That would be like when we played at Hawaii.
Or worse, listening to Marcroft that late, feeling like we were getting jobbed, not realizing until decades later he had a weird talent for making it seem like even the concessions people were laughing at us.
Wrong. Iâm not working a day past 85.
Yes, Utah is kind of following the Oregon model, where a team develops a brand and draws viewership beyond the meager size of their immediate population footprint would suggest.
But in our case, the marketing doesnât draw from a Nike level presence to present swag to accompany the highlights, the brand is centered around Whitt and how he represents the culture of the program.
Itâs 100F and 140F on the field? Whitt doesnât care, heâs standing in the sun in a black shirt, forearms glistening in sweat⌠the team knows thatâs just the way it is⌠they certainly didnât wilt in the heat. (Like the game at Colorado State circa 2009 when it was really cold, and we were struggling in the second half. Whitt turned around to see guys on the bench huddled around heaters. He told the equipment manager to turn the heaters off, guys needed to get their heads in the game. We rallied and won.)
This yearâs an audition, just like the 04 season, the 08 season, etc.
Weâre fans, weâve been around and in the middle of it for a long time. But the evolution of Utah within a changing CFB landscape is fascinating to watch.
If we do well in the Big-12, does that get us into whatever the next tier looks like? Sure, Iâm a fan, but I wouldnât bet against Utah. I think few would.
Was wondering why Whitt was in black on such a hot day.
Kind of grateful with Salt Lake in the middle of a late heat wave, that we have the late game this week.
The black shirt is like the hair shirts medieval Christians would wear in penance for their sins. But in this case he is quietly suffering not in penance, but for the sake of the program and his players.
The next tier is likely to remain the B1G and SEC. Even if Utah were to win the National Championship it seems unlikely to be economically advantageous for Fox and ESPN to pay Utah more money while simultaneously weakening their Big XII properties. Iâm excited about Scalley and the upside on the field but I just donât a pathway where Utah getâs into the B1G and SEC.
Alternatively, if the marbles all get dumped out and they were to just pick the strongest performing football teams, certainly Utah would be appealing on football strength at a top tier for the past 20 years. Whether thatâs 32 or 48 or 64 teams. Again though, i donât see the pathway to the marbles getting dumped out because that would be mean the B1G and SEC would have to cede power. Itâs just not a meritocracy.
add thought: Besides Nike effects, 1/3 of Oregon students come from California, because itâs so difficult to get into any schools here now and the draw of the sports. Currently Utah still offers scholarships to semi decent California students for the 1st year (WUE), and then provides an easy path to Utah residency, whereas Oregon students from California pay full fare all for years - such is the demand
In the scenario where SEC and B1G become super-conferences, Utah would add value in terms of expanding the western wing of the B1G, IMO. I donât think the travel costs have been fully manifested to UO, UW & the LA schools⌠but they will.
Another reason I think this happens is the 2nd part of what Josh Pate revealed from sources earlier this year⌠before (his predicted) settlement on the lawsuit that will result in revenue sharing / salaries for the athletes.
Essentially, in order to not be continuously sued into the next century, NCAAF and the Supers needs some kind of anti-trust protection, which would likely involve Congress. Nothing gets through the Senate without some semblance of broad geographical representation.
Can the NCAA and growing super-conferences dismiss an entire time zone? Count me as skeptical. Theyâre disproportionately going to be the targets of the litigation since thatâs where the big money is, theyâre the ones with an incentive to get protection from endless litigation.
Theyâll expand geographically, IMO. If that involves some trickle down to other conferences, maybe thatâs part of the grand bargain. This is the NCAAâs chance to regain some semblance of credibility and governance.
Oregon & UW are getting a partial share of the TV money from the B1G. Utah would, as well, and weâve proven we can compete nicely with less overall money. A salary cap will ensure Tier 1 cultivates a healthy competitive product instead of people just getting the same 20 teams week after week⌠a sure recipe for souring customers. Maybe a large scrambling of the marbles involving the B1G and SEC happens? Who knows? Purdue, Vanderbilt, Miss St, and others might be on the bubble in that kind of scenario.
Iâve been a Ute fan since the WAC days, loved all those road trips to Albuquerque, Ft. Collins, AFA, San Diego, Vegas, Arizona. If Utah doesnât make it to the top tier Iâll still be a Ute fan.
