The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[BlueHair]

Yearn? Like 95% of the other commenters here, I also read cougarboard.

I like this site for two reasons: good, funny comments; and the spectacle of guys on an internet site preening themselves for not being another internet site from which they differ minutely. Its like ALUFs crowing that they're not BYU fans, only more so.

CUF is cougarboard with a blue collared shirt and stubble.

That's pretty funny. Cougarboard and UFN are CUF's retarded cousins.

[falafel]

yeah I don't have dish...sorry I used to have Directv and have comcast. Guess I was wrong about the Dish. In any case it isn't like you don't have options to get the mtn. Everyone complains about the mtn. the problem is that the conference does not have a good T1 option so more games fall to the mtn. Get a better t1 option and much of the griping about the mtn goes away.

I think its probably a little early to speculate on whether ESPN will renew this deal... Who knows what kind of team we'll be putting on the field in years 6, 7, 8? If we're back to being a top 25 team, I think it gets renewed pretty easily.

[TripletDaddy]

I think its probably a little early to speculate on whether ESPN will renew this deal... Who knows what kind of team we'll be putting on the field in years 6, 7, 8? If we're back to being a top 25 team, I think it gets renewed pretty easily.

we are 3-2 on the season, one of the losses being a 1-point away loss to the undefeated #11 team in the country. We have a slate of very winnable games ahead of us and a 10-win season is very possible.

I don't see the big problem right now.

[UtahDan]

That's pretty funny. Cougarboard and UFN are CUF's retarded cousins.

Seriously, he couldn't have missed that one any worse than he did.

[Flystripper]

Something I have been curious about...how are the ratings for these games so far this season? I havent been able to find them on zapit or anywhere else, but admittedly havent looked terribly hard.

Are people tuning in? If the ratings are there, they will renew the deal.

I am guessing that Old Miss was ok and Texas was good (I don't think there are very many low ratings Texas games) but I don't have the numbers either. The question is will there be better options for ESPN to fill time slots on their flagship and ESPN2 network? The games on main ESPN channel will always pull ratings, but I have a feeling that they will have better options than what BYU will provide. Thus I predict you will see us more and more relegated to ESPNU and BYUtv....which nobody outside our own fanbase watches.

[Cougarmandias]

Independence was always a gamble that could pay off in two ways:

1) some really good football that gets us national attention and a shot at the BCS in the postseason; or

2) we get an invite to a BCS conferend.

#1 is not looking good right now, for obvious reasons. But the difficulty of scheduling decent home games, especially late in the season, is making this one unlikely anyway. Playing marquee teams, usually at or near their home, right out of the bat, and then playing irrelevant matchups later in the season, is a formula for starting out with losses and ending with poll voter apathy even if you don't start out with losses. Plus the 'what is there to play for' factor is a drag weight on both the players and the fans once a loss happens.

#2 makes sense, but what we're hearing is that BYU is concerned about leaving the WCC too early and is also concerned about ditching the football games it has scheduled for next year. In other words, Independence is proving more of an obstacle to switching than staying in the MWC would have been. Can't really blame the admin for this, since no one could have predicted that ATM would jump so soon.

But the bottom line is that neither of the independence upside scenarios look likely right now. BYU could still grit it out and make it, but the slide to irrelevance looks more probable.

My big hope is that BYU still makes the B12 somehow, and then that somehow we manage to win some games there.

Praise the Lord and pass the Prozac.

[TripletDaddy]

I am guessing that Old Miss was ok and Texas but I don't think there are very many low ratings Texas games, but I don'thave the numbers either. The question is will there be better options for ESPN to fill time slots on their flagship and ESPN2 network? The games on main ESPN channel will always pull ratings, but I have a feeling that they will have better options than what BYU will provide. Thus I predict you will see us more and more relegated to ESPNU and BYUtv....which nobody outside our own fanbase watches.

I predict the opposite. ESPN will force compelling matchups for its traditional marquee teams. A Texas BYU matchup is great for them...much better than Texas-Div 2 school. And ESPN can plug us anywhere throughout the season.

What I predict from Independence is more geographically diverse schedules and a lot of these neutral site games that we are already seeing.

I admit that Independence isn't great for home scheduling. However, in fairness, I also dont see much difference between our home games now and our MWC home games. The majority of the MWC is trash.

