Mountain West Conference: Checkmate?

 The Mountain West Conference undoubtedly thought it had a win-win scenario in place when it invited Boise State to join as a replacement for Pac-10/12-bound Utah and it successfully blocked BYU from joining the WAC with its non-football sports and discouraging the Cougars from going football independent  by inviting UNR and Fresno State to join. The egotistical MWC commissioner thought he had gutted the WAC like a fish. High-fives and champagne were in order at his office. The celebration was short-lived, however.
 First, BYU was not deterred in its reckless since-Utah-went-BCS-conference-and-we-weren't-invited-we-can't-stay-behind-with puny-MWC-TV-revenues-and-exposure-jealous-mindset adventure of going independent. Remember what Gordon Gekko said in the first WALL STREET movie? "Greed is good." BYU will quadruple (at least) its TV football revenue and vastly increase its exposure by using ESPN and BYUTV for its independent football program. (Who was the wizard behind this idea? Was it one of the worst Cal FB head coaches in recent history, although a fine human being, Tom Holmoe--BYU AD?) BYU's other sports will be in the "mighty" West Coast Conference. It is somewhat ironic that BYU was one of the leader schools in creating the Mt. West by leaving behind the "undesirables" of the bloated WAC and creating a new superconference. The Mountain West was really the first mercenary conference. Of course, they shot themselves in the foot by egotistically creating their own sports network when its demographics and brandname recognition did not warrant it.
 Second,  Utah State turned down the MWC invite because they actually exercised a foreign concept in modern bigtime athletics: integrity. Hence, the MWC will lose the Salt Lake City-Provo-Ogden television market in the fall of 2011.
 Third, TCU (the third MWC football powerhouse) opted to join the Big East for 2012, even though its travel expenses for non-revenue sports will be exorbitant to say the least. Was TCU's departure a result of gravitating towards more TV revenue and a BCS conference, or fleeing from the sinking ship MWC with new bully-on-the-block Boise State (a team that thoroughly spanked TCU in last year's Fiesta Bowl)?
 By raiding the WAC, at least the MWC will welcome a dramatically improved Nevada and an always-tough Fresno State, as well as creating new natural rivalries in  Nevada-UNLV and Fresno State-San Diego State. Nevertheless, the ruthless actions of the MWC might come back to haunt it in future school and conference maneuvering. How long will Boise State and San Diego State stay? Will New Mexico, Colorado State, and Air Force receive better offers in the near future? Only time will tell.
 The WAC has fortified itself for the future by adding Denver and Seattle in non-football sports, and UTSA and Texas State in football. This is a band-aid on a major wound. So far, Montana and UC Davis have rejected WAC offers.
 One thing is certain. If the Mountain West Conference vanishes in the next five years, few will shed tears. Mercenary players, coaches, and schools are par for the course in modern collegiate athletics. But a mercenary conference? That is one for the record books.