Here is what I do like:
-It is always satisfying to know that your years of hard work and success have not gone unnoticed. Doubly so when you are rewarded for it all.
-Money. Anyone that tries to tell you that this deal is not about money is foolish and you should not listen to them. None of these changes are for the good of college football, but they will make some folks more money. Utah is now one of the folks that will be getting more money. Despite it's reputation as the root of all evil, money is important and will go a long way in building an even better institution.
-When the Olympics came to Salt Lake City it left it's mark all over the University of Utah. This move likely means more changes to the University, specifically it's stadium and sports facilities.
-Goodbye Mtn. The PAC-10 is broadcast on relevant stations. Stations that are found on almost any basic cable package. This means I might be able to watch a game without being there or searching for an fuzzy, semi-legal internet feed of it.
-The Utes can now be a legitimate contender for one of these (see below for why this is a double edged sword). Sure, one day thanks largely to the Utes' efforts, the BCS may allow a non-BCS team to play for a national championship, but thus far that has been an impossibility. Either way the Utes are now in the cool kids club. A club that is hard to be kicked out of.
-All of these listed above do wonders for recruiting. The Utes have done exceptionally well even without pulling in what experts consider great recruiting classes so this could be interesting.
-Beating these guys to it. Ever since I was kid, fans from the team down south have been clamoring for the PAC-10 or other higher up conferences to recognize and accept them. Now we beat them to it despite not lobbying for it for the past 30 years. Maybe the rivalry will lose some of it's flair now, but I have no problem leaving these guys behind.
Here is what I don't like:
-For years now the Utes have championed the righteous cause against the BCS so this almost feels like joining the enemy, but even enemies are more appealing when they drive dump trucks full of money up to your doorstep. The excitement and fun I felt being the first team to bust into the BCS in 2004 was something I thought could never be beat. Then we did it again in 2008 and spanked Alabama in the Sugar Bowl resulting in me being forced to lie in the future when I say my wedding day was the happiest day of my life (so if I remain a single man, at least I will retain my honesty). It is fun being the David slaying the Goliath. We'll still be underdogs in the PAC-10, but the victories won't be as sweet. Plus, with Utah out of the non-BCS mix it will be harder to legalize non-BCS participation in the deciding of a college football national champion.
-I am almost done here and will likely be leaving PAC-10 country soon. Unless I find a job in the west coast this means I screwed up the timing of my days spent in the northwest and this change will have a slightly less impact on me.
In the end it looks like the yeas have it and this is a good thing. Regardless of what is to come...
GO UTES!!!
8 comments:
Yeah, I've been pretty exited about this ever since the rumors started a couple of weeks ago. It makes it easy since I already have ties to the Pac 10
I'm even starting to take back some of the nasty stuff I said about the BCS (some not all).
I love that there is a chapel in the background of the BYU fans. I really do hope we do something to preserve the rivalry. Maybe if the Cougars are realllly nice, we'll let them join in a couple of hundred years.
Hey Tom,
I can’t take credit for doing the research, but here’s something interesting on Utah:
"If you think Utah was chosen over BYU because of their athletic programs or tv market, you're deluded (think of it as narcissism taken to the next level). Some facts:
Every year for the past 7 years BYU has placed in the top 50 in the sears cup (composite of all college athletics). The highest Utah has ranked in this period was 51 (26 for BYU). I couldn't research it beyond 7 years ago because it wouldn't load on my computer but I'm sure it would only get more painful the further back you go.
In football, BYU has as many top 15 finishes in the last 4 years (3 of them) as Utah does in the ENTIRE 100+ year history of the program.
Utah has 6 top 25 finishes in the entire 100+ year history of the program (that's two more than BYU has had in the last 4 years). BYU's also had 17 top 25 finishes since 1977 (or better than 50% of the time does byu finished ranked...including finishing ranked the last 4 years consecutively).
Utah has five 10+ win seasons in the history of program. BYU has had 4 consecutive ten win seasons...and 16 of them since 1979.
BYU has more 11+ win seasons in the last 4 years (3 of them) then Utah has had in over 100+ years (two total in 100+ years of playing football for the utah program).
Utah has three outright conference titles since 1957 (BYU has two in the last 4 years). BYU has 22 conference championships since 1976.
