...the Pac didn't do their homework they had a knee jerk reaction to a failed gamble when Texas and the other teams they wanted from the Big 12 didn't come after the Pac's attempt to break up their conference with the Colorado invitation.

Let's break your logic into smithereens:

1a). Just because 2 schools are in the same market doesn't mean they both bring the market. In the area covered by the SLC/Provo/Orem TV market, BYU is the dominant rating puller. If a BYU game and a Utah game were on TV at teh same time on different channels playing equal opponents BYU would pull the majority of the ratings. That's just plain and simple and only an idiot would argue otherwise. By your logic a conference could invite Miami of Ohio and thusly get the Cincinnati/Dayton/Columbus/Northern Kentucky market. Sorry, the Ohio St owns that market.

Also to your point which helps prove mine, "The new deal the Pac-12 just signed would be no different with BYU in Utah's place", you're basically stating that the TV market wasn't a big enough deal for the Pac 10 to make it a reason for choosing either school, so let's rule that out (nice work, thanks).

B.BYU does have a larger fanbase and whether its overstated on CB or not its the truth. One example of many, when Utah went to play UCLA in 2006 (just after their amazing BCS Bowl busting season!) they drew just over 50K in attendance. That's after a history-making, headline-making season. The very next season in 2007 BYU went to play UCLA and drew just under 73K. When you factor in ticket prices, concessions, souvenirs, parking, etc, that's easily over $1million more in stadium income than the year before with Utah.

And to your point about Bowl ratings, Fiesta and Sugar Bowl ratings will always be higher than LVB or lesser bowls whether no matter who is playing there. Yet, ESPN still maintains that some of their highest rated college football games of all time are BYU games.

2a & b). I agree that nobody cares about tradition in the big dollar world of college football. But to your point about Utah being the better national brand, did ESPN come to you with a monumental TV deal? Nope, they came to BYU because of their national brand and ability to draw ratings. You're claiming in one argument that neither BYU or Utah had the ratings might to have made a difference in the Pac 12's new TV deal but then in #2 you counter yourself and start talking national brand. You can't have it both ways, and sad to say in your case it's that you don't have the cache that BYU does.

As a result of this national brand that BYU has, ESPN is now strutting their stuff all over the country lining up big games, with marquee opponents in some huge venues. BYU was such a huge success in the debut of the new Dallas Cowboys stadium that ESPN has set up another game there against TCU. ESPN also has a game set up to play in the home of the Washington Redskins, Fed-Ex Field. As you already know a 6 game series is set with Notre Dame, another long series with Texas, in the works is Wisconsin and Nebraska and one still in the development stages is rumored to be Ohio St. Another game rumored to be in the works is set for the new Yankees Stadium against an east coast opponent.

My point is, ESPN isn't doing this for Utah. And, btw, you're welcome. Because of BYU and ESPN, Utah is guaranteed one game on national TV next season.

I agree with you, nobody cares about the past and in that light, nobody cares about Utah's miracle season in 2008 and they've completely forgotten 2005. Its' all about what have you done for me lately, and Utah was seen as a vastly overrated team last year. Getting embarrassed like you did agaisnt TCU, Boise St and Notre Dame last year has a way of erasing past memories and further proves the skeptic's mind that Utah had a couple of fluke seasons, "Even a blind dog finds a bone now and again." Most people not from the University of Utah view the Sugar Bowl game as Alabama was heartbroken about losing their shot at the NC game and was deflated and disinterested in the Sugar Bowl consolation game. Most sports pundits referred to that constantly in post game analysis. Again, it's just like you said, one bright shining moment gets forgotten quickly when you follow it up by laying rotten eggs (like last years losses to TCU, BSU and ND).

3). Agreed, it was all about football so your #4 is contradicting your #3 (you contradict yourself a lot in this don't you?).

5). Utah has had 2 great years in a decade of so-so years. BYU had the misfortune of the Crowton years to overcome but since Bronco has taken over the reigns they are trending up. Since Urban bolted for greener pastures Ute success has been a little rocky. They did strike gold in 2008 (the last years of Urban's players) but now that they have to rely solely on Whittingham's recruits there's been a noticeable decline in talent and athleticsm with Utah definitely trending down. Nobody in the financial world buys stocks that have peaked or are in decline and the smart guys at major universities are no different.

Major college football is all about money. All you have to do is look at the goings on with the Fiesta Bowl committee and the trouble they got into recently, the "pry it from our cold dead fingers" stance that the BCS has taken with opening their bowl system up and their stubborn refusal to consider a playoff system even if it incorporates their bowls. It's all about the money and in the cold hard truth, utah's having a couple of miracle seasons in their 100+ yrs of football doesn't amount to a hill of beans. But there is one emotion that motivates people even more than greed, and that's bigotry and the hatred it breeds (remember 9/11). It's in the headlines every day.

As a result of that, the Pac12 was willing to overlook everything that ESPN is ready to cash in on, because of the religious afiliation of the school. Oh, and Btw, BYU did get an invitation to join the Big East, w/o winning a BCS game, and turned it down.

BYU is starting a new trend (financial independence through your own network deal with ESPN) instead of following an old one (conference expansion). Very soon, Texas, USC and other major programs with national brands will follow. When they do, conference afiliation will become as meaningless in the big picture as the WAC. As for Utah and their little band of supporters, they'll need to huddle in conferences with other "have not" programs in order to survive. But, you can always brag at the barbershop about the '05 and '08 seasons, NFL draft picks, BCS busting, good ol' days. We won't take that away from you.