The Mountain West Conference and Conference USA have agreed to form a merged 22-team football league, hoping the move will help solidify both conferences and improve their chances at obtaining a Bowl Championship Series automatic qualifying bid.

The league will have a two-division alignment and will play a championship game, Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky said during a conference call announcing the move on Friday.

The two leagues would maintain their independent structures in all other sports under the arrangement, which could begin as early as 2012.

The timing of the announcement comes amid reports that the Big East has extended invitations to Mountain West members Boise State and Air Force and C-USA members Central Florida, Houston and SMU along with football independent Navy.

Banowsky and Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson said Boise State, Air Force and UCF voted on the alliance, and that all three schools endorsed the move.

Boise State, Air Force and Cental Florida have informed their respective commissioners about discussions with the Big East. Banowsky said SMU and Houston have not informed him of any discussions with the Big East.

"(Banowsky) has good communication with our schools," said a C-USA spokesperson. "If SMU or Houston were in serious discussions with another conference, we would have been advised of it by them or the other conference, and that hasn't happened."

Banowsky said the conference is prepared for the potential loss of members.

"I hope UCF will be with us for a long time, but as I've said, if a school feels they're in a better situation somewhere else, that's OK," Banowsky said. "It's not something anyone takes personally. We find a way to handle it in a professional way. We pat them on the back and wish them well."

Houston athletic director Mack Rhoades said the school had no comment on the reports.

"We are aware of the growing speculation regarding conference realignment and do not feel it would be appropriate to comment on the possible intentions of another league," Rhoades said. "We are flattered to be mentioned as an athletics program of national importance and we are grateful for our strong traditions and the dedication of our fans, alumni, staff and student-athletes."

Will the new alliance be enough to keep Boise State and Air Force from leaving for the Big East?

"I don't want to label it in those terms," Thompson said. "It's a viable option and it creates stability, and that's what they're looking for.

Thompson said he spoke three times on Thursday and Friday with Air Force Academy Superintendent Gen. Mike Gould.

"I can't answer what Air Force will do. We are going to put an attractive option on the table for the United States Air Force Academy," Thompson said.

The idea of stabilizing the two conferences was a key point of emphasis during Friday's announcement.

With the rapidly-changing landscape in college football and the possibility each league could lose members, an alliance would give the two leagues stability they would not have standing alone. There even has been talk of adding two new members, for 24 teams.

"I don't want to put our members in a position that today we're at 10, next year we might be at nine, two years from now at eight and continually having to add additional member institutions because it's not as easy as exchanging one for one," Thompson said.

The two commissioners began discussing a merger in August of 2010 after the first wave of conference realignments, but those discussions were tabled a short time later.