NIL money is here to stay. The transfer portal is here to stay and no one is going to change either one.
The gator is on the bottom of the river, already 10 miles down river…
Here in the Salt Lake Vally, KSL (the “legacy home of BYU football”) has shucked BYU to the side and relegated them to the likes of USU and Weber State. They may respect USU more. Last night, on KSL, at the close of the show, the 2 announces chuckled that they did not have time to talk (on a 45-minute sports show) about the BYU bowl game. Tonight, KSL did not even mention the BYU bowl game but praised the Ute players for their athleticism and for their charity work. In baseball terms, most serious and knowledgeable football people see BYU as a Double-A team. This could be remedied by 10, 11 and 12 win seasons but don’t look for that in the next 7 to 10 years - if ever again.
What arkie is saying is “Not Negative” it is the actual facts of what KSL is doing!
KSL SportsZone afternoon hosts said very little about BYU, all they could do was gush over how “Powerful” Utah has become (comparing them to Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia). Very little about BYU except talking about how Jay Hill will help them.
On KSL Sports they have a former Utah player helping them discuss “Utah Football”, very little on BYU.
BYU has become a joke and by word here in Utah. High School athletes look at Utah and see a two time PAC-12 Champions, One of the best coaches in the country of getting players into the NFL and they look at Kalani and see how he does not utilize his talents even when his “stars” are hurt. (Think Hall over Conover).
The last paragraph you wrote is the same as what Arkie wrote. Sorry, I’m not buying into the negative stuff because of what some reporter says that is paid to stir up trouble. I apologize for not being a negative dull disillusioned fan…
Utah has certainly become very good but they are not yet Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State. They are at the top of the PAC 12 when the USC QB is playing hurt with no mobility. They are on a par with about 3-4 other top tier PAC 12 teams. They backed into the PAC12 title game because Oregon gagged in their rivalry game. They lost to a lower level
SEC team to start the season. They would be middle of the pack SEC which is still very good, but for the locals in Utah to put them with the elites is a bit premature.
Utah has attempted to become a clone of the SEC, The Big 12, and 10 by becoming a very physical oriented football team. They have not reached the skill set of the top dogs, but are headed that way. It’s what BYU needs to try and accomplish on defense and the OL, with power running backs. Going to be a tough road, but getting a new DC and assistants is the right start. Now we will see if they can recruit and coach the players up. No matter what-you still have to have the talent
High School athletes look at Utah and see a two time PAC-12 Champions, One of the best coaches in the country of getting players into the NFL and they look at Kalani and see how he does not utilize his talents even when his “stars” are hurt. (Think Hall over Conover).
There is no denying that Utah has the best football program in the state right now. Am I jealous? Darn right I am. But I’m not upset at KSL for focusing on Utah’s successes because sometimes the truth hurts, and if BYU wants to change the present climate it has to win on the field.
Which gets me to this: I don’t think it will take 7-10 years to get to where Utah is today. I believe we will be there in the third year (2025-2026). BYU is in a more advantageous position than Utah was when it became a member of the P5. We’re used to playing P5 teams on a somewhat regular basis, we have a worldwide fan base willing to support the University’s athletics, and better facilities than Utah once had (I’ve heard are weight room is a joke compared to other P5 schools. I don’t know about other facilities. I recall that BYU debuted a new locker, up-to-date locker room a couple of years ago.).
What BYU doesn’t have–and it’s a big doesn’t–is a coach with the vision and attitude of Kyle Whittingham. As we’ve talked about before, Kalani should have been more focused on kicking butt in recruiting than coddling his friends Lamb and Tuiaki.
agreed. BYU has a built in fan base. Utah had Urben Myers, that got them into the P12. From there, a really good coach who was shooting himself in the foot by NOT believing that he needed good QB work to win. Enter Cam Rising, who was NOT GOING to sit there and hand it off. Whitt had to change to beat a USC. Utah QB Cam Rising bounces up after getting obliterated by USC’s Ralen Goforth (msn.com)
BYU is not that far. The Big 12 $$ is coming. Now LDS NIL $$ has to flow and BYU will raise up. end of story
This saddens me. To think that we have sunk to joining the money and transfer portal arms race. I know that it is 2022, and we have to be competitive, but I’m seeing a lot of mission creep at BYU. Not just sports, but the university as a whole. Many of the Brethren, and many BYU people covet recognition and praise for the Church, for BYU, etc. — seemingly at any cost.
