"The Project:" Salt Lake Tribune series on Utah to the PAC10 and BYU Independence

[LA Ute]

This will be interesting to watch. The first installment appeared today. Sorry if this is posted somewhere else.

Big ideas, and big ideals, thrive on college campuses. They don’t always succeed in the real world.

Over the past few months we’ve witnessed a remarkable overhaul of college sports. Millions of dollars were, and remain, at stake. NCAA institutions across the country have been maneuvering to put themselves in the best positions to benefit.

Utah has been right in the middle of the fight, creating the story of a decade for The Tribune’s sports department.

Late last spring, as a result of events that played out mostly in the Midwest and South, the Pacific-10 Conference invited the University of Utah to become a member, and the U. of U. immediately accepted.

Leaving the Mountain West Conference, Utah suddenly became one of the “haves” in the college sports world....

So when Utah ascended to this elite level, BYU suddenly found itself at a potentially crippling disadvantage. It had to react, and that’s where Utah State University comes in. Led by President Stan Albrecht, USU and its affiliate, the Western Athletic Conference, helped concoct a plan that brought every BYU sports team into the WAC — vastly improving the fortunes of each of those schools — as the Cougars became independent in football....

[SeattleUte]

Sorry. I'll pass. Not interested. The very idea makes me shudder.

A. I'm sick of the subject. Let's play football! Bing on the Pac 12! B. I don't respect the Tribune, especially since what they did to the Smarts. It is not my idea of a serious investigative newspaper. It's more like a troll with a staff and a budget.

[LA Ute]

Sorry. I'll pass. Not interested. The very idea makes me shudder.

A. I'm sick of the subject. Let's play football! Bing on the Pac 12! B. I don't respect the Tribune, especially since what they did to the Smarts. It is not my idea of a serious investigative newspaper. It's more like a troll with a staff and a budget.

I disagree. It will be interesting to see someone who is not involved tell the story, based on e-mails and interviews. I don't pretend that the Trib reporters will necessarily be objective, but someone needs to tell the story who doesn't work for the sports information department of any of the players. (Dick Harmon, for example.)

[LiveCoug]

A. I'm sick of the subject. Let's play football! Bing on the Pac 12!

http://www.bing.com/search?q=pac+12&...s=n&sk=&sc=7-6

[Top Ute]

This will be interesting to watch. The first installment appeared today. Sorry if this is posted somewhere else.

Yet BYU’s eight-year agreement with ESPN is virtually unprecedented. It arguably leveled the playing field with the rival Utes and certainly achieved a level of exposure that fits within the school’s overall mission.

This isn't the first time the Trib has echoed this sentiment. How on earth is playing in the WCC in basketball, and never having the chance to win anything of significance in football, "leveling the playing field."

Very few BYU fans would remain where they're at if offered to change places with Utah. I feel confident in saying no Utah fan would do likewise to take BYU's place. How can anyone say with a straight face say what the Trib is saying?

[Moliere]

This isn't the first time the Trib has echoed this sentiment. How on earth is playing in the WCC in basketball, and never having the chance to win anything of significance in football, "leveling the playing field."

Very few BYU fans would remain where they're at if offered to change places with Utah. I feel confident in saying no Utah fan would do likewise to take BYU's place. How can anyone say with a straight face say what the Trib is saying?

While I'd take the Big 12 and even the Pac 10 over Independence, playing games on national TV with ESPN backing you is a big deal. We lost Manti to ND because they are always on national TV. I'm not saying we'd have landed him even with this new deal, but we would have had a better shot.

BYU games will be available on basic satellite or cable. No more upgrading to sportspack and no more grainy tv broadcasts. National TV in HD for every home game and probably for a lot of away games if we schedule the likes of ND and any other BCS conference teams. As a fan that lives in hte South, that is a big deal.

Yeah, the WCC sucks but oh well, we are a football school and that has just been reinforced.

[SeattleUte]

I bet that agreement is riddled with holes. It's probably damn near illusory. ESPN can do whatever it wants.

[Uncle Ted]

The Pac-10 divides much of its money, so it doesn’t matter whether you are winning, you’re going to be bringing in money that translates into the best in facilities, in coaching and in athletes, typically translating to even more exposure, more revenue and a steady stream of top-notch talent that perpetuates the goodness all around.

Universities believe all this makes for a better academic environment. Big-time universities that have big-time sports also have big-time academics, big-time professors, big-time research and big-time students. That’s just the way the game is played.

If this is true then the SEC must have pretty good academics. LOL.

[LA Ute]

This isn't the first time the Trib has echoed this sentiment. How on earth is playing in the WCC in basketball, and never having the chance to win anything of significance in football, "leveling the playing field."

Very few BYU fans would remain where they're at if offered to change places with Utah. I feel confident in saying no Utah fan would do likewise to take BYU's place. How can anyone say with a straight face say what the Trib is saying?

My guess is that he's talking about the TV deal. I don't know if it will match the money Utah will get after its first 2 years in the PAC (about $20 million/year), but it's certainly a step up from the MWC's $1.5 million/year.

Also, BYU at least now has an argument with (football) recruits that it's a big-time national program that plays all around the USA - after the first year or two, anyway. It doesn't have to say it is tied to the MWC for football, which would have put it at a recruiting disadvantage against Utah. It still has a disadvantage but being independent ameliorates that. They can make the Notre Dame analogy now.

If this is true then the SEC must have pretty good academics. LOL.

Think PAC10 and Big 10 and a couple of Big 12 schools. SEC doesn't count.

[Commando]

I bet hope that agreement is riddled with holes. I hope It's damn near illusory. I hope ESPN can do whatever it wants and routinely does so to BYU's disadvantage. I am an old, bitter, deluded tool

fixed it for you.

[LA Ute]

I bet that agreement is riddled with holes. It's probably damn near illusory. ESPN can do whatever it wants.

Well, ESPN had the leverage so I am sure they protected themselves. But I am also sure they set it up so there is upside if viewership is good.