Comments about ‘Sources: 'It's a done deal' BYU football going independent; other sports to WAC’

They heard bsu was coming and got scared. They don't want 30 point losses to 2 conference opponents every year(tcu and bsu)

I find this move to be disconcerting. BYU seems to be chasing the Benjamins.

College football is clearly financially motivated, but BYU is not a national football power and never will be. I loved 1984 -- but it was a fluke. Football reached a new low. BYU won the national championship despite narrowly defeating a very mediocre Michigan team.

Oklahoma got upset in Miami and BYU found itself atop the heap -- but struggles to compete against really solid programs (e.g., FSU last year, TCU the past couple of years, and occasionally Utah).

Unless BYU can drop a thumping on some big time schools, it is in the midst of a hallucinogenic dream to think it can be an independent in football and a WAC member otherwise.

Of course, I'm no expert . . . but that's my take on this issue.

BYU must know what many of us suspect: a MWC auto-bid is NOT going to happen.

I don't blame BYU leaving or Nevada and Fresno not wanting to join. The MWC TV deal and bowl arrangements are horrendous.

Bring it on!

BYU hasn't pulled the trigger yet, but it looks like they're ready to. The MWC better act quickly or they may just be a second tier conference in a few days. Especially if BSU decides to remain in the WAC and TCU also joins the WAC.
Utah leaves and everything keeps going, BYU leaves and the whole show falls apart.

College football is nuts right now!!! Who knows what is going to happen next!!!

As long as I could see the Cougars on TV again, I'm all for it.

I am so confused...

...and Texas is moving to the Pac 10.

I remember when I got off of my mission in 2006, and the talk of the town was that the Mountain West conference was going to form its own TV channel. I thought it was ridiculous. Everyone except Thompson seemed to think it was a bad idea.

Isn't it funny that the two flagship members (Utah and BYU) leave and talk about leaving and the main reason is the TV deal? Because of the TV deal, the entire conference is now unstable, and frankly, I doubt it can save itself.

I wonder where TCU stands on this. I would be willing to bet they are on the phones trying to get back into C-USA.

You think the Las Vegas Bowl is bad, . . .how 'bout that Humanitarian Bowl? Really?;-)

Interesting. So if BYU is required to play 4 to 6 WAC teams in football every year, BSU and USU (two teams they were looking at playing every year anyway) could be among them. Add Fresno St. and Hawaii, and it doesn't look so bad. It's better than playing Wyoming, SDSU, CSU, UNLV, and New Mexico every year on top of playing USU.

@ unwholly taciturn

thats a pretty arrogant statement to make, seeing as how Utah was the first domino to fall.

I think altahoops has it right. I just want to see my team on TV!

Is this all being misread and the reality is BYU wants to go back to the WAC so it can have autonomy to do its own TV channel/deal? If so, would they be able to take TCU and BSU with them to help legitimize the conference?

LOL, Utah leaves, no big deal. BYU leaves, MWC folds. Another reminder as to who the top dog in the MWC really was.

Louisiana Cougar, you're missing the point--this is about TV revenue. Whether the Cougars ever win again the national championship, they want to take advantage of the TV revenue they've generated for years but have had to share with a bunch of uninteresting MWC teams that didn't carry their weight in putting people in the seats or bringing viewers to TV. Yes, it's a dog-eat-dog world in football, so more power to BYU for trying to capture the revenue THEY are generating.

This semms like a good, solid move for BYU. I think they should move all sports to the WAC including football. Then they can play on national tv, get even better recruits. It would really hurt the MWC that has recently lost Utah, another blow from a top team could destroy their chances of a BCS berth, who cares though.

@unwholly taciturn

Whatever floats your boat. The MWC would be unstable if BSU left, NOT BYU. With Utah gone and BSU out, the MWC suddenly becomes 0-1 in BCS games.

Given the turmoil the MWC currently finds itself, prior to BYU officially leaving, I'd say Utah's departure WAS a big deal not "everything keeps going."

But again, if it helps you sleep at night....

RIP, MWC (not). Let's hope TCU and Boise bolt (back) to the suddenly relevant WAC. BYU is in a unique position to actually pull this off. Which will once again make the state school to the north about as relevant as Washington State. Awesome. Pull the trigger and do it, Holmoe!

Unwholly: Are you telling me that BYU would be considering this drastic move even if Utah hadn't accepted a PAC-10 invitation? (Wrong!)

Interesting game of chicken with the MTN network, though.