Gratitude for the PAC 12 Experience and for the upcoming BIG 12 Experience

[Ute Dub]

I still feel incredibly fortunate that we were able to join the PAC 12. It felt like Christmas every day during those initial years. I could hardly believe it was happening; I never thought the day would arrive. Since then, the University has grown significantly, with new buildings, improved finances, and greater recognition. The excitement of that 2010 announcement and the holiday-like feeling still lingers for me each year. So, yes, there’s a sense of nostalgia and loss associated with leaving the PAC 12, given how much it has meant to us.

Nevertheless, the University has positioned itself exceptionally well for the transition to the BIG 12 and any potential future expansions. As a Ute fan, I’m grateful for the PAC 12 experience, and I anticipate being equally appreciative of the BIG 12 experience. It presents an opportunity for teams and fan bases unfamiliar with Utah to experience what we have to offer. Hopefully, we’ll extend a warm welcome to them and, after a solid beating in football, send them home with the best possible losing experience.

GO UTES!

[UteBacker]

GREAT post, Ute Dub. This sums it up for me too. It’s absolutely possible to be horribly disappointed and saddened by the demise of the Pac12 AND to be grateful for the opportunity the BigXII has extended to us. These feelings are not mutually exclusive.

[Trailgoat]

Well stated. My first Utah football game as a student was an at home loss to the 1AA University of Idaho. Stadium was half full. Chris Hill and presidents Machen and Young patiently pursued a vision to get Utah where it is today. The outcome following entry to the P12 is immeasurable in all areas. The next 2-5 years, whenever it all shakes out are beyond critical for the continued growth of Utah. Hopefully Randall and Harlan are doing whatever it takes to pursue the vision of Utah not getting left out of the next shake down.

[12PAC]

Well said, and the attitude I’m working on. Appreciation with the Pac12 is easy, appreciating our new circumstance is taking some work. Still grieving.

[Utah]

Yes…and no. I am grateful for the PAC-12. And I do have some excitement about being in the Big 12.

BUT, we are helping the Big 12 more than they are helping us. The Big 12 is about to die and for these teams in there to act all butt hurt that we aren’t over the top excited to be joining…when we will be the team that brings the Big 12 the most success over the next 5 years…

Respect goes both ways. And Utah will bring a lot of wins and prestige to the Big 12 these next few years.

[Ute Dub]

Really? What fkn conference would we be in right now without the BIG 12?

I once lost a job because the company went under in 2009. I had to take a lesser job. Later, I got an even better job than the first. The point is, I wasn’t a BITCH to everyone while working at the company of the lesser job; that would have been a total DICK move to come in and s**t on everyone else and act like I was better than them, even though it was a job I was over qualified to have.

You can let your feelings of superiority out, but the time to do it is when Utah gets called up to a bigger conference, not right now. Just my .02 cents.

[MDUte]

We’d be in the ACC. I’m not saying that would be better because it wouldn’t and it would’ve meant less money which definitely isn’t better.

But the B12 was never Utah’s “dream” destination. The B12 was always the last resort option for Utah behind keeping the PAC together and trying to secure a P2 invite. Utah was however the crown jewel for Yormark’s “dream scenario” of landing the 4 corner schools.

[Ute Dub]

Interesting. Now, we know how USC and Oregon must have felt about us.

[MDUte]

Everyone needs to realize that what fans say and do on here or anywhere on social media has absolutely NO bearing on conference realignment. NONE.

I get that people on here want Utah fans to appear “classy” and humble and ultimately to be liked. But what does it really matter if we are liked or not? Answer: it doesn’t.

Everyone can fan however they like. It’s totally understandable to want Utah fans to represent themselves and the fanbase well. And if it’s your own personal standard to carry yourself in the highest and classiest way possible, that’s great…go for it. But it really doesn’t matter whatsoever.

There’s no trophy awarded to the classiest fanbase at the end of the year. When Presidents/Chancellors and Conference Commissioners are determining which schools to consider to add to their conference, what fans of a school say or do on social media NEVER enters the equation. The only thing that matters is how attractive a candidate University is to these decision makers in terms of revenue and like-mindedness. The only people who could screw things up or make a positive difference in the outcome are members of the candidate University’s leadership team (President/Chancellor, AD, etc).

When TSPP screwed up their invite to the B12 on the first go around back in 2011, it wasn’t the fanbase that caused the B12 to pause and turn to TCU to extend an invite. It was TSPP’s leadership team (including their lawyers) that went down to Dallas and acted bigger than they were that screwed up the deal.

This is a long winded post to just say to everyone that worries what other fans might think about us or if our posts might end up on ClownBoard…there’s simply no reason at all to worry about any of that. None of what fans say on social media matters in the grand scheme of things.

In fact, it would be much better for Utah to enter the B12 as the “villain” in the eyes of the other member B12 schools than to be liked. And then back it up by winning the conference. Why? Because being the villain means every team is gunning for you and it attracts eyeballs and attention. Attention that Utah desperately needs now that we no longer have any blue blood brands in the conference that garner that kind of attention. Utah needs to do everything possible to capture attention and ratings. Ultimately this means Utah needs to win.

But wanting to take TSPP’s approach of entering the new conference and hoping everyone is going to like you and make new friends doesn’t help Utah at all. The way to be liked by all is to lose and have them happy you’re there to deliver a win to their school. Nobody likes the school at the top who is winning all the time and who they want to knock off. That is who Utah wants and needs to be.

