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PROVO -- Along with last week's announcement that BYU will be going independent next season, comes the perennial BCS discussion. Will independence improve the chances of BYU getting into a BCS bowl game?
ESPN vice president of programming Dave Brown, who was at the BYU press conference announcing a new eight-year contract with BYU, revealed that BYU's obstacles to the BCS seem to be gone. Beginning next season, if they win big, the Cougars should be in.
"The great thing about BYU is the other big names in the sport love playing ‘em, just because of everything that BYU represents," said Brown. "So as we go forward here with [BYU Athletic Director] Tom [Holmoe] and [coach] Bronco [Mendenhall] running the schedule, they're going to find those opportunities- that's the thing I'm most excited about- obviously starting in [2013] we'll have a lot of openings in the schedule.
"That's just gonna be great for fans of BYU football to see those teams here and it also gives BYU greater opportunity to play in the areas around the country where they want to play so their fans nationwide can see the Cougars come into town."
So what can ESPN do about getting BYU into those conversations that would lead to a BCS kind of situation?
"If they win all their games, they're in" said Brown, "I think the business now is to the point where if they lost one, they're in."
Brown believes that with teams like TCU, Utah, and Boise St. getting into the BCS, that BYU will be next, adding that "...we'll get it done here in the near future. Those teams now have earned their stripes; not only in other BCS conferences but just in the court of public opinion."
Brown further stated that there is a proud and remarkable history of success at BYU, adding that their ability as a "national brand" is going to be "great."
Email: dnoriega@ksl.com
