As I've mentioned earlier this spring, BYU and Utah leave the MWC with a combined 189 trophies. The rest of the league has 116 in total. The Cougars and Utes have won a combined 61 percent of MWC hardware. BYU, on its own, has accounted for a whopping 45 percent.
From purely a football angle, it would have been interesting to see what this league could have done with Utah, BYU, TCU and Boise State. But that ship has sailed.
As of this week, BYU is not yet independent and the Utes are not quite in the Pac-12. That will be an accomplished deed by July 1 but the benefits of these respective moves are already well chronicled.
BYU's great desire for more exposure for its sports programs is on track to explode a hundredfold and TV revenue will increase between eight to 10 times within months.
Utah will become part of a mega TV deal that is expected to rival anything in college sports. In time, when Utah's shares of Pac-12 television money kicks in, the Utes will be bathing in coin that can be directed to recruiting, facilities and salaries.
As time ticks by, it will be easy to distinguish the established gains by Utah and BYU over this move. It will become a spreadsheet click away. It will be clear, contrasted by gaudy numbers and figures.
But what we don't know are relationships of the future. How will they grow, what will they feel like, how genuine and constructive will they become? Is BYU's honeymoon in the WCC for its many sports going to last or wear thin among the religious schools? Will Pac-12 brothers be as accommodating to Utah as we believe, particularly in the North?
Will BYU and Utah have their staff members, media and coaches met with the same behind-the-scenes administrative hospitality at gymnasiums and stadiums in their new digs as they did in the MWC?
I'd expect it would be so.
If there is one thing the WAC and MWC in-the-trench university workers consistently did very well, it's make you feel welcome.
The time has come. Papers have been signed. BYU and Utah will leave their MWC and WAC legacies behind, along with their NCAA basketball tournament unit earnings.
It is a new era.
The time has come.
email: dharmon@desnews.com
Twitter: Harmonwrites
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Dick Harmon is a columnist for the Deseret News with a focus on college athletics. He previously worked as executive sports editor, sports columnist, city editor and police reporter for the Provo Daily Herald for 26 more ..
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good riddance. I won't even shed a tear. Now if Des News could only find a way to ban Hedgehog from posting on BYU articles....all would be great!
Howard, if Utah can't win MWC conference championships because BYU is winning them all (140 to 49 is definitely NOT a small margin), and then Utah goes to the PAC and starts winning conference championships, what does that say about BYU?
Howard S.
"Like a boomerang child, BYU will be back on the MTN. when they play MWC teams on the road."
Gotta laugh at the sheer irony of your post when you consider that Utah's PAC 12 debut at USC will be televised on More..