BYU plays Texas Hold’em
by Staffieri on Aug 19, 2010 3:05 PM PDT
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PrintIn my opinion....this is a Texas style bluff by BYU. The point of all of this is to get the MWC to tear up the TV deal with regards to BYU and allow them to have their own TV package, a la Texas and the Big 12.
BYU can no longer afford to carry the MWC on its financial shoulders. 1.3M a year in TV revenue? That's highway robbery.
My dive into the head of Brigham Young:
1. When the PAC 12 didn't even consider BYU, it was a rude awakening for everyone. The fact that we weren't even considered and brought to life their deepest fears....fears that had been left unspoken because many could not believe it could be true: that because of BYU's religious affiliation no major conference was going to invite them in. Prop 8 hate. It's not the fans of those conferences who would object but the liberal deans and presidents of those universities.
2. BYU realized it was stuck in the MWC for good...eternity might be a good thing for a marriage (at least some) but not a relationship with the MWC
3. BYU knows that the lack of TV coverage is going to start really hurting recruiting at some point in the near future
4. Utah will start hauling in around 10-15 million a year in TV revenue.
5. BYU knows they are going to get left behind in the MWC in both national recruiting and athletic budget (in relation to other major universities)
6. So they decide to let it leak that they are going independent...the hope is that the MWC realizes that the current 1.3M TV contract will be worth even less with BYU out of the conference (NO ONE is watching a SDSU vs. Colorado State game).
7. So BYU says, look, if you want us to stay, tear-up our contract and allow us to operate independently with regards to TV rights and we'll even kick back a percentage of that new revenue to the conference.
8. If the MWC says no, then BYU walks...and gains more national coverage, more money and more recruits and lets the basketball program suffer the consequences.
9. BYU wants some respect from some conference...any conference. The PAC 10 and Big 12 didn't give them any respect...if the MWC won't give them that respect in the form of a new TV contract, then they'll realize it's a lost cause, load up the wagons and head to Independence.
BYU can no longer afford to carry this conference on its financial shoulders. In the end I hope that BYU is able to stay in the MWC but have a separate TV deal. But if the MWC won't make those concessions then BYU needs to move on.
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I was thinking the same things
I’m really hoping the BYU will be able to work out a seperate deal with the MWC that will let them play on ESPN, but if they can’t they need to walk. The more I think about it the more I realize being an independent isn’t any worse than being in the MWC, except as an independent they’ll earn more TV revenue. And if they play basketball in the WCC, they might be better off than in they would have been in the WAC.
Don't trust this guy. He lies.
PAC 10 Invite?
Why is everyone caught up on this????
BYU did not get rejected by the PAC10. They were not offered because BYU would have said No. In the early 80s before AZ and ASU went to the PAC10, BYU was invited but they said no due to Sunday play. Since that aspect of BYU hasn’t changed I can’t see why the PAC10 would try again. BYU didn’t get shafted, they weren’t rejected, it wasn’t about respect. BYU rejected the PAC10 before and they didn’t want to get rejected again.
Independence is good for BYU. The football program can expand without having to subject other sporting teams to playing on Sunday. Any conference but the WAC and the MWC would mean sunday play in sports other than football.
Whoa' there BYU7
Lay off the blue Kool-Aid….If the Pac-10 offered BYU a spot, the cougars would have jumped on it. BYU wasn’t offered a spot then and it wasn’t offered this summer either. I fully agree that cutting ties with the prison that is the Mt. channel was a very smart move for BYU, I won’t even dispute that BYU was one of the key pillars that made the MWC exist, but quit fooling yourselves: you are NOT Notre Dame. I say this as a football fan and not as a Ute. I think this move is risky, but I’m not one of the Ute fans wishing nothing but bad on BYU and that they will fail just out of spite.
If you talked to the AD of Notre Dame, I’m sure he’d tell you Independence isn’t always a day on the beach. With all the talk of expansion, super conferences and even today’s slow market , ND is getting a lot of pressure to join a BCS league for the sake of stability. Also keep in mind Notre Dame has a brand and name that BYU doesn’t , Thus filling out a schedule wouldn’t be as easy as you think.
Again, I have to point out that from a financial point of view Independence makes a lot more sense than taking peanuts from the MWC. With that said though, BYU is making a gamble….In the end, this whole mess doesn’t effect Utah, so worrying about BYU and the MWC/WAC doesn’t do us much good.
BYU did reject the Pac 10
That’s not really kool-aid, thats fact.
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!
I'm supposed to take yours and BYU7's word for it?
