Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumblemwc athletics:
BYU football goes independent; other sports to WCC
MWC now left with 10 members moving forward beginning in 2011-12 athletic season
Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun
BYU running back JJ Di Luigi (10) celebrates a touchdown during the second half against UNLV on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, at Sam Boyd Stadium. BYU won the game 59-21 to drop UNLV’s record to 2-4.
Published Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2010 | 4:14 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2010 | 10:32 p.m.
The absolute truth about what ultimately made BYU do it might never be made public, but the earning potential that comes with its own television network apparently was too much for the school to ignore.
On Tuesday, one of the Mountain West Conference's charter members decided to break away from the pack and, beginning with the 2011 season, will become an independent in football.
As for the rest of the Cougars' athletic programs, they will now align with the West Coast Conference. This comes just a couple of weeks after an original scheme to bolt from the MWC and join the Western Athletic Conference for everything outside of football fell through.
The news was announced by both BYU and the WCC on Tuesday afternoon via press releases, and all questions regarding the matter will be fielded by BYU's administration during a Wednesday press conference at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo.
When talks surfaced of BYU attempting to join the WAC in all sports outside of football, the MWC made a strong move by poaching Fresno State and Nevada-Reno from the league, keeping Boise State headed to the league in 2011 and essentially putting the WAC on life support.
Rumors then came about that BYU could stick with the MWC, and another addition — this time, potentially, being Houston from Conference USA — would put the league at 12 members and a strong candidate for automatic qualifier status in the Bowl Championship Series.
Now, the Mountain West and Commissioner Craig Thompson have some serious decisions to make as to whether the league will stick at the 10 members it currently has lined up moving forward or continue expansion efforts.
As for a UNLV tie, it could mean some relief on the Rebels' football schedule in the immediate future, lifting the obligation of playing the perennial Top 25 foe from the schedule.
In men's basketball, though, UNLV coach Lon Kruger has already said that he would look to extend the Rebels' series with the Cougars moving forward if they are no longer with the MWC. The two schools in recent years have formed one of the more intriguing rivalries on the West Coast.
Look for more questions to be answered when some of the dust settles on Wednesday.
Discussion: 45 comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy.
Post a comment
Never can get enough UNLV analysis and chatter? Then this is the stop for you. Join the Sun sports staff in The Rebel Room for your fix.
Rebels down San Diego State in final minute
Follow the Rebels
Widgets
Jerry Tarkanian: Mike Moser impresses yet again on a day to remember former Rebel greats
Email Newsletters
To view/update your newsletter subscriptions and interests, please visit our Preference Center.
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
That sounds like a much better fit for them. BYU has always played the entitlement role and now they can torment the WCC with their nonsense. Good riddance!
Good luck on becoming the Notre Dame of the west, lol.
I would like to see Paris Hilton in shoulder pads.
And nothing else.
WCC = Gonzaga, St Marys, and etc, right??? Not too bad for basketball...
I won't miss BYWho. they are going to a conference where the schools have 1500 students. What is BYWho, 20,000 students? Give me a break. I hope our AD NEVER plays them...ever! Goodbye and I won't miss you.
St. Mary's
Gonzaga
Santa Clara
San Diego
vs.
UNLV
San Diego St
New Mexico
UNR - 2012
Fresno State - 2012
I'd take the MWC over the WCC for basketball. Poor choice, BYU... No one will want to watch a BYU vs. Pepperdine basketball game on tv...
UNLV will be in a BCS conference before BYU gets to a BCS Bowl.
As much as I hate BYU this is a good move for them. They will be BCS eligable with 10 wins as is Notre Dame. If they do not pad their sched it is the only way a for a M W C team to get in without going undefeated.
I read that BYU will NOT get the same automatic BCS bid with 10 wins, but maybe that still has to be negotiated. Sun?
The WCC won't last long. BYU will fill out their schedules with Big 12 teams in hopes of getting a bid to join. They will get their a$$es handed to them in the Big 12, but they would get much better exposure. MWC & Conference USA will now join forces and split a BCS bid. If MWC adds 2 more teams who will they be? Can't steal from Conferance USA if you join forces for a BCS bid. Maybe we get Houston and they take La Tech from the WAC in sort of swap. MWC would still need to add 1 more team, but who? Hawaii? Idaho? SJSU (not)?
