The continued scramble in the BCS-bound conferences moved Southwest again, with imminent acceptance of Texas A and M into the SEC. Much of the talk around A and M was the ability for the SEC to expand into another television area, the football crazy land of Texas. Last year the Big East went Lone Star State hunting, grabbing the fast-growing program at TCU to bolster its BCS standing in football and also give the conference added eyeballs in an area where Big East football runs behind Friday Night Lights in interest most of the year. It is all about market share now, much more than tradition, for the mega-conferences that continue to grow and squeeze out the have nots.
So with all the growing and expanding, when will someone grab the Service Academies? Outside of Notre Dame, when things are going right on the gridiron there are few collegiate brands more impressive or awe inspiring than Army, Navy and Air Force. Their pageantry, true national recruiting platform, tradition of academic excellence, appeal to brands, alumni base, well established alumni and their presence amongst casual fans is second to none. Factor in a solid tradition of coaches and winning programs at Navy and Air Force, and hopefully a fast-growing new success story now at Army, and the Academies should be of great appeal to a BCS conference looking to expand, especially one like the Big East with a diverse football following. The fixation on a major geographic market sometimes can be overstated. Does Rutgers truly get the Big East in New York or does TCU get the conference in Dallas? On good years, for sure. However on a consistent basis, the addition of the Academies…one or maybe all three…will give some conference a much larger consistent national footprint.
Is it an easy choice for the Academies or for a conference, especially when across the board it is unlikely for the schools to go full in? No it is not. Navy has built Bowl-eligible status over the years by taking on schools not in the greatest football positions…Rice, Duke etc…and then pulling off an upset or two. Air Force has taken a tougher road in conference play and fared well, while Army still relies on a non-Division 1-A football opponent or two to get themselves righted as well. The Academies also use the lure of Annapolis and West Point to play more home games than road games as well, and the independent football status gives them the ability for a choice of venue for certain opponents as well.
Even with the minuses, the lure of an Academy or two on the gridiron should be enticing to a BCS conference looking to grow sooner rather than later. A true national footprint, instant name recognition and probably a boost in presence in the boardroom make those schools very intriguing for added band value. Time will tell.
