Mountain West Salvation Groundswell

[New Mexican Disaster]

Maybe we can just see if some of the Mountain West teams will agree to play us to fill our schedule. Aside from Utah State and Hawaii. We could have all the good times of playing all the same teams and not have to share. Friends with benefits!

[LiveCoug]

Yes I would rather play in a mountain/pacific conference as described by SJS. Getting crowned a champion of that conference is better than no crown with no conference. BYU would still have at least 4 out of conference games where they can play the good part of our current Indy schedule. With no Big 12 invite it is a no brainer really.

We go back to the MWC, we have given up. It's over. At least as an indy, there is a possibility of something positive happening. Going back to where we came from is the worst possible move. That conference will never do anything.

[Flystripper]

We go back to the MWC, we have given up. It's over. At least as an indy, there is a possibility of something positive happening. Going back to where we came from is the worst possible move. That conference will never do anything.

If there is an opportunity to join a major conference it will present itself no matter conference affiliation or independent status.

[San Juan Sun]

If there is an opportunity to join a major conference it will present itself no matter conference affiliation or independent status.

Exactly.

I'm amazed that people still think that being reactive is going to get BYU anywhere. Please, please make something happen Tom.

[LiveCoug]

If there is an opportunity to join a major conference it will present itself no matter conference affiliation or independent status.

Possibly, but in the meantime, why tie yourself down and commit to garbage like that? Why not keep trying out indy? Even in the first 2 years of Indy with it's crappy schedule, it's better than the MWC. Indy is different. In the MWC, nobody will care. At all. It's a resignation of defeat. That's what it would be.

[San Juan Sun]

Why not keep trying out indy? Even in the first 2 years of Indy with it's crappy schedule, it's better than the MWC. Indy is different. In the MWC, nobody will care. At all. It's a resignation of defeat. That's what it would be.

Who are you fighting Don Quixote? As far as I can see, the only interest anyone has in BYU is when we were poised to join a power conference. For the rest of the season, nobody really cared about us. And we topped off this fantastic year with a nice bowl win played on a Thursday before Christmas (game time was 12 EST). We are going to be irrelevant as an independent, unless we score some major connection with a conference for scheduling and good bowl games. 2-for-1s and the Fight Hunger Bowl don't do it for me. I want something compelling to play for, I want a conference championship.

I agree that the neoMWC sucks, but it's far better than tilting at windmills of respect when the rest of the CFB world has moved on. I enjoy BYU being hated or loved. I don't think I will enjoy CFB when BYU is a school no one cares about.

[LiveCoug]

Who are you fighting Don Quixote? As far as I can see, the only interest anyone has in BYU is when we were poised to join a power conference. For the rest of the season, nobody really cared about us. And we topped off this fantastic year with a nice bowl win played on a Thursday before Christmas (game time was 12 EST). We are going to be irrelevant as an independent, unless we score some major connection with a conference for scheduling and good bowl games. 2-for-1s and the Fight Hunger Bowl don't do it for me. I want something compelling to play for, I want a conference championship.

I agree that the neoMWC sucks, but it's far better than tilting at windmills of respect when the rest of the CFB world has moved on. I enjoy BYU being hated or loved. I don't think I will enjoy CFB when BYU is a school no one cares about.

Exactly. Join the MWC and that what' happens. Indy is at least unique enough that people will talk about it. MWC would be FCS as far as anyone else is concerned. Return to MWC = certain death. Sticking with Indy as our other option = possibility to succeed.

I'm not an indy lover, but that should tell you how much I would loathe going back to the MWC.

[San Juan Sun]

Exactly. Join the MWC and that what' happens.

BYU was the most hated opponent with the largest fan base in the MWC from Day 1. You think that sort of love/hate for us disappears if we join the MWC or the BigEast?

Indy is at least unique enough that people will talk about it.

Have you seen the ratings for ESPN's BYU games this last year? Not impressive. I think you vastly overestimate public reaction to our independence. While we proudly wave the indy flag, the rest of CFB shrugs their shoulders, makes super conferences, and creates a playoff.

Here's a scary thought: what happens if ESPN decides in a few years that BYU isn't worth our current contract? They decide to pass on resigning BYU. Do you think BYUtv is going to leverage big time schools into games for us?

MWC would be FCS as far as anyone else is concerned. Return to MWC = certain death. Sticking with Indy as our other option = possibility to succeed.

Uh no. Mendenhall himself said that in lieu of a conference championship, BYU would aim higher and play for a national championship. He took some heat for that statement. But now, being independent, we have zero chance at playing for a national championship either. What is a program with nothing to play for other than dead?

