As a WAC member of 16 teams, we had dreams of what a new conference could be like with only the very best 8 of those
16 teams. At that time, there was not much talk about being in what is now called a Power Conference, but from deep inside, the unspoken word was to eventually be like what we now call a power conference team.
The above dream came true and the MWC was formed with those 8 best teams from the WAC. Some time after, the WAC could not survive, especially after Boise State agreed to leave the WAC for the MWC.
Everything was fine for the MWC. We began having dreams that the MWC was getting to be as strong as the Power Conference teams in the Big East. We had BYU, Utah, TCU, and Boise State was about to join us. That was power. We were all happy and we were all full of hope. Being in a power conference, was a dream that started in it’s infancy to be our new dream. We were continually comparing the MWC with the Big East. The MWC was looking better all the time and the
Big East was looking weaker all the time.
Utah got multiple BCS Bowl games and did well. TCU got multiple BCS Bowl games and did well. Hawaii got a BCS bowl and did terribly. Houston got a BCS Bowl and did well. BYU never got to a BCS Bowl and that hurt us.
Under Crowton, and with Doman at QB and Luke Staley at RB we got to #5 in the Nation. Doman was playing hurt in Hawaii. Staley was playing hurt in Hawaii. Just before the game was to begin, the BCS officials announced that even if we win this game, about to be played, we still will not be invited to a BCS bowl game. We took a terrible beating and lost that game to Hawaii, never again to come close to a #5 in the nation ranking.
Utah got invited to the Pac 12. TCU got invited to the Big 12. The Big East was Demoted to a G5 status.
Peterson left Boise State and Boise State, while still a top notch G5 team, has come down a notch or two without coach
Peterson. BYU was left to a much lesser prestige’s MWC without Utah and without TCU. BYU was left behind it’s former peers Utah and TCU. Staying in the MWC or in any G5 conference was no longer an option. BYU went independent.
AS Power Conference members, Utah and TCU with all their new riches from being a power 5 conference and from much easier recruiting of power status athletes, each year the gap grows between those two former peers and Us at BYU.
As an Independent, BYU shows to be the best choice available to the, (maybe), expanding by 2 or by 4 teams into the
Big 12 which currently has only 10 teams.
Ten G5 teams make a good case for being included into the Big 12. BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and Memphis are the leading 4 teams.
UCON, the two Florida Schools, (Central and South), Colorado State, Boise State, and SDS are the others.
Houston has become #1 mandated by The Texas Governor and Lt. Governor. Cincinnati has become #2 demanded by the location to be a travel partner with W. Va. Memphis has the Big Money of Fed X backing them. BYU, the most desirable seems to be a shoe in if and only if the Big 12 takes 4 teams into the conference making that conference the new Big 14.
ESPN and Fox are now taking a stand against any expansion at all. They feel that the new present 2-4 teams that could enter the Big 12 are not worth the money that it would cost ESPN and Fox which is about $20 million per team which translates into $40 to $80 extra million per year. That is year after year, after year until the new contract negotiations in the future. If The Big 12 bites that hand hand that feeds them, (ESPN and Fox), it had better be by only two teams and not the four teams, which would leave BYU outside again.
Why has BYU dropped from the most #1 desirable to the 4th place ? In all of the articles, the most common threads goes
to the Honor Code Sex Scandal where a girl is afraid to tell the University of the crime, because by doing so, she will be admitting to the University that she broke the honor code by being in a room with the guy alone, which is against honor code rules unless you are married to the person that you are in the room with. After the Baylor Sex cover up problem, many say they are afraid of the BYU limitations put on young ladies that have been violated. (Our problem did not at this time, have anything to do with our athletes, but it could in the future).
The second main stream problem having BYU is their stand on Gay and Lesbian Rights. There is no option allowed for shower and bathroom use, as that option is granted by the rest of the Big 12 schools, yes, including TCU and Baylor.
So where are we today, or where should we be today?
It is not likely that the Church/University is going to change the Honor Code. It is even less likely that they will change their
views of Gays and Lesbians. So where do we go from here?
Like the dream of leaving the WAC for the better MWC., and like leaving the MWC for being an Independent, now, maybe our new goal should be, as an Independent, to program consistently each year like a P5 conference team. Keep our total
average SOS each season in the top 64, Half of 128 teams is 64. Play a P5 top 64 SOS schedule each and every season.
Let the G5 teams program with their average SOS in the bottom 64. Let the Football College World see that we are indeed
a P5 team with no resemblance to a G5 team.
Make every win meaningful that was determined on the field and not on the programing of 6 inferior teams. Make every bowl game meaningful, and not just a bowl game that was guaranteed by the programing of 6 totally inferior teams.
Start getting use to playing this much tougher schedule. Start winning those important SOS teams. Become the ND of the west. No we are not there yet. We are far from it, but yes, if we do well this season, we will start closing the gap.
Yes, it is as easy now to become the ND of the West as it is to get into a P5 conference for the two reasons stated above. Sunday play is hardly an issue as neither football or basketball is played in the Big 12 on Sundays.
The other sports can stay in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Once we become the ND of the west, (football and basketball), it will be easier for the Power Conferences to forget or accept that which is holding us back now.