Reports: BYU Football to go Independent, Rest of Sports to WAC

by sroufe on Aug 18, 2010 12:38 PM PDT

This today from the Deseret News:

Brigham Young University is on the verge of bolting the conference it had a major hand in forming 10 years ago, according to numerous reports and sources, and rejoining the league it created decades earlier.

A USU source familiar with the situation told the Deseret News Wednesday afternoon that the move should be announced in the next day or two.

"It will be a done deal probably on Thursday after the Quorum of the Twelve (Apostles) meets on Thursday," the source said. "That's the only thing holding it back right now."

Other links:

Daily Herald - "BYU to go independent in football"
ESPN - "BYU mulling Notre Dame path"
ESPN - "BYU closer to independence"
KSL - "Source: BYU football going independent"
Salt Lake Tribune - "Done deal: BYU to go independent in football"

Poll

What do you think of BYU's impending move to "Independent" status for football, and to the WAC for basketball and all other sports?

Love it. After Utah left the MWC, this seems like the best overall option.

25 votes

Mixed. Fine with going independent for football, unsure about returning to the WAC for everything else.

49 votes

Hate it. The MWC would likely gain BCS status if the Cougars were to remain, and the WAC is garbage.

57 votes

Other (Leave comment)

5 votes

136 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Love it

But not because Utah left the MWC. This is a great move whether Utah left or not.
1- More revenue.
2. We can schedule 1:1 with any team in the country, except Notre Dame. We should have no problem filling the schedule with decent teams.
3- We have the fan base with over 4 million LDS members living outside of Utah. Our fans travel well and fill stadiums. This will attract better teams, even better scheduling, and more recognition
4- We can play prominent teams in football without having to sacrifice Sunday play for other sporting events. Which is why BYU refused the PAC 10 offer in the 1980s and why they would have refused again.
5- We can play in a bowl besides the Vegas bowl. We may still have to go undefeated to get a BSC game, but at least with 1-2 losses on a strong schedule we can some other upper tier bowl.
6- Recruiting will expand its range. We can play in Hawaii and get back the recruiting foothold we once had. We can play in AZ, ID, and the midwest. I would love to see the cougs come out to Ohio and crush our buckeyes (which is an odd mascot-usually they are something fierce).

by BYU7 on Aug 18, 2010 5:24 PM PDT reply actions

Your forgetting a few things BYU7:

5: Most of the non BCS bowls have tie-ins. If BYU goes indy, they have zero tie ins with any bowl. The only way they can be invited is if that conference doesn’t have enough teams that qualify. That will always be at the bottom end of the bowl pool. The top bowls will always have teams that they are contractually obligated to invite.
2 & 6: Now I REALLY think your drinking blue Kool-Aid, Ohio State? You get humiliated In your own stadium by FSU and you’re talking about crushing OSU?. Plus, recruiting would only depend on BYU’s success in independence. If BYU is forced to put WAC teams on the schedule (or whoever else they can find to fill in), do you really think that would be attractive to recruits, BYU-TV or not? My point is you guys aren’t gonna get Alabama, Texas, and Ohio St. ringing your doorbell the second you become independent. Yes, you have the choice to play who you want. It is, however, THEIR choice to come and play you. Home and homes will be hard to come by from top teams who are looking for a cream-puff to squash. Thus, your success is working against you here.

by GambitUte on Aug 20, 2010 11:00 AM PDT up reply actions

Yea...

I like you’re spirit, but there is no way BYU is crushing Ohio State in football. Beat the teams like Florida State and Oklahoma first, then we’ll see…

by Buckeye11021 on Aug 18, 2010 9:18 PM PDT reply actions

We Beat Oklahoma already.

Ohio State was not that great last season. Byu would have given them a run for their money.

For the Love of the Game

Stockton to Malone- The perfect combination!!

"I think he just said, 'Oh my Gosh,' or whatever they say in Provo."- ESPN talking about QB. Max Hall after BYU defeated third ranked Oklahoma (2009).

MonSTARZ forever!

by ForTheLove on Aug 19, 2010 12:33 PM PDT up reply actions

Let me get this strait Love:

Your BYU team that
A:Beat a Sam Bradford-less OU team (by just ONE point no less) that finished poorly in the B-12
B: Got humiliated by TCU (for the second year in a row)
C:As before mentioned got beat down by FSU at home

This is the team you say would give OSU “a run for it’s money?” the same OSU team that beat Oregon in the Rose Bowl?
all I can say is wow. How is OSU any different from the TCU squad that owned you? I’ll say it again: lay off the blue Kool-aid.

by GambitUte on Aug 20, 2010 9:03 PM PDT up reply actions