Why TV Control Trumps Independence

In my opinion and I think most people agree, BYU places more importance on upgrading their conference affiliation than they do independence and the benefits that come with it. If BYU was independent and the Big 12 offers them to join they are going to. BYU does not have the same outlook that Notre Dame does regarding independence.



It seems that people are assuming that being independent makes it easier for the Big 12 to invite us. I think that what actually matters more is BYU proving that they should be invited.



Before the Pac 10 expanded the biggest argument that their schools had against expansion was if adding teams would actually increase revenue per school or not. The main reason that was pointed out for both BYU and Utah being adding (even though we know why BYU wasn't added...) was that together the two schools didn't generate more revenue than one would plus adding another market like Colorado.



BYU now needs to prove that they do bring more revenue to a conference by being adding. The easiest way to do that is prove that our home games are worth up to $2 million each to ESPN. We can prove this whether we go independent or stay in the MWC but are granted our TV rights. Add to the additional TV revenue the revenue the Big 12 makes from the conference championship game and we should be the overwhelming favorite for conference expansion. Until we can prove the additional revenue is there we will get no respect from the media when they discuss expansion.



The favorite term that the media is throwing out is BYU isn't the "Notre Dame of the West". Well IFRC Notre Dame gets $12 million per season from NBC. If BYU even gets $8-$10 million from ESPN I think we can shut everybody up.



Give us the 2011 season with our own contract with ESPN whether we are independent or in the MWC and I think the Big 12 invite comes.

Agreed. It's about exposure and being able to control it. Two weeks ago, it looked like the only way to accomplish that was through independence and the WAC in non-football sports. If we can stay in the MWC but get independent-esque control, we'll get the best of both worlds.

Well I am supporting extra exposure. I bought a Y cap last week. I was surprised to see it in a store in Eastern Oregon. Two poeple have asked me if I was a Yankee fan!!! I hate them. Now they know what the Y stands for. Everyone else wear your BYU gear!

scott715 wrote:
Well I am supporting extra exposure. I bought a Y cap last week. I was surprised to see it in a store in Eastern Oregon. Two poeple have asked me if I was a Yankee fan!!! I hate them. Now they know what the Y stands for. Everyone else wear your BYU gear!

I was wearing my Y hat while on a cruise and everyone kept asking me if it was for Yale. It wasn't until we got to a port with a Del Sol store that people knew what it was because they had BYU students working there on internships.

Thanks for helping to promote the brand.

I wear something BYU on every vacation. It's a good way to spot dem Marmons.



I also went to church in Yellowstone once at an outdoor amphitheatre. I didn't have a shirt and tie so I wore my BYU gear. I figured it was close enough.

:D

Sounds just as good to me. Maybe the missionaries should do that too!

I've mentioned this elsewhere, when we lived in Saudi Arabia, our ward leadership decided we needed a subtle way to reference Mormonism, so we got a bunch of BYU decals and asked all the members to put them on their cars. This was in the mid 80's so not many/any rabid Ute fans to complain, even though all certainly weren't BYU fans.

Wickchad84087 wrote:

BYU now needs to prove that they do bring more revenue to a conference by being adding. The easiest way to do that is prove that our home games are worth up to $2 million each to ESPN. We can prove this whether we go independent or stay in the MWC but are granted our TV rights. Add to the additional TV revenue the revenue the Big 12 makes from the conference championship game and we should be the overwhelming favorite for conference expansion. Until we can prove the additional revenue is there we will get no respect from the media when they discuss expansion.

BYU has already proved this year after year. ESPN knows that we make money, and so does BYU. There is nothing else to prove. BYU football will make a killing as an independent. The only reason we aren't invited to BCS conferences is because we are owned by the LDS church and won't play on Sunday. Period. There are some things money can't buy, and that's religious tolerance.



BYU has the ability to completely change the way money is made in college football. It's very similar to how the internet has allowed companies like Amazon and eBay to flourish with no brick and mortar - BYU has direct access to the masses with their media capability. Ten years ago the only way to make money was to be in a conference that had access to the media monopolies - ABC, CBS, NBC and now ESPN. We literally don't need them now except for ESPN because they control access to the BCS bowls - and they want us because we can make them money. We are decades ahead of other schools as far as how we can tap into the football market. We need to go independent now. There is no question in my mind that the rest of the college football world will be completely envious of how much money we can make. In fact, the only risk we run is that the BCS conferences will create some arbitrary rule that will limit how much money we can make in order to compete with them, similar to why they created the BCS system in the first place - to keep BYU out.

allcoug is right on! It is only a matter of time. If BYU doesnt jump this year, there is probably a good reason. All the cougar haters and even some cougs will say its humble pie and tail between legs--and that will simply be weakness on the part of cougar fans and just normal opportunistic hatred by haters.

But the writing is on the walls. And if we dont jump now, other more aggressive plans will be in the works