BSU football schedule in a state of flux
By Chadd Cripe - Idaho Statesman
Edition Date: 02/14/07
The Boise State football team's schedule could be changed for the second straight year because of scheduling problems in the Mid-American Conference.
Idaho also has run into a problem with the MAC.
Bowling Green has indicated that it would prefer not to play the Broncos this season as scheduled, Boise State athletic director Gene Bleymaier said. It's also possible that the Broncos' unannounced fifth non-conference opponent — which is supposed to be a MAC team — will come from somewhere else.
The question marks have prevented the WAC from finishing its schedule.
"The Mid-American Conference is working on some different variations related to Boise," Bowling Green athletic director Greg Christopher said.
Bowling Green dropped last year's game with Boise State at the MAC's request because of another scheduling conflict. That led to Boise State playing at Utah.
Bowling Green played at Boise State in 2005 and is scheduled to return here in 2008. Christopher said he isn't sure if the 2008 game will be played, either.
He said he'd be disappointed to miss a chance to bring the Fiesta Bowl-champion Broncos to Ohio, but he can't afford to be picky. The MAC adds Temple this year, which creates a seven-team division and a six-team division. That unbalance has created scheduling headaches.
The MAC office, Christopher said, is "heavily involved" in the Falcons' scheduling.
"Right now we're trying to find a schedule that fits," Christopher said. "Who it ends up being is second almost to something that fits with the broader schedule we're trying to put together."
Bleymaier hopes to finalize the Broncos' schedule by the end of the month. The uncertainty has held up the WAC's ESPN schedule, which must be completed so the conference schedule can be assembled.
BSU has games scheduled against Weber State (home, Sept. 1), Washington (away, Sept. 8), Wyoming (home, Sept. 15) and Bowling Green (away, Sept. 29). The Weber State, Washington and Wyoming games are solid, Bleymaier said.
If the Broncos lose both MAC opponents, they could find two replacements or stop at 12 games. The Broncos are scheduled to play 13 games because of an NCAA rule that allows teams that play at Hawaii to play an extra game. However, the Broncos are not required to play the 13th game.
Bleymaier said "it's too early to say" if the Broncos would be able to replace both MAC teams.
Meanwhile, Eastern Michigan officials have indicated that they want to pull out of this year's game at Idaho, Vandals athletic director Rob Spear said. The buyout is $250,000, Spear said.
Idaho has non-conference games scheduled against USC, Cal Poly, Washington State and Eastern Michigan.