I actually don’t think trying to compete with the NCAA arms race will pan out for BYU. I would rather we remain a religious-oriented school that hasn’t sold out, but regardless, I don’t think we will ever be a national power. I think that trying do do so with NIL deals and constant transfer portal moves will actually lead to us being less competitive than recruiting strongly among “Bronco” type LDS players (heart, loyalty, and hustle).
In my dealings with the ‘Brethren’ (through my inner-city mission call) they are anything BUT coveting name recognition of BYU.
They are concerned about the decline in Youth activity in the church and NO, I am not talking about going to MIA or Mutual. They are trying some new things to help retain the youth throughout the church.
I believe the Church leadership has told BYU Athletic department that they can do what they need to do to be competitive as long as it does not violate any church rules or doctrine. That ALL funding must be done by donations, gate and vending receipts.
The Portal is here to stay, BYU needs to take advantage of it to remain competitive. NIL deals are basically the same way, I would hope that they could get some “better” NIL deals, but not go to the extremes of say Alabama, Ohio State or USC.
Bronco was a good coach, but not a great one. He did have his motto’s that I thought had nothing to do with sports. I also know that he was under strict guidelines to clean up the program “image”.
Yesterday as I was shoveling the foot of snow I got at my house, I happened to talk to my neighbor that works in the U of U AD office (almost 30 years).
In our conversation, Jay Hill came up. My friend has known Jay since he coached at Utah. There was one thing I wanted to share with you that my friend said about Jay’s coaching style.
“Jay Hill is ‘feisty’ and will get into it with players when he feels they are not performing to the level he wants them to be at. If you need a comparison, think a Roger French type coaching style”.
I had a former missionary friend that played for Roger, if only half the things he said was true about French’s coaching style, I think you will see a whole different performance on the field.
Roger French was THE. MAN. One of my older brother’s best friends (a kid from our ward growing up) was an All-American OL for Roger French and a high draft pick for the Saints before injuries derailed his NFL career. From what I know of his experience, “fiesty” doesn’t begin to describe Roger French’s fire–he drove a hard bargain with O linemen at BYU, required 110% ALWAYS, and sent a bunch of his guys to The League. If Jay Hill is anything like Coach French, we may have landed a great one!
I actually agree with most of what you say, McKay but I would say Steve Young, Murphy, Jimmer would all disagree greatly with paragraph. My perspective: Sports is by far the greatest release from Stress of Life. Money can be used to bless lives or damage. Big 12 inclusion and the $50 million BYU is getting from all sports income will bless all of our student athletes. Football pays for all of our other Olympic sports. All of student athletes can pursue their dreams affording degrees and bright futures. We just need good coaches and THEY WILL COME.
I will say this: I have–and have for over many years now–extensive first hand knowledge of how hard BYU works to make sure these kids do all they can to succeed academically and work within the HC rules. Now we have to get boosters to pay the top kids to play, but as long as we make sure we get the kids who can navigate the HC AND the academics–even if boosters have to pay some of them to enroll–we can compete.
NIL was never intended to be a free-for-all, pay to show up on campus program, but that’s what it is. Blame the corrupt, hopelessly hypocritical idiots who run the NCAA, but it’s here to stay, and if the church wants to continue its HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL, decades old tool using BYU football as positive advertising for the church, it is what it is.
NIL was never intended to be a free-for-all, pay to show up on campus program, but that’s what it is. Blame the corrupt, hopelessly hypocritical idiots who run the NCAA, but it’s here to stay…
And the cracks are starting to show. ESPN’s basketball analyst Fran Faschilla tweeted the following this afternoon: “I am hearing that some talented college teams are starting to crack because of NIL payments not being made on time, NIL promises not kept or jealousy among teammates. Not a value judgement on NIL. It’s just human nature. The ‘new normal.’”
Which gets me to this: NIL deals should be a binding contract. So shouldn’t athletes make sure an NIL contract is signed before signing a letter of intent? The old saying, “A verbal agreement isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.”
