On Wednesday June 24, BYU football announced that they had agreed to terms with the University of Toledo for a home-and-home series starting in 2016. BYU will host the Rockets at LaVell Edwards Stadium on September 30, 2016 and then BYU will travel to Toledo, Ohio in 2019.
Nov 15, 2014; Provo, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver Jordan Leslie (9) catches the ball while being defended by UNLV Rebels defensive back Sidney Hodge (4) during the second half at Lavell Edwards Stadium. Brigham Young Cougars won the game 42-23. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
Toledo was 9-4 in 2014 and defeated the Arkansas State Red Wolves in the 2015 GoDaddy Bowl. In 2012, they played in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Utah State and lost 41-15.
Toledo is out of the Mid-American Conference which is a mid-major that features Bowling Green, Ohio, Buffalo, Akron, UMass, Miami (OH), Kent State, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, and Ball State.
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It is far from Savannah State of the FCS division of NCAA football and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference who BYU destroyed 64-0 in 2014.
If that is the case, why are people continuing to rail on BYU for their schedule? Sean Walker of ksl.com published an article yesterday that talked about the new opponent for BYU and many of the comments towards the article and the opponent are negative.
Things being said are, “another softy”, “one step above Weber State,” “this is why home attendance is suffering,” etc.
It makes me wonder if those fans have seen the teams that are coming to play at LaVell Edwards Stadium in 2016. UCLA, Mississippi State, Toledo, and Utah State. Those really are four high-quality opponents to come to Provo.
Dec 31, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Dak Prescott (15) in the second half of the Orange Bowl game at Sun Life Stadium. Georgia Tech defeated the Bulldogs 49-34. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports
Are these the same fans that got mad when BYU had to fill a schedule spot and did so with Savannah State in 2014?
With Nebraska, Michigan State, UCLA, USC, Mississippi State, Michigan, LSU, Arizona, Utah, West Virginia, Washington, Virginia, Arizona State, Stanford, and Notre Dame on future schedules, one would think that BYU Athletic Director Tom Holmoe and Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall are doing their jobs.
Not every team, every year will come to Provo and play. But due to the fact that the SEC sees BYU as a Power 5 opponent as does the ACC, BYU will be able to fill their schedule with more Power 5 teams than ever before.
In 2016, the schedule could be compared to schedules from schools that are actually in Power 5 Conferences. BYU will play Arizona, Utah, Michigan State, Mississippi State, UCLA, and West Virginia who are all members of a Power 5 Conference. Add Boise State, Utah State, Cincinnati, Toledo, and UMass to that list and it looks eerily similar to what the schedule would be in a conference setting.
There will always be haters out there to whatever BYU chooses to do. They could have 12 games against Power 5 schools only with five of those being played at LaVell Edwards Stadium and it still wouldn’t suit a small minority of BYU fans.
Jan 2, 2015; San Antonio, TX, USA; UCLA Bruins wide receiver Jordan Payton (9) runs after a catch during the first half of the 2015 Alamo Bowl against the Kansas State Wildcats at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
It would help BYU if they were to go on the road in 2015 and beat Nebraska and Michigan or go into Los Angeles and compete and possibly win against UCLA. The biggest thing that will help get more premier games in Provo is for BYU to win.
For now, the schedules are getting more difficult and the opportunities to play on ESPN and ABC continue to grow. Maybe BYU doesn’t have a lot of high-end home games scheduled, but that hasn’t stopped ESPN from broadcasting games.
With the a strong fan base no matter where the Cougars travel to and with the opportunity to compete at the highest levels, BYU will continue to do what it takes to make noise at the national level and put together the best schedules possible.
Why not try to understand the difficulty that comes with scheduling as an independent and respect what they have been able to do rather than rail on them? You might be surprised at what they are doing.
Oh and one more thing, they can compete with anyone in the nation. Just ask Texas.