Pac 12 worried about BYU to BIG 12
- Thread starter Buckaineer
- Start date
I think the Pac 12 should have added BYU when they had the chance. They're like a Mormon Notre Dame and I bet they get bigger and bigger. I've said this to a lot of people and most of them think I'm crazy so maybe I'm just missing what everybody else is seeing on this issue.
Probably true and the article touches on that:
"The Cougars are an ideal opponent for Pac-12 programs because of their proximity, the quality of the competition and their ability to sell tickets in opposing stadiums.
In some ways, they have played the role of a conference member, all while wanting — but being denied — entry into the league.
(Their flexibility also has provided Stanford and USC with an end-of-season opponent when they don’t host Notre Dame on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.)
The paucity of non-conference options that make sense for the Pac-12 competitively and geographically — the vast majority of Group of Five schools are in the eastern half of the country — would make future scheduling even more difficult if BYU is no longer an option."
Pac12 is very worried the “Alliance” is not going to stop SoCal from leaving thus creating a chain of deflections where B12 picks up leftovers.
WVU '88 and have lived in Utah since 1993.
I find it interesting reading WVU dismiss BYU, much like WVU is dismissed by others.
BYU has a student enrollment of 33,000 and is ranked #79 for national universities.
WVU has student enrollment of 22,000 and is ranked #249 for national universities.
BYU is in the Provo/Orem metro area with a population of 820,000 and growing rapidly. The nearby Salt Lake Metro area has a population of 1.3 million, while Utah's is 3.3 million and growing rapidly. The Polynesian community is huge- figuratively and literally- and has doubled in the last 10 years. Some of these players have opted for Utah as it’s in a Power 5, but BYU will start to pick up players they’ve lost to Utah in the last 10 years.
Morgantown has a population of 30,000 and the Morgantown Metro is at 138,000. West Virginia's population is 1.78 million and declining.
You can fly commercial directly into Provo or into nearby Salt Lake, which is a Delta hub and the 28th busiest airport in the world with 380 daily flights. Plus tons of charter options into both.
Utah's economy is ranked #1. West Virginia is #48.
BYU's endowment is $1.97 billion. WVU's is $611 million.
2021 football home attendance average: BYU 61,647, WVU 51,583.
BYU football has a national championship and a Heisman Trophy winner. WVU has neither.
BYU and WVU both built reputations on playing anybody, anywhere.
We always complain when someone dismisses WVU and West Virginia as less than, but then we turn around and do the exact same thing with some of the same tired, worn-out stereotypes and cliches ( (polygamy) that we despise when used against us (incest)
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You forgot BYU is allowed to send players on mission trip and still red shirt them when they get back thus having 21 year old freshmen.
Any player at any team could serve a mission for his church and defer. Or enroll players graduating HS at age 20. (see Florida State)
It is a rare thing that makes me smile this winter (regarding WVU and the Big12 at least), but for once feeling like a major conference cares about a move the Big12 made is nice.
There are some right wing zealouts on this board feigning being upset about BYU due to BYU being in the church of Mormon instead of the church of Trump followers.
Most WVU fans if they don't like BYU being in conference, its due to the extreme distance between the schools.
While BYU has some history including a somewhat questionable MNC in football, their football history doesn't surpass WVUs:
WVU 1-0 vs. BYU
all time record
WVU 27th, BYU 35th
all time wins
WVU 15th with 769
BYU 64th with 604
NFL draft picks
WVU 46th with 197
BYU 64th with 148
Weeks in poll
WVU 29th with 306 weeks
BYU 36th with 260 weeks
Also keep in mind WVU was playing MAJOR schools most weeks for decades while BYU has faced a more G5 level schedule for decades.
Agreed. Stillwater and Ames are closer to Morgantown than they are to Provo. LA is only 600 miles away; BYU bolts Big 12 if something better comes along, much like I'd expect from WVU if options became available.
All depends on what the newcomers have signed. i.e. if they've signed some Grant of Rights then they wouldn't be free to move until that expires. Find out in a few years I suppose.