And so it begins....again

When I first saw the news reports that Notre Dame was going all sports except football to the ACC I almost dreaded checking all the BYU chat boards knowing exactly what I would find there. My suspicions were correct, on the "other" board there is wide spread speculation that BYU is going to the B12 with AFA. An old rumor that seems to be rehashed. I for one was really drawn into the BYU to B12 rumors when they happened. I was crushed when we got the shaft, and now I am almost numb to the newest waive of rumors. Personally, I think ND's movement and agreement for 5 football games with the ACC will ultimately force the college football landscape to change again. Expect more rumors. I guess i will just have to pump myself up for all the drama.



So, what are the rumors?

Cougarpoke wrote:
When I first saw the news reports that Notre Dame was going all sports except football to the ACC I almost dreaded checking all the BYU chat boards knowing exactly what I would find there. My suspicions were correct, on the "other" board there is wide spread speculation that BYU is going to the B12 with AFA. An old rumor that seems to be rehashed. I for one was really drawn into the BYU to B12 rumors when they happened. I was crushed when we got the shaft, and now I am almost numb to the newest waive of rumors. Personally, I think ND's movement and agreement for 5 football games with the ACC will ultimately force the college football landscape to change again. Expect more rumors. I guess i will just have to pump myself up for all the drama.



So, what are the rumors?

More likely a Big East invite for AFA and BYU. Big 12 - no.

No rumors.



BYU would be wise to resist the initial begging of the Big East. Big 12 is now a lot more limited on who they can take, so BYU should hold out and see what happens there.

Decision makers in the Big 12 have indicated that they intend to stand pat at 10 teams for the time being. Rumor has it that B12 may want to go back to 12 teams. With Notre Dame, Florida State and Clemson officially out of the picture, it’s possible that interest in BYU and Louisville could be rekindled at some point.



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And it continues....



https://twitter.com/GSwaim/status/246010697283162112

hawkwing wrote:
No rumors.



BYU would be wise to resist the initial begging of the Big East. Big 12 is now a lot more limited on who they can take, so BYU should hold out and see what happens there.

I posted this elsewhere. They do not need to wait and see. Nothing is forever. TCU upgraded from MWC to Big East and before ever playing one game in Big East got pulled to Big 12.



Take note - food chain -



SEC takes any team it wants - from anywhere it wants - usually Big 12 or maybe ACC.

PAC takes from MWC where it can get anyone it wants and Big 12 lower tier - geography and elitism limit them. May or may not be able to take top tier Big 12.

Big 10 takes from Big 12. Does not seem to want anyone else. I believe Penn State was Indy.

Big 12 gets hit on by SEC and Big 10 and goes after Big East teams. They may or may not be able to grab ACC teams.

ACC gets Big East Teams

Big East grabs MWC or C-USA teams and wants BYU.



All of those want ND but apparently will not make enough concessions - but ACC made enough concessions to get everything but football and tie up some football games. Only Big East wants BYU right now.



The most proven way to win games is to keep moving the chains and moving up the food chain. Big East is the feeder conference to the others as dominoes fall. Indy may be as good a path - maybe - Jury is still out.



Stuff runs downhill and

I've got no rumors to share, just my opinion. I think the Big East is destined to fail and we should stay away. Maybe I am just too old fashioned but a conference spread over four times zones doesn't make much sense to me. I would love a Big 12 invite but I don't see it coming anytime soon. I am for sticking with independence for the time being. I also doubt there is much to the Big 12 rumors, just talk show hosts needing something to talk about.

tripwire wrote:
I've got no rumors to share, just my opinion. I think the Big East is destined to fail and we should stay away. Maybe I am just too old fashioned but a conference spread over four times zones doesn't make much sense to me. I would love a Big 12 invite but I don't see it coming anytime soon. I am for sticking with independence for the time being. I also doubt there is much to the Big 12 rumors, just talk show hosts needing something to talk about.

I can't agree with your last line...It is week 3 in the college football season, week 2 in the NFL, and ND just made the closest thing to a move into a conference for it's football program, and people are talking about AFA, BYU and Louisville (2 of the 3) going to the Big 12 in Big 12 markets. There is something to this.



I think it is more likely now than it was yesterday. I think it is less likely than it was last year around this time (when TCU joined).

I don't buy any rumors related to BYU. The two issues that will not change are 1. Sunday Play, and 2. Second Tier TV rights.



While I don't think the Sunday play thing is actually that big of a deal for most conferences, the second tier TV rights will kill any deal. The Church has BYU TV and wants to use the football team to broadcast its message as wide as possible. Unless a conference gives BYU the right to rebroadcast its games on BYU TV and use if for games not picked up by the conference's TV deal, forget about it. It will either be an Indendent BYU, or BYU will start up a new conference with some of the failed remnants of the Big East and Mountain West (Utah State, Boise State, Nevada, San Diego State, Fresno State, Colorado State, and Air Force). I personally prefer this choice to a nationwide Big East Conference--call it the Big 8, which leaves five open games to schedule across the country every year (and schedule like the SEC so all of the teams are bowl eligible).



With great scheduling, Independence is the best of all.



My prediction is Independence for the next four or five years. Then, when the teams I mentioned above are tired of travelling across the country or having zero exposure (MWC teams), they jump at the chance to form a new western league with BYU. I would think ESPN would be the partner in this deal and give us a better TV deal than we have now (since Boise State is a media darling).



We'll see. BYU is in a great position as a free agent to hold its own course, or throw in with conferences at the right time.

No idea what will happen, and afer last time, I do not have the stomach for this round either. Just do not want to get my hopes up again.



But I will say this--the Big East is dead. I think it is more likely that the hoops teams break away and form their own league now than seeing the BE propser. UCONN and Rutgers have most to lose, so sure they are looking for a new home. But the BE has zero appeal to BYU in terms of conference affilaition. However, if BYU worked a scheduling agreement with them for 4-5 games per year, I would be great with that. Be happy to play UCONN, Rutgers, Louisville, BSU, Houston, UCF, USF or even SDSU and Houston/SMU from time to time.

Lawboy wrote:
No idea what will happen, and afer last time, I do not have the stomach for this round either. Just do not want to get my hopes up again.



But I will say this--the Big East is dead. I think it is more likely that the hoops teams break away and form their own league now than seeing the BE propser. UCONN and Rutgers have most to lose, so sure they are looking for a new home. But the BE has zero appeal to BYU in terms of conference affilaition. However, if BYU worked a scheduling agreement with them for 4-5 games per year, I would be great with that. Be happy to play UCONN, Rutgers, Louisville, BSU, Houston, UCF, USF or even SDSU and Houston/SMU from time to time.

With Notre Dame leaning toward the ACC and dumping the Big East in other sports I am not confident in the Big East at all. Like Lawboy says, we could have a scheduling agreement with the Big East without joining the conference--kind of like Notre Dame hsa with the ACC.