special as admin think it is. If we keep thinking we can attract top recruits simply because we offer a unique religious aspect to a good, but not great or elite, college education, we will fall further and further behind in major college athletics.

We need to be realistic about who we are and where we want to be. Right now, that’s a middling to low tier big 12 team. We should aim to be top tier big 12. We need to stop justifying why we can do things with less and still be at that level. Pay up, get fully on aboard with NIL, build facilities that attract recruits, recognize who your main competitors are and go head to head with them, etc.

The attitude of “We’re BYU, we’re SUPER special!” isn’t sustainable.