Rondo Fehlberg speaks out

[ProudUte]

Rondo Fehlberg was the Athletic Director in Provo back 20+ years ago. He was interviewed on 1280 this morning when I was out running errands. It was a refreshing interview because he seemed totally honest. He did not try to sugar-coat anything. Some tidbits:
The Big Ten needs Rutgers and Purdue in its conference. He said it is important to have teams that the big-name teams can easily beat. The interviewers were trying to get him to say that teams like Vanderbilt, etc. do not belong in the P5 conferences. Fehlberg said they are as important as any other team in their conference because you need bottom-dwellers. (Interesting and probably true perspective.)
The Big 12 hired a marketing firm with the sole purpose of spreading rumors about the PAC12. It is in the best interest of the Big 12 to weaken the PAC12.
Fehlberg feels that college football would be best served with four mega conferences.
He said that he could see a day when a company like Apple buys a kid out of high school for two years and then negotiates the placement of the player. He did not say this was going to happen, but that things like this are possible. He said that he sees 3-4 NIL rule adjustments until things will settle down.

[Central Coast Ute]

Sounds like stuff we all know but TDS fans have a hard believing. I’d like to think 4 mega conferences will emerge from this but it looks like it’s going to be 2. The big 12 needs to try to undermine the PAC because they know if it does go to 4, they’re the ones on the chopping block and not the other way around.

[Brettski]

Totally agree. My prediction is that in 2030 the best of the big 12 comes over to the pac and Oregon and Washington may never go to the big10. If Oregon is getting playoff money every other year it won’t make much sense to leave.

Future Pac

1. Oregon
2. Oregon State
3. Washington
4. Washington State
5. Stanford
6. Cal
7. Utah
8. Colorado
9. Arizona
10. ASU
11. SDSU
12. TCU
13. Ok State
14. SMU
15. BYU (regrettably)
16. Baylor
17/18 Kansas and K State possibly

[PhiladelphiaUte]

You don’t see Tx Tech in that scenario?  That’s make a far better choice than the tdS.

[Brettski]

Actually just forgot about Texas Tech. Happy to swap them for the Y

[belli1976]

I get the distain for TDS. For me, rivalries are a part of college football. If you don’t have a rivalry game the season is lacking. I would love TDS to be in the same conference.

It seems like those that don’t want TDS in the same conference, also mock the fabricate Colorado rivalry.

[Crow]

Not a rivalry when forced to play them by the byu legislature. Going to the U of U to get my masters. When Utah played byu no one talked about it or cared. When I got my BS and BA in the days of the mwc they talked a lot about the game.

62-35-4 is not a rivalry its a series and nothing more.

[Crow]

I’m sorry but if you knew the history between Utah and Colorado they were rivals way before Utah and byu. Again Utah owns byu 62-35-4 where as Utah finally has more wins over Colorado 34-32-2. It’s not a rivalry when you’re forced to play byu. Chris Hill had the right idea and dump byu. 

[Central Coast Ute]

Personally, I don’t see the TDS making the cut. Especially not with Stanford, Cal, and Oregon. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see USC and UCLA coming back.

[Brettski]

Would love to see SC and UCLA take the Kansas school spots in my scenario.

[PlainsUte]

Was he paying attention last year when Purdue was knocking off some of the better BigTen teams. won the West Division and thereby played in the BigTen Championship?  Northwestern might fit the bill of perennial doormat better.

[2008 National Champ]

Yet Northwestern got the same benefit to losing in their CCG in 2018 as Utah did. Northwestern isn’t the perennial doormat they were in the 1980’s

[Rick]

Northwestern is on it’s way back to being dormat just as is Stanford.  The transfer portal has destroyed the super elite academic schools and I don’t see them coming back from it unless the rules change.  Northwestern has gone 14-31 from 2019 to present and Stanford has gone 14-28 in the same period.  In the 4 years prior to the portal, Stanford has gone 40-15 and Northwestern 36-17.  

[J Rocksville]

It’s a fools errand to try and predict, but I could see Washington Oregon ND Stanford to the Big 10. Clemson, Florida St, Miami, NC to the SEC. Then the remaining ACC and Pac 12 teams form something else that just doesn’t feel great. Maybe scavenge a couple top schools out of the Big 12?

If those two conferences go to 20, I don’t see how we’re included nor do I see how what’s left over would be competitive beyond 1-2 teams each year. Too much financial disadvantage.

If they go to 22 or 24 teams, then I think we have a pretty good shot of getting into that.

[UtesRdx]

I am surprised the shenanigans the B12 played by hiring a PR firm hasn’t gotten an article by one of the Tribune writers or the Athletic.  The unreported story of the year.  Where is the reporting? 

[Rick]

Probably because it would require ratting out fellow “journalists.”