Sources say BYU going Independent (done deal), could affect BE

[South_Florida_Flip]

I know this article doesn't include that Nevada and Fresno State are moving to the MWC but I think those 2 teams are irrelavant. It would be like if the Big East Lost Pitt or West Virginia and added Memphis and UCF and tried to spin it that the conference had not weakened.

http://www.nunesmagician.com/2010/8/18/1629887/the-biggest-winner-of-byu-going

This may be the death of the WAC and the weakening of the MWC.

TCU will just keep praying that the old Big 12 will one day come calling but they and Boise State will still never be taken seriously. They may make a BCS game but no one will care because of the level of their competition.

The WAC may have seriously fallen below the Sun Belt in conference pecking order. Maybe they can expand and get UL-Monroe and Lafayette and change their name to the Western/Louisiana Athletic Conference...the WLAC.

The Big East should be going after TCU right now

[2000bull]

I guess Utah State got an invite to the MWC before the other two schools and turned it down

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/08/19/utah-state-turned-down-mountain-west-invite/

[DELdaBull]

Please Big East. Swoop in and lock in TCU while stuff is in air. Offer Houston so that teams can do a Texas Two Step. Make it happen.

[South_Florida_Flip]

Please Big East. Swoop in and lock in TCU while stuff is in air. Offer Houston so that teams can do a Texas Two Step. Make it happen.

If you offer Houston, then you'd have to offer UCF as well. Not a chance that the current Big East members are going to want 3 programs. TCU or bust at this moment.

[Bull94]

TCU should join the WAC for half a season with BYU. Play those 4 + one against each other.

The MWC couldn't get an auto bid with BYU and utah. No way they get one without them.

[2000bull]

looks like Hawaii is considering going independent as well

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2010-08-20/hawaii-considers-leaving-wac-for-independent-status

[Knight_Light]

Bull94,

For BYU or USF to go independent, you either play a lousy schedule or your play no home games.  Not many, "big boys" are going to come to your place to play you especially late in the season.  If it were that easy, BYU has 4 non-conference games available, how come their not playing the, "big boys" now?

This is not the same NCAA as it was when Miami, FSU and others were independent.  The BCS has changed all of that.

Apparently you haven't looked at their schedule. They have plenty of BCS opponents.  OU, FSU, UCLA, Washington, ASU, ND, Standford, USC, Georgia Tech, BC, Arizona, etc. Home and away. All since 2003.

Anybody in the pac ten jumps at the chance to play them in a 1 for 1. They can play the 4 WAC teams at the end of the season if need be.

Why would these BCS teams choose to play BYU when they are in MWC but not when they are independent?

BYU has TONS of CA$H to offer BCS programs to visit...as BYU plays usually infront of soldout overflow crowds of approx 64,500 fans per game.

Their Hoops team averaged close to 14,500 fans per game last year.

BYU use to make more $$$$ back under their old ESPN contract...and when the MWC decided to leave ESPN to start up their own MountainWest TV Network, that was a complete failure (very little $$$$ coming in).

BYU knows it could make a lot more money using their own BYU Channel, plus agreements with ESPN.

Also, with the 12th game added to the regular season...more and more teams do have non-conf dates available in Nov or even Oct (i.e. Homecoming, Parent Weekend type games), that they didn't have as many in the past under the 11 game schedule.

Maybe BYU is using all of this talk to get a better deal with MWC like Texas was able to do with the Big 12 (i.e. start their own TV Network)...but if another team can be successful as an Independent (like Army, Navy and Notre Dame), BYU might be able to pull it off.

PS. Also, regardless what conf BYU ends up in...BYU and Utah will still most likely still play each other in major sports each year as non-conf opponents.

[SRQ]

Please Big East. Swoop in and lock in TCU while stuff is in air. Offer Houston so that teams can do a Texas Two Step. Make it happen.

If you offer Houston, then you'd have to offer UCF as well. Not a chance that the current Big East members are going to want 3 programs. TCU or bust at this moment.

I agree fully with your first supposition, but seek to disagree with the second, but only by tweaking the definition of 'current Big East members'.  I can't believe that Tags couldn't make a swing through Syracuse, Conn, Pitt, NJ & WV, explain to all that today they have a choice (tomorrow, maybe not) and they can bet on one of them being the pretty girl at the dance when another upheaval happens, or they can admit that football rules (not BB) and by leaving the BB schools and adding TCU, Houston, UCiF (ugh) and Memphis/ECU they secure all of their collective futures.

[DELdaBull]

SRQ,

Only bad thing is the BCS tag belongs to the Big East. Big East moniker belongs mostly to the bball school plus Cuse and Pitt.

[SRQ]

SRQ,

Only bad thing is the BCS tag belongs to the Big East. Big East moniker belongs mostly to the bball school plus Cuse and Pitt.

Tags would need to get that worked out with the 'powers that be' before he embarked on his road trip, but I imagine its doable; maybe its as simple as giving up the BE name to 12East or somesuch, but keeping the BCS bid with the eight football schools.