I just finished watching the press conference where BYU announced that beginning with the 2011-2012 season, they will be going independent for football. For most other sports, including basketball, they will be joining the WCC (West Coast Conference).
I am a happy Cougar fan.
I liked what I heard. I like the reasons behind the change (access and exposure to BYU's nationwide fan base). I like the conference they'll be joining up with for other sports (made up of other private, faith-based institutions). I like that they'll be playing Notre Dame 6 times in the next nine years, which means we might get to see them play, when they come to Notre Dame. I like that we can watch EVERY home football and basketball game on ESPN or BYUTV for the next 8 years (I really, really like that).
Now, do I recognize that there are risks involved? Of course I do. Do I think this is a guarantee that BYU will have constant and immediate success? No, I think it would be naive to think that. I hope they will, but I recognize that it's not a guarantee. But, overall I think it's a great fit for BYU, and I'm excited about the future of BYU football, and all their athletics.
GO COUGARS!!
6 comments:
I'm about to expose some of my ignorance, especially regarding sports. I've been hearing about this for some time from other FB friends and on Twitter. What exactly does it mean to go "independent?"
It means that they will not be a part of a conference for football. They were a part of the Mountain West Conference. Being a part of a conference dictates most of your schedule (conference games), which is good in that it gives you guaranteed opponents. Conferences also have agreements for revenue sharing from bowl games and television coverage. They also manage the television rights and other aspects. Being independent means you fend for yourself. You have the liberty to do things the way you want, but you also have to schedule all of your opponents, negotiate television contracts, etc. It can be a challenging thing and there will be those that say BYU is foolish. Not everyone can do that, there is a reason conferences exist. There are a small number of schools that are independent in football. They are Notre Dame, Army, and Navy. (Rick)
I really was going to answer the question myself, but it seems I've found a way to get Rick to comment on my blog : ). Post about BYU football. Hope that answers your questions, Ed.
Go BYU! I am excited. I hope we get to go to a game at Notre Dame too! I think it will be a good change, and now maybe we won't have to watch all the games on a Slingbox :) I also think it will be good for the men's basketball team. We are excited, especially for this weekend's game!!
Great explanation. Thanks. I inferred that it must be something along those lines.
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