Non-Conference Scheduling rumors

[falafel]

I haven't offered up anything other than to refute the reasons that you guys have offered. Even LAU is not articulating the reason very well.

Precisely.

[LA Ute]

The cons are all related to the competitive advantage aspect of BYU vs Utah, the difficulty BYU has with scheduling, the appearance issues of Utah as a BCS conference school and BYU as a non-BCS, etc. I understand it's difficult for an ALUF to acknowledge his favorite team is involved with tactics trying to kill off his church's program, so the ALUF needs to create other imaginary reasons. But the burden's on you to clearly explain these if you want us to believe.

It's OK with me if you don't believe, so I am feeling pretty unburdened. In any event I don't know any real specifics, only the bottom line conclusion, so I'd have to speculate, just like you guys are. Given that, I am not sure what I can possibly say that will satisfy you all.

[jay santos]

I haven't offered up anything other than to refute the reasons that you guys have offered. Even LAU is not articulating the reason very well.

You both are saying something like "it's not the competitive advantage thing, it's something else." But then getting very vague and moralistic about the something else.

[LA Ute]

You both are saying something like "it's not the competitive advantage thing, it's something else." But then getting very vague and moralistic about the something else.

Not my intention at all. You may be reading that in. There's no moral issue anyway.

[OSUCougar]

I haven't offered up anything other than to refute the reasons that you guys have offered. Even LAU is not articulating the reason very well.

Yes, I know. I'm still waiting to hear from your "sources", Tommy.

Seriously though, you and LAU still haven't provided any reasons as to why Utah doesn't want to play BYU.

[LA Ute]

Yes, I know. I'm still waiting to hear from your "sources", Tommy.

Seriously though, you and LAU still haven't provided any reasons as to why Utah doesn't want to play BYU.

I'd be interested in knowing the support for the theory you, Jay Santos and others are presenting as if it were an established, obvious fact: that the real reason Utah has stopped playing BYU annually is because it wants to hurt and marginalize BYU.

[OSUCougar]

I'd be interested in knowing the support for the theory you, Jay Santos and others are presenting as if it were an established, obvious fact: that the real reason Utah has stopped playing BYU annually is because it wants to hurt and marginalize BYU.

I haven't presented it as fact, merely theory based on basic business principles. Take the rivalry and fan mentality out of it, and it makes perfect "business sense" for Utah to do what it can to increase it's market share while decreasing BYU's. That doesn't offend me in the least. Its just business.

Now, speaking as a fan, I hate it because I love the "tradition" of college football. I love the rivalries. If Florida-Florida State, Georgia-Georgia Tech, Clemson - S.carolina can still keep the rivalry while being in differnent conferences, why can't BYU and Utah?

Can't we all just get along???

[jay santos]

I'd be interested in knowing the support for the theory you, Jay Santos and others are presenting as if it were an established, obvious fact: that the real reason Utah has stopped playing BYU annually is because it wants to hurt and marginalize BYU.

Do you also wonder why Coke management doesn't offer to help Pepsi out when they have a couple bad quarters in a row? Do you assume it's a moralistic reason? ie they don't like it when Coke supporters act unruly at Pepsi fundraisers?

[Indy Coug]

I'm not 100% opposed to playing a 1-AA team as part of a 13 game, 7 home game schedule. I just wish we could schedule the damn thing as the first game of the season. It would give us a "preseason" game to work the kinks out so we would be better prepared to take on our first actual opponent.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Do you also wonder why Coke management doesn't offer to help Pepsi out when they have a couple bad quarters in a row? Do you assume it's a moralistic reason? ie they don't like it when Coke supporters act unruly at Pepsi fundraisers?

Is it because Pepsi is disgusting?

[byu71]

I'd be interested in knowing the support for the theory you, Jay Santos and others are presenting as if it were an established, obvious fact: that the real reason Utah has stopped playing BYU annually is because it wants to hurt and marginalize BYU.

I don't know if it is an established fact or not, but why wouldn't Utah want to hurt and marginalize BYU? They are competitors in the market place.
In fact if they didn't try to do so and I was Ute supporter I would want them (A.D and coach) fired.

Does anyone really believe in their own way BYU doesn't try to hurt and marginalize Utah?

[wapiti]

I haven't presented it as fact, merely theory based on basic business principles. Take the rivalry and fan mentality out of it, and it makes perfect "business sense" for Utah to do what it can to increase it's market share while decreasing BYU's. That doesn't offend me in the least. Its just business.

Now, speaking as a fan, I hate it because I love the "tradition" of college football. I love the rivalries. If Florida-Florida State, Georgia-Georgia Tech, Clemson - S.carolina can still keep the rivalry while being in differnent conferences, why can't BYU and Utah?

Can't we all just get along???

Is market share worth more than the dollars brought by the rivalry game? Scheduling BYU is better than nearly any other replacement in terms of ticket prices, merchandise sales, fan enthusiasm, etc.

[byu71]

Is market share worth more than the dollars brought by the rivalry game? Scheduling BYU is better than nearly any other replacement in terms of ticket prices, merchandise sales, fan enthusiasm, etc.

You might be right. However I do associate with a lot of folks who are Ute fans. None of them are complaining about not playing BYU nor are they talking about buying less Utah merchandise because of it. As a matter of fact, all of them seem to have more of that Utah crap than ever before.

The whining I am hearing comes from the media and BYU fans. If our schedule was as good every year as it is next, I suspect we wouldn't hear BYU fans whining about it much in the future.

Now, if the Utes continue to have seasons like last year, I suspect I will see them less and less with U of U head covers.

[The_Douger]

I'm not 100% opposed to playing a 1-AA team as part of a 13 game, 7 home game schedule. I just wish we could schedule the damn thing as the first game of the season. It would give us a "preseason" game to work the kinks out so we would be better prepared to take on our first actual opponent.

That's exactly how I feel. I don't like it if we only have six home games. Maybe there's one more that Holmoe has for us, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Cougarmandias]

I haven't offered up anything other than to refute the reasons that you guys have offered. Even LAU is not articulating the reason very well.

You can't beat something with nothing. Absence of evidence for alternative explanations is evidence for absence of alternative explanations.