All signs are pointing to the Air Force Falcons leaving the Mountain West to join the Big East for football and then move their other sports to the Missouri Valley Conference. This is all according to a report by the Denver Post who spoke with Air Force athletic director Hans Mueh.
Here is some of what Mueh had to say:
"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."
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"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.
No official decision has been made, but Mueh went onto say that a decision should be finalized by the end of October to make a decision on where their sports will be placed.
Even with the instability of the Big East having only six football members it is a better opportunity for Air Force football to leave the Mountain West, and a safe assumption can be made the Big East is going to add more teams to solidify their league.
The other big news that came from that article is that Air Force actually turned down an offer to join the Big 12:
"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."
If Air Force still wants to be competitive in their sports it makes sense for them to turn down the Big 12. In the Mountain West only their football program had a winning record during the 2010-11 year.
Depending on how things eventually turn out, the Mountain West will be down to nine football members and eight full members come fall of 2012.