Warning: This post is total rumor mongering...

[Italics]

Well, I can't confirm or deny that these meetings took place. I would not be surprised if there was some sort of upper-level discussion about the incidents that took place on Saturday. I really doubt that there will be a suspension of the series, unless BYU wants to forfeit the game for the next two years.

People should not be surprised that there is talk about shutting down the sports programs at BYU. I'm sure that it is the plan within the next 10 to 12 years. What happened at Ricks was a precursor of what is to happen at BYU and BYU-H.

I doubt this will be the immediate decision of the church, but its coming. It will be a sad day indeed.

BYU-I Sports was shut down b/c no conference would take us in, and the school could not afford to be an independent.
Trust me on this one.

[gmj81]

I can confirm that there was a "high level meeting" However, that "high level meeting" did not discuss discontinuing the rivalry (couldn’t do it - they’re in the same conference) nor did it discuss "discontinuing sports”.... it actually was to discuss the pricing of this item now on sale at the BYU bookstore....




PS I'm not talented enough to make this up, a friend of mine just emailed it to me...

That would be so incredibly awesome if every BYU fan that goes to the game next year shows up in one of these. It would probably encourage even more beer throwing but hey, then the world could see the pukes for what they are. I vowed I would never go back to RES but if I had one of those I definitely would... but I'd also be sure to bring my waterproof, er... beerproof camera to capture evidence that Max Hall speaks the truth.

Seriously though, someone could make TONS of money by producing those.

[Sammich]

Why should someone get to go to a university for free just because they are better at running/jumping/throwing than the next kid? Especially when the running/jumping/throwing that the kid will be doing while at the university will take him/her away from his/her studies for days at a time thus necessitating tutors etc.. Serious students can hack it but serious students could do a lot better if they could focus on their studies. Not serious students focus on their sports, waste their professors/tutors time and generally glom off of the university.

I hate this argument. I had a scholarship as an animation major and the same could be asked about me:

"Why should someone get to go to school for free just because they are better at drawing/painting than the next kid? All that drawing in the end is just taking away from more 'useful' academic pursuits. And what good does that person do for society once he's learned those skills, just entertain people?"

How far do you take this argument? Do you eliminate theatre because it isn't producing something poor people can eat? Do you get rid of marching bands since only 1% of band members go on to play professionally and for the rest it's just taking away from other 'valuable' schoolwork? Universities and their many disciplines exist for a lot of reasons, and individuals learn more valuable life lessons from something like football than you would think. And let's be honest, a lot of kids playing football might not even BE in college if they didn't have scholarships, and they're going to absorb something good while they're there, at least at BYU where moral and academic standards are relatively high for athletes.

[craigoscarson]

BYU sports is going nowhere. In fact, BYU sports is the most visible arm of the church. You lose BYU sports, you lose a brotherhood that extends well beyond sports. The fact that our athletic programs can thrive in spite of our honor code, our extreme minority standing as a religion, our no Sunday play rule, our geographical location (Provo is not South Beach), and the fairly distorted view of Mormons by the rest of the world is miraculous in itself.

My grandmother raised Merrill Bateman and I assure you that this is something he would never stand for unless there was a reason. Just to avoid a few incidents (in what happens to be the cleanest program in the country) is ridiculous.

Spiritual matters and decisions like these don't happen as a result of an incident or two. A spiritual matter and decision could happen just as easily during a national championship season where all members of the team are return missionaries with current temple reccomends and 4.0 GPAs.

We're not the church of gutshot/kneejerk reaction to an incident. That's not how inspiration happens.

This rumor is total bs, and while whoever told you it can justify it with the mission of the church, there's zero chance that there's serious discussion about removing the highest profile program at BYU. (athletics dwarfs anything else that happens at BYU as it pertains to profile)
There's much much much more good that comes from BYU athletics than the few rare incidents.

Are some embarassed about what one athlete said about an entire university? sure
Should they be the 1st to forgive and aknowledge that people make mistakes and say things in the heat of the moment? absolutely

Is a kneejerk reaction appropriate? absolutely not


(BTW - rumors in this church are dime a dozen. I remember people in church spreading claims that thousands of missionaries were getting patriarchal blesssings saying that instead of a mission, they they'd be in a war.... the last war... I have yet to meet anyone that has ever been able to confirm that rumor and of course, that was 12+ years ago. A time where there was no war, no draft, and certainly no last war...)

