Total Sacrilege!!! Read at your own risk!

Watching the NIT game last night, it occurred to me that I have enjoyed the NIT runs we have made in recent years much more than the one and dones in the NCAA tournament. Obviously my first choice would be a deep run in the NCAA, but that has not been happening.



And it made me wonder...if the football factory schools do break off from the NCAA and form some semi-pro football division, maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to be left behind as one of the best truly amateur football programs.



Discuss

An NIT run is much more fun in the moment for me than an NCAA one-and-done. However, even an NIT championship doesn't give the bragging rights that making the tournament does. NIT champs 8 of the last 11 years doesn't sound nearly as impressive as NCAA tournament team 8 out of the last 11. It's fun, but it's kinda like our old MWC days in football.

Winning wherever it happens is better than not winning. But the NCAA tournament is a better stage.

I am enjoying this NIT appearance immensely. Last nights win over Creighton was a blast to watch. Hitting 3's and putting on an exhibition. The only negative thing I can say, I wasn't in the Marriott Center to see it 1st hand.

Well we were on ESPN in prime time last nights. Some of my friends caught the game. We live in Pac12 country. Had a nice discussion about our team this morning at bball.

The NCAA tourney is the big stage and playing in the NIT doesn't carry the same weight.



That said, playing in the post season in any shape or form is better than not playing. Only one team in the Pac 12 is still playing hoops. Two teams in the WCC are.



Part of the reason I think the NIT runs are so fun is because there is less pressure. We lose, and it's "eh." We win, and it's, "alright, one more game! Go Cougs!" It's like the 2nd string QB coming into a game midway through, he's a hero if he pulls off a win but no one holds him against it if the team loses.



The NIT is a consolation prize. Let's not kid ourselves. Crappy, irrelevant teams aspire to be in the NIT. BYU should aspire to more, same with football.



On a related note, pretty cool to see Sitake mixing it up with students at the basketball game. It's nice to see a football coach that's a fan of BYU sports. I don't think I ever remember seeing or hearing of Bronco attending basketball games, perhaps maybe with recruits or to accept some award at half time, but just there to be there? Nope. Good on you, Sitake.



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Obviously winning on the biggest stage is better than winning on a smaller stage, but we have not shown an ability to win on the biggest stage. I checked the wikipedia page for basketball and there are 3 Elite Eight appearances (1950, 1951, and 1981). You want to know what is just as telling? Only 3 Conference Tournament wins! We aspire to the Big Dance, but we rarely win in the little dance. Our NCAA tournament record is a underwhelming 15-32. Meanwhile we are 15-9 in the NIT.



But I meant to discuss football more than NIT vs NCAA. I would love for BYU to be counted with the elite programs in college football, but in this big money, win at all costs environment, I don't really see that as likely.



Consider this incomplete list of athletic budgets for NCAA programs. The top 20 schools had revenue in excess of $100 million and the highest had nearly double that. How does BYU compete in that sort of environment, and even if they could, do you really want them to?



Imagine the biggest programs decide to split from the NCAA, at least in football, and form a new league. The rule is there is a minimum requirement of spending $75 million per year. Currently there are 36 programs that spend $75 million per year, and I bet they could find another 12 to up their spending to make the cut. They form a super league with 8 divisions, the winner of each going to an 8 team playoff. Do you want in? I'll admit, it sounds exciting. But $75 million and that only makes you the bottom school in a league where the top program spends double that. Call me a quitter, but I might opt to get left behind where we would be in the upper echelon of the second tier, rather than the bottom team in the most cut throat league.

Gunk wrote:
The NCAA tourney is the big stage and playing in the NIT doesn't carry the same weight.



That said, playing in the post season in any shape or form is better than not playing. Only one team in the Pac 12 is still playing hoops. Two teams in the WCC are.



Part of the reason I think the NIT runs are so fun is because there is less pressure. We lose, and it's "eh." We win, and it's, "alright, one more game! Go Cougs!" It's like the 2nd string QB coming into a game midway through, he's a hero if he pulls off a win but no one holds him against it if the team loses.



The NIT is a consolation prize. Let's not kid ourselves. Crappy, irrelevant teams aspire to be in the NIT. BYU should aspire to more, same with football.



On a related note, pretty cool to see Sitake mixing it up with students at the basketball game. It's nice to see a football coach that's a fan of BYU sports. I don't think I ever remember seeing or hearing of Bronco attending basketball games, perhaps maybe with recruits or to accept some award at half time, but just there to be there? Nope. Good on you, Sitake.



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I'm really even more disappointed now in Dave Rose, he's never once made it out to a football game, even when they bring in the basketball players for a wave at halftime he's never been a part of that.

Is there still conversation about breaking away from the NCAA to form a "super-league"? I haven't heard anything like that in quite a while. There was tons of speculation last summer but not much I remember after that. Doesn't seem like it is happening anytime soon if ever.

hawkwing wrote:

The NCAA tourney is the big stage and playing in the NIT doesn't carry the same weight.



That said, playing in the post season in any shape or form is better than not playing. Only one team in the Pac 12 is still playing hoops. Two teams in the WCC are.



Part of the reason I think the NIT runs are so fun is because there is less pressure. We lose, and it's "eh." We win, and it's, "alright, one more game! Go Cougs!" It's like the 2nd string QB coming into a game midway through, he's a hero if he pulls off a win but no one holds him against it if the team loses.



The NIT is a consolation prize. Let's not kid ourselves. Crappy, irrelevant teams aspire to be in the NIT. BYU should aspire to more, same with football.



