By John Nestor

Boise, ID

The Idaho State Board of Education gave Boise State permission to pursue membership with the Big East Conference Thursday.

The board voted 7-1 to give university President Bob Kustra permission to move the highly-successful Boise State football program from the Mountain West Conference to the Big East for the 2013 season.

The move would mean more revenue and give the Broncos a yearly shot at the Bowl Championship Series.

Big East representatives visited the Boise State campus last week and discussions between Kustra and the conference have been ongoing.

While Boise State has not yet received a formal invitation to join, Kustra told trustees he expects one to come in the coming days.

Boise State is not the only target the Big East has as school presidents met in Philadelphia and agreed to a plan to add Navy and Air Force for football only, and SMU, Houston and Central Florida for all sports.

The Big East is scrambling to keep itself together in the wake of defections by Pittsburgh, Syracuse and West Virginia.

Boise State would be a huge get for the Big East, but the addition of the Broncos is not a given.

Kustra told the state board that the formation of a Western division is a must to joining the conference. Kustra suggested that SMU, Houston, Air Force and one other western school could make up that division.

 

 

Boise State Football Given Green Light to Join Big East