Breaking: BYU to join WAC

MetsJetsAggies · Post by **MetsJetsAggies** » January 27th, 2011, 3:15 pm

http://twitter.com/#!/WACSports

Announced today!
"Brigham Young University and the Western Athletic Conference today announced that BYU will join the WAC beginning with the 2011-12 athletic season."

for softball

hipsterdoofus21 · Post by **hipsterdoofus21** » January 27th, 2011, 3:20 pm

Why? Why would Benson agree to this? What good does it do the conference and why should we make concessions to BYU? They've left the WAc hanging high and dry a few times now. It's not like softball is going to bring any kind of revenue. As soon as they can they'll rewrite their football deal with the WAC and play MWC teams instead. If BYU wants a place for some of its sports we should make them bring all their Oly sports. A basketball conference with USU, BYU, and NMSU might warrant an at large bid each year.

dyedblue · Post by **dyedblue** » January 27th, 2011, 3:28 pm

It was their choice to leave the MWC. It was their choice to join abandon the WAC and join the WCC. If they want softball in the WAC then put your other sports in the WAC too.

UtahStizzle · Post by **UtahStizzle** » January 27th, 2011, 3:33 pm

And i really don't see them coming over for basketball. There's too many spread out teams now in the WAC. The WCC has a nice, tight regional fit, and at least they can play Gonzaga and St. Mary's twice a year.

ACCAggie · Post by **ACCAggie** » January 27th, 2011, 3:34 pm

Benson needs to grow a pair, after they bailed, tell them to shove their Softball team!

Post by **ProvoAggie** » January 27th, 2011, 3:40 pm

The WAC needs to put their foot down with BYU. BYU got stuck in a tough place and the WAC enabled them to do whatever they wanted to do. They really wanted to go independent and they really wanted to go to the WCC but needed somewhere for a few sports. The WAC should have said that it was all (except football) or nothing. No exceptions. If they would have had the guts to tell BYU that then BYU would A) Still be in the MWC or B) Be in the WAC for all sports except football.

bigbluebaby · Post by **bigbluebaby** » January 27th, 2011, 3:41 pm

I think Benson is thinking.. We can pull them in sport by sport...

Pipe Dream.. They will use us like my last girlfriend used me for my body...

AGGIEFIGHT · Post by **AGGIEFIGHT** » January 27th, 2011, 4:08 pm

BYU wanted to bring track and gymnastic to Wac along with softball. I hope
we dont see these other sports next.

SoCalAggie · Post by **SoCalAggie** » January 27th, 2011, 4:14 pm

why doesn't the liquor store sell 4-loko in a six pack of 24 oz cans?

Yea I saw that and posted it on the WAC message board. Geeze I don't know anymore folks

USUaggie · Post by **USUaggie** » January 27th, 2011, 5:02 pm

hipsterdoofus21 wrote:Why? Why would Benson agree to this? What good does it do the conference and why should we make concessions to BYU? They've left the WAc hanging high and dry a few times now. It's not like softball is going to bring any kind of revenue. As soon as they can they'll rewrite their football deal with the WAC and play MWC teams instead. If BYU wants a place for some of its sports we should make them bring all their Oly sports. A basketball conference with USU, BYU, and NMSU might warrant an at large bid each year.

In a conversation I had back in November, Barnes said he would not be in favor of helping BYU with their minor sports unless they brought basketball. He said some others in the conference were willing to help BYU without that requirement. They seem to have won out.

hipsterdoofus21 · Post by **hipsterdoofus21** » January 27th, 2011, 5:20 pm

I just don't see any gain from this, and I'm not sure why the conference wants to play nice.

USUaggie · Post by **USUaggie** » January 27th, 2011, 5:46 pm

hipsterdoofus21 wrote:I just don't see any gain from this, and I'm not sure why the conference wants to play nice.

