Intercollegiate athletics were booted from Rexburg in 2001. The impact to Provo was immediate, dramatic, and so, so predictable. The annual Director's Cup rankings tell the ugly tale, and this is also the primary reason - above coaching, conference affiliation, NCAA administrative whims, etc. - why I hold zero hope for a return to prominence:
BYU Performance Before/After Dropping Rick’s Athletics:
Avg Director’s Cup Final Ranking
Before: 21st
After: 38th
Best Director’s Cup Final Ranking
Before: 12th
After: 26th
Worst Director’s Cup Final Ranking
Before: 33rd
After: 48th
Top 25 Director’s Cup Final Rankings
Before: 7 in 9 years
After: 0 in 16 years
Note that our best post-Ricks final ranking barely edges our worst final ranking with Ricks providing a recruiting farm. We had a slick system delivering seasoned veterans with legitimate game experience and the confidence that comes with it, and now we don't. It's all about recruiting, and we haven't even come close to finding a replacement for what we had and chose to throw away.
At the time, I saw this coming from a mile away. I'll bet you did, too.
Makes me sick.