What’s your reading on Harlan (and Randall) when it comes to realignment?

[SalUteopia]

I don’t know enough about Harlan, or his capacity to sway things in Utah’s favor when it comes to realignment. I’d have felt more comfortable with Dr. Hill at the helm due to his proven resume, but this is not to say Harlan is not up to the task. Can anybody shed light on this? Are we in good hands with Harlan (and Randall)? Is Dr. Hill involved in any capacity behind closed doors?

Go Utes!

[UtahUtesRock]

I’m confident that they’ve at least consulted with Hill. You don’t have a resource like that who’s actually been through it before and not use him to one extent or another. Whatever happens, the team has to continue to win to stay attractive when/if BIG or SEC expand further in the next 3-4 years. 

what I wonder is does this have any impact on Whitt staying on longer than he planned this past spring. We keep hearing he may have this season and MAYBE next but you know he cares about the program. Does he stay on longer to keep them toward the top?

[Trailgoat]

Interesting times ahead. With all that’s currently going on, this could be Utah’s last year to make a run on the national level. Sadly, on field performance, program integrity, academic, charater building of good men, academic achievemnt is not relevant to the direction of college football as a whole. If Utah loses key developing players purchased by big schools after this season and UW, Oregon/others make the BIG beauty pagent cut over the next year I think he will be gone. Already hard enough to recruit against the bigger schools. Factor in pay to play-transfer portal and the big conference teams, recruiting to compete at their current level is going to be rough.

ESPN, FOX, and the blue blood administrators/coaches are pushing a very dangerous agenda not good for the game of college football. They don’t give a rats ass about Oregon State, WSU, Iowa State, and the 80 or so other schools dieing off or dropping off to an inferior league. Who knows what will happen, either way I will support our Ute football team and everything KW and his coaches have built the right way. Go Utes!

[dystopiamembrane]

“…on field performance, program integrity, academic, charater building of good men, academic achievemnt is not relevant to the direction of college football as a whole.”

I would argue that the above-mentioned attributes are relevant to the direction of programs outside the top 3/4 of D-IA. There are many, many schools that offer college football.

[dystopiamembrane]

Down-votes do not make this statement untrue.

[UTman]

Distopia, are they still relevant even if we were the flagship program in D-III in your dream scenario?

[dystopiamembrane]

D-III is where these attributes are most relevant.

[AlohaUte]

For Utah it’s really all about on-field success (but certainly our market and academics are a significant factor too). But without the winning and the strong reputation Utah would be viewed the same way the B1G or SEC view Arizona. A solid school, ok market, but don’t really add anything. However, with Utah winning the conference and pre-season Top10 this year, continuing that success is absolutely vital. If Utah makes the playoff this season it would be HUGE for national perception and make us even more attractive.

While I don’t think we have realistic chance to make the B1G right now, I’m sure we are in the periphery due to our AAU status. Continued success and excellence in Football and, to a lesser extent, other sports will position us to be promoted up (if you will).

[SalUteopia]

Good point, one silver lining might be that it gets Whitt to stay a bit longer.

[pedro]

I’ve seen very little to indicate that Harlan would ever consult Hill, just the opposite.  I hope you’re right though

[ProudUte]

One thing I am sure of is that Utah is doing everything it can to make sure they end up in the best place possible.  I am sure they are utilizing Dr. Hill.  I have to believe that they have hired a high-powered consulting firm as well.  This is way too important not to invest in the best resources possible.

 

[SalUteopia]

Here’s the scenario I’m most worried about – what happens if a couple PAC schools (say the 2 AZ schools or any other combo) decide to bolt for the Big 12? UO/UW are going to be fine one way or another, but what does Utah do in this scenario? Put differently, to what extent do we control our own destiny? My hope is we do what’s best for us, and not get caught up in this whole loyal-to-the-PAC business *if* it comes to that.

[AlohaUte]

This is the most likely scenario, in fact I fully expect Arizona and Colorado to announce leaving before the season starts. IMO, Utah should 100% go to the Big12, even if they have to sign the GOR until 2025. THat is soon enough that IF an invite to the B1G or SEC comes, we can make the move at that time without much issue.

The reality, we aren’t a strong option for the B1G yet. Washington, Oregon, and Stanford are more attractive and likely. Though maybe Utah making the Playoff this season could change that. Utah is a good fit for the B1G due to academics and football success, but market and TV eyeballs is weaker. I just think there is at best a 5% chance we get the call to the big leagues in the next 3 or 4 years. So if CU, ASU, and UA all jump to the Big12, we need to go to. (And honestly, that’d be a dang fun conference. And I, for one, would love to have the Holy War back as an in-conference rivalry game.)

[ProudUte]

Aloha, I agree with you.  If we have an option to go to the Big12 – take it.  There are some who say they don’t want to be with BYU.  To that, I say – nonsense.  We have been with BYU most of the time that Utah has played sports.  I just want to remain in a P5 conference.  We are not Oregon or UW.  We have a solid brand but are in no way a top twenty brand when you consider everything.

[PhiladelphiaUte]

I think that if somebody does take the bait, and defect to the Big 12, it’ll start a chain reaction whereby the Big 12 will get 4-6 Pac-12 teams, and the Pac-12 is history.  Utah winds up in the Big 12 in that scenario.  And THIS is why I’m hoping Kliavkoff goes on the offensive, and poaches a quartet of TX and OK schools from the Big 12.  By bolstering the Pac-12 with 4 Big 12 schools, we’ll be able to weather any further raids from the BigTen and/or SEC (since picking off 4 Big 12 teams will irreparably damage their brand to the point that they’ll never be strong enough to raid our league again, whereas we could — at will — replace any lost schools with the best the Big 12 has left to offer).

[AlohaUte]

I just don’t see any reason why any Big-12 school would leave to come to the Pac-12 at this point. It defies reason.

[Central Coast Ute]

It depends on the networks. It would stand to reason that if ESPN is truly interested in the pacific time zone, they would bolster the PAC and not the Big 12. The thing is, none of us know what is being said behind closed doors. To say the big 12 is a better spot than the pac 10 at this point is unreasonable.

[Waybackutefan]

PAC had the chance to get those teams last year and 💩 on their overtures. Now they about to get 💩 on. I know no one other than   everyone outside the PAC thought the LA schools would leave, but here we are.

I think everyone who down arrows folks saying the B12 is a reasonable place to land needs to reply with the reasons why.

The  B10 ain’t knocking on the door anytime soon.

 

[NashvilleUte]

Agree. It’s time (actually past time) for the PAC to get aggressive and invite the top 6 Big12 teams (sans TDS). The B1G were aggressive in fetching USC and UCLA. You either act or get acted upon. I think the only holdup is the liberal northwest probably thinks they’re too good to associate with Texas and Oklahoma. If they continue being smug about inviting them, the PAC will collapse and Cal, Stanford, Oregon State and Washington State can look forward to joining the MWC instead.

I agree that I’d bet ESPN would rather the PAC survive over the Big12. They love their late Saturday night games too much (as much as I loathe them, since I’m out in Tennessee).

[Duhwayne]

CU and Utah to B1G is my preferred bit. Both are AAU schools who are the flagship entities in their states. Fills in a gap. Take Cal, Oregon and UDub and what TV market is left? Not sure if the take is net profitable to the other members.