Big News Out of BYU??

[gregbroncs]

So with the apparent demise of the WAC, it looks like BYU is down to two options:

#1- Use the West Coast Conferance as the partner that allows BYU to go independant in football while moving all their other sports there. In a way the WCC makes more sense than the WAC for BYU. It's a non-football conferance with a few schools with religious affiliations. Plus, I think it's better for basketball considering BYU would be playing the likes of Gonzaga and St. Mary's twice a year, but I'm sure the WAC was BYU's first choice because overall it was the better option for the Cougs.

or....

#2- With the additions of Fresno and Nevada, BYU figures that the MWC is even closer to Automatic Bid status and decides to stay put. This might be the better option for BYU. If winning the MWC turns into a direct path to the BCS, should BYU really walk away from that?

The big rumor was that ESPN will pick up 4-6 home games from BYU and pay 1-1.5 M each game. Right now they get 1.5M or so from the MWC for the season (according to Locke). So while staying is better for their sports, leaving is probably better for the pocket book.

 

[Scat]

So it sounds like Neveda and Fresno St are joining the MWC.

Wow, you have to be partially retarded to be out-done by the MWC. Well done BYU.

Perhaps BYU's whole, "We're going independent" was a ploy to force the MWC to upgrade its conference and to allow BYU to negotiate its own TV deal ala Texas?

 

[Surely]

fact of the matter is there are only 2 sports people care about, football and men's bball. In football, it makes all the sense in the world for them to leave. Now they can be on ESPN, and keep the money to themselves. I wonder what the thinking was at Fresno and Nevada. With Boise removing themselves from the picture, there was an opening for someone to step up become the new darling, and play 8 or 9 games a year on ESPN. Now they get to play on the mountain until 2016. I think that Boise's move will come back and bite them in recruiting. How does the saying go, "Out of sight, out of mind".

 

[Bronco70]

How do you figure?... The new version of the WAC and WCC aren't exactly the most appealing options in the world....

Aside from football, what really matters? That's right, men's basketball. While the WCC isn't anyone's first choice, it is not the bottom of the barrel by any stretch of the imagination (basketball wise, it's not much of a drop, if any, from the MWC). The WCC would be just tickled to have BYU.

If Fresno and Nevada really do leave to join the MWC then there is no WAC for BYU to play the rest of their sports with. Meaning BYU is either stuck with the MWC, or finding another conference for their other sports, or going independent anyway and having a real problem with all non-football sports.

See response to above quote. Just going independent in football is going to make enough difference to negate any drop off in the other sports. It's all about the money.

 

[cowhide]

Of course it is about the money, when isn't it? I think BYU would be dumb to leave the MWC if you consider the competition. Adding BSU, FSU, and Nevada makes the MWC a much stronger conference, while going to the WAC pretty much ends any chance of competing for a national championship or getting any national respect. Yes, BYU can go to the WAC and count all their extra money but in the end going to the WAC w/o BSU, Nevada, and Fresno State will be the death of BYU respectable football program.

Who was the knucklehead at the MWC schools who signed off on this horrible TV contract? These guys should be fired. I think the bad TV deal and the fact that MWC is not a BCS contender is BYU to make this horrible decision. I think the MWC should continue the fight against the BCS and the way to do that is build a stronger conference and beat BCS schools. I think BYU is going to regret their decision to move to the WAC even if it means more money in the short term.

 

[7StraightIsGreat]

.....Yes, BYU can go to the WAC and count all their extra money but in the end going to the WAC w/o BSU, Nevada, and Fresno State will be the death of BYU respectable football program.

Obviously you've missed the main point that if BYU leaves the MWC for any conferance, the whole reason for it is so the football program can become independant.

With the news of Fresno and Nevada joining the MWC, if I were a BYU fan I'd hope that the Cougs use the "independant" threat as leverage to stay in the MWC and perhaps allow them to get some ESPN money on the side. However, Craig Thompson (who is a terrible Douche-Bag) has already gone on record as saying that the MWC will not offer special considerations to BYU in hopes to keep them.

 

[Stifle Tower]

Perhaps BYU's whole, "We're going independent" was a ploy to force the MWC to upgrade its conference and to allow BYU to negotiate its own TV deal ala Texas?

You might have a point. BYU absolutely carried the old WAC on its back in the 70's and 80's. Creating a super conference with lesser schools from supposedly big markets was a dismal failure. NO wonder that Utah, BYU and most of the "old guard" left to form a new conference. But the MWC TV deal has been a disaster.

I don't fault Utah for leaving. And why should BYU have to remain and get $1.5M in TV revenue? So maybe BYU still goes independent in football but remains a MWC member for all other sports. It is an interesting death struggle between the WAC and MWC. Could other big name schools possibly bolt the MWC for the WAC now, including Boise State going back?

Or maybe another conference now steps in with a promise to BYU.

BTW, anyone know if the MWC is paying the $5M fines to the WAC on behalf of Fresno and Nevada.

 

[colton]

So maybe BYU still goes independent in football but remains a MWC member for all other sports.

That would probably be the best possible thing for BYU, but that doesn't sound like an option. I think that's the type of thing the MWC was referring to when they said they wouldn't make any special allowances for BYU.

Right now it looks like BYU's options are three:

1) Stay in the MWC, maintain status quo
2) Go independent in football, join the WAC in other sports, and try to keep the WAC afloat (they would need one or two other teams to join the WAC, it sounds like)
3) Go independent in football, join the WCC in other sports

 

[fatchipper]

conference

independent

No need to spell them wrong anymore

 

[bluenote]

Side question to the thread - if BYU goes independent, does this give the Utah/BYU rivalry more life i.e. flexibility in scheduling?

 

[Stifle Tower]

That would probably be the best possible thing for BYU, but that doesn't sound like an option. I think that's the type of thing the MWC was referring to when they said they wouldn't make any special allowances for BYU.

Right now it looks like BYU's options are three:

1) Stay in the MWC, maintain status quo
2) Go independent in football, join the WAC in other sports, and try to keep the WAC afloat (they would need one or two other teams to join the WAC, it sounds like)
3) Go independent in football, join the WCC in other sports

I think the comments by Patterson might be a revelation: "All I can tell you is this: Just wait and see in the next two weeks before you make any judgments and see what happens in the national landscape," Patterson said. "Things that I know that maybe you don't know. That's all I'm going to tell you."

Sounds like something is afoot. And I'm guessing it involves TCU and BYU. Perhaps both are headed to the Big 12. After all, the Big 12 cut a deal with Texas. BYU certainly isn't on that scale, but their TV audience would be pretty large and rabid across the nation. Maybe BYU can also cut a separate TV deal. Why not? It just means the conference would get more exposure. And after losing Colorado and Nebraska, they certainly could use it.

If I were Big 12 commissioner, I might go for broke and form the first super conference. Get TCU and BYU. That's two big-time schools. That brings the conference back up to 12 teams. The Big 12 then becomes a bit Texas-heavy, so perhaps look to other states to fill out the conference and expand market reach. Perhaps Colorado State to replace Colorado? Boise State would certainly be a possibility, although who cares about Idaho viewers? Maybe look to poach teams from the SEC. Or perhaps also invite UNLV and SDSU to join.

San Diego State has always intrigued me. So. CA market, beautiful city. Seems like that university should be a lot more successful. It would be a risk, but also a way for the Big 12 to penetrate the CA market.

 

[YB85]

The MWC just teabagged stepbrother's drum set.