[MDUte]

And btw, since you brought up USC and Oregon, I spent the last 2 years on UteZone where there’s often times joint posts where fans from multiple fan bases can all chime in on.

If you think there are bad Utah fans on social media making us look bad, I can tell you that they don’t even come close to what I saw from USC fans and Oregon fans as well as other blue blood schools. We’re talking the biggest bunch of D-Bag comments being thrown out there right and left at everyone.

Point being is that all fanbases spout off on social media. I’m not saying it makes it right or that it’s ok. Just saying that it is what it is and none of it matters, whatsoever.

[The Miami Ute]

Are you certain that we’d be in the ACC? I’m not so sure. The reason why is because I’m not certain that the administration would ve willing to join a moribund conference AND forgo any media payouts like Stanford, Cal, and SMU are doing. Those three universities are essentially getting nothing out of being in the ACC other than membership and an inflated travel budget.

If Utah hadn’t been able to join the Big 12, I think that the most likely scenario would have been to join up with OSU and Wazzu in a common front, get access to the boatload of legacy PAC 12 funds that’s remaining, and come up with a way of remaining relevant until the next cycle of realignment.

[Ute Dub]

Good Point. Chip Kelly had it right. USC and UCLA should have sent Football only to the B1G and left all the other sports back home to play Arizona, Washington, Utah, etc.

I imagine the scheduling will have to change for Stanford and Cal. They’re volleyball team will go play 3-4 games at a time on the east coast rather than travel every other week.

[MDUte]

Nothing is for sure. But I’m fairly confident in saying that just as Stanford/Cal preferred going to the ACC at a reduced rate, Utah’s administration would’ve preferred to do the same versus locking arms with OSU/WSU and trying to form a MWC 2.0.

Randall had mentioned to insiders his desire to stay aligned with Stanford in an attempt to be considered by the B1G for expansion. So if he had a choice between aligning with OSU/WSU or Stanford/Cal and the more prestigious universities in the ACC, it appears obvious to me he’d go with the latter.

But again, we’re only talking about this hypothetical as a backup to the B12. The B12 was still the next best option due to higher revenue and geography. Now if there would’ve been an option to join the ACC and receive the same amount of revenue as the B12 was offering, then I’m of the opinion Utah would’ve opted for the ACC…even with the travel burden that would be considerable.

[Ute Dub]

I might have those same feelings if we were playing Wyoming and New Mexico again, but we’re in such a better situation than those old WAC and MWC days.

[MDUte]

If things don’t break the right way for Utah over the next several years, we’re actually going to be right back to the same place we were in with the MWC/WAC days.

Believe it or not but the B12 will eventually become relegated to the G5 level.

[Trailgoat]

I’m sure there’s plenty of ignorance here on my part. Have seen this posted in other forums. Why in the hell are the ACC, B12, P2, sitting on their hands letting the SEC, B10 call all the shots. Gottta think there are some smart attorneys collaborating with the conferences to come up with some move or variation to shut out the SEC and B10 from all other sports including BB, especially UO, USC, UCLA, and UW out West. Let the West coast Olympic sports, basketball, baseball cook traveling East for all their games. Isolate the B10 and SEC forcing them to play each other in all sports.

I know there’s a ton of holes in this proposal, but sitting back like a bunch of gutless turds waiting for the SEC and B10 to dictate all the rules and the future of your conference and program is weak. A lot of rich, smart people in the B12, ACC, etc need start making some waves. Point is, B12, ACC and others need to get aggressive and quit waiting around for the next shoe to drop. Rant over :)!

[MDUte]

Unfortunately, there’s nothing the other conferences can do. The SEC/B1G hold all the power in terms of money/TV Networks. All the other conferences can do is get in line with what the SEC/B1G want and hope like hell they keep them at the table.

If the other conferences were to put out any type of ultimatum to the SEC/B1G such as include us or we’ll isolate you so you can only play each other, then they’ll gladly take their ball and go play each other and start their own new Super League. They have all the money and TV Network support to do so. And the other conferences know that if they do this it means the death of their current revenue levels. For example, what the B12 is currently getting from Fox/ESPN will get dramatically reduced when the current contract expires. There’s no way TV Networks are going to pay as much for a conference that is now operating at the same level as the MWC. There wouldn’t be the ratings and interest level to support the current level of revenue if this were to happen.

And pointing to MBB and how the B12 is the premier basketball league unfortunately doesn’t move the needle. Basketball only makes 20 cents on every $1 of athletics revenue. CFB is far and away the big money driver and it isn’t even close.

[MDUte]

Big news

NEWS: Fox, ESPN, and Warner Bros. Discovery are teaming up to create a joint streaming platform to share sports assets, according to multiple reports.

The service will be available to ESPN+, Hulu, and Max subscribers, and it's expected to launch later this year. pic.twitter.com/L3gpisilyQ

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) February 6, 2024

[Jim Vanderhoof]

Nice original post Ute Dub. I’ve watched us go from the WAC- MWC -PAC 12- Big 12. It’s been an amazing ride. Being in the Pac 12 or Big 12 was a pipe dream at one time. A good friend of mine that I went to Utah football – basketball games with for years died the year before Urban Meyers came. If he came back to life he wouldn’t believe what the football program had become and would be equally shocked with the down turn in basketball.

I don’t get the fascination with social media to belittle programs and verbally attack others. Maybe it’s the old hippie in me. Peace love and respect others opinions. The world was a much better place before social media. I would much rather be sitting around having a beer and talking all things Utes with UteDub Tony Miami proud Ute and all the rest of this board.

[Author]

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