When it comes to possibly adding Utah State to the fold, commissioners of the Western Athletic and Sun Belt conferences aren't acting with urgency. The topic is regularly addressed on both league's official Web sites in a feature called "Ask the commissioner," which allows fans to submit questions each month.
In recent editions, both gave the Aggies little reason for optimism.
WAC commissioner Karl Benson issues a standard response to expansion inquiries.
"The WAC is committed to the current configuration and is not exploring any other membership options," he writes.
As for the Sun Belt, which once offered USU a football-only membership (other Aggie sports still compete in the Big West Conference), commissioner Wright Waters is taking a similar stance.
"Right now we need to focus on improving the quality of each program before we take on additional members," he said in an Internet response. "More members will not make you better; better members will make you better."
Despite the closed doors, there's plenty of speculation USU may be negotiating a deal with someone. The recent decision to reinstate women's basketball has prompted much of the talk. USU athletic director Rance Pugmire, however, insists no membership deal is imminent.
"There was nobody that told us 'you get women's basketball and you're in,' " said Pugmire. "But we knew for d--- sure if we didn't we weren't. It's a matter of do we wait for the invitation to add women's basketball or let's get it done and show folks we're serious about moving forward. So, we're ready to go when it opens up."