No way they get auto-bid status. Be interesting to see what Sen. Hatch does now, with regard to lobbying the NCAA for a playoff. BYU is going to need one to play relevant late season football.
Also interesting that the WCC took BYU with their small school teams filled with kids matching up against a large school fielding teams of mature 24 year olds. Makes sense economically, but basically all of those kids will be lambs sacrificed for men's hoops dollars. And with that, the MCC probably didn't check BYU's NCAA tourney record. Might not work out as well as they think.
And all of these conference machinations should firmly put to rest the illusion that college sports are about the student athlete.
The Big 12 will fall apart before BYU ever gets an invite. There's no way BYU's EGO could fit in the same room as Texas. Especially with Texas taking 5x the money and having all the voting power. I hope no MWC teams schedule BYU after 2010. Pride comes before the fall.
If we go with 12 teams I want to see Houstan and SMU. A June Jones coached team is always going to be fun to watch. I like the CUSA and MWC championship with the winner getting an AQ BCS game too. Thanks BYU and USU. Things are looking up for the MWC.
Good riddance. No desire to play them anymore. Sick of their whining after every loss and we're better than you attitude no matter how many times they lose to us.
Do envy their TV deal though. While they're playing nationally televised matchups with Gonzaga every year on the Deuce at 9pm PST, we'll be waiting to watch our game with SDSU on Versus once the quadruple overtime women's game is done.
Can't wait to tune to BYU-TV in late October for that riveting BYU-Army matchup. Best of luck to you Cougs. Don't let the door hit ya where the dog shoulda bit ya.
It will probably be frowned upon by the MWC for any conference teams to schedule BYU in any sports after they leave. It would be horrible for any of our schools to contribute to their strength of schedule for any sport, especially revenue generating ones.
huge mistake for byu---too bad for the mwc--would help to have byu in fold when the new teams arrive. The logistics also make sense to stay in the mwc--near boise, col st, wyo, af, nevada and unlv. The ego and arrogance of the utah teams and the lds is remarkable---they are not as good as they believe they are. I guess in the new conference they think they can call all the shots like they have in the mwc. With boise and fresno and tcu, they were no longer the big shot of the conference.
It's all about money. To suggest the Rebels not play BYU because they left the conference is short-sighted and moronic. The Cougars fill Sam Boyd better than we do and does anyone else bring the crowds to the Thomas & Mack like BYU? We'll be playing the Cougars in the future because its a good business decision and because we enjoy beating them as much as anyone else . . . we just haven't done it very often outside the hardwoods.
So many things cross my mind with BYU's decision and apologize in advance for the length of this comment:
1. How do Latter Day Saints in Las Vegas (the largest LDS population outside of Utah) feel about this? To me, it sort of seems like a big "F-U" to the Las Vegas LDS. All my LDS friends loved it when BYU would come to Sam Boyd Stadium or the Mack and we all know how well the BYU fans traveled for the Las Vegas Bowl and the MWC tournaments (basketball, volleyball and baseball) when they are/were held here. I really want to know how Las Vegas LDS feel about this.
2. What happens if BYU gets its doors blown off in basketball by Gonzaga and St. Mary's twice a year and rolled in baseball (WCC is a very underrated baseball conference)? Also, what happens when ESPN gets them games against NCAA powerhouses in September and the Y is stuck with cupcakes in October and November? Part two on ESPN: what happens if ESPN schedules BYU for games on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday (the main reason the MWC broke off television talks with ESPN)? Do they get buyer's remorse? Do they try to come back?
3. When the MWC does send out more invites (I'm guessing any where from between tomorrow morning and May 2011), who is invited. This was exactly what Utah State was praying for when the muck-mucked the decision to stay in the WAC two weeks ago. If the MWC truly prizes the SLC market and Utah as a whole, Utah State is the only way (all-be-it a very small {if any} drawing power in SLC) for the conference to stay in the market and state.
