Conference realignment’s frenetic pace reaffirms Pac-12, Mountain West should have merged all along

Never has Texas State been more valuable. Or Toledo. Or UTEP. Or North Dakota State for that matter.
Who knows as conference realignment rounds the latest crazy turn and heads toward an absurd homestretch. Last week, the American Athletic Conference stood strong. Earlier this month, the Pac-12 raided the Mountain West … or was it the other way around?
Either way, the Pac-Whatever and the Mountain West continue to be conferences in name only. Utah State joined San Diego State, Fresno State, Colorado State and Boise State in jumping from the MWC to the Pac-12; Air Force, San Jose State and UNLV opted to stay with the Mountain West. For a moment, UNLV — 104th in total FBS football viewership since 2016 — was desired by all of those three conferences. Just not by its starting quarterback.
Meanwhile, the MWC, using exit fees the Pac-12 paid to snatch its five members, then turned around and used that cash to incentivize the current six full-time members to stay. Things got so heated that UNLV went from being coveted by the Pac-12 to being sued by the Pac-12 in the span of a week.
You can’t make this stuff up, folks.
We found out the Mountain West had a grant of rights from six schools — but granted to what? The MWC is still waiting on two more full pledges to actually become a conference again. The phone lines are open, and operators are standing by for any schools interested. There were reports over the weekend that the MWC was zeroing on Texas State as lucky No. 7.
The Pac-12 (as of this writing) also remains under the eight-team threshold after Memphis and Tulane reaffirmed their loyalty to the American. Such is current realignment as we know it.
Add it up, and the MWC and Pac-12 have almost assured mutual irrelevancy. Before this latest round of realignment, there was no doubt the Mountain West was the dominant Group of Five conference (at least in terms of access to the College Football Playoff).
Now? Well, the Pac-12, if it shores itself up, will be a solid, upstanding member of what is now the Group of Six conferences. In addition to Texas State, the Mountain West is reportedly interested in Toledo and NIU from the MAC. The truth is the league has been evaluating dozens of schools, sources tell CBS Sports. If there is any solace to be had, apparently the Mountain West won’t dip down to FCS to fill out its roster. So forget about those North Dakota State and Montana State rumors. But this ain’t over yet.
The solution is as obvious as the nose on Pinocchio’s face: the schools in two almost-conferences should have merged. Call it the Mountain Pac, the Pac West, the Jackson Five, it doesn’t matter. Such a conference would have a CFP berth nailed in most years.
Make that nine out of 10 years. That lineup of schools that should have been (once again for your viewing pleasure) …
Oregon State
Washington State
Fresno State
Colorado State
San Diego State
San Jose State
Tulane
Memphis
UNLV
Boise State
New Mexico
Air Force
Those programs have the most legacy in the Group of Five. By legacy, I mean the best programs available with a postseason history. Oregon State, Washington State, Tulane and Boise State each played in BCS/New Year’s Six bowls. They are the