Good old Charlie Brown has a history of standing by the mailbox waiting for a Christmas card, a Valentine’s Day card, an invite to a New Years party invitation or pretty much anything by his mailbox. Nothing ever comes his way. It’s getting to the point where of all the coaches in college football, BYU’s Bronco Mendenhall may the Charlie Browniest because he may be waiting for an invite to a power conference that may never find its way to a mailbox at BYU.
Mendenhall met with some members of the media Friday and once again addressed questions regarding BYU’s future as a football program. Judging by the quotes offered by the head coach of the Cougars, the sight is still set on inclusion in a power conference at some point down the line.
“I hate to be pinned down, but if someone were to force me, I’d say three years. It has to happen within three,” Mendenhall said to Greg Wrubell, who does BYU football play-by-play. “Could it go longer than (three years)? Yes, it could. Is it desirable to me, to go longer than that? The answer is no.”
Mendenhall explained he still feels there are more realignment changes to come that could benefit BYU in some way. Those realignment changes may be a bit more difficult to see now with power conferences gaining more power through autonomy and possible deregulation of conference championship games a possibility. BYU’s best hope seems to be possible expansion in the Big 12 to return to 12 members, but as we have discussed time and time and time again, this does not seem to be a top priority for the conference. And if the Big 12 did expand, it is more likely the conference would have a desire to move east.
BYU’s plan for independence was one that seemed to have some support at the time of leaving the Mountain West Conference, a decision Mendenhall still stands by without hesitation. But since choosing to go independent in football a lot has changed around the college sports world. More realignment changes happened and power conferences were given more power, which BYU may not have seen coming at the extent it has.
“I absolutely think it was worth it,” Mendenhall said. “I think it was the right move at that time. Independence is more difficult than the MWC was.” But even Mendenhall knows what BYU needs to do in order to make any serious pitch to the Big 12 or Pac-12 (or any other power conference).
“At some point, (P5) inclusion has to happen...best way I know to do it is play our way in, and that’s what I have chosen to do,” Mendenhall says.
If nothing else, these are comments you want to hear from BYU’s coach. What else is he suppose to say? BYU would benefit more from being a part f a power conference like the Big 12 than being an independent at a time when power conferences are soaking up more and more revenue compared to other conferences (and independents). Did BYU make a mistake leaving the Mountain Wets Conference? That is debatable, and we know where Mendenhall stands.