So long, MWC; Utes, Cougars set to blaze separate trails

So long, MWC; Utes, Cougars set to blaze separate trails


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SALT LAKE CITY — July 1, 2011. A day that will completely change the collegiate landscape in the state of Utah.

The time has come for both Utah and BYU to tip their hats to the Mountain West Conference, shake hands and say farewell as they embark on their own separate ways. BYU will move to football independence and the West Coast Conference in all other sports, while the University of Utah will become an official member of the Pac-12 Conference.

The void left behind by the Utes and Cougars will be rather large — 63 percent (189 out of 300) of the MWC regular season and conference tournament championships were won by the Utah schools.

Will the Utes have success in their future conference affiliations? Only time will tell. But for now, both schools suddenly became relevant outside of the state.

While the significance of all this falls short of the true meaning of Independence Day, which is also celebrated this weekend, it shows just how far the Utes have come — doing everything right in the quest for inclusion in the membership of college football's elite club, a.k.a. the Bowl Championship Series.

No longer is Utah significant just because of its rivalry with the Cougars. The Utes did what needed to be done — not by talking the talk, but by walking the walk.

Taking the "we'll play you anytime, anywhere," mentality, the Utes went up against 33 BCS opponents and won 21 times, which is tied for the most wins against BCS conference foes by a non-automatic qualifying school.

In 2004, Utah became the first team to bust the BCS, earning an invitation to the Fiesta Bowl. But while the undefeated Utes clobbered the Pittsburgh Panthers 35-7, many still didn't think they were good enough to play with college football's elite teams.

In 2008, again the undefeated Utes crashed the BCS party, and were rewarded with playing an Alabama team that was ranked No. 1 for most of the season. The Utes crushed the Crimson Tide 21-0 in the first quarter and cruised to a 31-17 win.

The Utes were starting to turn heads, and after all the dust settled from last year's re-landscaping of college football, Utah held an invitation to join the "Conference of Champions".

Friday marks a new beginning for the Utes. No longer will you need three cable and satellite subscriptions to watch every Utah football game. No longer will women's volleyball reruns take precedence over a conference basketball game. And while some rivalries will be missed (TCU, New Mexico, Air Force and Wyoming to name a few), new ones will be forged as USC, UCLA, Arizona State and Colorado make regular trips to Rice-Eccles Stadium.

So long, MWC. You've been great to both the Utes and the Cougars. Even though we all complained about it, we will truly miss the basketball tournament and bowl game in Las Vegas (along with the Bellagio buffet).

July 1, 2011 marks the beginning of a new era for college football in Utah.

The paperwork has been signed.Now we just wait for the clock to strike midnight.


You can always reach me with your thoughts and opinions at rojackson@ksl.com and follow me on Twitter @rojackKSL

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Robert Jackson sports director

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