But I believe there is reason to be cautiously optimistic, for Ute fans.
If two super conferences is happening you are right, skipping an entire time zone would be problematic in making a case to Congress and the President to legislate some antitrust exemptions. In that regard, Utah becomes more of a choice. Given the new Reggie Bush lawsuit, it will be interesting to see how that shakes outâŚ
So Reggie, during your time at U$C you allege your compensation was inadequate and the settlement still doesnât cover it.
Yes, your honor.
So explain the Escalade you drove for free, the home in Bel Aire where you and your parents lived in rent free, and the Kardashian you shagged without the penalty of the Kardasian curse.
Uuuuhhhh, those werenât compensation. Those were tributes. 
If Reggie, who made $$$$$$ in the NFL wants compensation as he was horribly victimized back in college, then what about all the countless athletes who played hard but didnât make millions in the pros and now are living a modest humble life?
Think of how many Heisman winners ended up doing doodly squat at the next level.
Reggie, Ty Detmer, Johnny Football. (That was a bad one - Manziel went from winning the Heisman as a FR to the NFL to the CFL⌠to ultimately playing for something called the âFCFâ - âFan-controlled-footballâ - where fans call the plays. YIKES!)
These lawsuits are gonna keep coming.
I asked for a pathway and you definitely provided one (even if there would be many headwinds)
One key is defining super conferences. It appears youâre defining it, as many do, as a breakaway football division where the super conference teams stop playing non super conference teams. My original argument is that a breakaway doesnât create any new inherent revenue for the B1G or the SEC or the networks. Itâs so close now to just a tier 1 league with B1G and SEC acting as divisions for the top brand teams, with some interleague play scattered in. Then 40 other teams that at least have a shot at that playoff making those 20 additional games ârelevantâ enough to capture eyeballs providing inventory for networks (with networks continuing to show interest in all these ânon p2â teams even including the CW now!)
But your point actually show that there is further disincentive for a breakaway league. Which is that the status quo provides nominal, but real access for all teams who have made an FBS level investment and thus protects against anti competition claims even while revenue has been maximized. Utah State has access to the playoff and can still potentially schedule USC. To your point, there would have to be even more overwhelming economic incentive than I had considered to risk that. Handing a slot to U of U probably still doesnât prevent or satisfy anti competition concerns from Colorado, Stanford and Kansas if they are left out now matter how deserving Utah is.
I donât know if he still does this, but 10 years or so back, he would wear a rubberized black top during two-a-days.
Iâm of multiple minds on the whole idea - the genesis of my thesis comes from landing in one of the east-west conferences after the dissolution of the original PAC-12.
I would prefer being in a western association of universities that includes the west coast brands but is distinct from the MWC-newPAC litigation combatants. Definitely multiple tiers out here. Three? Seems like two might be more reasonable, and the horizontal striping just doesnât make sense, IMO. MLB doesnât do it, NBA doesnât do it, NFL kind of does it.
And I - like many - miss being associated with other universities that seriously emphasize research.
But as weâve seen, the situation is fluid. Cal and Stanford both pulled off road wins in the ACC, but itâs hard to imagine that association lasting long. Does Stanford and Syracuse become a lasting rivalry?
(The Bay Area schools have kissed home night games in conference good bye. That just seems weird. This all screams âtemporaryâ.)
Four time zones is idiotic. The current map is the result of failure. Unless there are super-conferences and regions.
The expanded CFP and G5 scheduling flexibility are signs that things may stabilize without leading to further stratification. The maps and lawsuits suggest weâre not done.
Iâll be a Ute fan no matter what happens.
For the B1G and the SEC though, the map is not an issue. Other than the big 4 schools on the west coast, who willingly chose to adapt to the midwest and south college football $$$$$$ poles, the rest of the teams in those conferences are good. To the âvictorsâ went the spoils.
It appears teams outside the P2 must accept substantial academic and geographic compromises. I expect âfluidityâ will be these non P2 teams navigating different trade-offs while the ACC and BIG XII end up competing for the tier 2 teams as 2031 approaches
A while ago someone posted a picture (think was it was on Facebook) that had a map of conferences/schools a few decades ago, and a current map, each with a oval/circle surrounding teams in each conference. The older map had a little overlap (MAC and Big10 are somewhat mixed in that part of the country) but the new map was just a complete mess.
Yep. Regional rivalries are much smaller and fewer now.