Blue roundup: BYU to Big East talk heats up

Now that it's official that West Virginia is joining the Big 12 and BYU is out of the running, speculation is mounting that the Cougars could be looking at the Big East Conference.

The Big East has lost a handful of members in recent weeks and is going to expand soon. One plan is to create Western and Eastern divisions. Proposed Western Division teams are Boise State, Air Force, Houston, SMU and BYU.

"Boise State has also made it known that it would like a western partner should it join the Big East, meaning that Air Force’s role in the future of the league becomes even more critical," reports The New York Times. "It is also possible that Brigham Young could emerge as a more serious candidate now that it is officially out of the Big 12’s plans. The Cougars would meet Boise’s definition of a western partner."

Here's the view from CBSSports.com: "With the loss of West Virginia, the Big East would need a 12th member. Sources have told CBSSports.com that the Big East’s potential Western schools are in favor of adding BYU. It’s unknown if the Cougars would be interested, but the fact the Big 12 will stay at 10 schools may increase BYU's chances of joining the Big East as a football-only member."

And finally, in case you missed BYU's annual Cougar Tipoff, watch a replay on BYUtv.