Did BYU sign an agreement last night?

[Hookem]

I believe BYU is #1. The other is between Houston and whoever else, and I honestly don't think Texas is going to put up a huge fight for Houston behind the scenes. I just don't, unless Houston went from saying, "you need to at least lobby for us to get our support for the satellite campus" to "you have to get us in to get our support" with the latter demand being highly unreasonable.

[BOID]

Thanks, Spiff. Another way to look at how ridiculous the 2nd choice-for-everybody-important idea is this: the main reason for putting off the expansion this long, was that there was only one worthy candidate (BYU), and there was no second choice without accepting a big drop off in quality. This was often passed around among biased reporters as: we know that no worthy candidates are available, or they would have been invited already. And they knew full well that BYU was available and would bring a P5 level of strength and economic draw, but that there was not a suitable second program to give an even 12 members without dilution of strength. But, the Big 12 members knew the truth, and were holding out for a second quality candidate.

So, knowing this, how silly does it look to even contemplate diluting the conference with two weak programs instead of suffering just one. The presidents and regents, etc, of the power players, UT and OU, could easily, and I believe will, find some other concession to offer the other for their allowance of a preferred 2nd selection. It could be in terms of gifts, or scheduling concessions, or other NCAA sanctioned favors, rather than throwing the baby out with the bath water so that neither of them have to feel butt-hurt by the other.

They need BYU, and they don't need any specific other small-fan-base, deficit spending commuter college, let alone two such low income generating entities. Better to not expand at all, until they can find some P5 program (non-cellar dweller P5) to compliment the BYU addition.

[CrimsonCoug]

I think OU wants BYU more than they want Cincy, and that UT wants BYU more than they want Houston. Why? It's because I've read opinions indicating this from people who claim to be close to the scene, and also because it seems to be the most sane and logical approach.

Reporters like this Cowlishaw character are not giving us real news when they present scenarios that exclude BYU. They're not even giving an honest opinion about what they think may happen. They are getting creative in imagining a way that BYU could be left out. This stems from an arrogant belief that they can influence the outcome to be what they personally want, by writing about it that way.

Think about it. It's a rather far-fetched idea that both OU and UT would each give up on the best single choice, the one that they both want first, just so that neither one of them has to feel like they yielded to the other on their second choice. It's really just a creative way for a hater to imagine the object of their derision being left out.

Great points. We both agree with #1 so why don't we compromise and take my #2 pick (whom you don't want) and your #2 pick (whom I don't want). This way we both get something we want and something we both don't want. Because if we take the consensus #1 pick then nobody doesn't get what they didn't want.

There's this great line from My Fair Lady:
"And so rather than do either they do something else that neither likes at all."

That would be the Cincy/Houston-only scenario. But this is the Big XII--don't put it past them.

[CrimsonCoug]

With the LGBT letter, I believe now more than ever that BYU is out. And jsut when I had finally, after all these years of keeping my guard up, started to believe it...and almost want it.

Hookem, what's the reaction to that letter? Any?
(And by the way, most of the claims in there are demonstrably untrue, undermining the credibility and motivation of the whole thing. But it does create a huge PR challenge that the Big XII would just rather do without. I don't think the conference will expand.)

[Schmoe]

With the LGBT letter, I believe now more than ever that BYU is out. And jsut when I had finally, after all these years of keeping my guard up, started to believe it...and almost want it.

I dunno; did you see Bowlsby's response?




Seems like a "Thanks and all, but if we cared about your input, we would have asked you."

[Hookem]

With the LGBT letter, I believe now more than ever that BYU is out. And jsut when I had finally, after all these years of keeping my guard up, started to believe it...and almost want it.

Hookem, what's the reaction to that letter? Any?
(And by the way, most of the claims in there are demonstrably untrue, undermining the credibility and motivation of the whole thing. But it does create a huge PR challenge that the Big XII would just rather do without. I don't think the conference will expand.)

I haven't seen or heard anything in regards to this. At least not from where I get my info.

Edit: To clarify. I haven't heard anything to make me think that Texas is reversing its opinion on BYU. I'm pretty sure all the people making the decisions knew all of this before hand.

[snoscythe]

Just more evidence of Iowa State's inexplicable distaste for and opposition to BYU:

http://www.iowastatedaily.com/opinion/e ... 95d3e.html

[BoiseBYU]

Just more evidence of Iowa State's inexplicable distaste for and opposition to BYU:

http://www.iowastatedaily.com/opinion/e ... 95d3e.html

The editorial is ignorant on so many levels. Just to take one point, it claims BYU's honor code discriminates against gay people. BUT the honor code only applies to BYU students who have voluntarily chosen and agreed to adhere to its principles. It does not apply to and is not imposed upon anyone else. Normally, discrimination is in the context of a unilateral decree imposed by third parties without their consent or buy-in. How is a person who has willingly consented to something thereafter discriminated against if he or she opts to engage in conduct he or she agreed not to do?

[SpiffCoug]

My guess is Iowa is upset that the Mormons didn't settle in their state and so they've been stuck with crappy football and athletics.

[YNot]

Someone needs to inform Iowa St. leadership that Nauvoo and Ames are only 3.5 hours apart. Similar distance between Independence, MO and Ames, with Adam-ondi-Ahman on the way.

With BYU in the conference, the Cyclones would be set to benefit nicely from visiting ticket sales for football and basketball....