Bradley "power play" time. . .

[squirrelgotdead]

I've stressed in the past the importance for Bradley to partner with other institutions to secure its future as a DI institution in the event of a potential future split.

With BYU's announcement to leave the MWC yesterday, I believe the move by them was solely a move to position themselves as an instigator in the creation of a new entity in the west.

After the hypothetical and potential future breakup of the BXII, let's say BYU joins with the best of the MWC, BXII castoffs and adds a couple CUSA teams and creates this 12-team football league:

East
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Memphis
Texas Tech
Tulsa

West
Air Force
Boise State
BYU
Colorado State
New Mexico
UNLV

If I am Bradley, I would be talking to BYU and feeling out if this is their long-term thinking. I am also securing a block of 4 with Creighton, DePaul and Marquette for this possibility to make a 16-team hoops league:

East "Naismith" Division
Bradley
Creighton
DePaul
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Marquette
Memphis

West "Tarkanian" Division
Air Force
Boise State
BYU
Colorado State
New Mexico
Texas Tech
Tulsa
UNLV

[squirrelgotdead]

It is VITAL to have a secure block or group of partners. The above entity could easily be interested in a school like Gonzaga that brings better hoops credibility and resources at this time.

IMO, Bradley can still bargain up. But if she is not proactive in doing so, she will never get a sniff.

[TheAsianSensation]

I'm not sure BYU would listen to us, but I think getting into the ears of Creighton, Marquette, and DePaul (and maybe even St Louis) is a smart idea right now.

[tornado]

I'm not sure BYU would listen to us...

agree....BYU come calling on Bradley would be as likely as Bradley calling on NJIT

[Da Coach]

You realy think BYU is doing this because it thinks it has the power to pull together a power conference that would include them?

Sorry, I don't believe that. This is simply a move to return to Independent status in football, and not have to share the tens of millions of dollars they make with the rest of the MWC. IMO that's all it is. By joining the WAC for other sports, they position all their other sports with a comparable conference to the MWC, except that the WAC doesn't insist on having BYU football.

If this was all about conference re-organization, for them to pull out of the MWC conference now when such a conference re-organization is far from guaranteed and years away is like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute and hoping to figure something out on the way down.
And if such a "power conference" is a possibility, then why wouldn't New Mexico, UNLV, and the others also pull out of their conferences?

And though it's a nice thought, I also don't see any possibility of Bradley joining a league with such heavyweights as Kansas, Marquette, Memphis, and the others.

[TheAsianSensation]

I agree with Da Coach, but with the latest news about FSU and Nevada joining the MWC, all of a sudden BYU's plans are sort of ruined and they have to go to Plan B. I agree that their intent was going independent in football, but they may already have to be working on Plan B.

[Da Coach]

Yes, the loss of Nevada and FSU hurts the WAC. But since the main reason revolves around football the profits BYU can make (and keep) as an independent, they can live with these other issues for now.
There are rumors that they may change their conference affiliation for basketball if the deal with the WAC doesn't work out so well.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/cougars/50131857-88/byu-cougars-move-holmoe.html.csp

As that article mentions, BYU can dominate the MWC every year in football, and still not likely ever get one of the top BCS bowl spots because of how weak the MWC is in football. They believe it might be easier to get a BCS at-large slot as an independent. But even if they don't, they are likely to get a good bowl bid, or enter into an agreement with a lesser bowl, and rake in the millions in profits that would bring them.

[squirrelgotdead]

You realy think BYU is doing this because it thinks it has the power to pull together a power conference that would include them?

If this was all about conference re-organization, for them to pull out of the MWC conference now when such a conference re-organization is far from guaranteed and years away is like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute and hoping to figure something out on the way down.
And if such a "power conference" is a possibility, then why wouldn't New Mexico, UNLV, and the others also pull out of their conferences?

And though it's a nice thought, I also don't see any possibility of Bradley joining a league with such heavyweights as Kansas, Marquette, Memphis, and the others.

I agree that BYU, for now, is only doing this for money. But I also think it is motivated by its belief that a BCS bid for the league, even with Boise St, was not imminent. Therefore, it figured its best shot to do so was as an independent.

