The Mountain West Conference may not be able to be like the Big Ten in all facets, but the MWC will follow in the bigger conference’s footsteps in one aspect this fall.
Pending a formal approval by the NCAA on Feb. 24, the MWC will institute instant replay for all football games next fall.
MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson figures it is a way the conference can cast itself in a good light nationally.
“The Mountain West Conference has proven it competes at the highest level of Division 1-A football,” Thompson said. “This initiative, which we see as an opportunity to enhance our football operation, is another example of our commitment and something we have aggressively pursued.”
After a controversial implementation last season, many conferences are starting to follow the Big Ten’s lead.
The ACC has already made plans for 2005, with most of the other conferences in the planning stages.
Including new addition TCU, all nine MWC institutions have video walls in their stadiums. For games that are not televise, the replay officials will use the in-stadium feed.
That will probably not be much of an issue, as 89 percent of MWC games were televised last season. With the start of the conference’s CSTV contract in 2006, almost all the games involving Mountain West teams will be on the air.
The logistical details of the way replay is implemented and enforced are up to each individual conference. The MWC has not yet how they will handle the specifics.