F You, BYU Basketball!

[KillerDog]

WCC is a much worse conference then the MWC. That's a fact. My understanding is, the basketball program will schedule better non-conference games. The program will get ESPN assistance (like in football) to schedule neutral site games. It also will get to do home and homes that Gonzaga (with their tiny gym and 0 broadcasting capabilities) can't do. The coaches aren't pleased but seem to think this will be OK. At this point, our scheduling will see some or all of UNLV (who would love to keep the home/home formula with BYU each year), SDSU (who we will only play once a year), USU (who we will start a new home/home tradition with as a reward for their loyalty and assistance this summer), U of U (continue a home/home), UNM (who we will play once a year). In addition, we will start to get better invites to tournaments that are getting ESPN love. These tournaments have made the Gonzaga schedule and will make ours.

I think our scheduling will work but it will no longer be conference strong (where we played good teams with good rpis and got no love for it) and TV weak. It will be OOC strong and TV strong with only one real rival in conference. We will also be playing a lot of road games in mormon hot beds instead of having to play road games in Laramie, Ft Collins, and Colorado Springs.

[jay santos]

WCC is a much worse conference then the MWC. That's a fact. My understanding is, the basketball program will schedule better non-conference games. The program will get ESPN assistance (like in football) to schedule neutral site games. It also will get to do home and homes that Gonzaga (with their tiny gym and 0 broadcasting capabilities) can't do. The coaches aren't pleased but seem to think this will be OK. At this point, our scheduling will see some or all of UNLV (who would love to keep the home/home formula with BYU each year), SDSU (who we will only play once a year), USU (who we will start a new home/home tradition with as a reward for their loyalty and assistance this summer), U of U (continue a home/home), UNM (who we will play once a year). In addition, we will start to get better invites to tournaments that are getting ESPN love. These tournaments have made the Gonzaga schedule and will make ours.

I think our scheduling will work but it will no longer be conference strong (where we played good teams with good rpis and got no love for it) and TV weak. It will be OOC strong and TV strong with only one real rival in conference. We will also be playing a lot of road games in mormon hot beds instead of having to play road games in Laramie, Ft Collins, and Colorado Springs.

I'd like to believe this, but Rose has said for a long time it's impossible for him to schedule tough OOC in the preseason. He's never blamed it on the MTN. He blames it on the fact most teams don't want to play tough OOC in preseason and if they do, they have teams that are closer that they could schedule without expensive travel.

[Top Ute]

WCC is a much worse conference then the MWC. That's a fact. My understanding is, the basketball program will schedule better non-conference games. The program will get ESPN assistance (like in football) to schedule neutral site games. It also will get to do home and homes that Gonzaga (with their tiny gym and 0 broadcasting capabilities) can't do. The coaches aren't pleased but seem to think this will be OK. At this point, our scheduling will see some or all of UNLV (who would love to keep the home/home formula with BYU each year), SDSU (who we will only play once a year), USU (who we will start a new home/home tradition with as a reward for their loyalty and assistance this summer), U of U (continue a home/home), UNM (who we will play once a year). In addition, we will start to get better invites to tournaments that are getting ESPN love. These tournaments have made the Gonzaga schedule and will make ours.

I think our scheduling will work but it will no longer be conference strong (where we played good teams with good rpis and got no love for it) and TV weak. It will be OOC strong and TV strong with only one real rival in conference. We will also be playing a lot of road games in mormon hot beds instead of having to play road games in Laramie, Ft Collins, and Colorado Springs.

I think Jimmy needs to get his sea legs before scheduling home-and-homes with BYU. He's not in a position where he can afford taking two losses to BYU, when he can easily look at BYU like any other solid non-conference team (Gonzaga, LSU, Oklahoma, etc.) and get two-year, home-and-home deals.

Sorry for interjecting Utah in this thread, but I just don't think two games a year vs. BYU is in our/Boylen's best interests right now. If Boylen is all for it, BYU needs to put him on the payroll.

Rose has his work cut out for him in terms of scheduling, but I think it will be easier than feared. It's imperative BYU schedules up in the non-con, because all those sub-200 RPI patsies Rose had to schedule in the non-con have just been pushed back to WCC play.

[KillerDog]

Rose doesn't do the scheduling. It is true that he has said many times how hard it is to schedule good home and home games. Hopefully ESPN can help broker some deals of that sort. They help Gonzaga. More importantly, you can get good home and homes from team you used to play in conference. I will not be surprised to see BYU have out of conference games against UNLV, UNM, and Utah. I think Utah is a given. SDSU will be a very likely game too because of how often they schedule WCC teams.

[Art Vandelay]

I had been interested in K-dogs take on all of this...

I'm not as down on the WCC as others, and as much as the MWC teams may hate BYU at this point, there is one thing they all like- $$$. I could be mistaken but I believe I read that UNLV has had 4 sell outs in the last 3 years (pathetic considering how good they've been) anyone want to guess who they played in 3 of those games? UNM may not need BYU, but SDSU, Wyoming, AFA would love to have BYU on their home court. The question will be if they are will to go home and home. I think they will.

[KillerDog]

I don't expect our RPI to suffer much from this change. We will shift where our rpi is strongest to earlier in the season then go on cruise control before inviting Gonzaga and St. Mary's etc. to come to the Marriott Center South a.k.a. Orleans Arena and play the Cougars in the conference tournament. Basketball will be fine.

[Hsaru]

Yes or no Indy, BYU will have more people nationally view their basketball games in 2011 and beyond than at any point in the MTN? The easy answer is yes.

This includes potential recruits, BYU fans, college basketball fans, selection committee members, all who help to up a team's national profile(by the way conference member Gonzaga dwarfs BYU's national profile in basketball through consistent results and the resulting exposure that brings).