Post by elp525 on Oct 10, 2011 5:14:23 GMT -5
Monday October 10, 2011
Air Force athletic director says he hopes Army, Navy join conference
The Denver Post
Advertiser
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Get ready to kiss Air Force goodbye. The Mountain West Conference is on the verge of losing a charter member.
The Falcons are looking to fly far away to save the Big East from disintegration, with the hope that fellow military academies Navy and Army will join them in the league.
"Our interest is high in the Big East. That's fair to say," Air Force athletic director Hans Mueh told me Saturday.
"This stuff is moving fast."
He expects that the future of Air Force athletics will be decided by the end of October. The plan would have the Falcons joining the Big East only in football, while moving teams in other sports to the Missouri Valley Conference.
"In my perfect world, with the Big East on the radar, I would love Air Force, Navy and Army to be in that conference together," said Mueh, stressing that no final decision has been made.
But after talking with Mueh extensively outside a somber locker room in the wake of the Falcons' 59-33 loss to Notre Dame, it clearly sounded as if Air Force is gazing squarely at the exit door from the Mountain West, a conference it played a key role establishing in 1999.
"I could just sit back and wait, but that's not in the best interest of my cadets. I need money to allow them to compete," Mueh said. "For us, competition is a mission. It builds the leadership, self-confidence, discipline, teamwork, courage and stamina that we want in the officers we're producing for America."
Know what the biggest shocker in Air Force's decision might be?
Given an opportunity to join Oklahoma and Texas in a revamped Big 12, the Falcons have said thanks, but no thanks.
"We were approached by the Big 12, and I told them we're not a good fit for that conference. In the Big 12, geography makes sense, the economics make sense, but recruiting makes no sense for us. I can't recruit against Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State," Mueh said.
"That's why I turned down the Big 12. I can't do that to my kids, because they'll get beat up. I'd love the extra $12 million or whatever it would be per year from the TV money. And I know how I'd spend the money. I'd build a new soccer stadium, and I'd build a new baseball facility, all in one year. But I can't do that."
Loyalty is dead in college football, and television contracts for football have gone insane. Greed rules.
"There are terrible, terrible hard feelings in college athletics," Mueh said. "I'm so disappointed with my fellow athletic directors. I think we have put the student-athlete in second place while chasing the dollar."
Here's the real bottom line for Air Force: It is better to break the hearts of old friends on the field before they dump you.
Leaving the Mountain West would put traditional rivalries with Colorado State and Wyoming in jeopardy for the Falcons.
"The first thing I'll do is go to them and ask forgiveness for leaving the Mountain West, if that's what happens," Mueh said. "Then I'll ask them if they'd like to continue playing a traditional rival in football. I can't imagine they would say no. It's a big game for both Colorado State and Wyoming."
Air Force and Navy have negotiated extensively to ensure they move together to the Big East, and gone so far as to lobby Army to join them as football partners in the league.
Mueh insisted: "The Big East wants Army. Absolutely." The Black Knights, however, have concerns their program might not be ready for the rigors of playing West Virginia and other top teams in the Big East on a regular basis.
Despite the recent defections of Pittsburgh and Syracuse to the Atlantic Coast Conference, it appears the reports of the Big East's imminent death might have been exaggerated. Mueh believes the league will soon have 10 football-playing members. He also termed any uncertainty in the league's automatic qualifying status for the BCS as not a deal-breaker for the Falcons.
"The conference holding together and assuring us stability, that's what is huge," said Mueh, who anticipates Big East leadership will make a recommitment to solidarity this week.
Amid all the money-grubbing and broken relationships on the scarred college athletic landscape, we must ask: Can the Mountain West survive?
"It will survive," Mueh predicted.
But Air Force will do what's right for Air Force, even if it means turning its back on old friends.
Air Force athletic director says he hopes Army, Navy join conference
The Denver Post
Advertiser
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Get ready to kiss Air Force goodbye. The Mountain West Conference is on the verge of losing a charter member.
The Falcons are looking to fly far away to save the Big East from disintegration, with the hope that fellow military academies Navy and Army will join them in the league.
"Our interest is high in the Big East. That's fair to say," Air Force athletic director Hans Mueh told me Saturday.
"This stuff is moving fast."
He expects that the future of Air Force athletics will be decided by the end of October. The plan would have the Falcons joining the Big East only in football, while moving teams in other sports to the Missouri Valley Conference.
"In my perfect world, with the Big East on the radar, I would love Air Force, Navy and Army to be in that conference together," said Mueh, stressing that no final decision has been made.
But after talking with Mueh extensively outside a somber locker room in the wake of the Falcons' 59-33 loss to Notre Dame, it clearly sounded as if Air Force is gazing squarely at the exit door from the Mountain West, a conference it played a key role establishing in 1999.
"I could just sit back and wait, but that's not in the best interest of my cadets. I need money to allow them to compete," Mueh said. "For us, competition is a mission. It builds the leadership, self-confidence, discipline, teamwork, courage and stamina that we want in the officers we're producing for America."
Know what the biggest shocker in Air Force's decision might be?
Given an opportunity to join Oklahoma and Texas in a revamped Big 12, the Falcons have said thanks, but no thanks.
"We were approached by the Big 12, and I told them we're not a good fit for that conference. In the Big 12, geography makes sense, the economics make sense, but recruiting makes no sense for us. I can't recruit against Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State," Mueh said.
"That's why I turned down the Big 12. I can't do that to my kids, because they'll get beat up. I'd love the extra $12 million or whatever it would be per year from the TV money. And I know how I'd spend the money. I'd build a new soccer stadium, and I'd build a new baseball facility, all in one year. But I can't do that."
Loyalty is dead in college football, and television contracts for football have gone insane. Greed rules.
"There are terrible, terrible hard feelings in college athletics," Mueh said. "I'm so disappointed with my fellow athletic directors. I think we have put the student-athlete in second place while chasing the dollar."
Here's the real bottom line for Air Force: It is better to break the hearts of old friends on the field before they dump you.
Leaving the Mountain West would put traditional rivalries with Colorado State and Wyoming in jeopardy for the Falcons.
"The first thing I'll do is go to them and ask forgiveness for leaving the Mountain West, if that's what happens," Mueh said. "Then I'll ask them if they'd like to continue playing a traditional rival in football. I can't imagine they would say no. It's a big game for both Colorado State and Wyoming."
Air Force and Navy have negotiated extensively to ensure they move together to the Big East, and gone so far as to lobby Army to join them as football partners in the league.
Mueh insisted: "The Big East wants Army. Absolutely." The Black Knights, however, have concerns their program might not be ready for the rigors of playing West Virginia and other top teams in the Big East on a regular basis.
Despite the recent defections of Pittsburgh and Syracuse to the Atlantic Coast Conference, it appears the reports of the Big East's imminent death might have been exaggerated. Mueh believes the league will soon have 10 football-playing members. He also termed any uncertainty in the league's automatic qualifying status for the BCS as not a deal-breaker for the Falcons.
"The conference holding together and assuring us stability, that's what is huge," said Mueh, who anticipates Big East leadership will make a recommitment to solidarity this week.
Amid all the money-grubbing and broken relationships on the scarred college athletic landscape, we must ask: Can the Mountain West survive?
"It will survive," Mueh predicted.
But Air Force will do what's right for Air Force, even if it means turning its back on old friends.
