The Independent Expansion Groundswell

[UtahDan]

It is for me. Even with Utah having a down year last year, the MWC was head and shoulders better in basketball than the WAC. And will continue to be for the foreseeable future. The MWC is by far the better overall athletic conference. And it isn't really close. Especially when you factor in crappy travel to play those crappy teams. I think it is a disaster waiting to happen.

Not to "inject Utah" but I used to love to go to the MWC Tourney in Vegas when I was in school and had really hoped to get back to it. Never will now of course, but I can console myself with the idea of going to a PAC 10 Tourney at some point which should be ridiculously fun. Now I imagine myself as a BYU hoop fan who as really enjoyed that tourney and a very good hoops product over the last many years and I'm thinking about going to watch BYU play who? It is the 16 team WAC we all used to be in minus every single one of the good teams save BYU. I'm not sure I would go.

Again, I may not get to see UNM or BYU or UNLV come to the Huntsman Center in the middle of a hot conference race again, but I will get to see UCLA, USC, Arizona and some other decent programs. The Marriott Center will be hosting SJSU, LA Tech, Nevada, HI....I mean yikes will anyone go?

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

I don't think we're having this conversation if Utah is still in the MWC. To ignore what Utah has done, and what BYU can do to counter it, in this discussion is foolish.

Like how there is no Utah in the BCS without BYU's history? I got you now. This is a strange way to say thanks, but you are welcome.

[Top Ute]

lol. You can't help yourself can you?

C'mon, you're smarter than that. You know independence is a both a horrible idea, yet one that only gained any kind of legs after Utah's Pac-10 invite. I don't blame BYU for exploring independence right now, because it has to. It is a new world of college football for BYU, and one in which old beliefs and methods must be examined and possibly discarded. Sorry to break it to you, but this is a 100 percent reactionary move by BYU to Utah's higher rent status.

[jay santos]

We are inextricably intertwined, for better or for worse.

You may be intertwined with BYU, but BYU's not intertwined with you.

[Top Ute]

Like how there is no Utah in the BCS without BYU's history? I got you now. This is a strange way to say thanks, but you are welcome.

There is no doubt BYU's rise in the 1970s-80s forced Utah to re-examine its methods and approach toward its football program.

[UtahDan]

C'mon, you're smarter than that. You know independence is a both a horrible idea, yet one that only gained any kind of legs after Utah's Pac-10 invite. I don't blame BYU for exploring independence right now, because it has to. It is a new world of college football for BYU, and one in which old beliefs and methods must be examined and possibly discarded. Sorry to break it to you, but this is a 100 percent reactionary move by BYU to Utah's higher rent status.

Is Independence something the fans and donors and clamoring for? I really don't know, maybe some of you guys can tell me. I think TU is right to the extent that what happened with Utah seems to be breeding a "we have to do something" mentality. I just don't get this otherwise. What is animating it?

[LA Ute]

You may be intertwined with BYU, but BYU's not intertwined with you.

Right, and down is up and black is white. Keep saying it and it might become true.

[statman]

Assuming the idea that we go independent then get a B12 invite before we ever play as an independent, I'll be excited to see the true blue crowd explain how we didn't lie to or trick Karl Benson and the WAC.

Because he knows exactly what we're planning on and is going along with it. We're going to obviously have to promis him SOMETHING for his cooperation. I'd guess it'll be a promis of future consideration for WAC OOC scheduling should we get a Big12 invite. I expect that should we get into the Big12, we'll still be playing 2 or 3 WAC games a year for the foreseeable future...

[UtahDan]

By the way, LA Ute's avatar is fall of my chair funny.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Because he knows exactly what we're planning on and is going along with it. We're going to obviously have to promis him SOMETHING for his cooperation. I'd guess it'll be a promis of future consideration for WAC OOC scheduling should we get a Big12 invite. I expect that should we get into the Big12, we'll still be playing 2 or 3 WAC games a year for the foreseeable future...

So it will be justification. I thought that might be it, but I was hoping I'd be surprised by something exotic like revelation.

[jay santos]

Is Independence something the fans and donors and clamoring for? I really don't know, maybe some of you guys can tell me. I think TU is right to the extent that what happened with Utah seems to be breeding a "we have to do something" mentality. I just don't get this otherwise. What is animating it?

The general consensus from CB, CUF, radio calls, and those I associate with is that fans are against it for the most part.

[Indy Coug]

A "scientific" poll was conducted by myself on CB a few weeks ago and I would say that more than 2/3rds were against it.

[UtahDan]

The general consensus from CB, CUF, radio calls, and those I associate with is that fans are against it for the most part.

Who is for it then? What am I missing?

[Borderline Divine]

How odd that you would say that here

You may be intertwined with BYU, but BYU's not intertwined with you.

On a sports board called CougarUteforum.com

[statman]

You guys keep throwing these blanket statements out without any specifics. I've heard good answers to both scheduling issues and TV issues. What else is left? The loss of the Vegas Bowl? Ouch.

There are NO TV issues. We're MUCH better TV-wise on our own than in the MWC. We made more money in ONE GAME last year than we made from our rest of our season on the MTN. Do 4 or 5 of those games with ESPN a season. Throw in PPV money and money from a local station to broadcast our games within market. Add in Internet access. Add in value to fan base of rebroadcast on BYUTV. And now you're quickly looking at several multiples of our MWC TV revenue (5? 6? 7? More?)

TV is NOT an issue...