The Big East expansion groundswell thread

[beefytee]

How so?

My question as well. Unreasonable is not acting in your best interests. BYU is definitely acting in its best interests avoiding Comcast.

The funny thing is that Comcast is a major BYU sponsor and has a presence at the Football games. My kid has a lightsaber to show for it.

[UtahJazzFan88]

How so? Each side has its interests to protect. It sounds like once BYU found out Comcast was the likely broadcast partner, it moved to protect its interest based on past experience with Comcast. It was forthcoming with its demands and let the Beg East decide, which the conference did and both sides moved on. How did BYU act badly?

Frankly, I'm doubtful even SDSU will jump on this deal. Where is their rising BBall program supposed to go? WAC? Big West?

Would the West Coast Conference want a public school? They are a solid fit to the conference (besides the private/religion part) and bring a lot to the table for basketball (as of late), and a 10th team could balance out the schedule.

The only good thing about a Comcast TV contract is the possibility of being on NBC. Versus is still not a very widely popular channel, unless that changes when the new name comes into effect in January.

[LA Ute]

BYU gave an ultimatum when the Big East indicated Comcast was coming to the table. The University took the position that its history with Comcast was so negative that they would not participate in a league that had a contract with Comcast unless they could keep their entire existing television contracts. This position was as non-negotiable as the Sunday Play issue and tanked the negotiations. The general counsel is being called unreasonable because he said he didn't trust a contract with Comcast even if it was in writing.

Although this may be accurate, it doesn't sound like the whole story to me. The idea that a business deal at the level we're talking about would fall apart based on such an ad hominem judgment (about a secondary party, to boot) seems questionable. Just speculation on my part.

[myboynoah]

Would the West Coast Conference want a public school? They are a solid fit to the conference (besides the private/religion part) and bring a lot to the table for basketball (as of late), and a 10th team could balance out the schedule.

The only good thing about a Comcast TV contract is the possibility of being on NBC. Versus is still not a very widely popular channel, unless that changes when the new name comes into effect in January.

I don't think SDSU is at all a good fit for the WCC, so that's probably a non-starter. I thought I'd heard that BSU needed a partner for putting its programs in either the Big West or WAC, so I'm thinking that's where they would end up.

[KillerDog]

Although this may be accurate, it doesn't sound like the whole story to me. The idea that a business deal at the level we're talking about would fall apart based on such an ad hominem judgment (about a secondary party, to boot) seems questionable. Just speculation on my part.

I agree with you, hence my judgment of BYU in this regard. Walking away from the table because you don't like Comcast makes no sense but that is what CBS is saying BYU did and BYU is admitting they did. Adding to it the insult that regardless of written assurances, BYU doesn't "trust" Comcast, and this stinks to high heaven on BYU's side, IMHO.

[UtahJazzFan88]

I don't think SDSU is at all a good fit for the WCC, so that's probably a non-starter. I thought I'd heard that BSU needed a partner for putting its programs in either the Big West or WAC, so I'm thinking that's where they would end up.

The Big West then, the WAC is going to be a joke after expansion is over with.

SJSU and Utah State will be in the MWC.
Louisiana Tech will be in C-USA.
New Mexico State will be in MWC or C-USA (depending on if UTEP blocks the move or goes to MWC).
Idaho will be in the Big Sky or MWC.
UTSA (Texas-San Antonio) could be in C-USA too.

[TexTechCoug]

If it weren't for the disaster of the mtn., that was in many ways Comcast's doing, BYU would likely still be in a conference. So many agreements were broken and the situation so untenable that Utah's exit was all the OK BYU needed to take the unprecedented move of becoming independent.

I don't think BYU wanted all this turmoil, but the loss of national exposure, autonomy, and $$$ was so bad under Comcast that they were willing to do anything.

Why would you willing sign up for round two of that mess, especially with reports the BCS AQ status may also disappear? BYU didn't do anything unreasonable. As the situation evolved they protected their interests and made decisions based off their experience.

Sure the Big East is disappointed, BYU was likely the key to picking up Boise State and Air Force, and whether CUFfers admit it or not, BYU is enough of a name in football to restore some of Big East's already marginal reputation. Now instead of a big splash the Big East is left with the possible addition of SDSU, and BSU & AF with cold feet.

[Surfah]

I agree with you, hence my judgment of BYU in this regard. Walking away from the table because you don't like Comcast makes no sense but that is what CBS is saying BYU did and BYU is admitting they did. Adding to it the insult that regardless of written assurances, BYU doesn't "trust" Comcast, and this stinks to high heaven on BYU's side, IMHO.

I don't understand why you think it makes no sense for BYU to walk away.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Doesn't sound terribly unreasonable to me given what happened last time.

It has also been widely reported that BYU wanted the option to back out in the future if the BE lost its AQ status. Do you find that unreasonable?

K-dog, you still haven't answered this.

[TexTechCoug]

"BYU a sane voice in conference alignment chaos"

1. Misdirection play
Thank you, Brigham Young. Finally some sanity in the nonstop conference realignment blather that (along with Jerry Sandusky) has overshadowed much of what has taken place on the field this season. The powers that be in Provo, Utah, made the wise decision to say “thanks, but no thanks’’ to the Big East, a league desperately trying to hang on to relevancy - and its BCS berth. There’s no truth to the rumor that the Big East has extended invitations to Suffolk, Franklin Pierce, and ITT Technical Institute. The Big East is, however, trying to persuade Boise State, Air Force, Navy, SMU, Houston, and Central Florida to join. Only Navy and Central Florida make sense. Isn’t it already a stretch that Cincinnati and Louisville are in?

http://bostonglobe.com/sports/2011/11/25/byu-sane-voice-conference-alignment-chaos/QZFpCrx0HAVfSnOSrNZsBP/story.html

[Green Monstah]

The more I think about it, the more I'm fine with the fact that we gave the Big East the middle finger. And then I think about the Big 12 and the depression sets in...again.

Go Cougs; Beat the Rainbow Warriors.

[Flattop]

1. Misdirection play
Thank you, Brigham Young. Finally some sanity in the nonstop conference realignment blather that (along with Jerry Sandusky) has overshadowed much of what has taken place on the field this season. The powers that be in Provo, Utah, made the wise decision to say “thanks, but no thanks’’ to the Big East, a league desperately trying to hang on to relevancy - and its BCS berth. There’s no truth to the rumor that the Big East has extended invitations to Suffolk, Franklin Pierce, and ITT Technical Institute. The Big East is, however, trying to persuade Boise State, Air Force, Navy, SMU, Houston, and Central Florida to join. Only Navy and Central Florida make sense. Isn’t it already a stretch that Cincinnati and Louisville are in?

http://bostonglobe.com/sports/2011/1...sBP/story.html

I thought Larry Scott provided the sanity when the Pac-12 chose to stay at 12.

[San Juan Sun]

I thought Larry Scott provided the sanity when the Pac-12 chose to stay at 12.

When did Scott choose to stop at 12? Seems like he would be running the PAC 16 if he had things his way.

[Surfah]

When did Scott choose to stop at 12? Seems like he would be running the PAC 16 if he had things his way.

Right after Texas said no thanks.

[KillerDog]

K-dog, you still haven't answered this.

I think that's unreasonable. BYU wanted to be in a conference but not be in the conference. They wanted to have their cake and eat it too. Further, they went so far as to say that certain parties were untrustworthy regardless of whether there was a writing. I think it is clear BYU was unreasonable.