I'm not an indy lover, but that should tell you how much I would loathe going back to the MWC.

You've got 4 choices, in no order:

1. indy
2. MWC
3. BigEast
4. new conference from leftovers

It really is that stark. No power conference wants us, these are our choices. I prefer #3, but I'm not going to reject #2/4 out of hand either. Independence is nothing other than glorified exhibition games. True, we may play some nice opponents at times, but it's going to get really old being the Washington Generals all the time.

[YOhio]

I know this has been mentioned in several threads, but I think it needs its own groundswell. OK so now that BYU has killed the mtn network by going Indy, they need to rejoin the MWC and convince SDSU and Boise to stay and play. I am sure the conference will be more than happy to let BYUtv pick up tier 3 rights and I am also sure they could get a decent ESPN deal for the conference as long as Boise and BYU are included.

Since the Big 12 ain't happening and the Big East is almost as meh as Indy, it is really the best option left.

Yes! I agree. I was never happy leaving there in the first place. I was not a fan of independence and didn't like abandoning the traditional teams BYU has competed against, particularly New Mexico, Wyo and CSU. It wasn't a glamorous conference, but it was the gritty West and I liked it.

[TripletDaddy]

If BYU is not part of super conferences, help me understand the appeal of being part of the MWC? So we can battle for the MWC crown? Who cares about that? At that point, what does it matter?

[LiveCoug]

BYU was the most hated opponent with the largest fan base in the MWC from Day 1. You think that sort of love/hate for us disappears if we join the MWC or the BigEast?



Have you seen the ratings for ESPN's BYU games this last year? Not impressive. I think you vastly overestimate public reaction to our independence. While we proudly wave the indy flag, the rest of CFB shrugs their shoulders, makes super conferences, and creates a playoff.

Here's a scary thought: what happens if ESPN decides in a few years that BYU isn't worth our current contract? They decide to pass on resigning BYU. Do you think BYUtv is going to leverage big time schools into games for us?



Uh no. Mendenhall himself said that in lieu of a conference championship, BYU would aim higher and play for a national championship. He took some heat for that statement. But now, being independent, we have zero chance at playing for a national championship either. What is a program with nothing to play for other than dead?



You've got 4 choices, in no order:

1. indy
2. MWC
3. BigEast
4. new conference from leftovers

It really is that stark. No power conference wants us, these are our choices. I prefer #3, but I'm not going to reject #2/4 out of hand either. Independence is nothing other than glorified exhibition games. True, we may play some nice opponents at times, but it's going to get really old being the Washington Generals all the time.

Sorry, but NO ONE will care about the new MWC. NO ONE. Indy, while not ideal IS different. It IS unique. It HAS possibilities. It may fall flat on its face, but BYU could go back to a crap conference like the one proposed in this thread at ANY time. Why go now? Horrid idea. DDD is spot on.

[San Juan Sun]

If BYU is not part of super conferences, help me understand the appeal of being part of the MWC? So we can battle for the MWC crown? Who cares about that? At that point, what does it matter?

Help me understand why playing exhibition games as an independent is compelling.

For me, I like being in a conference and competing for a title. I didn't mind the MWC, and I think a lot of people lose sight of the fact that not being able to see MWC games was the reason BYU left. If Comcast and Hair had worked with BYU, we'd still be in the MWC.

For the record, I support looking at the BigEast. The neoMWC is a last resort before accepting permanent independence.

[Jacob]

um, you guys do realize that we've been in a crappy conference our entire existence and lots of people care, right?

[TripletDaddy]

Help me understand why playing exhibition games as an independent is compelling.

For me, I like being in a conference and competing for a title. I didn't mind the MWC, and I think a lot of people lose sight of the fact that not being able to see MWC games was the reason BYU left. If Comcast and Hair had worked with BYU, we'd still be in the MWC.

For the record, I support looking at the BigEast. The neoMWC is a last resort before accepting permanent independence.

Sure. In both instances, the schedule is top loaded with lots of crappy teams. Only in independence do we have the ability to at least play a varied schedule. If we are going to play crappy teams, let's at least play different ones instead of the same ones every year. Also, independence allows us to schedule as many of these crazy road trips as we want. I would prefer home and home, but since we arent going to get that, then I would rather road trip to Ga tech and Notre Dame than to Wyoming and UNLV.

I couldn't care less about a MWC championship, so we differ there. To you it is important. To me it is meaningless, especially in the era of super conferences. It just doesn't matter much to me.

I am opposed to the Big East for the same reasons. The one advantage the Big East might have is the basketball component.

[SeattleUte]

Save yourselves BYU. Go back to the Mountain West Conference.