Bye Boise (w/UPDATE)

Oh well.

Boise State on Friday accepted an invitation to join the Mountain West Conference in 2011 as the two-time Fiesta Bowl winner seeks out a league that’s a better launching pad into lucrative postseason bowl games.

Boise State, currently a Western Athletic Conference member, would become the Mountain West Conference’s 10th member. The move would be effective July 1, 2011.

Some thoughts from Stephen Tsai:

It was no surprise that Boise State would one day leave the WAC, but it still was jolting that “one day” would be today. The Broncos will be joining the Mountain West.

Sort of reminds me of a guy who invites himself to a party.

For all of the posturing, this is a blow to the WAC — and UH — with a direct hi to the bank accounts. Boise’s departure means:

• Losing potential BCS money.

• Having a diminished national TV value.

• Losing the Humanitarian Bowl.

• Forcing the remaining WAC football teams to scramble for one more game each year starting in 2011. (And that won’t be easy to fill, since UH has filled the bookened dates. It’s tougher to book the October/November pukas.)

For the WAC, there is no good news.

UPDATE: Stephen Tsai and Dave Reardon discuss the possibilities for UH going forward.