On a related note, pretty cool to see Sitake mixing it up with students at the basketball game. It's nice to see a football coach that's a fan of BYU sports. I don't think I ever remember seeing or hearing of Bronco attending basketball games, perhaps maybe with recruits or to accept some award at half time, but just there to be there? Nope. Good on you, Sitake.



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I'm really even more disappointed now in Dave Rose, he's never once made it out to a football game, even when they bring in the basketball players for a wave at halftime he's never been a part of that.

In one of the news stories on Sitake's attendance at the VT game, there was a comment from one of the BYU personalities (don't remember if it was Shepherd or Wrubbell or HIcken or who) that Dave Rose attends every football home game, but stays inside the suite he uses to avoid be mobbed with questions/autograph seekers.

cougdoc wrote:

In one of the news stories on Sitake's attendance at the VT game, there was a comment from one of the BYU personalities (don't remember if it was Shepherd or Wrubbell or HIcken or who) that Dave Rose attends every football home game, but stays inside the suite he uses to avoid be mobbed with questions/autograph seekers.

So the Marriott Center needs suites so the coaches don't get mobbed.

hawkwing wrote:

In one of the news stories on Sitake's attendance at the VT game, there was a comment from one of the BYU personalities (don't remember if it was Shepherd or Wrubbell or HIcken or who) that Dave Rose attends every football home game, but stays inside the suite he uses to avoid be mobbed with questions/autograph seekers.

So the Marriott Center needs suites so the coaches don't get mobbed.

The cool thing is that I don't think Sitake minds being mobbed at the BBall games.

Of course you're right that there is a difference in personality between the two coaches. Having known Dave Rose for almost 25 years, the last place you would find him is in the middle of the student section at LES.



But he did buy the ROC tickets, twice, so there's that.

Isola wrote:
Obviously winning on the biggest stage is better than winning on a smaller stage, but we have not shown an ability to win on the biggest stage. I checked the wikipedia page for basketball and there are 3 Elite Eight appearances (1950, 1951, and 1981). You want to know what is just as telling? Only 3 Conference Tournament wins! We aspire to the Big Dance, but we rarely win in the little dance. Our NCAA tournament record is a underwhelming 15-32. Meanwhile we are 15-9 in the NIT.



But I meant to discuss football more than NIT vs NCAA. I would love for BYU to be counted with the elite programs in college football, but in this big money, win at all costs environment, I don't really see that as likely.



Consider this incomplete list of athletic budgets for NCAA programs. The top 20 schools had revenue in excess of $100 million and the highest had nearly double that. How does BYU compete in that sort of environment, and even if they could, do you really want them to?



Imagine the biggest programs decide to split from the NCAA, at least in football, and form a new league. The rule is there is a minimum requirement of spending $75 million per year. Currently there are 36 programs that spend $75 million per year, and I bet they could find another 12 to up their spending to make the cut. They form a super league with 8 divisions, the winner of each going to an 8 team playoff. Do you want in? I'll admit, it sounds exciting. But $75 million and that only makes you the bottom school in a league where the top program spends double that. Call me a quitter, but I might opt to get left behind where we would be in the upper echelon of the second tier, rather than the bottom team in the most cut throat league.

I agree with this. I grew up a Montana Mormon and I'm still a fan of the Grizzlies. I've been to see them a few time in the mini dome in T. Hill's home town. They are just as fun to watch as the big schools. Further more I don't see the brethren approving $75 million to put us in a "cut throat league". I read somewhere that the Alabama coach makes $7 million! That is ridiculous! What does that say for an institution that is supposed to train people for their careers? It's gotten out of hand.

nuk13 wrote:
I agree with this. I grew up a Montana Mormon and I'm still a fan of the Grizzlies. I've been to see them a few time in the mini dome in T. Hill's home town. They are just as fun to watch as the big schools. Further more I don't see the brethren approving $75 million to put us in a "cut throat league". I read somewhere that the Alabama coach makes $7 million! That is ridiculous! What does that say for an institution that is supposed to train people for their careers? It's gotten out of hand.

I like that you brought up Montana, because I almost used them as an example of a team from a lower division that is probably more fun to root for than most FBS schools.



I live in Washington and I wonder what program has been more fun to root for, the Huskies or Eastern Washington Eagles. The Huskies' last conference championship is old enough to drive, 1/4 century since their last National Championship, and in the last ten years they are 10 games under .500. Meanwhile the Eagles six conference championships in the same time, a National Championship in 2010, and are 43 games over .500.



Ideally, as a fan, my team would be competing with the very best, but in an environment where schools spend 9 figures on athletics, where institutions of higher learning will develop fake classes to keep athletes academically eligible, where programs will hire prostitutes to entice recruits how does a school partially funded by tithing funds, with strict academic standards and an serious honor code compete?



If that is what it takes to compete at the highest levels of college athletics, then I don't want to. I would welcome the formation of a cutthroat only league. Let those sort of schools take their ball (and scandals) and leave.

vancouvercougar wrote:

cougdoc wrote:

In one of the news stories on Sitake's attendance at the VT game, there was a comment from one of the BYU personalities (don't remember if it was Shepherd or Wrubbell or HIcken or who) that Dave Rose attends every football home game, but stays inside the suite he uses to avoid be mobbed with questions/autograph seekers.

So the Marriott Center needs suites so the coaches don't get mobbed.

The cool thing is that I don't think Sitake minds being mobbed at the BBall games.

He has an advantage. He can mob them back if it gets too rough ;)