I could understand if this was a step at getting BYU to come across for all but football. Twelve for football and 14 for basketball:

East

LaTech
LaLa
TS
SA
NMS
NT
Denver

West

USU
ID
Montana
Montana State
SJSU
Davis
BYU

16 for basketball would be better for scheduling, so entice Gonzaga and St Marys (although probably not possible). Having Byu could help land Montana, NT, Davis and LaLa . BYU then still has a viable conference for a scheduling alliance for football. ESPN could give us a crappy little TV contract, but that’s all we have had in the past. If BYU is still really our friend because of the failed project they should try to make this happen. It doesn't look so great now, but ten years from now the FCS teams could be decent.

coolag · Post by **coolag** » January 27th, 2011, 5:47 pm

This really shows just how desperate the WAC is. Dissapointing to say the least.

EarlOfHemsley · Post by **EarlOfHemsley** » January 27th, 2011, 6:50 pm

Fire Karl Benson. That is all.

hipsterdoofus21 · Post by **hipsterdoofus21** » January 27th, 2011, 7:26 pm

BYU ain't coming back. They're just bullying Benson around. Plus, realistically, unless independence fails (which i don't see it doing) or the Big 12 comes a calling, BYU will just continue to fart in our general direction from time to time and Benson will be right there to smell it and say "thanks".
If they wanted BYU to put their Oly sports in the WAC then they should have stuck to their guns and said all or nothing. This just lets them know that they can continue to call the shots in a conference they haven't been a part of in over 10 years! What would have been better is to have had a back up plan for the Project that would have had Montana and N Texas lined up to entice BYU to stick to the plan. BYU showed their cards (The Project), the MWC countered with their's (Nevada, Fresno) and then when all eyes turned to the WAC Benson revealed that he'd been playing with UNO cards and just shrugged with a stupid grin. With all that on the table BYU had to make a quick decision and so they chose the safe choice of the WCC.

hmsben · Post by **hmsben** » January 28th, 2011, 2:14 am

I know USU fans don't appreciate BYU, but the WAC is not in a position to say no to BYU softball. Like it or not, the WAC needs all the comers it can get.

Post by **ProvoAggie** » January 28th, 2011, 8:46 am

hmsben wrote:I know USU fans don't appreciate BYU, but the WAC is not in a position to say no to BYU softball. Like it or not, the WAC needs all the comers it can get.

Yes the WAC is in a position to say no. Right now the WAC needs stability and you don't build stability by adding random sports from different schools. The WAC needs schools that are committed to the conference. BYU doesn't care if the WAC succeeds or fails. If it fails then they'll just put that sport somewhere else. If the conference fails then a lot of other schools are in really big trouble though and we need members that will make sure that doesn't happen. byu softball doesn't do anything for us.

buckfever · Post by **buckfever** » January 28th, 2011, 9:35 am

the only official releas I can find is that byu will join the wac in softball since the wcc has no softball..then it states they will play the rest of nonfootball sports in the wcc...correct me if I am wrong

Post by **ProvoAggie** » January 28th, 2011, 9:46 am

buckfever wrote:the only official releas I can find is that byu will join the wac in softball since the wcc has no softball..then it states they will play the rest of nonfootball sports in the wcc...correct me if I am wrong

I believe they have a couple of track and field sports that the WCC doesn't sponsor either. How many conferences do you think BYU can spread themselves between? Right now it's looking like they'll be in the Big West, WCC, WAC and Independent come next year.

Rabidchild · Post by **Rabidchild** » January 28th, 2011, 2:44 pm

MetsJetsAggies wrote:http://twitter.com/#!/WACSports

Announced today!
"Brigham Young University and the Western Athletic Conference today announced that BYU will join the WAC beginning with the 2011-12 athletic season."

for softball

The Project is a success!! Does this mean that Fresno and Reno are bound to pay the $5 million exit penalty after all?

WillRogersAggie · Post by **WillRogersAggie** » January 29th, 2011, 6:16 pm

This is the official image of the announcement

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