Photo credit - Me.

It’s High Time.

07.22.2016

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Orem, UT

The BIG 12 and the PAC 12 have been selfishly degrading the entertainment that college sports fan deserve. We all know that after the PAC 10 was rejected by 5 other schools in 2010 they added afterthought University of Utah to even the landscape to a dozen schools and become the PAC 12. This, along with TCU’s departure from the Mountain West Conference, forced BYU into NCAA Purgatory - also known as Football Independence. The following article will be a collection of reason of why I believe it’s well past time for the BIG 12 Conference to add Brigham Young University into its ranks.

Football is Everything

I am well aware of the excuse that BYU is a private university and is not officially a state sponsored research institution, and therefore did not fit into the PAC 12’s realignment prospects. I also have seen and heard the geography argument, that because BYU is nearly 2000 miles from WVU, it would cause a heavier burden on sports with less funding. The oft referred to "Sunday Play Issue". Same thing.

Boo-fricken-hoo.

BYU would be ecstatic to pay the difference and could easily do so with the extra revenue received from joining a Power 5 conference. The only reason athletic departments around the country in any school are able to make money or break even is because the football teams carry the weight. In 2009, (which was before Football was Independent and had the ESPN contract) BYU’s football program made a 53 percent profit and men's basketball made 8 percent. Every other sport lost money. That’s 19 sports programs that are already being funded by Football. BYU’s got the money. West Virginia can survive too. In fact..

BYU is ESPN’s baby. ESPN has loved their deal with the Cougars. "No question, we are thrilled with the relationship we have with BYU," said Ilan Ben-Hanan, ESPN's vice president of programming and acquisitions. "It remains every bit as strong as the day we signed the deal… They're fantastic to work with. They've done a great job on the field."

BYU produces global viewership due to its affiliation with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and for decades "Quarterback U" has created exciting play styles and intoxicating games.

In regards to Sunday play, I’m going to let you read this quote from Berry Tramel from the Oklahoman and leave it at that.

"Why would you keep out a great football member just because you want to protect the Women's Basketball Tournament? That doesn't make any sense at all. So, the Sunday play can be worked around - You could do that literally before lunch. Meet in the morning and before lunch that problem is solved." - Berry Tramel

Infrastructure

BYU has been destined to join the big boys for a long while now and they’ve been preparing. After it’s NIT quarterfinal game against Creighton, the Marriott Center can now boast "Best in the West" for the 7th straight year in basketball attendance. Though recent renovations have lowered its capacity from 21,700 to a measly 19,000 seats, were BYU to join the BIG 12 it would have the largest basketball arena in the conference.

Lavell Edwards Stadium holds 64,000, which would trail only Texas and Oklahoma. Without even mentioning one of, if not the most beautiful backdrop for a college football stadium in the entire country, nobody can argue that BYU’s sporting facilities could be considered in league with Group of 5 schools. Clearly BYU is Power 5 material when it comes to places to watch sports.

The Other Things

BYU is competitive in all sports. Every single sport. The number of gaping holes in BYU athletics amount to zero. Zip. Nada. None. BYU baseball is good. Softball. Men’s and Women’s Volleyball. Soccer. Women’s Basketball. The olympic sports are consistently great. Heck, even lacrosse and rugby are spectacular. The facilities are there. BYU’s fieldhouse provides one of the best collegiate volleyball atmosphere’s out there. But the thing is…

That doesn’t matter. It’s nice, but like I said, football is everything. And BYU football is deserving. They’ve proven they can compete in the BIG 12, just ask Texas and Oklahoma. Money is being lost not adding them. And worst of all, we as college football fans are missing out on some of the greatest football games because the BIG 12 is sitting on their hands watching the college football world move around them.

I feel like Cinci and BYU are the best two options for the BIG 12. If politics weren't involved, they ought to be the frontrunners. All around best football and basketball programs, and they seem to be the best for TV exposure as well. I think Houston is a fairly exciting team to watch too, and they would be a decent addition, but I just don't feel like the BIG 12 as a whole will really be benefited by another Texas team. The BIG XII wants money and stability. BYU and Cinci give that. Houston and Memphis might give that. UConn gives good basketball, but it's not enough to compensate for bad football. To me, it seems like the BIG 12 is being very careful about it and won't be adding teams just for land for a hospital or other "instant gratification" fruits (my Mormon is showing). They understand the NEED for expansion and will do so only if it truly benefits the Conference in the long run.

The only thing I care about is watching quality sports. Watching BYU play Kansas/OK etc. in a ROCking Marriott Center would be absolutely magnificent, and any time we play quality football opponents it's spectacular as well. I really truly feel that the college football world is missing out on some great football without BYU in a P5 conference (I also feel that way about Boise St). Last year was one of BYU's toughest schedules, they played a handful of big name teams like Nebraska, Boise St and UCLA and they were some of the best games of the year. Caaaaan we just have that every year please?

Just add the Cougars already.

Not the red ones. The blue ones.

James Lawlor, the writer, has no degrees in anything and is not a journalist. You can follow him on Twitter @jameslawlor007.