RT @frog_law: @theupsetblog I get the move from a financial standpoint (short term), but can someone explain why the BYU fan is excited. No BCS … ever.
RT @frog_law: @theupsetblog I get the move from a financial standpoint (short term), but can someone explain why the BYU fan is excited. No BCS … ever.
Pretty easy logic here. There’s little chance the BCS leaves out a highly ranked BYU, with or without a freestanding agreement similar to what Notre Dame has. Besides, there is so much pressure and oversight on the BCS right now, as the conferences pull apart and realign, BYU will be in prime position to protect its interests as the BCS is remade and/or dumped for a playoff system.
The easiest way to look at the issue is, what if we were talking about Texas instead? Sure, Texas is a richer athletic program than BYU, but BYU has broader national appeal and would travel just as well if not better than a program like Texas. The BCS bowls would be insane to shun them.
Finally, ever heard of Sen. Orrin Hatch? I hear he is not a big fan of the BCS, and I don’t think the BCS will do itself any favors if it doesn’t play nice with BYU.
I am not sure that BYU has broader national appeal than Texas, there are Longhorn fans even up here in Washington, and i’m not talking about UT alums either, not to mention that I actually have met very few Mormons who are big fans of college football. Maybe i’m meeting the wrong mormons, but I think Texas has broader appeal.
Now I agree that BYU has ENOUGH appeal to make it worth pursuing, but unlike Texas, which could afford a few down years as an independent, I think this deal is going to be made or broken based on how well the Cougars can do over the next few years. If they start to bottom out and become a mediocre to bad team, how long until ESPN says “you know what, you aren’t as useful as we first thought”.
There is nothing in BYU’s history to suggest they are currently punching above their weight and will soon “bottom out and become a mediocre to bad team”.
BYU can basically count on most of Utah, and sizable numbers in states like Nevada, Idaho, Arizona, California, Hawaii, and other Pacific islands, when it comes to adjudging a market size. Texas, Michigan, and Ohio State are probably the only state-affiliated schools that could pull off independence (maybe Florida, and once upon a time, Florida State and Miami did just fine as independents), but I still think BYU has a broader market nationally week-in and week-out than any of those schools. The state schools dominate their particular media markets and can draw nationally for big games, but they do not have a sustainable national market like BYU does.
I do agree that there is no evidence to show they will hit a rough patch, i’m just saying it can happen and would cause problems with their independence plan.
Of course being able to consistently field a team with guys who are old enough to be playing in the NFL doesn’t hurt either 🙂
If you ever see a really buff Mormon missionary, you know he’ll be suiting up for the Cougars in a few years.