Three Lessons From BYU Going Independent
by Year2 on Sep 1, 2010 10:30 AM EDT
in SEC Football
Email
PrintBack in June, Utah got a Pac-10 invitation while BYU didn't get so much as a phone call from that conference's leadership. At that point, the leaders at BYU must have decided that they needed to do something to make sure their football program didn't fall behind Utah in stature.
Shortly thereafter, the Big 12 announced that it would not expand beyond the 10 remaining members it had once Nebraska and Colorado took off. For BYU, only one option remained: become a powerful independent football program. With no BCS conference to join, it apparently was only a matter of time.
That must be the case, because these are the lessons we learned by BYU going independent and putting the rest of its sports in the WCC:
1. This was never about the WAC.
The WAC threw open its arms to welcome the Cougars back. It did all the behind-the-scenes work to pave the way for BYU's independence. It arranged a buyout clause at BYU's behest. It did everything it possibly could for BYU.
Then the MWC crippled the WAC by bringing over Nevada and Fresno State. BYU said nothing. BYU did nothing. It watched the WAC burn while quietly shifting negotiations over to the WCC. The WAC was always a pawn in the game, a means to an end. When that means disappeared, BYU simply moved on.
2. This was never about the MWC.
Well, it partially is about the MWC in that the MWC's TV package is perhaps the worst of any conference's. BYU can and will get more football television money by going independent. However, it probably won't get as much as if it had stayed and the MWC got an automatic BCS bid.
That auto bid was a long shot, but it was still a possibility. BYU could have decided to wait and see if the MWC would get AQ status before bolting. Instead, BYU is exiting stage right for the final year in the current conference evaluation period. That sends a strong message to the MWC: BYU didn't care about the conference's auto bid status. It was out no matter what.
3. This was never about BCS bowl appearances.
As a MWC member, BYU could have been guaranteed a spot in a BCS bowl with a ranking as low as 16th if the conditions were right. As a non-Notre Dame independent, it can only be guaranteed a BCS bid by finishing in the top two of the rankings. This move towards independence greatly impairs BYU's ability to make the big money games.
BYU clearly believes that it can make enough in the regular season to make up for its lost share of MWC member BCS game revenue. It's probably right in that regard.
This was always about money. This was always about keeping up with Utah. This was never about the WAC, MWC, or BCS.
1 comment
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
What was BYU supposed to do when the WAC fell apart?
Fresno State and Nevada are the ones who stabbed the WAC in the back. Why the heck would BYU go to a conference that might not exist in a couple of years? They are still going to have scheduling agreements with the WAC schools for whatever that’s worth. I guess if you want to you could paint the WAC as a victim, but BYU is definitely not the villain to them.
The auto bid had almost zero chance of happening once Utah left. I don’t really understand the point you’re trying to make here. Are you trying to say that BYU should be taking bullets for the WAC and the MWC? The MWC screwed themselves over with the stupid TV contract.
As far as the BCS, this DOES help BYU. They have much more scheduling flexibility, can schedule more respectable opponents, and at the same time play a good portion of their games against week WAC teams. An undefeated BYU team is not going to get left out of the BCS.
Also, this isn’t just about BCS bowl games. BYU, despite your mocking of them wanting to be Notre Dame, already has quite a national following. Bowl games would love to have them, as they would make more money. BYU, however, has been stuck with the MWC’s bowl tie-ins, and has been sent to the Las Vegas Bowl something like 5 years in a row I believe. By getting out of that they can get invites to more prominent bowls, or at least DIFFERENT bowls, so they aren’t in the same game 5 years in a row.
In the end, yes of course money was a huge factor. Why wouldn’t it be? Schools look after themselves, not the conference (see: Texas, Fresno, Nevada, Utah, Boise, etc.). I can tell you that most people who follow BYU see this as a huge positive. It lifts the restraints of the MWC, earns them more money, and they can play who they want (with the help of ESPN apparently).
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
