Here’s Hans Mueh, the athletic director at Air Force, on the Falcons’ interest in playing football in the Big East:

“Our interest is high in the Big East. That’s fair to say. In my perfect world, with the Big East on the radar, I would love Air Force, Navy and Army to be in that conference together.”

It makes sense. Want to know why Air Force rejected overtures from the Big 12, but would welcome the opportunity to play in the Big East? Air Force could compete and win in the Big East. So could Navy (not Army, though). That’s probably not the case in the Big 12. Also: recruiting. Mueh told Mark Kisla of the Denver Post:

“We were approached by the Big 12, and I told them we’re not a good fit for that conference. In the Big 12, geography makes sense, the economics make sense, but recruiting makes no sense for us. I can’t recruit against Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State … That’s why I turned down the Big 12. I can’t do that to my kids, because they’ll get beat up. I’d love the extra $12 million or whatever it would be per year from the TV money.”

Mueh sounds like a stand-up dude. I’m sure everyone in the MWC would disagree – Air Force was a founding member of the conference. If Army and Navy made the move to the Big East, that would leave just two Independents in college football: BYU and Notre Dame. [Denver Post]