I have a sneaking suspicion that Ricks College athletics was a finanical and organizational nightmare and had nothing to do with divine inspiration.

The truth is almost always more reasonable than the rumors; even in a church where inspiration is a key element in decision making.

The appropriate reaction to a rumor like this should be in the immortal words of officer Barbrady:

[Italics]

Why should someone get to go to a university for free just because they are better at running/jumping/throwing than the next kid? Especially when the running/jumping/throwing that the kid will be doing while at the university will take him/her away from his/her studies for days at a time thus necessitating tutors etc.

A few reasons:

- Schools need money. Money is priority. No money = crappy facilities = crappy professors = crappy quality students = crappy education. Schools. Need. Cash. Sports brings in tons of it.

- Running/jumping/throwing is a talent, and who is anyone to argue that painting pictures and studying social patterns is more important than physical fitness or entertainment?

- America is fat enough already. There aren't ENOUGH kids nowadays who have the discipline to keep themselves in shape. Physical health - mental health.

- Many student athletes do well in school. It doesn't require having a brain to say "oh, well, uhh, that's because the teachers just give them good grades." But actually, these kids are getting good grades because they are disciplined, and have their sport as motivation for keeping their grades.

- School's have a right to do what they want with their own money. BYU realizes the importance of bringing in the $$$, I don't care how much they act like they aren't interested in money, they have to be.

[Sammich]

My grandmother raised Merrill Bateman and I assure you that this is something he would never stand for unless there was a reason.

Our seats are right behind his in the Marriott center and we always see him cheering vocally for the team---he tries to be subdued in his reactions but you can tell if he wasn't an ex-BYU president and General Authority he'd be up screaming at the refs with the rest of us.

[craigoscarson]

My grandmother raised Merrill Bateman and I assure you that this is something he would never stand for unless there was a reason.

Our seats are right behind his in the Marriott center and we always see him cheering vocally for the team---he tries to be subdued in his reactions but you can tell if he wasn't an ex-BYU president and General Authority he'd be up screaming at the refs with the rest of us.

He's a good man and a huge BYU sports fan. Next time you see him, tell him Maxine Roundy's grandson says hi and thanks for the money for med school.

[Mingjai]

As much as I hate the idea, there is one scenario where this could take place is if the MWC goes through some kind of expansion and suddenly has an North and South conference.

BYu goes South division
Utah goes North division

MWC stays intact and no one forfeits.Unless a championship game, but TCU stands to be a impediment for the foreseeable future.(Given how easily they trounced the conference this year we might want to consider 3 divisions. North, South, and TCU division...)

BTW...thanks for rumormongering.

Nope, even if there were two divisions, BYU and Utah would request the MWC that they play every year as part of their inter-division schedule. After all, 12 team conference with 6 team per division, you only play 5 intra-division games per year. That means you need 3 (or 4) inter-division games. As I said, BYU and Utah would have an agreement with the MWC by which they play every year.

In the Big Ten, each team misses 2 conference team per football season on a rotating basis. However, each team has 2 designated rivals that they will play annually no matter what.

* Illinois: Indiana, Northwestern
* Indiana: Illinois, Purdue
* Iowa: Minnesota, Wisconsin
* Michigan: Michigan State, Ohio State
* Michigan State: Michigan, Penn State
* Minnesota: Iowa, Wisconsin
* Northwestern: Illinois, Purdue
* Ohio State: Michigan, Penn State
* Penn State: Michigan State, Ohio State
* Purdue: Indiana, Northwestern
* Wisconsin: Iowa, Minnesota

Anyway, I have nothing to contribute to the original topic. Continue your rumor-mongering.

[byutx]

I know FOR A FACT that such a meeting went down and that the lives of university officials, including general counsel, has been completely hectic since Saturday night. One of my law classes had to be rescheduled to allow for meetings with BYU attorneys. I can't say what was discussed (because I wasn't told and I don't know).

[Schmoe]

I don't buy for one second that BYU has any plans to do away with the athletic programs. They have been a huge part of BYU, it's publicity, the atmosphere, etc. for the last thirty years (at least).