Y fans: Embrace uniqueness, embrace independence


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PROVO — As the most followed football team in the state, in addition to having a large national fan base and being connected to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Brigham Young University’s football program has a microscope on it like no other. And nothing has spurned more recent interest or brought greater scrutiny than BYU’s move to independence last year.

Football independence for BYU — and for those who believe BYU should try to get into a football conference — has its promoters and detractors, and both have merit. But BYU fans, and all members of the LDS Church, have long been taught to embrace being unique, different and set apart from the world. Surely any conference that is truly looking at only football-related accomplishments would have BYU at the top of its list, but there are too many other factors that come into play, particularly religion, and independence brings opportunities no one except Notre Dame (which also happens to be a religious university) can claim. As such, it could be beneficial for fans to have a so-called “paradigm shift,” where instead of possibly viewing independence unenthusiastically, to view it as a positive, even enviable position to be in.

Fans congratulate Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Riley Nelson as he leaves the field after Brigham Young University defeated Idaho State in NCAA football in Provo, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011. (Ravell Call, Deseret News)
Fans congratulate Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Riley Nelson as he leaves the field after Brigham Young University defeated Idaho State in NCAA football in Provo, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011. (Ravell Call, Deseret News)

Consider who said the following (parentheses added):

"Our priority — and our clear priority — is maintaining our football independence and continuing to build our relationship with (our conference) with our other sports." The official went on to say his school would never make a conference move just because it might offer an easier path to BCS bowls or a BCS national championship. He also said that the school's television contract with (the TV station that shows its football games) is "really important and critical to our future," even beyond the football part of the equation.

Did you guess BYU Athletic Director Tom Holmoe, BYU President Cecil Samuelson, or head football coach Bronco Mendenhall? While it certainly sounds like something they could say, it was actually said by Jack Swarbrick, Athletic Director for Notre Dame, when asked whether there was a viable chance his school could join the Big 12 either now or in the near future.

BYU's Cody Hoffman (2) is congratulated by fans as he leaves the stadium after a 38-28 win against Oregon State in an NCAA college football game in Corvallis, Ore., Saturday Oct. 15, 2011. (AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens)
BYU's Cody Hoffman (2) is congratulated by fans as he leaves the stadium after a 38-28 win against Oregon State in an NCAA college football game in Corvallis, Ore., Saturday Oct. 15, 2011. (AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens)

Notre Dame has been independent in football for more than 100 years and would be welcomed immediately into any athletic conference in America, yet it chooses to stay independent. This is based on numerous reasons, but many people feel that Notre Dame’s value is significantly enhanced as an independent, far more than if they were to join a conference. The same could be said about BYU.

A national following

Why does independence increase value? For starters, BYU has a national following. Several years ago a group of researchers decided to try to see how many fans each college team has around the nation. To understand this, they asked people in every part of America which college team was their favorite. The unscientific results as linked in the New York Times speak volumes.

In the state of Utah, BYU is far and away No. 1 (which is one reason the Cougars should be getting the most positive and consistent media coverage in the state). In Portland/Eugene and Seattle/Tacoma, it is No. 3; in southern California, No. 4.; go to Arizona, BYU is No. 3; in New Mexico, No. 2; and in the Dallas, Texas, area BYU ranks No. 5. Even in Orlando, Fla., with dozens of colleges closer to that area, BYU still finds itself in the top 15. In fact, if you click on virtually any part of the national map you will find that unlike most other college teams, BYU is one of the most popular teams in that area. (The easiest way to see the results is to set it to 200 mile radius and click where that city is located).

Fans enjoy watching BYU football practice on Friday, August 12, 2011. (Laura Seitz, Deseret News)
Fans enjoy watching BYU football practice on Friday, August 12, 2011. (Laura Seitz, Deseret News)

BYU administrators, knowing they have fans everywhere in the U.S. and even the world, have provided a way for all fans to watch their team by partnering with ESPN — "the worldwide leader in sports" — for the network’s first and exclusive partnership with a university. The partnership is so good that BYU was on an ESPN channel 11 times last year, more than almost any other team in the country. And for games that aren’t on ESPN, BYUtv, with by far the largest reach of any school-owned TV Channel, plays BYU’s games.

A broader reach

In addition, being independent allows BYU to have a national, not just regional, schedule. Future schedules include teams from the west to the east coast and many states in between. Last year when BYU played in Oxford, Miss., versus Ole Miss, it was reported that at the church fireside put on by the football team the night before there were fans from 32 states in attendance.

Fans at many universities across the U.S. are consistently impressed at how much blue is in their home stands when BYU comes to town, and officials at the Las Vegas bowl picked BYU for five straight years regardless of its finish in the conference because they knew BYU would put fans in the seats. In fact, the 2006 game in Las Vegas where BYU beat Oregon set a record for the largest crowd ever in Nevada to watch a team sporting event. As an independent, BYU can schedule teams all over the country, much the way Notre Dame has done, for all their fans to attend and watch.

An improving schedule

Independence isn't for everyone. Only a few teams are equipped to successfully pull it off (just ask Navy, which is joining the Big East in 2015), and fans have every right to be unconvinced about its potential. But, it could be argued that only schools such as Notre Dame and BYU can do it successfully because of who they represent and the following they have, which is all the more reason it is so impressive. Scheduling has proved to be difficult so far for the Cougars, but 2012 is already better than 2011, and Holmoe and Mendenhall have stated the 2013 schedule is the most difficult any BYU team has ever seen, with teams such as Wisconsin reportedly signing a home-and-home deal to play the Cougars with future games in the works as well. In fact, BYU faces Wisconsin on Nov. 9, 2013, and Notre Dame the following week, with Hawaii the last game of the season.

A clear opportunity

BYU defensive lineman Hebron Fangupo (91) holds up the trophy as the team gathers around after defeating Tulsa in the Armed Forces Bowl NCAA college football game on Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, in Dallas. BYU won 24-21. (AP Photo/John F. Rhodes)
BYU defensive lineman Hebron Fangupo (91) holds up the trophy as the team gathers around after defeating Tulsa in the Armed Forces Bowl NCAA college football game on Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, in Dallas. BYU won 24-21. (AP Photo/John F. Rhodes)

If BYU does ever decide to go to a conference, independence and all that comes with it will no doubt put the Cougars in a much stronger position than ever before, where the school won’t have to give in to all the demands that are usually required of new teams. And although BYU is new to independence and doesn’t yet have the cachet of Notre Dame, it is well on its way with its status already dramatically improving with ESPN’s backing, much the way Notre Dame’s has with NBC. The improving schedule is definitely good news for BYU, and as BYU gets further into independence, ties with individual bowls should substantially improve as well, as the school has a built-in fan base wherever it plays. And since the new four-team playoff model will not be limited to conference champs, BYU should have as good a shot as possible to get to the national championship — as long as, just like every other team, it has a good enough schedule, and that it wins.

The difference between BYU now, though, and most other teams, is that the Cougars get to do it all on their own terms, as an independent with a national schedule and exclusive TV contract, in a truly matchless and exceptional manner.

BYU fans, embrace uniqueness, embrace independence!

David Austin is a proud husband, father, and member of the LDS Church

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