UTEP (considered by many to be as prominent with Latino Americans as BYU is with Latter Day Saints, culturally not religiously) and Houston are prime candidates if the MWC wants to expand. Though it may be a little tricky if the MWC wants to form a BCS play-in game with C-USA, raiding the conference's western region may "curdle the cream" in C-USA's school presidents' minds. If (as funr said) we take Houston and C-USA takes La Tech from the WAC, then the MWC adds Utah State, both conferences would be at 12 teams each leading the way to another problem: the possibility of a 15 game season (12 regular season games, 1 conference championship game, 1 BCS play-in game and the BCS Bowl - yikes).
All-in-all what do we call this most recent act of conference realignment in terms of the Mountain West Conference? Adding Boise, the Wolf Pack and Fresno; losing BYU and Utah...sounds like a wash so far...
snyderm, don't disrespect ND like that. BYU is no where near the Notre Dame level and won't have the same luxuries as ND either. Goodbye BYwho.
jaybarbie, BYU isn't guaranteed a BCS spot like Notre Dame is.
BYU will get an automatic tie in with the Maaco Bowl at some point much like Navy has with the Poinsetta Bowl so the Vegas valley will still get one BYU game a year at SBS eventually......possibly with them staying with the PAC 12 commitment (Utah vs BYU every year in the Maaco Bowl???) BYU's BCS dreams = Maaco Bowl trip every year....the Holy War Bowl every year..Ha!
Obviously BYU is a big draw and packs both the Mack and SBS. But now they become our competitor for TV dollars. Fox sports has the Pac12 and the Big12. They don't want us. ESPN has chosen BYU to represent them in the west and the WCC for Basketball. That leaves only our current TV partners (Mtn, VS and CBSC) to bid for our TV rights. They have no incentive to pay us more, we no longer have the teams that set up the original deal(BYU and Utah). They might void the deal since we don't have any representation in Utah. We need BYU to fail so that ESPN comes to the table to bid against Comcast.
Well ya'll can cheer about the departure of BYU all you want, but between them and Utah at the T&M during conference tournament time, their fans contributed most out of the all the other teams in terms of environment and rivalry. Things will never be the same again ::thumbs down::
Well....bye.
So does the MWC invite others now? ESPN is reporting that Nevada and Fresno State can not join until 2012.
@lobo69
We pick up BSU in 2011. As far as any CUSA team they wouldn't be onboard until 2012 because they would have had to given their 2 week notice back in July. Although, their early departure penalty isn't as stiff as the $5 million stiffing the WAC gave FSU and UNR. However, let's say we were to pick up Utah State, not that I want them anymore, that might make the WAC fold and we could get all three next year.
But, not to worry. We will enjoy watching BSU and TCU win a few BCS games the next few years to carry us until we are a full squad in 2012.
They saw the writing on the wall. They can't compete with BSU. That's the bottom line. Scared and running.
seg,
I wanted to answer your first question. As a Las Vegas LDS (And huge Rebels fan and byu hater) person I do not see this as an "F-U" to us at all. I just see it as byu going after opportunity and revenue. Even though I am a bit worried about the Mtn West, I personally think this was a good move. What I'm shocked about is all your dumb las vegas lds friends who get excited when byu comes. they should be rebel fans! But what I am most shocked about is the reaction this decision has drawn. Lots o' haters out there!! Where was this reaction when Utah left?
I'm LDS, born and raised in Vegas, and I go to BYU(but I've never cheered for them, even when they don't play UNLV). I think BYU's intentions have been well stated. They are looking for "exposure". Is there increased revenue? Apparently. But the church is already extremely wealthy, and I believe that revenue had little to do with it. As long as the MWC has the mtn, its bad news for all of us. I guarantee if we had a deal with ESPN then BYU would have stayed. I read the other day that next to full time missionaries, BYU Athletics is number 2 in helping people join the church. I think we take them at their word that it is about exposure, and if that's the case it's hard to blame them.
I get this image of BYU, er, Nixon, hands over his head in a now pathetic victory formation as he boards Marine One... for the last time.
Few things will be more entertaining than watching the fear and loathing BYU fans will endure on the road this year.
can't wait to see the cream puff schedule byu sets up after leaving. Interesting timing, now that the mwc is getting difficult and legitimate, where these utah teams may lose 4 conference games every year--now they are bailing out. Watch byu schedule 8-9 patsies right off the bat--can't wait to see how many utah st. and montana match ups we get with byu!!! hahaha--too bad the mwc couldn't get the money right to keep everyone in the fold. Made more sense for unlv to go to the wcc--maybe they still will???