[Flystripper]

I predict the opposite. ESPN will force compelling matchups for its traditional marquee teams. A Texas BYU matchup is great for them...much better than Texas-Div 2 school. And ESPN can plug us anywhere throughout the season.

What I predict from Independence is more geographically diverse schedules and a lot of these neutral site games that we are already seeing.

I admit that Independence isn't great for home scheduling. However, in fairness, I also dont see much difference between our home games now and our MWC home games. The majority of the MWC is trash.

ESPN has their hands in nearly every conference. They will have numerous options to fill slots on their main network.

[Flystripper]

Independence was always a gamble that could pay off in two ways:

1) some really good football that gets us national attention and a shot at the BCS in the postseason; or

2) we get an invite to a BCS conferend.

#1 is not looking good right now, for obvious reasons. But the difficulty of scheduling decent home games, especially late in the season, is making this one unlikely anyway. Playing marquee teams, usually at or near their home, right out of the bat, and then playing irrelevant matchups later in the season, is a formula for starting out with losses and ending with poll voter apathy even if you don't start out with losses. Plus the 'what is there to play for' factor is a drag weight on both the players and the fans once a loss happens.

#2 makes sense, but what we're hearing is that BYU is concerned about leaving the WCC too early and is also concerned about ditching the football games it has scheduled for next year. In other words, Independence is proving more of an obstacle to switching than staying in the MWC would have been. Can't really blame the admin for this, since no one could have predicted that ATM would jump so soon.

But the bottom line is that neither of the independence upside scenarios look likely right now. BYU could still grit it out and make it, but the slide to irrelevance looks more probable.

My big hope is that BYU still makes the B12 somehow, and then that somehow we manage to win some games there.

Praise the Lord and pass the Prozac.

that is about where my head is at

[Cougarmandias]

I predict the opposite. ESPN will force compelling matchups for its traditional marquee teams. A Texas BYU matchup is great for them...much better than Texas-Div 2 school. And ESPN can plug us anywhere throughout the season.

What I predict from Independence is more geographically diverse schedules and a lot of these neutral site games that we are already seeing.

I admit that Independence isn't great for home scheduling. However, in fairness, I also dont see much difference between our home games now and our MWC home games. The majority of the MWC is trash.

ESPN doesn't think longterm and why should it? After a few years of putting BYU in marqee early season matchups away from home, BYU will probably have lost enough games that it won't be a marquee matchup anymore, and ESPN will pare down our relationship.

[TripletDaddy]

ESPN has their hands in nearly every conference. They will have numerous options to fill slots on their main network.

True, but they have that ability now, as well.

I don't share the apocalyptic view that some have. As long as BYU is playing other teams, it is a relevant program by definition. It isn't going anywhere unless other teams completely stop playing BYU.

Winning makes a program relevant, even if you are beating creampuffs.

I am more persuaded that recruiting will continue to suffer under this current regime, but less inclined to believe any doomsday predictions.

[LA Ute]

When did the mtn get on dish?

If it did, it was 1 year too late for me.

[TripletDaddy]

ESPN doesn't think longterm and why should it? After a few years of putting BYU in marqee early season matchups away from home, BYU will probably have lost enough games that it won't be a marquee matchup anymore, and ESPN will pare down our relationship.

Fascinating. Since you can see the future so clearly...6 or 7 years out...can you do us a favor and tell us exactly what Mizzou and the B12 are going to do in less than a week?

This is horrible news for BYU. Sounds like BYU will cease to exist anymore. Nobody will watch. That is terrible.

[Sizzle]

I predict the opposite. ESPN will force compelling matchups for its traditional marquee teams. A Texas BYU matchup is great for them...much better than Texas-Div 2 school. And ESPN can plug us anywhere throughout the season.

What I predict from Independence is more geographically diverse schedules and a lot of these neutral site games that we are already seeing.

I admit that Independence isn't great for home scheduling. However, in fairness, I also dont see much difference between our home games now and our MWC home games. The majority of the MWC is trash.

This. BYU being tied to ESPN IMO is almost as much about access to other top tier teams as it is to BYU.

[YOhio]

I am more persuaded that recruiting will continue to suffer under this current regime, but less inclined to believe any doomsday predictions.

The doomsday Cougar fans remind me of IPZ the day Obamacare passed. He had some post titled RIP America and said the country was dead. (He was wrong).