This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Boise, Idaho • Boise State University has officially withdrawn from the Mountain West Conference.
The Idaho Statesman reports (http://bit.ly/N2T4YV) that school officials sent a letter to Mountain West presidents about 10 p.m. Saturday, a few hours ahead of the league's deadline for Boise State to make a decision.
The school faced a $5 million penalty if it didn't give at least a year's notice.
The school will remain in the Mountain West for the 2012-2013 athletic seasons, but after that it's scheduled to move its powerful football program to the Big East and other sports to the Western Athletic Conference.
Looming uncertainty over the future and competitiveness of the WAC might have caused Boise State to wait until the last day to make its official withdrawal from the Mountain West.
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Information from: Idaho Statesman, http://www.idahostatesman.com