They outspent the first three schools on the schedule of their coming football season — Wyoming, New Mexico and Mississippi — by nearly $18.5 million that year. Combined.

Scott Duncan offers the punch line even before you begin the joke. "From Los Angeles to Laramie, right?" he said. "Who does that?" Scott Duncan would welcome a head coaching job, but that's not his only goal. Perhaps a man who recognizes that jobs are fleeting and friendships are not? Duncan may have left the sunshine of UCLA for the snowdrifts of Wyoming, but along the way he reconnected with his best friend, new Wyoming head coach Larry Shyatt.

But in terms some of the non-conference foes, there are home-and-home series’ with Idaho State and Seattle. Home games with Bradley, Northern Colorado, UC-Irvine, and at least one non-Division I team. Non-conference road games include Colorado, Denver and Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Any time that you take over a new program, the first order of business is to find out who’s in the boat and who’s not in the boat. You want to know who’s with you, who’s buying in because that first year there’s always going to be those peaks and valleys.

A message board reader with a sharp eye noticed that Wyoming DOT aircraft would be flying from Laramie to Norfolk, VA Richmond, VA on Tuesday and staying on the ground for four hours. What is in Norfolk you ask? Norfolk is the home of Old Dominion and current coach Blaine Taylor who is supposed to be a candidate for the Wyoming basketball coaching vacancy. He is a Montana native and has family that lives in Sheridan. So is Wyoming AD Tom Burman flying out to Virginia to conduct an interview with Taylor?

Jan. 25, 2011 LAS VEGAS, Nev. - At the conclusion of its annual January meeting, the MWC Board of Directors issued the following statement. "Over the past two days, the Board of Directors has engaged in a very thorough discussion of several key topics pertinent to the future of the Mountain West Conference. This has included, but not been limited to, issues related to television, the Bowl Championship Series and membership. The Board feels strongly the membership configuration already established going forward creates outstanding prospects for future success. In addition, we are continuing with our strategic initiatives related to our television partnerships and the MWC's efforts to effect change in the BCS structure. The Board is excited about what is undoubtedly a bright future for the Conference."

Already, commissioners of C-USA and the MWC say they have had exploratory talks on several possible areas of mutual interest, including the postseason, scheduling and television. "We have spent considerable time discussing ways that (the MWC) can get better and our group can continue to grow and get better," said Britton Banowsky, C-USA commissioner, who is attending the Hawaii Bowl. "And, more often than not, the conversation turns to ways that we can actually help each other, not only from the standpoint of games like the Hawaii Bowl," Banowsky added.