Possible Win-Win

I finally have internet access after moving into a new place, and I must say this is a great time to be connected. Now that the personal note is out of the way, on to the topic of this post.



I'm not sure what is best for BYU, but I was against conference expansion because I felt it would hurt BYU more then help it. I trust BYU's leadership to make the move the will best serve our school, and our football team. I believe that the recent moves by the MWC may give BYU a win-win move. There have been much discussion on this more about the positives of staying, and I will try and present an unbiased possibility of what could happen if we stay in the MWC.



1. TV Contract:

The money from the MTN, is about to increase. IIRC, Comcast must have the MTN on the there basic cable for all areas in the mountain west footprint. That footprint has now expanded to include most of Idaho, the rest of Nevada and a section of Central California. The addition of these teams might finally break the deadlock with Dish to get the MTN there. In addition to this, with new teams coming in and Utah leaving, the MWC might be able to renegotiate our television contract. I think that FOX or ESPN (especially ESPN if BYU stays), will offer the conference more money to broadcast games for BSU, BYU, TCU and AF. This should increase revenue for all teams above the current contract. It is also possible that CBS will broadcast a football games, and maybe several more basketball games in the future.



2. Conference Championship:

I am assuming that the conference will expanded to twelve teams, picking UTEP, SMU, or Houston. This will increase the footprint and have the additional cash flow as stated above. Also a championship game will be played, and with the quality of the conference increased, I would guess ABC would carry the game, in the place of where the Big-12 championship was held. Additional money would be made from the championship game ticket sales, and the TV contract to air the game as well. Where to hold the game is debatable, but San Diego in Qual-Com I think would be nice.



3. Bowl:

The MWC bowl situation should improve. I doubt the conference will be BCS-AQ, but with conference realignments some of the contracts will be voided. Bowls like the Sun or Holiday would be interested in have a BSU, BYU, or TCU quality team come and play in their Bowl every year. Even if these were second place teams, they very good teams (think last year.) Other bowls will also sign contracts with the MWC now that more teams will be Bowl eligible every year. Our mid-level teams will also have a slight raise in quality, which should continue our dominance as a conference, of winning games.



4. Texas Effect:

One of the things that have been discussed on other threads is whether BYU can pull a Texas, and get more money out of the conference. I believe so. The conference knows that the majority of the advertisements on the MTN are Utah based companies. If BYU were to leave, the MTN would disappear (not a bad thing.) I think that changing how the conference redistributed its income is possible and other member schools (BSU, TCU and UNLV/SDSU for basketball) will want to keep the money they are making. Most conference schools know BYU is the big kid on campus in bringing in money, and they might be willing to give a larger portion to the bread winner of the conference.



Summary:

There are possibilities for great things to happen, but most depend on how the current contracts involved are written. If those contracts can be rewritten we could be on a good thing. If they can’t or our partners are unwilling to, it’s time to pack our bags and talk to the WCC.



Your thoughts?

Well Thompson has been quoted that he is not interested in concessions to BYU... course he also said that inviting Nevada and Fresno was always in the cards. So he's a liar.... I don't know what to think.



I do know that when the dust settles the MWC still needs BYU badly for AQ status. If the MWC won't budge at all for BYU, then I think the writing is on the wall. They dont' respect us and aren't willing to realize that the MWC exists because of BYU.



If they're willing to make concessions, then I think we make the best of what is at least an exciting new MWC. We still have the best talent in the conference in our pipeline, and we'll win a lot in the next 5 years. We wait for the next TV contract or for the Big 12 whatever comes first. In the meantime we dominate this conference. If the TV contract doesn't work, we have at least a feel for what independence might look like now.



Without the WAC as our landing pad, i just don't think in the 2 weeks before we have to make a decision, that we have enough information to go elsewhere. Apparently Holmoe and others had looked at this for sometime, including nudging the WAC into the $5 million poison pills (that apparently were a lot easier to swallow than expected). There's just too much risk now. We stay in the MWC and bide our time.

I think the MWC proved today that they are willing to pay at least 5 million dollars for 2 pathetic schools instead of paying their cash cow BYU more then 1.7 million dollars per year.



If that isn't a slap in the face then I don't know what is.

CannonCougar85 wrote:
I think the MWC proved today that they are willing to pay at least 5 million dollars for 2 pathetic schools instead of paying their cash cow BYU more then 1.7 million dollars per year.



If that isn't a slap in the face then I don't know what is.

It's not even cash that BYU wants. It's being able to broadcast games that the Mtn. wont' pick up (like the Fresno State hoops game last year)



BYU simply wants to be allowed to do what benefits them the most when the conference isn't using them. How can they not bend there to keep their cash cow?



I was soooo excited today to see them roll out a BYU network with ESPN backing; I just don't know if we have a stable home for our other great sports to make it worth the risk.



I think we'll see silence from BYU for another week, and eventually some negotiation between the MWC and BYU. If the MWC won't budge at all, then the writing is probably on the wall and they simply have no idea how bad they needed us, and how much they dont' deserve us.



The WAC needs to make something happen, and fast. Tulsa, Houston and Utep, even Gonzaga need to be on the speed dial.

craigoscarson wrote:

It's not even cash that BYU wants. It's being able to broadcast games that the Mtn. wont' pick up (like the Fresno State hoops game last year)



BYU simply wants to be allowed to do what benefits them the most when the conference isn't using them. How can they not bend there to keep their cash cow?



I was soooo excited today to see them roll out a BYU network with ESPN backing; I just don't know if we have a stable home for our other great sports to make it worth the risk.



I think we'll see silence from BYU for another week, and eventually some negotiation between the MWC and BYU. If the MWC won't budge at all, then the writing is probably on the wall and they simply have no idea how bad they needed us, and how much they dont' deserve us.



The WAC needs to make something happen, and fast. Tulsa, Houston and Utep, even Gonzaga need to be on the speed dial.

I agree with you. The MTN is why BYU and Utah joined forces and hired lawyers to look at the MTN contract because it really does screw BYU. But the MWC is not interested in making concessions to BYU, Hair said so himself. That means no BYU Athletic TV network.



I agree that the WAC needs to be on the horn with these schools in this order: SDSU, UNLV, Houston, Tulsa, UTEP, SMU.

who really cares where we end up playing basketball, soccer, and tennis at?



I know I sure as hell don't.



A weakened WAC, the WCC, C-USA... whatever!!!



BYU will have an easier schedule in basketball and make it to the NCAA tourney, and our football program will have a better schedule, more national and television exposure, and more money.



That's all I care about. Nevada and Fresno State have crappy football and basketball teams anyway.

Does TCU Patterson know something BYU doesn't?

"All I can tell you is this: Just wait and see in the next two weeks before you make any judgments and see what happens in the national landscape," Patterson said. "Things that I know that maybe you don't know. That's all I'm going to tell you."

Big 12 invite?





Okay win-win. Indy or big 12.

Maybe it'll seem like i'm on the the fence. I like some of your points Craig, but i agree with Italics.

This is a huge slap in the face. And even though the lack of parity in the Big 12 will sooner or later come back to haunt the Big 12, bc if they thought there might be a rift before (why Nebraska departed), there certainly will be in the coming years as AD's at other Big 12 schools get tired of the special treatment. Where I agree with you Craig is that in the least the MWC could allow us broadcast rights to our other games--even ESPN was going to allow that.

So, forget the MWC. They just become what was the old WAC--a more definitive mid-major, stuck for as long time.