Sorry dude…That ain’t happening. I’ll believe the “facts” when I see proof.
I don't think BYU would have rejected them if the Pac 10 came calling
because the Pac 10 wouldn’t have offered unless they were prepared to make allowances for no Sunday play. I think at this point any conference that offers will know they have to work around that.
Awesome points!
I can even see a compromise where BYU is in the MWC in all sports but football. That appears to be the best compromise at this point.
Unfortunately it looks like the MWC might be calling BYU’s bluff in a very severe way, and took a serious bite out of their original fall back position. The WCC might not be the worst option for BYU, if for no other reason than an appreciation for what a quest for perfection is all about.
I am still a bit surprised BYU is not in the Big 12, and am interested to see what an independent BYU would do to the BCS.
BCS Evolution -- Punctuating the Equilibrium - twitter
I would love BYU's "other sports" stay MWC
But have BYU football go Indy.
At the very least thew MWC should allow BYU to air their own home games. Don’t take away from the others’ piece of the pie, but instead allow BYU to keep their piece and then some via their own home game tv contract.
But in all honesty, the WCC is a great bball conference (in terms of the non-bcs conferences) and would bring more recognition to the program. It’s just that top to bottom the MWC is best for BYU’s other sports all around.
I think you made a great point Staff that the MWC members don’t seem to be picking up on. Adding FSU and UNR is not going to be enough to supplement BYU going. Suddenly $1.2m could drop substantially lower. Not only do you add to those partaking of the $ pie, you lose the one who generated more $ than half the MWC combined in terms of tv.
by vaughnzipper on Aug 19, 2010 9:56 PM PDT up reply actions
I don't think the MWC would agree to that
Football is king and if BYU goes independent then it seriously hurts the MWC chances of becoming an AQ conference. Thompson knows this so he would never make it easy for BYU to pull out. That’s why they made the back room deal with the WAC.
Don't trust this guy. He lies.
What I don't get is
What does the addiont of Fresno and Nevada contribute? If BYU does stay in the MWC now, they lose revenue because now it’s split amongst 2 more teams. The addition of both teams doesn’t really help the MWC’s BCS chaces either. I think the MWC put more of a strain on their relationship with BYU by adding 2 more schools. I think the only way this works is if BYU actually does leave and goes independent or the MWC has to tear up BYU’s tv contract. Either way it seems like BYU should get more revenue. If the MWC knew what was good for them they’d get BYU to stay and let them air on BYU-tv.
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!
New ESPN Contract
What are the chances that with the pseudo-death of the WAC that ESPN is going to be looking for a new TV contract in the west? Any chance they could dish out some serious dough to see BYU, Boise, TCU and the rest?
No way
“That because of BYU’s religious affiliation no major conference was going to invite them in. Prop 8 hate. It’s not the fans of those conferences who would object but the liberal deans and presidents of those universities.”
That is total BS, and it is always annoying when BYU fans play this victim card. Put aside all the legitimate or otherwise reasons to exclude BYU from the Pac-10, and you still have this:
Simply put, BYU’s honor code forbids you from being actively gay. I know the “rationale”: all sex outside of marriage is prohibited. But that is a pretty weak excuse when the LDS church actively works to prevent gay people from becoming married. That alone is a good reason to be wary of BYU – it expels actively gay students.
But even that isn’t that big of a deal. That, I suppose, is the prerogative of a religious institution like BYU. Unfortunately, BYU goes further. Indeed, the following is a violation of the honor code: “promoting homosexual relations as being morally acceptable.”
That is just wrong. That violates every code of free inquiry that is supposed to be important for a university, and it is completely understandable why people would be pissed about that. Advocating something should never be a violation of any honor code.
So, fine, delete this comment or whatever, but stop whining about Prop. 8 stuff, and recognize that almost no major university in the country would countenance “promoting homosexual relations as being morally acceptable” as anything that could get you expelled, and, indeed, every such university would have significant (warranted) objections to such a policy.
Dude, BYU is a private school
They can do whatever they want. You must not know that BYU is run, owned, and operated by the LDS church, one of the more active prop 8 supporters.
I’m not up on SMU’s or TCU’s policy but I would guess they have such a code as well.
by vaughnzipper on Aug 21, 2010 7:56 AM PDT up reply actions
of course
they can do whatever they want. Indeed, I pretty much said that. The whole point of my comment was the (legitimate) problem other people have with BYU goes beyond prop 8, to the fact that “promoting homosexual relations as being morally acceptable” violates BYU’s honor code and is grounds for being expelled. I seriously, seriously doubt SMU or TCU has a similar policy.
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