2017-2018 NCAA Hoops Thread

[Pelado]

Our good friend, Craig "Hair" Thompson, has been talking to Gonzaga about joining the MWC. Gonzaga is reportedly interested:

Several sources said Gonzaga coach Mark Few is involved in the Mountain West discussions and intrigued by the possibility, particularly if BYU follows.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...228-story.html

At least one inaccuracy in the article:

BYU’s eight-year deal with ESPN to air its home football games is up after this year.

ESPN exercised an option extending the football TV deal through 2019:

BYU director of athletics Tom Holmoe today announced ESPN has exercised its contract option to extend broadcast rights of BYU football through the 2019 season. On Sept. 1, 2010, BYU announced an exclusive eight-year contract (2011-18) with ESPN to broadcast its home football games on the ESPN networks. The term of the agreement will now include a ninth year (2019).

https://byucougars.com/story/athleti...ball-contract/

[falafel]

Oh gross.

[BlueK]

Our good friend, Craig "Hair" Thompson, has been talking to Gonzaga about joining the MWC. Gonzaga is reportedly interested:



http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...228-story.html

At least one inaccuracy in the article:



ESPN exercised an option extending the football TV deal through 2019:



https://byucougars.com/story/athleti...ball-contract/

Trying to get BYU back has to be a major reason the MWC would be talking to Gonzaga. But don't they have too many teams already?

[Moliere]

Trying to get BYU back has to be a major reason the MWC would be talking to Gonzaga. But don't they have too many teams already?

I’d support it if it was for Olympic sports only.


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[Omaha 680]

Yay! A whole new batch of schools can forever hate us for destroying their conference. What would this be? The fourth time?

[myboynoah]

More:

Gonzaga, Mountain West Conference discuss possibility of expansion

The Mountain West has 11 basketball members and 12 in football (Hawaii). The Mountain West had five NCAA Tournament representatives five years ago, but it has been a one-bid league the last two seasons.

What is so awesome about going from what has become at least a 2-bid league to a 1-bid league where you get to travel to Laramie, Albuquerque, and Ogden?

[BlueK]

More:

Gonzaga, Mountain West Conference discuss possibility of expansion



What is so awesome about going from what has become at least a 2-bid league to a 1-bid league where you get to travel to Laramie, Albuquerque, and Ogden?

Jokes aside, I don't think the MWC would be a 1-bid league if we joined it with the Zags. But it already has too many teams. Not sure even 3 or 4 bids would cut it either in terms of revenue split among everyone. On the other hand, we can't afford to be stuck in the WCC without Gonzaga. We should actually be pushing for an expansion of the Big East to create a western division which would include us and the Zags and St. Mary's.

[LiveCoug]

I'd be just fine going to the MWC with gonzaga for olympic sports only.

The WCC is seriously so mickey mouse (blah blah blah, BYU can't win in a mickey mouse conference, blah blah blah).

Outside of SMC and gonzaga, the WCC is so rough.

[BlueK]

I'd be just fine going to the MWC with gonzaga for olympic sports only.

The WCC is seriously so mickey mouse (blah blah blah, BYU can't win in a mickey mouse conference, blah blah blah).

Outside of SMC and gonzaga, the WCC is so rough.

The WCC is better than the MWC in most of the olympic sports. But I get it that those aren't as important. BYU has to do what they have to do. If Gonzaga really wants to leave we can't afford to be stuck without them.

[Topper]

Jokes aside, I don't think the MWC would be a 1-bid league if we joined it with the Zags. But it already has too many teams. Not sure even 3 or 4 bids would cut it either in terms of revenue split among everyone. On the other hand, we can't afford to be stuck in the WCC without Gonzaga. We should actually be pushing for an expansion of the Big East to create a western division which would include us and the Zags and St. Mary's.

I'm not a fan of either league, although each league has teams worth following. I'd much prefer associating with the already big AAC.

[BlueK]

The MWC currently has 11 teams for basketball. If they were to add Gonzaga, BYU and St. Mary's they have 14, which could actually work out pretty well for scheduling. You divide into divisions of 7, play everyone in your division home and home (12 games). Then play the other 7 teams once each and play everyone. Or you play six of the seven, 3 at home, 3 on the road and rotate them through. 1 team in the other division you wouldn't play once every seven years.

It might be better for basketball. It would be about the same competition level wise for women's volleyball and softball and basketball.

But it would be much worse for baseball and women's soccer where the WCC is way stronger than the MWC.

[Flystripper]

Football!

[BlueK]

Some people are saying BYUTV would be a problem in the MWC. I don't think so. Everyone seems to forget that the party that had a problem with BYUTV was Comcast, the owner of the Mtn. The Mtn wanted rights to everything whether broadcast or not, and that is what BYU got upset about since it went against the understanding they had when the TV deal was first agreed to by all the schools. Comcast came on board later and changed the rules on us, and then the MWC only told us about it after the fact.

Currently the MWC has deals with CBS and ESPN. Comcast, which is notoriously horrible to work with sold their portion of the rights several years ago. I seriously doubt BYU would be prohibited from showing games on BYUTV that ESPN and CBS aren't carrying. It goes without saying that BYU is going to demand the rights to put non-nationally televised games on BYUTV and have it in writing this time. The MWC would know this going into any talks with us, but BYUTV isn't a threat to the conference. It was only perceived to be a threat by Comcast trying to push a new channel at the time while having the misguided thought that somehow if a BYU game were being shown on a different channel that it would hurt the audience on the mtn for UNM vs. Wyoming, or whatever, which was stupid. The other explanation is that Comcast just has a culture of being assholes who enjoy being difficult.

[BigFatMeanie]

Some people are saying BYUTV would be a problem in the MWC. I don't think so. Everyone seems to forget that the party that had a problem with BYUTV was Comcast, the owner of the Mtn. The Mtn wanted rights to everything whether broadcast or not, and that is what BYU got upset about since it went against the understanding they had when the TV deal was first agreed to by all the schools. Comcast came on board later and changed the rules on us, and then the MWC only told us about it after the fact.

Currently the MWC has deals with CBS and ESPN. Comcast, which is notoriously horrible to work with sold their portion of the rights several years ago. I seriously doubt BYU would be prohibited from showing games on BYUTV that ESPN and CBS aren't carrying. It goes without saying that BYU is going to demand the rights to put non-nationally televised games on BYUTV and have it in writing this time. The MWC would know this going into any talks with us, but BYUTV isn't a threat to the conference. It was only perceived to be a threat by Comcast trying to push a new channel at the time while having the misguided thought that somehow if a BYU game were being shown on a different channel that it would hurt the audience on the mtn for UNM vs. Wyoming, or whatever, which was stupid. The other explanation is that Comcast just has a culture of being assholes who enjoy being difficult.

This is the most rational explanation.

[BlueK]

This is the most rational explanation.

I know pretty much firsthand. They are a horrible client. They are also consistently terrible to the audience whenever they hold any kind of sports broadcast rights (hello mtn). And as a regular consumer I would never in a million years buy any service from them ever.