Utah has finished ahead of BYU in the conference standings just one time in the last 5 years in football (and just five times total in the last 40 years). BYU has finished ahead of Utah outright 4 times in the last 5 years and over 30 times in the last 40 years.
In the last 5 years, Utah has finished in the MWC conference as follows: 6th, 4th, 3rd, 1st, 3rd. byu has finished as follows; 2nd, 1st, 1st, 3rd, 2nd.
The overall series all-time is 50-31-4 in favor of Utah. however, BYU has won 3 of the last 4 and 29 of the last 41 in this series (nearly 75%). Utah fans have to look to their great grandaddies to find someone that remembers an era where utah was better than BYU.
Now onto bowl records. Utah has an impressive 12-3 record. 9 of these 15 bowl games have occurred since 1999. Utah only started to consistently qualify for bowls when the bowl season become so watered down that any 6 win team would qualify. Prior to the late 90's you actually had to be GOOD to make a bowl game. Not so much anymore. As a result, the vast majority of these "bowl wins" have come against second tier opponents. Since 1995, utah has played two bowl opponents that managed to finish with a winning record and rank in the final sagarin top 40. One of those teams destroyed Utah 38-10. The other was Alabama (well deserved congrats to Utah on this, very impressive). Since 1999, here is the list of the teams Utah has played in bowl games: WAC Fresno state, 6 win USCu, c-USA Southern Miss, 7 win Pittsburgh, 7 win Georgia Tech, c-USA Tulsa, Navy, Alabama and PAC-10 6th place Cal. not really murderer's row.
Utah has not beaten a major conference team on the road that finished with a winning record in nearly a generation. Utah has just one victory in the last 15 years against a non-league opponent that was ranked the day they played and who also FINISHED ranked in both polls. And to cap it off......Utah has ONE victory in over 100 years of playing football against a major conference team that finished with less than 4 losses. One. That's it."
Really, to put it into perspective, any Utah schools in the PAC-12 is a win for the church, congratulations.
Steve Booth
Yo Steve,
That was really long, and I have to confess that I stopped reading after the 2nd paragraph. Here's the thing:
It's pretty easy to make it look one-sided if you hand pick the stats.
Go check out the rivalry fact page:
http://129.81.170.14/~mnicholas/College%20Football/rivalry.html
You will see that the rivalry is really balanced by most measures. That's what makes it great.
I'm sorry you are having such a hard time with this.
Mike
Absolutely. Hand picking stats can really change your view (thats the beauty of stats, they can prove anything you want). In fact I have read other reporters (or more likely, heavily biased bloggers) give me the same sort of list, but with Utah on top. I think it is safe to say that athletically each team has successes that the other cannot match. In that regard the PAC10 was forced to look at the other factors, the next most important being academics and Utah very clearly fits the PAC10 mold better. I am not necessarily saying that Utah is stronger academically, but it certainly offers more of the academic opportunities that the PAC10 prides themselves on.
Yeah, it was just a friendly jab. Seriously though, I graduated the first time from BYU in 1984, which means nothing to Ute fans, but I became a "small" program optimist and have watched hopefully since then for the next opportunity for BYU to play for a national championship. Hasn't come. I have come to the conclusion that we could have 10 undefeated seasons in a row and not be able to play for a national championship. The stats were really a set-up for this comment: 22 conference championships since 1976, and a consistently strong football program has done nothing for BYU's national profile, nor its access to the BCS. Utah's invitation to the PAC-10 is a great thing for the school. Go ask Arizona, ASU, Oregon, OSU and especially WSU how the PAC-10 has helped them with access to "money" and better recruiting. Good luck in the PAC-10 Utah. Take it from a now cynical small program optimist, you'll understand in about 15 years.
Steve B.
Oh I don't know. BYU has got to be near the top of the list for non-BCS schools now (and would be plenty competitive in many BCS conferences). If they could just finish off one of these good 10+ win seasons they would be playing in a BCS bowl. It'll happen one of these days.
Here's yet another Hitler defeat parody, this time about the Utes' move to the PAC-10.
http://vimeo.com/12807779
I agree with Tom. I think BYU is very likley to be picked up by a BCS conference. Especially with their relatively broad national fan base (I can count on both hands the number of Utah Fans I know here in L.A., but I know dozens of Coagars down here). I'd actually love to see them come to the PAC-10
So where's your analysis of Argentina's World Cup team? We're waiting.
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