Happy Independence Day: BYU is Officially Independent in Football

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The 1984 BYU National Championship trophy sits untouched in Legacy Hall of the Student Athlete Building reminding players, coaches and fans of the ultimate prize in college football. Will BYU players ever again experience the feeling of being named the finest team in college football? Will BYU’s next national championship come during the Bronco Mendenhall era?

While these questions remain unknown, others have been answered as the 2011 football season approaches.

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The BYU football team charges into independence on Friday.
BYU’s 12-year stint with the Mountain West Conference has officially ended. Day one of BYU’s football independence began today. From that day forward, BYU will play as an independent team in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and embark on a journey to build upon the reputation of its storied football program.

All of the essential pieces of independence have been put into place: the new BYU broadcasting building, the eight-year television partnership with ESPN and a new affiliation with the West Coast Conference for basketball and other sports.

The move towards independence allows greater national exposure for BYU Athletics and increased access for BYU fans across the country. It also provides new freedom in scheduling games against high profile teams throughout the country.

With the season set to start at Ole Miss in approximately two months, excitement is beginning to stir around campus.

“I think it’s exciting,” said Derek Gurr, a senior majoring in public relations. “BYU has earned the right to compete on a higher level. There are a lot of good teams in the Mountain West Conference, but I think that they’ll be able to get a larger variety of big name teams.”

The eight-year television partnership with ESPN will continue to provide opportunities for BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe to schedule made-for-TV games with premier schools across the country. Future opponents in upcoming seasons include Notre Dame, Boise State, Georgia Tech and West Virginia.

BYU running back Bryan Kariya said he is excited to enter his senior year at BYU during the first season of independence.

“I’m really happy that I will be here during this time,” Kariya said. “As far as our team goes, it’s given us an added motivation to prepare well for the season. We definitely need to make sure that we are prepared to show BYU in an awesome light and to represent the school and the Church really well.”

BYU’s upcoming schedule for the 2011 season features its share of difficult games away from Provo. BYU will travel to Texas twice this year to play the University of Texas in September and TCU in October. The Cougars will also battle Ole Miss, Oregon State and Hawaii on the road.

“I’m really looking forward to the TCU game,” Kariya said. “I’ve never been on a team that beat them. Right now our sights are focused on Ole Miss, and from there we’ll get ready for each upcoming opponent.”

The national spotlight will be on BYU as they join Army, Navy and Notre Dame as the only independent football programs in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall said he is enthusiastic about the future of the program moving forward.

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BYU LB Jordan Pendleton leads the football team into LaVell Edwards Stadium before the Cougars' win over Washington last season.
“We’re excited about our opportunities with ESPN and BYUtv,” Mendenhall said. “Independence allows us to provide our players, coaches and fans with opportunities and experiences in different parts of the country while facing great opponents. We look forward to beginning that journey in 2011 and building for the future.”

 

BYUtv will retain the broadcasting rights to any football games the ESPN network doesn’t pick up and will also be able to replay games. Recruiting efforts should also receive a boost from the increased exposure on ESPN. The opportunity to play for a national audience on ESPN is a dream for many high school players.

“Our staff has done a great job of developing guidelines to help us recruit great young men and outstanding football players,” Mendenhall said. “Exposure is the reason we went independent, and the national exposure of ESPN provides our program with wonderful opportunities.”

BYU struggled during the first half of last season but gained momentum as the season went on winning five of its final six games.

Pending bowl eligibility, BYU is scheduled to play in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl next season, the Poinsettia Bowl in 2012 and the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in 2013. However, the team will set its sights on securing a spot in a BCS bowl game.

Today is a historic day for the BYU football program moving forward, and Mendenhall will look to put together a strong campaign during the first season as an independent.

“We were really making progress as the season ended last year, and in the spring I was pleased to see we picked up where we left off,” Mendenhall said. “This team is very talented and we have more depth than in the previous six years that I’ve been the coach. They love to compete, and they are fun to be around. I like our chemistry. I’m very optimistic.”

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