In this file photo taken Nov. 12, 2011, BYU Cougars wide receiver Cody Hoffman (2) runs after a catch against Idaho in Provo.
Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
PROVO — As reported Monday night by the Deseret News, negotiations between BYU and the Big East have been stalled as the two sides haggle over television contracts.
On Tuesday, CBSSports.com reported that the chances of the Cougars joining the Big East appears "unlikely."
According to CBSSports.com's Brett McMurphy, "unless BYU decides to relinquish its television rights for its home football games" BYU will not move to the Big East as a football-only member.
"I doubt BYU will happen," a college football industry source told CBSSports.com. "They are being extremely unreasonable all of a sudden. This is one reason why they did not get into the Big 12."
BYU, which boasts an eight-year broadcasting deal with ESPN, has been exploring the possibility of joining the Big East for several weeks.
"If the Big East does not have the television rights to BYU's home games, it would affect the Big East's upcoming negotiations for its new media rights deal with ESPN, NBC-Comcast and/or Fox," McMurphy wrote. "There are no schools in any of the BCS AQ conferences that retain their home television rights, only those schools that are independents. BYU is in its first year as an independent after leaving the Mountain West and last year signed an eight-year deal with ESPN, which would have to be reworked if the Cougars joined the Big East."
The Big East is looking to add a western division, with teams like BYU, Boise State and Air Force. If BYU opts to remain an independent rather than go to the Big East, San Diego State is considered as a potential replacement for the Cougars.
email: jeffc@desnews.com
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Jeff Call has been a sportswriter for the Deseret News since 1997. He is the BYU beat writer and has been covering Cougar sports since 1993, when he served as sports editor at the Daily Universe. Call has written several more ..
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BYU has it too good as an independent.
Why join an AQ conference that is about to lose that status and have to give up its television rights too? As I see it there is little to gain and a whole lot to lose.
Before you go and say that BYU is unreasonable, consider this:
The ball is in our court. They want us. We aren't dead-set on joining the Big East. So: If we have a deal that is very beneficial to us and to the Big East, we will go. More..
It's not about money, it's about visibility. Show of hands, who wants to join the Big East and possibly get stuck with 3-4 games on TV with the rest limited in availability and no chance for even BYUtv to air them? Anybody??? That is what BYU More..