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Does this move make sense for BYU?
That’s the question everyone is understandably asking. Look at the world from BYU’s perspective.
It's always dangerous to wade into the waters of religion when talking about college football. Religion often makes people’s brains spin sideways. The topic consistently stirs up animosity, and so it’s risky enough to address matters of faith and mission in any context at all. In the world of football – where emotions and passions regularly run high – discussing religion is fraught with even more peril. But the two can't be separated here, and it is a factor. For now, though, this is a football and business move, and it needs to be treated as such.
With all of that having been said, one must also realize the maneuverings of Brigham Young University – the central Mormon university not only in the United States, but also the world – have to be understood within a religious context.
BYU TV – which is available on Comcast cable packages and DirecTV – exists to spread the Mormon faith and identity, with classic BYU sporting events being just one small piece on a larger media chessboard.
Texas has talked about establishing its own TV network and making it a centerpiece of its expansion as an athletic program, but BYU is not just about expanding its reach in the narrow context of athletics; the school is intent on sharing the Mormon tradition. If you’re laughing at the notion that BYU wants to follow the path of Notre Dame, you need to realize two things about such a statement: It’s not confined to football, but religious identity and national branding, and BYU already has the television-based and technological infrastructure to broadcast its message to more markets.
Sure, NBC is the Notre (Dame) Broadcasting Company, but that’s only for football. BYU may or may not leave the Mountain West – this grand plan could fall apart if the school doesn’t get a BCS lock-in akin to what Notre Dame has – but the very threat of a move is already strengthening BYU’s position. The school is buying leverage in a way that’s at least somewhat similar to Texas A&M in its flirtation with the SEC.
Does the move to the WAC for nonfootball sports seem like a decided downward move? Yes. Does the presence of Boise State in the Mountain West make the timing of BYU’s jump curious and questionable? Surely. Do the safety and structure of a conference make generally better sense for schools in this day and age, compared with the olden days? Very much so.
There are many reasons to think this move – if it happens – could blow up in BYU’s face. I’m not sold on the deal, but I’ll say this: There are many reasons to recommend it if you see the world from a BYU-based – and decidedly Mormon – perspective. Comparisons with Notre Dame should not and cannot be limited to the realm of college football. There are far bigger playing fields at stake for the mission-motivated men and women who represent Brigham Young University to the world.
