The Brigham Young Cougars media day started with a State of the Program meeting hosted by Dave McCann. Those present were: BYU Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall, BYU Athletic Director Tom Holmoe, BYU Broadcasting General Manager Derek Marquis, and ESPN Vice-President of Programming Dave Brown.
BYU will get more exposure in 2011 than any team in the nation, except Notre Dame. Ten of BYU’s 12 games will be on one of the ESPN networks. The Idaho State game will be available nationwide as well on BYU tv. The only game that doesn’t have set television arrangements yet is the October 15 game at Oregon State.
Mr. Brown explained that he is not worried about BYU’s ability to put together good future schedules. He said that people love BYU. ESPN wants to showcase good, exciting football.
Tom Holmoe talked about scheduling and said it will be challenging to get good teams to come to Provo. However, the good teams are talking to BYU. He stated that teams that have never come to Provo before will come. He pointed out that BYU doesn’t play a lot of games in the mid-west, and they would like to change that. BYU will play anyone.
Mr. Marquis explained that fan access is unprecedented, and that going independent has always been about access for fans. BYU just released an iphone and ipad app, as well as a Roku channel.
Bronco Mendenhall made it clear that Utah will continue to be BYU’s chief rival. However, he thinks Notre Dame is a natural rivalry with both schools being independent and having religious ties. He would like to see rivalries develop with Boise State and Hawaii. BYU will have national games with high intrigue. The September date won’t change the intangibles surrounding the Utah game.
Mr. Brown pointed out that ESPN did not have a single BYU game air between 2005-2008. They worked to get the 2009 Oklahoma game with BYU. The rating for that game was 3.3. It is games like that that separate BYU from everyone else. It was clear that ESPN should have BYU on more often.
Mendenhall pointed out BYU will not lose a single recruit because it is no longer affiliated with the MWC. He explained that recruits are responding to the news that BYU is independent with comments like, “Oh, you are independent like Notre Dame.” He said it is not taking much for recruits and boosters to see that the move to independence is a step forward.
The honor code is the greatest tool for recruiting.
Holmoe explained that BCS AQ schools want 2-for-1 agreements with BYU, but BYU is only willing to play the best BCS AQ schools in a 2-for-1 format. He pointed out that some schools have their non-conference schedule full up till the year 2020.
MEDIA QUESTIONS
Q. The scheduling partnership with BYU and ESPN, does power of ESPN help?
Holmoe: Collaboration is a good way to put it. Both BYU and ESPN approach each other with ideas and what they want and work to make it happen. Without ESPN, BYU never could have put 2011 schedule together.
Brown: We are in the beginning stages of scheduling (less than one year). BYU will be able to balance it out. Teams from the ACC, Conference USA, and Big East will play BYU in October and November. ESPN wants to assist BYU in any way possible to get the schedule it wants.
Q. If BYU loses some of the first couple of games, will BYU have nothing to play for?
Bronco: No. Our goal is to win the national championship. We learnn from every game we play. BYU has more to play for now with the exposure. Even if BYU drops some games early, they still have games on ESPN to give motivation to play well.
Q. How will you handle the pressure to have success, and not more 7-6 seasons?
Bronco: 7-6 was my favorite because of the decisions that had to be made. The need for success cannot impose more pressure than there is already. BYU did have three 10 and 11 win seasons recaently.
McCann: BYU has a returning starting quarterback. BYU doesn’t have 7-6 seasons with a returning QB.
Bronco: Jake is still young, but we saw him grow last year. He can make every throw.
Holmoe: BYU didn’t make this decision on the fly. It was long thought out. We looked at the personnel in the pipeline, and we saw the team would be prepared for this with the personnel at this time. Being BYU’s head coach, you know what pressure is.
Q. Will ESPN be available on campus at BYU?
McCann: It was just announced that all four ESPN channels will be made available on campus.
Q. What is plan of action to get BYU into BCS bowl game?
Bronco: Win. History shows you have to win every game. He pointed out that even though BYU will lose some games along the way, signature wins will do a lot to help build the BYU brand and help make independence work even though BYU isn’t in a BCS bowl all the time.
Q. Will ESPN continue to contract with BYU if BYU loses a lot, but the ratings are high.
Mr. Brown: BYU is a great brand and will do well.
Bronco: It is a brand that includes the church. People will be passionate no matter how well we play.
Q. Are other schools watching and intrigued about BYU's move for independence?
Bronco: Other schools didn't understand that BYU owned its own television network, and they didn't have the BYU brand. Other schools may have a brand, and the help of a conference brand, but they don't have the ability to control its brand via a TV network.
Bronco told a story that he was on vacation in Peru and entered a pottery shop. A man inside was working on some pottery. He was wearing a BYU shirt and recognized Bronco as the BYU head coach.
Mr. Brown said he got a tour of the new BYU Broadcast building and his reaction was that this place was just like the ESPN facilities in Bristol, Connecticut.
For those who do not understand the meaning of the "BYU Brand," this comment from Dave Brown goes a long way to explaining it. BYU has world class assets. When BYU does anything, they do it right and do it as best they can.
BYU is in a great position to make independence work because of the BYU brand.
Q. What is the Honor Code’s impact on the field?
Bronco: The coaches are very upfront with recruits about it and tell them this is the way it is at BYU. If recruits want to live the standards of the Honor Code, then they need to sell themselves to the coaching staff and why they deserve a scholarship over the other players wanting to come to BYU. Bronco also clarified that there was no persuading, coaxing, or enticing done by the coaches.
