Mountain West welcomed as BCS ‘guest’

Steve Addy

Wednesday, June 7, 2000 | 10:09 a.m.

For six more years, college football's Bowl Championship Series will remain a private club. But until then, the Mountain West Conference has been given guest privileges, so to speak.

The MWC on Tuesday was granted non-voting status by the BCS committee, giving the league a seat at all BCS meetings and possible preferential status for full membership if the BCS expands.

Though the BCS's six full members -- the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East, Pac-10 and SEC -- will retain control over determining the NCAA Division I-A national champion, the MWC and Conference USA will participate in all discussions to govern and perhaps refine the process.

Mountain West teams still have to earn a BCS berth the old-fashioned way -- being ranked in the top 12 in the BCS formula rankings -- but commissioner Craig Thompson says the MWC's new status is a crucial first step toward full membership.

"If the BCS ever decides to add a fifth bowl game or add a seventh or eighth conference, we're closer now than we were yesterday," Thompson said. "This is a very positive step for us after just one season.

"We're in the room. We're a non-voting member, but in discussions with ABC, we're in the room. In marketing discussions, we're in the room. We will be able to speak to the issues. I'd rather be in the room, knowing the issues, knowing the situation, knowing the problems."

Thompson sought non-voting status for the Mountain West last summer, but because the conference was new -- an eight-team breakaway from the WAC -- that status was not granted. Since then, the MWC finished fourth nationally in average basketball attendance and seventh in average football attendance, and Thompson also penned a 10-page letter to the BCS, detailing the MWC's virtues.

The BCS committee welcomed the Mountain West Tuesday, and Thompson doesn't plan to be a passive observer.

"Maybe we can come up with creative ideas that six years from now, they would say, 'How can we leave this Mountain West group out?' " he said.

Until then, Thompson is making sure the conference does all it can to impress the BCS. Mountain West teams went 7-5 against BCS opponents last year, and 20 such games are scheduled this year. The conference will also impose a $50,000 fine against any school which schedules more than two opponents outside of Division I.

In addition, Thompson is seeking a third bowl contract for the MWC, besides the Liberty and Las Vegas bowls. The Silicon Valley Bowl is the most likely tie-in, Thompson said, though he didn't sound optimistic it will occur.