BYU seeking independence?
NCAA Football Betting Lines
08/20/2010 -
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There are rumblings coming out of Provo,
Utah.
The chatter involves BYU's bid to become an independent in football, while
moving from the Mountain West to the WAC for all other sports. The Cougars
would like to fashion themselves as another Notre Dame, and with this proposed
move, the university would take one step closer to completing the
transformation.
The Irish are obviously the model in terms of creating an independent product
that garners national attention year-round, one that comes complete with a huge
television deal and their own set of BCS rules (automatic acceptance into a BCS
Bowl if the team finishes in the top eight).
BYU and its non-BCS brethren have been trying to get the attention of the BCS
for years, with little or no acknowledgement. While that sentiment has changed
a little over the last few seasons, it is still a problem that rears its ugly
head every December.
Tired of waiting, other schools have made recent moves toward rectifying the
situation. Boise State has left the WAC and will join the Mountain West next
season. While that seems like a somewhat lateral move, it also seemingly moved
the MWC closer to gaining access to the BCS party than the WAC, especially with
a lineup that was to include BYU, Utah, Boise State and TCU.
But the first domino that fell the wrong way for the Mountain West was Utah's
move to a new 12-team Pac-10 (to be re-branded as the Pac-12), as BYU's main
rival moved to the world of BCS riches. That couldn't have sat well on the BYU
campus, nor throughout the fan base.
BYU's potential move would seem to move the Mountain West farther from the BCS
pot of gold.
The league wasted no time when told of BYU's possible move, inviting both
Fresno State and Nevada to join the conference. It was a necessity to do
something, or everything gained by the young conference recently may have been
for nothing.
MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson is trying to make a positive out of a huge
negative, but I'm not sure even he believes that adding the Bulldogs and Wolf
Pack, while losing the Utes and Cougars, is a good thing for the conference.
Neither of those new additions has the tradition or resources of the Utah-based
behemoths.
Meanwhile, there is perhaps a bigger picture for BYU, which is first and
foremost a school that looks to promote the Mormon faith. In that vein, this
move makes a lot of marketing sense. Reaching as many people around the country
and the world is the main goal in Provo, and if the team follows the blueprint
set by the Irish, independence could be a step in the right direction.
BYU however, doesn't have a national television contract like Notre Dame has
with NBC. BYU-TV is already in place, but needs the recognition and reach that
will only come if the Cougars set themselves free of a conference schedule
peppered with lesser competition. The school's ability to put together a
killer, nationally-based schedule is the key here. Notre Dame plays powerhouses
on a regular basis and lands those deals because of the network exposure and
money involved.
BYU doesn't generate that same type of appeal to opponents or to mainstream
viewers, at least right now. SEC, Big 12 and Big Ten teams may think twice
about taking on a dangerous BYU team, especially late in the season when they
can see a shot at the national title within grasp. It's too risky on the field,
and not beneficial enough off right now in terms of marketing or finances.
BYU would like assurances from the BCS that the program, if independent, will
gain automatic access to a BCS game if it meets certain criteria, much like
Notre Dame. That could be the key here to the whole thing, though after
sticking its neck out and threatening to leave the Mountain West, the
university might be forced to adopt a "if we build it, they will come"
mentality.
If the Cougars can put together a tough schedule year-in and year-out and
maintain success, the BCS will no longer be able to ignore them, regardless of
any guarantees.
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