If up to six Pac-12 members leave for the Big 12, a potential merger with the remaining four Pac-12 schools and the Mountain West makes the most sense.
With Conference USA about to be down to three members, league commissioner Judy MacLeod will need to recruit winning FCS programs with strong attendance.
With news that six of C-USA's members will be leaving for the AAC, UTEP and the other seven remaining members find themselves with few options at this point.
Much of the discussion involving schools interested in changing Group of 5 conference affiliations like the AAC, MWC, and Sun Belt has not included UTEP.
American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco says his league has never “plotted” with ESPN to undermine another conference by poaching its schools.
Conference USA and the Mountain West had a great idea -- get together and form a nationwide football-only super-conference that was sure to get an automatic BCS bid for its champion and good TV money.
Only problem was, they talked to the Big East about it.