Bronco also explained that students/players aren't automatically kicked out of school or off the team for violating the honor code. He pointed out that the intent of the honor code is to help people reach their full potential.
The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
BYU will get more exposure in 2011 than any team in the nation, except Notre Dame. Ten of BYU’s 12 games will be on one of the ESPN networks. The Idaho State game will be available nationwide as well on BYU tv. The only game that doesn’t have set television arrangements yet is the October 15 game at Oregon State.
Mr. Brown explained that he is not worried about BYU’s ability to put together good future schedules. He said that people love BYU. ESPN wants to showcase good, exciting football.
Tom Holmoe talked about scheduling and said it will be challenging to get good teams to come to Provo. However, the good teams are talking to BYU. He stated that teams that have never come to Provo before will come. He pointed out that BYU doesn’t play a lot of games in the mid-west, and they would like to change that. BYU will play anyone.
Mr. Marquis explained that fan access is unprecedented, and that going independent has always been about access for fans. BYU just released an iphone and ipad app, as well as a Roku channel.
Bronco Mendenhall made it clear that Utah will continue to be BYU’s chief rival. However, he thinks Notre Dame is a natural rivalry with both schools being independent and having religious ties. He would like to see rivalries develop with Boise State and Hawaii. BYU will have national games with high intrigue. The September date won’t change the intangibles surrounding the Utah game.
Mr. Brown pointed out that ESPN did not have a single BYU game air between 2005-2008. They worked to get the 2009 Oklahoma game with BYU. The rating for that game was 3.3. It is games like that that separate BYU from everyone else. It was clear that ESPN should have BYU on more often.
Mendenhall pointed out BYU will not lose a single recruit because it is no longer affiliated with the MWC. He explained that recruits are responding to the news that BYU is independent with comments like, “Oh, you are independent like Notre Dame.” He said it is not taking much for recruits and boosters to see that the move to independence is a step forward.
The honor code is the greatest tool for recruiting.
Holmoe explained that BCS AQ schools want 2-for-1 agreements with BYU, but BYU is only willing to play the best BCS AQ schools in a 2-for-1 format. He pointed out that some schools have their non-conference schedule full up till the year 2020.
MEDIA QUESTIONS
Q. The scheduling partnership with BYU and ESPN, does power of ESPN help?
Holmoe: Collaboration is a good way to put it. Both BYU and ESPN approach each other with ideas and what they want and work to make it happen. Without ESPN, BYU never could have put 2011 schedule together.
Brown: We are in the beginning stages of scheduling (less than one year). BYU will be able to balance it out. Teams from the ACC, Conference USA, and Big East will play BYU in October and November. ESPN wants to assist BYU in any way possible to get the schedule it wants.
Q. If BYU loses some of the first couple of games, will BYU have nothing to play for?
Bronco: No. Our goal is to win the national championship. We learnn from every game we play. BYU has more to play for now with the exposure. Even if BYU drops some games early, they still have games on ESPN to give motivation to play well.
Q. How will you handle the pressure to have success, and not more 7-6 seasons?
Bronco: 7-6 was my favorite because of the decisions that had to be made. The need for success cannot impose more pressure than there is already. BYU did have three 10 and 11 win seasons recaently.
McCann: BYU has a returning starting quarterback. BYU doesn’t have 7-6 seasons with a returning QB.
Bronco: Jake is still young, but we saw him grow last year. He can make every throw.
Holmoe: BYU didn’t make this decision on the fly. It was long thought out. We looked at the personnel in the pipeline, and we saw the team would be prepared for this with the personnel at this time. Being BYU’s head coach, you know what pressure is.
Q. Will ESPN be available on campus at BYU?
McCann: It was just announced that all four ESPN channels will be made available on campus.
Q. What is plan of action to get BYU into BCS bowl game?
Bronco: Win. History shows you have to win every game. He pointed out that even though BYU will lose some games along the way, signature wins will do a lot to help build the BYU brand and help make independence work even though BYU isn’t in a BCS bowl all the time.
Q. Will ESPN continue to contract with BYU if BYU loses a lot, but the ratings are high.
Mr. Brown: BYU is a great brand and will do well.
Bronco: It is a brand that includes the church. People will be passionate no matter how well we play.
Q. Are other schools watching and intrigued about BYU's move for independence?
Bronco: Other schools didn't understand that BYU owned its own television network, and they didn't have the BYU brand. Other schools may have a brand, and the help of a conference brand, but they don't have the ability to control its brand via a TV network.
Bronco told a story that he was on vacation in Peru and entered a pottery shop. A man inside was working on some pottery. He was wearing a BYU shirt and recognized Bronco as the BYU head coach.
Mr. Brown said he got a tour of the new BYU Broadcast building and his reaction was that this place was just like the ESPN facilities in Bristol, Connecticut.
For those who do not understand the meaning of the "BYU Brand," this comment from Dave Brown goes a long way to explaining it. BYU has world class assets. When BYU does anything, they do it right and do it as best they can.
BYU is in a great position to make independence work because of the BYU brand.
Q. What is the Honor Code’s impact on the field?
Bronco: The coaches are very upfront with recruits about it and tell them this is the way it is at BYU. If recruits want to live the standards of the Honor Code, then they need to sell themselves to the coaching staff and why they deserve a scholarship over the other players wanting to come to BYU. Bronco also clarified that there was no persuading, coaxing, or enticing done by the coaches.
Bronco also explained that students/players aren't automatically kicked out of school or off the team for violating the honor code. He pointed out that the intent of the honor code is to help people reach their full potential.
The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
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