Love listening to Fehlberg. He is pretty honest about this stuff. Very bright guy.
1. Rondo said he spent a full year in the 1990s completely focused in getting BYU into the Pac 10. He visited every Pac 10 campus and worked with leaders to get BYU in. In his mind it was going to happen
2. When Ben asked Rondo who is the force behind realignment either the Presidents/ADs or broadcasting entities, he said by far it's ESPN and the sports networks
3. The Presidents gave up their power awhile ago to the NCAA governing body. They lost the opportunity to really do anything. It's the networks now.
4. ESPN is really the force behind all of this. It almost always boils down to money which could ultimately be how BYU finally get in
5. "BYU brings a very very complicated agenda to any table, to any room. ESPN hasn't wanted to have to deal with that."
6. BYU has a very unique fanbase that no one else has because of geography and religious fandom
7. I think BYU would like to be in a conference. It's a question of if BYU can be themselves and "participate without penalty"
8. It was all set to happen that BYU would be invited to the Big 12. The Big 12 "flinched." It was the Presidents who flinched
9. Fans complaining that this is religious bigotry, generally has the effect of confirming to the powers that be that keeping BYU out was the right call
10. Still believes the ideal scenario is 4 16-team conferences. "Inherently stable."