BYU to leave MWC?

[Warner2BruceTD]

They have until 9/1 to decide. They would become an Independant in2011, then likely go back to the WAC.

[Atlas]

Story:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5473151

 

BYU is moving closer to leaving the Mountain West Conference, becoming a football independent and re-joining the Western Athletic Conference in all other sports by a Sept. 1 deadline to withdraw from the MWC for the 2011 season, multiple sources said Wednesday.

"I'm not sure how it could stop now unless BYU gets nervous," said one source with knowledge of the situation.

The Cougars have been exploring the possibility since in-state rival Utah left the Mountain West for the Pac-10 earlier this summer.

BYU never received an invitation from the Big 12 to replace Colorado, as the Big 12 decided to stay at 10 members after losing the Buffaloes to the Pac-10 and Nebraska to the Big Ten.

According to sources, BYU would still need approval from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which owns the school, to make the change.

In an effort to keep BYU in the MWC, which is necessary to keep alive its pursuit of an automatic qualifying spot in the BCS, the conference is considering all avenues, one source told ESPN's Joe Schad on Wednesday. This includes possible concessions to BYU on television rights, much the same way the Big 12 made concessions to Texas and exploring all of its own television partner options.

BYU's possible move to independent status, sources said Wednesday, is not contingent upon the school getting a seat at the BCS table like football independent Notre Dame, which receives an automatic berth if it finishes in the top eight of the BCS standings. Furthermore, BYU is aware that it might not be afforded the same status as Notre Dame in the BCS.

BCS spokesperson Bill Hancock said in an e-mail to ESPN.com that the commissioners and presidents of the BCS-member schools would "thoughtfully consider any request that comes in. Every school is eligible to be considered by a bowl for at-large selection if it is ranked in the top 14."

The payout for any team selected at-large this year will be $6 million, Hancock said.

Hancock told Schad that "it's too soon to speculate" as to what decision the BCS presidents and chancellors would make.

Notre Dame automatically qualifies for a BCS spot if it finishes in the Top 8 in the final BCS rankings and has nine wins. But fellow independents Navy and Army do not have similar provisions, as each school would have to finish in the Top 2 to reach automatic qualifying status.

Every school is eligible for consideration for at-large selection if it finishes in the Top 14 of the final BCS standings. Notre Dame automatically qualified for the BCS in 2006 and was an at-large selection in 2001 and 2007.

Among the factors BCS presidents and chancellors might consider regarding BYU are the tradition and value of Notre Dame to the BCS relative to any other independent that might leave its conference. Specific rules have not been written in BCS materials in regard to the process by which a school that claims independence could earn special concessions.

As an independent, BYU would have a chance to make its own national schedule and qualify for a BCS bowl. If that occurred, the school would keep its share of bowl money to itself, rather than share bowl revenue with the rest of its conference. That's an enticing proposition for the school.

The WAC, according to sources, has assured BYU that it will have a soft landing for all its other sports, similar to the arrangement Notre Dame enjoys with the Big East, where it competes in all sports except football.

BYU would play four to six WAC programs in football every season, according to sources. The Cougars already play in-state rival and WAC member Utah State every season.

BYU's football team went undefeated (13-0) and was ranked No. 1 by The Associated Press in 1984 as a member of the WAC.

Landing BYU for men's basketball would be a major coup for the WAC, considering the Cougars have been to the NCAA tournament 25 times. BYU won 12 WAC titles during its run in the conference and plays in the 22,700-seat Marriott Center. While BYU considers leaving the MAC, WAC members Fresno State and Nevada were approached by a MWC representative Tuesday about invitation to the league, according to a source.

A source told Schad that Houston and UTEP have also been studied as possible additions to the MWC.

However, if a WAC school decides to go to the MWC it will come at the expense of a costly buyout.

Once Boise State left, the remaining WAC members -- Fresno State, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State, San Jose State, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada and Utah State -- signed a $5 million buyout agreement that would be assessed to any member that left the conference within the next five years. The schools took that move to keep other members from following the Broncos to the MWC.

BYU, which would like to become the Notre Dame of the West, is seeking a separate television agreement like the Irish for its football program -- since, as an independent, it would control the rights. Notre Dame currently has a football deal with NBC.

According to independent multiple sources, BYU is in discussion with ESPN for its football rights. ESPN already has an agreement with the WAC to televise football and basketball.

BYU has its own national television network, BYU-TV, which is available on major satellite networks. BYU-TV is going HD and with the wide reach of the Mormon church the Cougars could build national appeal, as Catholic-based Notre Dame has had over the years.

WAC commissioner Karl Benson said earlier this summer that the league "would give consideration to" taking back BYU in all other sports, were the Cougars to go independent for football. Benson declined to comment on this story.

BYU has previously considered going independent. But at that time, the option of being a football independent came with being independent in all other sports, making scheduling much more difficult. In this case, BYU's other sports would be protected by their membership in the WAC.

Cliffs:
-BYU wants to differentiate itself from Utah, and try to become a "national" program, a la Notre Dame (they feel b/c they have their own network, this is possible)
-BYU will be independent in football and join the WAC for all other sports
-Boise State fans are pissed

[Woy]

Yeah, Boise should be pissed. They expected to get into a conference with Utah, BYU and TCU - one that could get an auto BCS berth - and now it'll just be them and TCU.

[Warner2BruceTD]

Boise getting fucked again.

PLAYOFF

[NAHSTE]

This would suck for the MWC. I can see BYU's logic (they basically want to be come the Mormon version of Notre Dame) but it's about 10 years too late to actually come to fruition like that.

The era of independents in football is done. They should've tried to get into the Pac-10 discussion when there was still a chance.

[Senser81]

This would suck for the MWC. I can see BYU's logic (they basically want to be come the Mormon version of Notre Dame) but it's about 10 years too late to actually come to fruition like that.

The era of independents in football is done. They should've tried to get into the Pac-10 discussion when there was still a chance.

Agreed. If this was pre-BCS bowl/championship tie-in, then IMO it would make sense. But since there is a process in getting into a BCS bowl, I don't think being an Independent helps at all. The BCS even recently made allowances to include the Boise/TCU schools in the major bowls if certain criteria are met. I doubt they would do the same for an independent BYU school.

[Hasselbeck]

There's talk Boise State may back out of the agreement to join the MWC now that Utah and BYU will no longer be a part of the conference, due to the fact the MWC doesn't have any sort of clause written anywhere that would penalize Boise State for backing out of that agreement.

The MWC appears to be coming apart at the seams.. sad to say.

[ram29jackson]

muy hillarioso

[Jax]

Honestly I've been watching BYU for awhile now and there not as good as people say they are.

[Sportsbuck]

LOL @ Ram29jackson and Sonicrican being in agreement

[SuperKevin]

The BYU proposal to go independent would have them schedule Notre Dame, Army, Navy and 4-5 WAC teams as their base schedule. They'd then have 2-3 games a year to play with

[ram29jackson]

LOL @ Ram29jackson and Sonicrican being in agreement

its not agreement moron. Its comedic appreciation. :seesaw:

[JeremyHight]

Nevada and Fresno reportedly just got invited to join the MWC. The MWC is making sure that the WAC won't have anything left if Boise or BYU tries to join it.