In the early 90s, USU was a Big West Conference member. In the breakup of the Southwest Conference, the WAC was looking to make a move to 16 teams. Utah State had wanted to move into the same perceived level as other D1 programs in Utah, but the WAC first pulled in Fresno State in 1992 and then in 1996 added UNLV and SJSU — all from the Big West Conference.

When the WAC 16 disintegrated in 1999, it found itself again needing teams, but USU was now passed over in 2000 and 2001 by Nevada and Boise State from the Big West. Things were so bad that they ultimately became a Division 1 Independent for the 2001 and 2002 seasons. The impossible nature of being a Logan, Utah based independent led them to join the Sun Belt for 2003 and 2004 until the WAC finally came calling in 2005.

It was only a few years of sharing a conference with Boise State, Fresno State, Nevada, and Hawaii. They had tried to create a landing place for BYU non-football sports so the football team could go independent. The MWC Commissioner, Hair Thompson, upon hearing about the plan from the University of Utah president, immediately called up Fresno State and Nevada to offer invitations to join the league in 2012 — this coming a year after Boise State had already accepted a MWC invite. Hawaii was also taken away from the WAC leaving USU with only Lousiana Tech, New Mexico State, San Jose State, and Idaho for WAC compadres.

The next year (2013) Utah State and San Jose State were also invited to join the MWC.

Basically, as early as a decade ago, Utah State was at the bottom of an conference expansion list. Nevada, Hawaii, Wyoming, even San Jose State were all considered more valuable that the moomen from Logan.

Now, they are poised to join the likes of Washington State, Oregon State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Boise State, and San Diego State as the reimagined Pac 12's...let's see here, there were three or four teams from the AAC the Pac 12 went after first, then UNLV and SJSU and maybe Air Force and Wyoming...so that's pick #9 or so?

Who are we kidding? They're still the last program on anyone's conference expansion list.