BYU will go Independent for football

• karen lotz

  

  and join the WCC (Gonzaga's league) for all other sports
  
  
  http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5517305
• j_crazy

  

  IMO this is a mistake.
• karen lotz

  

  Do you think the whole thing is a mistake or just the part that they join the WCC? I don't think its a great move to go independent either.
• j_crazy

  

  Leaving the MWC is a mistake. Especially since the big 12 stayed in tact and there is a chance that they are granted a bcs berth.
• Pick6

  

  BYU will NEVER get a bcs berth
• Little Danny

  

  I have a feeling TCU and Air Force will be next. Like the other service academies, Air Force goes Independent. TCU goes to either C-USA or possibly in a bold move to the Big East.
  
  If these moves do not take place look for the MWC to go east and add Houston.
• redfalcon

  

  Holy shit, this has to be the worst conference move in the history of college sports. Idiots.
• redfalcon

  

  I will admit that I am a MWC fan, so I might be biased, but they are essentially moving down a conference. I realize that the WCC is a good basketball conference, but it really doesn't move them up and if the MWC gets a BCS berth in a few years, BYU is going to be left out in the cold. Also, being independent isn't going to help out their football team one bit. It will probably hurt them, because what few non-LDS players they attracted can't be nearly as interested now. Good luck with that TV network, we all know that this is what drove these moves.
• krambman

  

  redfalcon;467750 wrote:I will admit that I am a MWC fan, so I might be biased, but they are essentially moving down a conference. I realize that the WCC is a good basketball conference, but it really doesn't move them up and if the MWC gets a BCS berth in a few years, BYU is going to be left out in the cold. Also, being independent isn't going to help out their football team one bit. It will probably hurt them, because what few non-LDS players they attracted can't be nearly as interested now. Good luck with that TV network, we all know that this is what drove these moves.

  
  With BYU leaving the MWC it's now much more likely that the conference won't get an automatic BCS birth. I also have to assume that BYU has arranged some type of TV deal that will give them more money than they would have gotten had they stayed in the MWC. This also proves to me one thing: major conference realignment is far from over. I think BYU is banking on the fact that we're still moving towards a few 16 team conferences and I think that they're setting themselves up for a move to either the Pac-10 or Big XII.
• sjmvsfscs08

  Hawaii will follow suit.
• karen lotz

  

  Hawaii should go independent and then play 12 home games. They could bring in just about anyone they wanted since their opponents would be given a 13th game to offset travel costs.
• Sykotyk

  

  And, who wouldn't want to go to Hawaii in the fall?
  
  I agree, Hawaii will jump to independence quickly and put the final nail in the WAC coffin.
• Thinthickbigred

  BYU got slighted by the PAC 10 .
  The PAC 10 letting Utah in which is BYU biggest rivalry will hurt BYU in recruiting now .
  Mabe the PAC 10 should have taken BYU in with Utah. BYU has a fine tradition and a very good fan base .
• Little Danny

  

  The P10 will never allow BYU in their conference. One of the many reasons schools are in a conference is because they have a similar missions. BYU is run by Mormons. Stanford, Cal and Oregon would be radically opposed to allowing a religious institution join their conference. Ditto for Texas A&M (not because they are a religious school but because of the role the ROTC has at the university).
• sleeper

  

  Hopefully they do better than going 6-6 every year and losing their bowl game.
  
  Oh wait, wrong school. LOL
• TBone14

  

  Good point with Hawaii. Their travel costs have to be off the charts, but not just for football. What about the women's volleyball trips to Louisiana Tech?
• enigmaax

  Little Danny;467891 wrote:The P10 will never allow BYU in their conference. One of the many reasons schools are in a conference is because they have a similar missions. BYU is run by Mormons. Stanford, Cal and Oregon would be radically opposed to allowing a religious institution join their conference. Ditto for Texas A&M (not because they are a religious school but because of the role the ROTC has at the university).

  
  I wouldn't say never because we've already seen how certain principles, belief systems, etc. can be put aside for other reasons. If the Pac 10 determines that BYU is a good football/money move, the religious matters won't get in the way.
  
  Wasn't the Pac 10 already willing to take Texas A&M if it meant getting Texas?
• Little Danny

  

  No A&M was reportedly headed to the SEC.
• karen lotz

  

  Joe Schad just tweeted BYU has announced an 8 year deal with ESPN to televise its football games.
• karen lotz

  

  Joe Schad just tweeted BYU has announced a 6 game series with Notre Dame.
• wildcats20

  

  karen lotz;468262 wrote:Joe Schad just tweeted BYU has announced an 8 year deal with ESPN to televise its football games.

  
  Yay!!
  
  UGH
• enigmaax

  Little Danny;468215 wrote:No A&M was reportedly headed to the SEC.

  
  But the Pac 10 invited A&M and A&M talked with both the Pac 10 and SEC. The point is that no Pac 10 schools (or not enough) were against Texas A&M's joining and I don't think that religious affiliations would keep BYU out either.
• enigmaax

  karen lotz;468262 wrote:Joe Schad just tweeted BYU has announced an 8 year deal with ESPN to televise its football games.

  
  Boy, that sure worked out for them.
  
  It may still end up being a short term solution, but I'm not sure why anyone thought that there wasn't something more to the story. They weren't going to hang themselves out to dry if they didn't have something big up their sleeves. Damn sneaky mormons.
• karen lotz

  

  They will also play Texas 3 out of the next 4 seasons with a mix of WAC teams.
• karen lotz

  

  enigmaax;468288 wrote:Boy, that sure worked out for them.

  
  
  I agree. I thought when it was first announced they were going independent, they would get a contract with a network like Versus. ESPN is huge and it very easily could work for them.