BYU can do this because it is significantly more well-off than its brethren without its own TV network. With it, it can do whatever it **** well pleases.

However, when conference musical chairs is done in a few years, at the end of the day, there won't be room for independents. Period. BYU also realizes this.

So there is no way this is not about positioning. It is easier if you are BYU to secure your future as an independent and being the one bringing people together and throwing ridiculous monetary figures and prestige in their face to form a new league than retaining an affiliation that could damper your marketability.

[houstontxbrave]

I think BYU was more then a little peeved it never got an invite to the Big 12.

The TV network is huge and likely puts a lot of pressure on the MWC to give BYU more of the MWC revenue, especially if Comcast gives them more exposure, kinda like Texas/OU are getting from the Big 12.

I do not see other then the Money angle the advantage for BYU to be an independent and leave the MWC.

I know the Big 12 keeps saying it is happy with 10 members but eventually I think they will go to 12, do they just go to BYU and TCU and bring them both in or does BYU wait around and see who the MWC brings in as that 12th team?

But I do not see BYU going independent in Football and leaving the rest of its programs in a very poor WAC. There basketball program is much to well supported to drop it into a horrible situation schedule wise in the WAC.

All of this will eventually effect the Sunbelt, CUSA and eventually into the Valley.

Bradley I really hope is being proactive.

[BradleyBrave]

I think the MVC is the league that needs to be proactive here.

And if a power league ever came calling to BU about joining, I hope they don't think twice about it.

Neither scenarios I see as likely.

[Rusty 54]

I am scared for Bradley that we haven't had enough consistent success recently to merit any consideration from any basketball "power" conference that might come about. I'm not so sure that Kansas, Kansas State, Marquette and Memphis will be impressed enough with our history that they overlook the recent string of 4th and 5th place finishes. We need to WIN NOW

[SFP]

I am scared for Bradley that we haven't had enough consistent success recently to merit any consideration from any basketball "power" conference that might come about. I'm not so sure that Kansas, Kansas State, Marquette and Memphis will be impressed enough with our history that they overlook the recent string of 4th and 5th place finishes. We need to WIN NOW

I'm not arguing that we may not merit consideration from the above but in reality it is not so much winning but potential revenue. Guess what though? Winning helps. TV market, fan support, merchandising, brand recognition and fielding a quality team that can make the NCAA consistently is what will help us.

[squirrelgotdead]

I think the MVC is the league that needs to be proactive here.

This might be the one opportunity I would support the league expanding.

Add BYU and SLU. The major problem is BYU does not play on Sundays, so you have to move your conference tournament schedule, which I'm not sure the MVC would want to do as long as we're on CBS.

On the other hand, I'm pretty sure BYU would not want to join a league now where it might feel is expecting a long-term commitment, which would be the only reason I would want BYU in the league.

So that pretty much rules that out.

[squirrelgotdead]

I'm not arguing that we may not merit consideration from the above but in reality it is not so much winning but potential revenue. Guess what though? Winning helps. TV market, fan support, merchandising, brand recognition and fielding a quality team that can make the NCAA consistently is what will help us.

BU is not going anywhere without someone willing to take us along.

That is why BU must be proactive. Admittedly, this post was a pipe dream. But it's just an exercise to show the kind of vision administrators at all schools need to have right now.

If the above league were to happen, there is no reason to think that they wouldn't add Gonzaga before us. That's less likely if we have a firm agreement with the other 3.

I believe BYU has this vision. I believe BU's administrators have the strong ability to have vision-I'm just not sure they have focused in on this yet. . .but they will.

BU must be talking to as many schools as possible right now. There does not need to be focus on the direction, but rather to establish relationships and find out which schools have the same priorities and objectives that we do. We must find friends and partners that have upside and that we can trust.

These relationships must look East and West.

And NOW is the window this must be taking place.

[SFP]

squirrelgotdead - A few of us have been saying this for quite some time! I like the idea of being proactive and having a contingency plan that has legs. We do not have to wait until there is a disaster to make a move. The best plans are those that are exercised prior to having to do anything. I believe our best move would be align ourselves with Creighton, SLU and Butler. Anyone else would be a pipe dream right now. De Paul and Marquette would be great but as long as the Big East is a functional conference they are staying put.