Thank goodness. Our long national nightmare is over. Oh, what will BYU do?
Finally, the white smoke emerged from Provo and they've made their "Decision". I'm surprised they didn't have Jim Gray MC the announcement!
BYU's contribution to the MWC:
Petulance. Check!
Arrogance. Check!
Obnoxious fans. Check!
Sense of entitlement. Check!
Good bye. Good riddance. Good luck keeping up with the University of Utah. Unlike them, you will never be considered by the college athletics establishment as a legitimate program.
I agree with Vulcan and hedon58. I understand BYUs contributions to league attendance and whatnot, but the sheer arrogance and sense of entitlement their fans have displayed at games is enough for me to say sayonara. Have fun in the WCC. Most people here won't miss you.
I've attended the MWC tournament and every Rebels game for the past two seasons, and I'm not seeing where the hate for BYU and its fans comes from. My impression is that they bring more fans to Vegas (and, I'm told, all other MWC venues) than any other team, the rivalries on the field are heated and well played, and I've never encountered a BYU fan who was crass, rude, or behaving in a way that I found offensive. Of course fans may come across as "arrogant", but that's what fans do.
In short, I think BYU's move is a risky one for them and a blow to the MWC - particularly in terms of revenue generation. I think it's good for the competitive balance and good for the Rebels. I read a statistic that BYU has won 39% of all conference championships since the MWC was formed...the second place team in total championships only won 14% (Utah).
The reality is that the MWC just lost its two best teams. BSU, FSU, and Reno will certainly help fill that void, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking that BYU didn't bring a lot to the conference.
I think byu is just trying to follow utah in hope they may get a pac 10 invite.Byu's only respect came from beeing in the mwc. byu could never hang with a notre dame type schedule.whatever the case the mwc will live on we replaced the utah rively with a nevada one.
What happens if Boise runs the table and actually gets an invite to the title game? What if they win?
What if TCU wins out and gets into another BCS game, what if they win?
Don't you think that the big networks wouln't mind setting up a reasonable deal? (if they could)
ESPN is reporting that BYU has signed a 8 year deal for ESPN to televise all their home games. Speculation is that BYU will make as much, per home game as they were from the MTN. The problem is not that BYU is leaving, it is the fact they negotiated our horrible TV deal, because they didn't want to play week night games on ESPN. Now that the TV deal has not worked out the way they planned, they are cutting and running. All of a sudden they have no problems playing Thursday night games on ESPN. Hypocrisy = BYU
Rebel118, I believe the entire MWC voted unanimously to consider and ultimately pursue their own TV channel. No football team likes to play on a Thursday night after a Saturday afternoon game; short weeks mean less preparation and rest. I don't know when BYU's games will be broadcast on ESPN, but I suspect that the marquee matchups will get Saturday time slots.
http://www.themwc.com/genrel/060507aad.h...
BYU hasn't done anything different than what Utah did in leaving the MWC for the greener pastures of TV revenue and national exposure in the PAC-10. I don't remember seeing these kinds of comments when Utah left.
As I've mentioned before, I wish BYU would have stayed in the MWC because of some long-standing rivalries and because they're a big draw for the conference; they're taking a big risk to go independent, but it's hard for me to fault them for trying this move.
Come on guys, shake off the jilted lover persona and realize that BYU's move in no way has any personal negative significance to UNLV or the Las Vegas-LDS community. BYU really had no other choice, when you consider that 400,000 alums live outside Utah, 5-6 million LDS members live outside Utah and unless you live in a state with a MWC team, your chances of seeing your team play are close to ZERO. I live near Phoenix, I have supported BYU financially since I was 7 yr. old as a member of some kind of a Jr. Cougar Knothole Club. In 4 years I have never seen BYU play a basketball or football home game. I can catch the bowl games and special broadcasts such as the Oklahoma-BYU game last year, and that's it. Unlike a state school BYU athletics gets no money from a state budget and no money from church funds. TV revenue, ticket sales, and support from fans is all the revenue streams they can touch. When your fans can't see you play, the interest level is hard to maintain, and when those folks are funding the enterprise they have every right to see what they are paying for, regardless of location. The need is exposure and since no other conferences came calling, and there was little effort made to increase "the mnt" footprint, independence was the only choice, not a great choice or safe choice but the best choice. With ESPN, every home game will be broadcast, BYU TV will be able to re-broadcast every game the same day and BYU can attract BCS opponents that would never travel to Provo since their fans had no way to see the game. AS UNLV students know, Rebel games on "the mnt" can't be shown or re-broadcast on any campus only network either.
