BYU Football: A Deal with the Big East That Might Work for the Cougars

Things are heating up in conference realignment again, and Westward Expansion has taken on a whole new meaning, as the Big East looks to build its brand for the future by adding teams west of the Mississippi.

It’s widely assumed that if BYU wants to go, it will get invited. The question is, will it want to?

As I have written before, when it comes down to it, there are only two pros for making the move: Easier scheduling and a remote chance it would mean automatic BCS access after 2013 (when the BCS contract is renegotiated. Talk already rampant about eliminating automatic qualifying).

The cons are pretty significant, the biggest being a major reduction in TV revenues and exposure through true nationally televised games, which BYU gets in its current exclusive deal with ESPN.

Bowl access is likely a wash, as I pointed out in previous articles.

Not taking the bad with the good

Is it possible there’s a way to take the pros of Big East conference membership and leave the cons?

If I’m BYU, the only scenario that makes sense to me is one that allows me to keep my current TV revenues. Remember, that’s the only way athletic departments really make money outside of ticket and ad sales. BCS money is a myth.

An arrangement where BYU retains its TV contract and revenues with ESPN, but joins the Big East might even make sense for both sides.

The Big East needs teams. Adding BYU gives them a school which would dwarf all others in the conference in terms of facilities, fan support and national appeal.

It’s possible they would consider adding BYU as a football-only member, which retains the right to handle all its own TV scheduling for non-conference games as well as conference home games.

The Big East would retain the rights to any conference road games, obviously. BYU would take a greatly reduced portion of the revenue from those games, possibly handled similar to a non-conference road team’s revenue share.

Another caveat I'd add is contractually agreeing that if the Big East’s future TV partner—whomever it might be—decides not to carry a BYU conference road game, BYUtv has rights to broadcast it, as well as re-broadcast any conference game. 

It’s also important to consider the number of conference games expected to be played. Should the Big East go to 12 teams, with six in each division, BYU should push for a seven game conference schedule, allowing it to still work on five premier non-conference setups.

Best of Both Worlds

In that scenario, the Big East gets the stability it desperately needs and the panache it lacks to woo Houston, SMU, Air Force and Boise State to make a Western Division.

BYU gets decent scheduling in October and November—an, Air Force, SMU, Houston, South Florida, Louisville, Rutgers and Boise State slate is quite good—a conference championship to play for and more than a single bowl tie in.

Oh, and possible BCS access.

Maybe it is possible to have your cake and eat it too. I hope so. 

Follow Ryan at @SportsGuyUtah