'They belong here': Why Sitake wants to bring past BYU greats on Big 12 ride

PROVO — No sooner had Max Hall wrapped up a win for his Navy alumni squad in what is sure to be the first of many annual spring games at LaVell Edwards Stadium that he got the question.

With BYU's upcoming move to the Big 12 Conference, it was only right that the winningest quarterback in Cougar football history have a chance to opine on the move. No one expected Hall, who lives in Arizona with his wife Mckinzi and his children after a brief career in the NFL and Canadian Football League, to be against the move.

But his reasons for loving the Big 12 might surprise a few segments of the fan base.

"I like that we're back in a conference," Hall said. "The independent thing was cool because we got to play some different teams, but I always think there's something about competing for a conference championship — and in the Big 12? Let's set our expectations high. Let's go win a Big 12 championship; I think we have the guys to do it, and I'm excited to see how we do."

Thanks for the expectations, Max. But the approval of the standout quarterback who threw for 11,365 yards and 94 touchdowns with just 40 interceptions and was the last to beat Utah before Jaren Hall accomplished the feat 12 years later still matters.

So does all of BYU football's alumni base, which is part of the reason why head coach Kalani Sitake, co-recruiting coordinator Jack Damuni and player experience manager Billy Nixon (among others) organized the alumni touch-football game Thursday.

In lieu of a spring game, and to help manage injuries and the spring-ending grind of spring camp, the Cougars invited prominent alums back like Hall, former NFL linebacker Bryan Kehl, quarterback Kevin Feterik, wide receiver Alevi Hifo and around 40 of their closest friends to participate in the soon-to-be annual alumni game.

When Sitake called, it was an easy decision to make, Feterik said.

"I love the guy, love what he's doing," said Feterik, the 44-year-old graduate of 1999. "He's got this program going the right way. So happy for him."

Hall. Kehl. Feterik. Hifo. Kalin Hall. Brandon Doman. Cody Hoffman. Reno Mahe. Joe Sampson. Spencer Nead. Countless others.

Sitake wants all of them to come back to BYU to feel like the program that he's building — often in the image of his old coach, the late Hall of Famer LaVell Edwards, but also with his own touch — partially belongs to them, too. He needs them: for approval, for recruiting, for fundraising.

"I've been there as a former player, where no one gives you a playbook on what to do after (graduation)," Sitake told BYUtv. "It can be a little awkward at times.

"I thought it would be good for me to just let them know that this is home for them and we want them back here. We want them involved in all of what we do, our team, mentoring our players. Imagine all the former players out there who can be a great testimony of what this place is all about."

Even with top-team Oklahoma and top-brand Texas leaving the Big 12 for the SEC sometime between 2023 and 2025, the conference that once emerged from the remnants of the Southwest Conference has plenty of talent. Neither the Sooners nor Longhorns won the league last year; No. 10 OU finished third to Bedlam rival Oklahoma State and No. 5 Baylor, which held off the No. 7-ranked Cowboys by a fingernail in the league title game.

And if that's not enough, the conference also boasts each of the past two national champions in men's basketball, with Kansas following up Baylor's feat Monday night, overturning the largest deficit in championship game history for a 72-69 win over North Carolina. In the last four seasons with an NCAA Tournament, a Big 12 team has been present in the Final Four.

Buckle up, BYU — and Cincinnati, Houston and UCF. The Cougars are going to need all the help they can get as they move to their new conference home.

"Kalani's awesome; everybody knows that," Kehl said. "The message he gave to us was fantastic, all about alumni and being here in this house that built us as men.

"It really hit home with me. Fifteen years ago, we beat Utah on this field and I sat at midfield and just cried like a baby. The emotions just hit me, growing up with season tickets since I was the age of my kids, dreaming of playing on this field, and when it all came to an end, it hit me like a baby … It's a unique place, and it will always hold a warm place in my heart."

That also includes the need for fans, donors and a bunch of "old guys" who suited up for the Cougars in the Western Athletic, Mountain West and independent eras to step in and get involved.

"I just know that they belong here, and it's great having them on campus," Sitake said. "There's something about BYU that just reminds them of what they used to be like, going from that transition from a young man to an adult.

Hall is the offensive coordinator at American Leadership Academy in Queen Creek, Arizona, where he "still throws a little bit" with his quarterbacks and has even sent a few of his players on to his alma mater. But even 655 miles away, he wants to be involved with BYU. That's good, because BYU wants him to be involved.

Hall has worked with several local camps in Utah like Dustin Smith's QB Elite, and he makes regular visits to the Wasatch Front. But is it too early to expect the former prominent signal caller to make several return trips to Provo in the fall?

Hardly. Hall's job likely won't allow him to visit every weekend, especially when the Patriots play on Friday night. But expect the one-time Arizona State transfer to make the familiar trek to LaVell Edwards Stadium enough by the time the Cougars jump into Big 12 play in the fall of 2023.

"It's so easy to be a BYU fan right now," Hall said. "And part of what Kalani wants to do here is bring alumni back, get them involved, build relationships with the players; give back however we can. He gave me the green light, and I want to come back and be a part of this.

"I love coach Sitake, I love what he's doing. I think we have a great football team, and really excited for the season."

Hall never played for Sitake. Neither did most of the players who came back Thursday night. But he still belongs in Sitake's alumni pool.

Come one, come all; no matter who coached you.

"It doesn't matter if you played for coach Edwards, Crowton, Mendenhall or myself; it's good to have everyone back," Sitake said. "They're all part of the family, and it's been nice seeing all the familiar faces that we've seen make plays on this field."

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