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Sources say that all sports except football will compete in the WAC

Published: Wednesday, Aug. 18 2010 2:59 a.m. MDT

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Andy Katz from ESPN writes "According to independent multiple sources, BYU is in discussion with ESPN for its football rights. ESPN already has an agreement with the WAC to televise football and basketball."

As a highly respected source of journalism, ESPN is fanatic about it's "sources." No story gets posted to ESPN unless the source is credible and verified. Given that Katz works for ESPN, I'm sure he has direct contact with the sources that he quotes take it to the bank that the ESPN negotiations are going on.

Question is, will they actually happen, or will BYU just use the negotiations to strong arm the mtn. into more flexibility?


BYU may have a issue getting into a bowl in the first year or two but in the long term it should not be an issue for them as bowl contracts expire.

ESPN is also reporting that BYU will be required to play 4 to 6 WAC football games a year.


@ Terry

I hate to burst your bubble, but any notion that ESPN is "courting" BYU is fabricated. ESPN already has their mid-major darling (Boise St.) and its not likely to change. sorry, but I fail to see where the revenue streams are going to come from. I think BYU will be much more like Navy than Notre Dame.


I will believe it when I see it. I have mixed feelings. Independent in Football just doesn't sound that great. It would be better to be associated to a conference. As for everything else going to the WAC, that is not a big deal. All other sports are not relevant, maybe basketball but, given their history, this won't make much of a difference. I agree with Gorum, unless a bowl game is guaranteed, this won't happen. They will be better off in the MWC.


Craig Thompson has got to be sweating watching his flagship program getting ready to jump ship.

With BYU joining the WAC in all sports except football, the MWC has lost their only real draw to inviting a team from the WAC.

Much more likely would be a team like UNLV or TCU or SDSU joining the WAC.

Boise State could really be left scratching their heads about what just happened if Utah, TCU and BYU are all gone when they finally get to the MWC.


Fan's of little brother up North are upset that the Cougars are in the news and they aren't. It really irritates them that BYU could actually make this work and improve their own situation while Utah is stuck in the middle of the PAC-Whatever.


seriously, BYU TV, have you ever spent more than two seconds on that channel. Nope, because it is horrible and almost embarrassing. Not the route to get national attention!! Unless we can get some better garunteed deal with ESPN (who rules college football) and AQ status with the BcS (the cartel), then its a no brainer to just stay put. Basketball to the WAC=DUMB


Does anyone else think BYU's potential independence might force Air Force to join the other service schools as independent, thus bringing an end to the MWC as we know it? (tear) In which case, look forward to an MWC/WAC not-so-super conference merger with Boise and TCU as the juggernauts!


I think this could be a good thing but I think it may be the first step to eliminating sports at the mother ship BYU school like Ricks did.

Peel the onion and look at the direction LDS CES has been going... Youth, College and ADULT education are the important areas.

I hope BYU can go indie but logistically is it possible? Are they doing it to play Utah and keep the rivalry going? Do teams want to play BYU?

A rivalry with Notre Dame would be Awesome and I would go to the games in Provo.

Good Luck.



Im guessing that was an attempt at sarcasm?


This is so funny. BYU fans saying "they really should think about this before they do it." and Utah fans saying "this is all about us leaving." What is being overlooked is that this has been in BYU's plans a long time. long before the Utes became the red jerseyed step child of the Pac 10.5. The broadcasting facility and capabilities were put in place for a reason. Nationally recognized broadcasters were hired weeks ago (not released yet) to cover BYU athletics. (They were not hired to broadcast track and field or womens soccer.) Football. This is a posture to be prepared to join the Big 10 when the time comes, that is all. It is not a plan to go independent forever. It is to get out from the ridiculous MWC and it's lack of exposure and be ready to move in the next couple of years. Stop worrying and let the chips fall where and when they may. Very exciting day in BYU athletic history.


@ Big_Ben year Boise State will be relegated to "the mtn." and ESPN won't have access any more.

If anyone loses the most from this scenario, it is probably the Bronco's. MWC won't get AQ, stuck on "the mtn."...ulitmately MWC crumbles without BYU and Utah. Who will really watch "the mtn." after the Cougs and Utes leave?


It seems that those who so willing to see Utah leave the MWC are not willing to see BYU get a better deal than they have now. I am confident that BYU has some of the brightest people they can find working on this. Is it a risk? Is anything worthwhile in life a risk?
Utah and BYU were the backbone of the MWC until TCU became prominent. BYU and Utah were essentially the backbone of the WAC.
If they do take the risk, I am rooting for them to be successful.
Those who don't are bitter and or have an axe to grind. Unless, watching ten hours of TV from their mother's basement couch has clouded their perception also.


" coyote120 | 11:00 a.m. Aug. 18, 2010

You just reminded me that the Vegas bowl has the first choice of teams in the Mtn West. I remember an article a couple of years back that said they could pass on a team from the conference altogether. If that is true, then BYU could end up there for a year or two until they work out a better deal or get a BCS bowl.


Big Ben: ESPN's darling Boise St. will no longer be relevant to ESPN as they will never broadcast one of their games again after this year because they were foolish enough to jump into the MWC ridiculous TV package. Now they are the Versus, CBCC, MWC, darlings. ESPN would/did snatch byu up in a heartbeat for their national support. All time zones, all zip codes. Utes not to be outdone bring the area between state and I 15. Sweet.


Is Texas going to the Pac 10?


Re: Caleb in NY

"BYU typically threatens for a BCS berth". Boy, that sure strikes fear in other BCS schools and promotes national significance.

When has BYU ever "threatened" for a BCS berth? Whatever that means anyway. The closest BYU has ever gotten to a BCS berth is receiving the money they get from Utah's achievements.

Utah ---> Pac 12

BYU ---> WAC ha!


@itsajelly and Cougs4Life

If Byu bolts, Boise will be right back in the WAC and ESPN will continue to have their darlings. BYU would be very wise to make sure they have a TV deal in place.

And itsajelly, how many people across the nation would watch BYU? There are about 7 million LDS across the country. Throw about at least 4 million as being inactive, of the rest, you can probably take a third, meaning a million BYU fans. Most of whcih are here in Utah.

Having lived in Texas, we used to go to the church to watch BYU games on satellite. There about 4 of us. I think you overestimate the national appeal.

SoCalUtahFan sum it up...
Big-12 did not invite BYU.
Conf-USA did not invite BYU.
WAC did invite BYU and BYU will say yes.


To all the BYU-obsessed Ute fans who think this is a "Knee-jerk reaction by BYU to Utah's going to the Pac 10":

Let's set your BYU fixation aside for a moment and look at the big picture.

Since the first disastrous season of the Mtn. network, BYU has been planning and building a state of the art High Def Broadcasting facility along with the only mobile HD Broadcasting unit in the west. They didn't start this when Utah announced their Pac 10 plans.

In March 2009 the Church hired Mark H. Willes as CEO of Deseret Management Corp (holding company for KSL, Bonneville Intl, Deseret Digital Media, Deseret News, etc). He's a major fortune 500 heavyweight with an impressive background in communications.

They have methodically been putting the pieces together for years to regain control of broadcasting their own product. This means getting out of the Mtn. contract by whatever means necessary. Independence is just one option.

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