Another thread motivated me to go on record with a prediction - go ahead, tell me I'm an idiot.

Per conference exit bylaws, seems like a MW school can move more quickly than an AAC school. AAC is 27 months and 10 mill buyout - yup, you read that right. Mountain West has to notify by June 30th to exit without penetiles (yes that has passed, but I think the fees still put them in a much better spot to leave than AAC schools).

Of course negotiations can be made, but I think the difficulty of AAC teams getting out is something often overlooked and a reason that CSU might be much more of a viable option than people think if the conference wants teams by 2017 - to go along with their return to having a conference championship game. Plus, CSU could easily overtake CU in Colorado as the top team if in the Big 12 - because CU freaking sucks. You get the Denver market, a travel partner for BYU and a team that's just easier to get in for 2017.

Idea / prediction:

Big 12 announces BYU and CSU to join in 2017 and Cinci and Houston to follow in 2018.