When the heat created by this "slight" cools, the rivalries from the MWC can be restarted. It is in the best interest of UNLV to play BYU and they will in B-ball and F-ball home and home, at some point. The interest is always going to be there, the Rebels largest crowds have had to of involved BYU at some point and as you all know, they travel very well. Why let this supposed rejection kill off a profitable series?
I know its fun to play the blame game ignoring all the facts, but the truth of the matter is that "the mnt" was a joint mistake involving ALL the MWC presidents. Former BYU prez Bateman was no more guilty of naivete than any one else. No one knows when ESPN will schedule the broadcasts, not even you, rebel118.
If ESPN does not run in and tell BYU that they would make a $1 million dollars in rights fees per home game that they broadcast, this deal does not get done. When ESPN came with money, it was easy to leave the Mountain West.
So can we now get rid of Todd Christensen, His nothing to speak of Son and this former BYU clipboard guy Blaine Fowler from the Mountain! Sorry the BYU connection should be blown up from this network since we do not have to cater to their fans any more.
Lets just go out and get Houston and SMU to make the MWC a 12 team league. BYU will use their ESPN friends to get them into one of their many bowl games that they either own or televise. Including the Las Vegas Bowl.
kirtland-
It's actually $2 mil for games over ESPN-ABC . I don't have any idea what the contract offers for games on the Deuce or ESPN-U. I have only heard the scuttlebutt since I CAN'T see the mnt programming, however in getting rid of the sportscasters and poor production values, which I understand are awful, even handling some broadcasts in studio, not location, you also drop 81% of the ad revenue. The Salt Lake Tribune reported that 81% of the advertising over the mnt was paid for by Utah connected advertisers who will lose their interest with BYU and Utah gone. I don't know what kind of TV package will follow the MWC or if the mnt will die a well deserved death, but sponsors are going to have to sign on and it's not going to be from San Diego or Dallas since TCU and SDS are afterthoughts in their own markets. If anything good happens it's going to have Las Vegas written all over it.
There is a mood in the NCAA to drop bowl games that pay teams in tickets or such a low payoff that teams, in that bowl, lose a lot of cash in making the trip. If the LVB can find its way to increase revenues, maybe a 2nd or 3rd place team in the PAC can then be matched up against a high ranked TCU or Boise or any other MWC team that can step up.
I doubt that Houston has any interest in the MWC, and SMU has the same problem in the crowded Dallas marketplace TCU deals with. UNLV can't depend on anyone but UNLV. A great coach has been brought on board, and Livengood had some good years at AZ, there is no reason the Rebels can't make a move upward, and with an on-campus stadium a new big three could include Boise, TCU, and UNLV. I know, the economy is awful here in Phoenix too, but the reality is that no conference champion will have Sam Boyd as its home field.
Cougarblue-
Jilted lover persona, true, but it has nothing to do with the Mountain West's envy of BYU, but BYU not being able to accept being the second best University in Utah.
I may not be Nostradamus true, but I can read and per ESPN: BYU will play a minimum of three games on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPN on ABC including telecasts on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Now I know how popular your Cougars are, but I don't think they will get the Saturday time slot over Florida vs Alabama or Ohio State vs Michigan. More likely, especially since they just agreed to play 4-5 games against the remaining WAC members (not including their current agreement to play USU)they will take over the WAC's Thursday night game.
vegasguy80, you didn't catch the sacarsm in my comment ;-)
Thank you lord, thank you thank you. My prayers have been answered, no more momos coming town. Good riddence to the zoo, and take the basketball team with ya. Popcorn popping on the apricot tree.