PK on 1320 implies BYU may be considering

[dallas dan]

OK... so I understand the argument.

This raises the question... if we did go independent. Who would play us? We wouldn't have any cash to give them to come to our house. I thought I heard someone put together a projected schedule. What would this look like? Is it reasonable? Because you have to factor into account the cash that changes hands in scheduling with the big schools.

Notre Dame has all the money in the world to do this.

[BYU71]

Originally Posted by jay santos

BYU had a dark period recently, if you guys have forgotten. We went 14-21 over three years, losing to our rivals three years in a row, three losing seasons in a row, failed to qualify for a bowl. Pretty bad.

During that time period:

We had home games (home games are the only games you have rights to TV for) that were nationally televised against:

USC, Georgia Tech, Hawaii, Syracuse, Boise State, other MWC schools? (not sure what was televised--I was always at the game)

This time period didn't do much to hurt BYU in their ability to schedule other teams.

I don't have the data, but this time period didn't kill our TV ratings. For example, Cal-BYU Vegas bowl the next year had high ratings. I heard a comment back during this losing time period that BYU's local contract was worth more than double Utah's local contract and their ratings blew Utah's away.

Yeah it was a bummer three years, but it would have been no more bleak as an independent. And even with crappy outcome, we still get more $$ than in the MWC.

Losing kills a program no matter if you are independent or not. Going independent in football is not a major risk.

I respectfully disagree. It is a huge risk. Those 3 down years were being carried by the tradition of the past. Fortunately it turned. You are too young to remember. USU in my day was a power house. A lot of things killed them, but getting snubbed by the original WAC was the start.

Let's make sure we are as big as we think we are before we make a big mistake.

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

jay, not to mention that if you bowl 2 out of every 3 years, or even 1 every 2 years, you have gotten yourself an improvement.

There's another problem ... Bowls have conference afiliation contracts that they do break for the likes of BYU!

So 0 every 3 years unless in one of those years BYU goes undefeated or 11 - 1 etc. An independant 8 win BYU isn't going bowling, whereas an 8 win BYU in the MWC is!

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by tooblue

There's another problem ... Bowls have conference afiliation contracts that they do break for the likes of BYU!

So 0 every 3 years unless in one of those years BYU goes undefeated or 11 - 1 etc. An independant 8 win BYU isn't going bowling, whereas an 8 win BYU in the MWC is!

Not true. An enterprising soul has only to look at the vegas bowl and realize there is money to be made. In fact one of the existing bowls might negotiate a tie-in on the west coast.

I have no worries about BYU getting into a bowl. No bowl wants CSU when they can have BYU.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by BYU71

I respectfully disagree. It is a huge risk. Those 3 down years were being carried by the tradition of the past. Fortunately it turned. You are too young to remember. USU in my day was a power house. A lot of things killed them, but getting snubbed by the original WAC was the start.

Let's make sure we are as big as we think we are before we make a big mistake.

Was USU drawing 65K attendance back in the day? Comparing USU to BYU is no better than comparing BYU to ND.

So let's say worse case scenario. We have five straight losing seasons. ESPN doesn't want to pick up as many of our games. Our lack of exposure is starting to hurt recruiting. We decide we need to be back in a conference. WAC begs us to join.

[MikeWaters]

Being an independent also, I think, puts us in a better position to join a BCS conference, should there ever be the opportunity. Because we will have a track record.

[BYU71]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Not true. An enterprising soul has only to look at the vegas bowl and realize there is money to be made. In fact one of the existing bowls might negotiate a tie-in on the west coast.

I have no worries about BYU getting into a bowl. No bowl wants CSU when they can have BYU.

You make assumptions based on existing conditions and not possiblilites.

First off we are a conference champ or even second and went to Vegas. We as fans were starving to beat a BCS team, even a crappy one.

Picture forward. We go 9-3 against very average, weaker than the MWC, competition. Our reward is a bowl in San Antonio or Detroit. You think we will fill it?

You tell me we will have a BCS type schedule and we will go 9-3 average on a consitent basis and yes, I will agree, independence will work and the money will flow.

Mike, this is not a knock, honest. You have made it well know you are not a capitalist. Some of you guys just don't get how and why people give money away.

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Not true. An enterprising soul has only to look at the vegas bowl and realize there is money to be made. In fact one of the existing bowls might negotiate a tie-in on the west coast.

I have no worries about BYU getting into a bowl. No bowl wants CSU when they can have BYU.

Unless of course they are bound by a contract with a sizable buyout ... ciao BYU, hello CSU!

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by dallas dan

OK... so I understand the argument.

This raises the question... if we did go independent. Who would play us? We wouldn't have any cash to give them to come to our house. I thought I heard someone put together a projected schedule. What would this look like? Is it reasonable? Because you have to factor into account the cash that changes hands in scheduling with the big schools.

Notre Dame has all the money in the world to do this.

Are you not aware that we schedule four teams per year, currently? We schedule home and home's with large schools. We occasionally offer a 1 for 2 with a Notre Dame type school. We offer cash for a one home game contract with non-D1A or cruddy D1A schools occasionally. Home games bring in about $500K revenue, so we can afford to pay teams for that.

[Rickomatic]

BYU is big enough for USC to schedule a Home and Home. Only the SEC is afraid to schedule BYU. Don't think for a second that BYU could survive as a football independant. The other sports would need a conference to ensure full schedules (although I bet the men's BBall team could schedule out as well).