed to form the new conference. They agreed that the conference would have:
• Membership of 18 to 24 universities
• National scope from the Atlantic Seaboard to Hawaii
• Championship football game format that includes semifinal match-ups
• Championship basketball tournament
• Regular season scheduling in divisions
• NCAA FBS affiliation
• Mechanisms to emphasize and improve academic standards and fiscal responsibility
Statement from Colorado State Director of Athletics Jack Graham:
"We are very excited about this new era for Colorado State athletics and the Mountain West. This merger creates a bigger, more competitive conference and will allow us increased exposure for all Ram athletic programs. The new conference preserves traditional rivalries that are important to CSU, such as those with Air Force and Wyoming. At the same time, it gives us the opportunity to create new rivalries with some tremendously competitive programs in different parts of the country. In the end, this is great news for Colorado State, and we look forward to seeing where this new partnership takes us."
This story written by Sean Duff, Fort Collins Coloradoan.
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